Detailed Itinerary

 

Morning flight from Addis Ababa to Axum. This ancient city, with its half-buried ruins of palaces, monolithic Stelae, and subterranean tombs, is one of Ethiopia's most historic sites. Reputedly the capital of the Queen of Sheba, today Axum is the hub of Ethiopian Christianity. Visit the Park of the Obelisks where several colossal monoliths still stand together, marking the tombs of the Axumite royals.

Visit a historically important dedicatory stone dating to about 320 AD with an inscription written in three languages - Sabaean, Ge'ez (earliest written Ethiopian language), and Greek, and explore the tomb of King Basen, who ruled at the time of the birth of Christ. Also explore Gobadura, where Axum’s giant Stelae were quarried, and see the impressive relief drawing of a lion cut into a large boulder.

Axum is where the Ark of the Covenant of Biblical fame is reported to be hidden within the compound of the Church of Saint Mary of Zion.

Axum to Lalibela - Jerusalem Guest House

Lalibela is a 'World Heritage Site' and there is every reason for it to be one. The 12th century rock-hewn churches have been dubbed the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'. There are 1000 churches in the Lasta region of Lalibela, some hidden in enormous caves, but it is exceptional to find 11 churches of such master craftsmanship in one locale in the town of Lalibela. Seeing all of Lalibela's churches takes a long time, but they are well worth the effort, particularly during the Ethiopian Christmas (7th January) and Timkat celebrations (19th January). The first group of six churches lie in rock cradles one behind the other: Bet Golgotha, Bet Mika'el, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel and Bet Medhane Alem.

Lalibela to Gondar - Goha Hotel

Spend today exploring more of the rock-carved churches of the area. We will visit Yemrehane Christos 42km north of the town of Lalibela, a striking church sited within a black basalt rock cave built by King Yemrehane Christos (let Christ show the way) who ruled before King Lalibela in the 10th Century AD. This afternoon we will take a flight to Gondar, you'll be staying at the Goha Hotel.

Gondar to Bahr Dar - Tana Hotel

Gondar, known as the 'Camelot' of Africa. Gondar was the 17th and 18th century capital city of Ethiopia and was home to a number of emperors and warlords, courtiers and kings who built several castles and palaces around the area.

Nestled in the foothills of the breathtaking Simien Mountains in northwest Ethiopia, Gondar became the capital during the reign of Emperor Fasilidas (1632-1667) and emerged over the years as an important administrative, commercial, religious and cultural centre.

Its importance declined in the 19th century and in 1880 it was looted by the Sudanese Dervishes. The oldest and the most impressive Gondar structure is the 2 storey palace of Emperor Fasilidas, built of roughly hewn brown basalt stone held together with mortar.

Bahir Dar - Tana Hotel

Bahir Dar a city on the edge of Lake Tana. It is the capital city of its region and an important commercial centre. We take a boat trip on Lake Tana and visit the island monasteries. There are 37 islands scattered Tis Isat known as Blue Nile about on the falls is 400m wide and 45m (3000 sq.kilometers) deep lake which is the source of the Blue Nile.

About twenty of these islands house the churches and monasteries that are of immense historical as well as cultural interest. Some are decorated with beautiful paintings and contain innumerable treasures. Most churches forbid women inside; however, the church of Ura Kidane Mehret on the Zeghe peninsula is open to women after a walk inland for about 20 minutes.

You will be staying at the Tana Hotel.

Blue Nile Falls to Addis - Departure 

The Blue Nile Falls, locally known as Tis Isat or 'Smoke of Fire'. The Fals are 400m wide when in flood and 45m deep, the falls throws up a continuous spray of water droplets which drench onlookers up to 3 Km away. The area around the river is extremely fertile.

Difficulty Level: Medium

Not recommended for children under 13 or people above 65 years old.

Trip Notes
Wear comfortable loose fitting clothing, covered walking or hiking shoes and bring a hat for the sun. To reach some of these churches we must hike a short distance up rather steep terrain.

This itinerary has been designed to be as comfortable as possible, but this part of the world is still under-developed. Our four-wheel drive vehicles are well maintained, but there will be some travel over unpaved roads.

We have carefully chosen hotels that are the best available, but they frequently are not up to Western standards - there will be times when the rooms will not have hot water, or perhaps will have no water at all; the standards of cleanliness will occasionally be less than you would like; and electricity might be sporadic. Many of the religious buildings in Ethiopia are not open to women, and we have intentionally included sites in which all are welcome.