Classic Ethiopia Tour Package

Route: Northern and Southern Circuit-Historic, Cultural and Natural Ethiopia Tour
Duration: 17 nights and 18 days
Mode of transportation: Flight, Surface and climbing and Walking
Difficulty of the tour: Moderate

Take your historical, cultural and adventurous spirit holiday to a place where you will have the best combination of what Northern historic route and the southwestern Cultural route has to offer. Detail guided tour on each major historic site in the north along with hiking in the Semien Mountains and Tigray churches. Parks of the Rift Valley and the fascinating tribes of Omo Valley are the major highlights of the second part of this Classic Ethiopia Tour package. This tour comprises 7 of the 10 UNESCO registered sites in Ethiopia.

• Day 01: Addis
  Arrive in Addis and meet Dreamland Ethiopia Tours representative at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD), start city tour of the capital founded by the wife of Emperor Menelik at the end of the 19th Century. The two famous museums the National museum which hosts Lucy, hominid fossil dating back to 3.2 million years old which belongs to the Australopithecus Afarensis family and the Ethnographic Museum where different cultural heritages are displayed. The market of Addis which is noted to be the largest open-air market in East Africa holds together different retail and wholesale sectors. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 02: Addis – Bahirdar/Flight/
  After check in to the hotel, start a boat trip on Lake Tana which is the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of Blue Nile and visit the island churches and monasteries on the lake. After Lunch drive to the Blue Nile waterfalls, it is 35 Km east from Bahirdar. The Blue Nile Falls also known as Tis Issat in Amharic when translated, means "smoking water". The falls are estimated to be between 37 and 45 meters high and about 200 meters wide during the rainy season. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 03: Bahirdar – Gondar/185 km/
  Gondar was founded by Emperor Fasilides around the year 1635 and grew as an agricultural and market town. The medieval city of Gondar is registered by UNESCO as a world heritage site for its many picturesque ruins in the Royal Enclosure. On the other side of the city lies Fasiladas' Bath. Afterwards, visit one of the finest churches in Ethiopia with its interior paintings Debre Berhan Selassie Church. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 04: Gondar – Simien Mountains National Park /140 km/
  Start driving in the morning to walk through the wonderful vegetation of the Semen Park to see the endemic Gelada baboons. The Simien Mountain massif is one of the major highlands of Africa, rising to the highest point in Ethiopia, Ras Dejen (4523m), which is the fourth highest peak in the continent. The park was established primarily to protect the Endemic Mammals and Birds of the country. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 05: Simien Mountains National Park - Axum /260 km/
  Early morning walk around the park and drive to Axum, the journey through the landscape of Semien Mountains on the way is probably one of the most scenic roads in Ethiopia. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 06: Axum
  Early morning start city tour of Axum. Axum is a holy city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the famous kingdom of Axum. Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from 400 BC into the 10th century. The major Aksumite monuments in the town are stele; the largest number lie in the Northern Stele Park, ranging up to the 33-metre (33 meters high 3.84 meters wide 2.35 meters deep, weighing 520 tonnes) Great Stele, believed to have fallen and broken during the erection. The sacred church in Ethiopia also lays in Axum, the Axum Zion church is the home the Original Ark of the Covenant. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 07: Axum – Hausien /150 km/
  Morning drive to Hausien and on the way visit Yeha Temple also called ‘Temple of the Moon’ it is considered as oldest standing building in the country. Yeha was a pagan worship temple before the Axumite era between 5^th – 8^th centuries BC. There are numerous rock-hewn churches in Tigray and most of them are built on top of mountains. These churches date back from the 4^th to the 15^th Century. They are divided into different groups and located in different sites. Over 125 churches are recorded in the Tigray Region. On the way Explore some churches of Tigray. Hausien is the hub to discover the renowned rock churches of Tigray. Overnight in hotel.
  
  

• Day 08: Hausien – Mekelle /130km/
  
  

• Day 09: Mekelle - Lalibela /450km/
  Depart from hotel early morning and drive through the historic Ambalaje Mountains and Lake Ashenge. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 10: Lalibela
  Lalibela is probably one of the most fascinating places not only in Ethiopia but also in the world. In fact, it was included in the World Heritage list by the UNESCO. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only to Axum, and is a centre of pilgrimage for much of the country. Unlike Aksum, the population of Lalibela is almost completely Ethiopian Orthodox church followers. Lalibela was intended to be a New Jerusalem in response to the capture of Jerusalem by Muslims in 1187, and many of its historic buildings take their name and layout from buildings in Jerusalem. This rural town is known around the world for its monolithic churches which play an important part in the history of rock-cut architecture. All the churches have been carved out during the reign of Lalibela, namely during the 12th and 13th centuries. There are 11 churches, assembled in 3 groups. Full day dedicated to visiting these outstanding churches of Lalibela. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 11: Lalibela – Addis Ababa/Flight/ – Langano /Drive 220 km/
  Fly from Lalibela to Addis in the morning and proceed to Langanoo. On the way to Lalibela Airport stop by at the cave church Neakutoleab. Lake Langano is part of the rift valley with pleasant beaches dotted with acacia trees. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 12: Langanoo-Arbaminch /300km/
  Excursion to Abyata-Shala National Park. The 887 km2 Abiata shala National park, bordered to the east by the main Moyale road. Although the two lakes are separated by a mere 3km wide silver of hilly land, they could not be more different in character. Shala, the southern lack, lies in a sheer-sided 266m deep crater and its surface is studded with a collection of small volcanically found islands. Abijata, by contrast, consists of a large, salty pan, nowhere more than 14m deep, surrounded by tightly cropped grass flats exposed over the last couple of decades by a steady drop in its water level. In the park around lakes Abijata and Shala it is possible to see flamingos, pelicans, cormorants, ibis, marabou stork and many other species. Nearly, Arrive in Arbaminch and Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 13: Arbaminch-Jinka /240km/
  Drive through the Konso highlands and Weyto lowlands with diverse tribes. Arrive in Jinka and accommodation in Jinka. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 14: Jinka-Mursi-Turmi /280km/
  Here starts the main highlight of the tour, where we shall explore different people living in their natural state where time and space seems not to exist. Morning drive to the Mursi people, one of the most interesting, from an anthropological point of view, in Africa. They belong to The Nilo-Saharian language group and they speak a language similar to that of Surma and Me’en people. Among their vast and strange cultures is found also the “Lip Plate” which they practice by cutting their lower lip to insert a clay disc. The men have scarifications on their shoulders and arms. Afternoon drive to Turmi. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 15: Turmi-Karo-Turmi /130km/
  Morning drive to Karo village, Karo people are known for their beautiful hairstyles and body adornments, they live at the shore of Omo River. Afternoon visits the dominant tribe of Omo Valley which is the Hamar People. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 16: Turmi-Omorate-Konso /280km/ 
  Morning excursion to Omorate to visit Dassenech people. These people live at the Shore of Omo River. On the way visit the Erbore People, and proceed to Konso people.. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 17: Konso-Dorzee – Arbaminch /150 km/ 
  Morning visit Konso people, they are much known to be hardworking and famous of terrace agriculture by which they exploit every meter of the mountainous terrain to grow coffee, bean, sorghum, cotton, maize e. Afternoon drive to Guge Mountains to visit the Dorzee people. Drive back to Arbaminch. Overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 18. Arbaminch – Addis Ababa/Flight/ - Departure
  Early Morning a boat trip on Lake Chamo to visit the Crocodiles, hippos and many bird species resides nearby the lake. Transfer to airport and Traditional dinner with a folklore dance. Late night transfer to Addis Ababa Bole International airport (ADD) for an international flight.