Danakil Depression in a Glance

Duration: 5 nights and 6 days
Mode of transportation: Flight, Surface, and Walking

This tour package shows the gradual process of the Great Rift Valley and the primitive habitats of human ancestors. It is also an open air museum of different earth activities on and underground. The geysers, hot springs, salt lakes, black pool, active lava lake, the dormant volcano, sulfuric landscapes the salt canyons, the sand dunes and not miss the local Afar people and their caravans.

• Day 01: Arrival at Addis
  Depending your arrival time city tour or Flight to Mekelle. Accommodation in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 02: Early morning Flight to Mekele, Meet vehicles and drive to Ahmedella

  Drive through a small Tigray and Afar villages with spectacular views and amazing rock formation. Lunch stop at Berhaille, Afterwards continue driving to Ahmedella. Late afternoon walking with the camel caravan on their way back from the salt mining field and take pictures. Overnight at Ahemedella, camping.
  
  

• Day 03: Ahmedella - Drive to Lake Asale and Dallol

  Drive to the Salt Lake Asale, and visit the salt workers and the merchant from the highland and proceed to Dallol and enjoy the spectacular view and small hill which is colorful by hot spring in several places. The hot spring out with the sulfurs, potash, and salt it forms spectacular formation. Drive back to Ahmed Ela for an overnight stay, camping.
  
  

• Day 04: Ahmedella – ErtAle

  Morning, start driving on a rough road to a small village called Kusrawad, to get permission and militias for an access to Ert Ale. The name Erta Ale means ‘Smoking Mountain’ by the local Afar language, it is one of the oldest lava lake in the world, Erta-Ale range is located to the southeast of the summit and is bounded by curvilinear fault scarps on the southeast side. Fresh-looking basaltic lava flows from these fissures have poured into the caldera and locally overflowed its rim. The major recorded eruption was on 1907, and there were other continuous eruptions. To access the summit 3-4hours walk on to the lava field. Overnight, camping at the rim of the mountain.
  
  

• Day 05: Erta Ale – Mekelle

  Morning walk back to the base and meet the cars to start 6 hours’ drive to Mekelle. And overnight in Hotel.
  
  

• Day 06: Mekelle – Addis
  Morning transfer to airport for a flight back to Addis Ababa.