Discover the Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia
Route: Northern Circuit-Historic and cultural Ethiopia Tour
Tour Program: Historical Tour
Duration: 12 nights and 13 Days
Mode of Transportation: Surface, Flight and Boat.
This tour program targets mainly the historic, religious and natural assets of the northern part of Ethiopia. The program covers the pre-historic artefacts until the 20th century heritages, Cave churches beneath the ground and rock churches built high on a hill and also monasteries on islands. From the first church in Africa, to the Oldest Mosque in Africa.
This Itinerary can be combined with Omo valley, Trekking in Simien Mountains or Bale Mountains National Parks and Danakil Depression or Adventure Tour Package. We can tailor-make this tour depending on your interest and holiday days you have.
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Day 01: Addis
Arrive in Addis and meet Dreamland Ethiopia Tours Representative at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) then start a city tour of the capital founded by the wife of Emperor Menelik in the end of the 19th Century. Very attractive are the two famous museums the National museum which hosts Lucy, hominid fossil dating back to 3.5 million years ago which belongs to the Australopithecus Afarensis family. The market of Addis which is noted to be the largest open air market in East Africa holds together different retail and wholesale sectors. Particularly interesting are the recycling sector and the spice market. Overnight in hotel. -
Day 02: Addis-Kombolcha
Drive to Kombolcha for 380km. Stop to visit on the way some Oromo villages. The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, in northern Kenya, and to a lesser extent in parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census. Their native language is Oromoiffa which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Arrive in Kombolcha and overnight in a hotel. -
Day 03: Kombolcha-Lalibela
This territory belongs all to the Amhara people. Amhara is an ethnic group in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26 percent of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census being the second largest ethnic group of Ethiopia next the Oromo. They speak Amharic, the working language of the federal authorities of Ethiopia, and traditionally dominated the country's political and economic life. Arrive in Lalibela and overnight in a hotel. -
Day 04: 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 center of pilgrimage for much of the country. Unlike Aksum, the population of Lalibela is almost completely Ethiopian Orthodox Christian. 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. Though the dating of the churches is not well established, most are thought to have been built during the reign of Lalibela, namely during the 12th and 13th centuries. There are 11 churches, assembled in 3 groups. Full day dedicated to visit these outstanding churches of Lalibela. Overnight in Hotel. -
Day 05: Lalibela- Mekelle
Early morning starts driving to Mekelle, on the way admire the view of rugged mountains of Ambalagie and Lake Ashenge. Overnight in Hotel. -
Day 06: Mekelle – Hawsien
This day is mainly dedicated to the rock churches of Tigray, the very famous and ancient churches carved from a single rock, firist visit Wukro Cherkos church, located at the heart of Wukro town, it is one of the easily accesiable rock church in Tigray, afterwards driver further to the Gheralta mountains and visit Abreha we Atsbeha church, this church is considered as one of the finest churches In Tigray with the interior decorations and paintings. Local people claim its built by the Kings of Axumite Kingdom during the 4th century. Overnight in Hotel. -
Day 07: Hawzien - Axum
The road from Hawzien to Axum, allows discovering the oldest mosque in Africa Nejash Mosque. And drive through amazing scenery of the historic Adwa Mountains; Where Ethiopia overturned the colonialist regime of Italy in 1896. Arrive in Axum and start city tour of Axum. Axum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century. The kingdom was also arbitrarily identified as Abyssinia, Ethiopia. It was the centre of the (eventual) Christian marine trading power the Aksumite Kingdom, which predated the earliest mentions in Roman era writings (around the time of the birth of Jesus) in good correlation to the expansion of Rome into northern Africa, and later when it developed into the Christian kingdom, was a quasi-ally of Byzantium against the Persian Empire. The historical record is unclear, primary sources limited mainly to ancient church records. The major Aksumite monuments in the town are stelae; the largest number lie in the Northern Stelae Park, ranging up to the 33-metre (33 metres high 3.84 metres wide 2.35 metres deep, weighing 520 tonnes) Great Stele, believed to have fallen and broken during construction. Overnight in Hotel. -
Day 08: Axum
Whole day dedicated to continue visiting Axum. Overnight in Hotel. -
Day 09: Axum - Gondar
On this day departure will be early, and drive through Tekezze River valley and a photo stop at one of the greatest landscapes in all Africa. ’The Semien Mountains.’ Arrive in Gondar and overnight in a hotel. -
Day 10: Gondar
Until the 16th century, the Solomonic Emperors of Ethiopia usually had no fixed capital, instead of living in tents in temporary royal camps as they moved around their realms. Gondar was founded by Emperor Fasilides around the year 1635, and grew as an agricultural and market town. The modern city of Gondar is popular as a tourist attraction for its many picturesque ruins in the Royal Enclosure, from which the Emperors once reigned. The most famous buildings in the city lie in the Royal Enclosure, which include Fasilides castle, Iyasu's Palace, Dawit's Hall, a banqueting hall, stables, Mentewab's Castle, a chancellery, library and three churches. Near the city lie Fasiladas' Bath, home to an annual ceremony where it is blessed and then opened for bathing; the Qusquam complex, built by Empress Mentewab; the eighteenth century Ras Mikael Sehul's Palace and the Debre Berhan Selassie Church. Overnight in hotel. -
Day 11: Gondar-Gorgora-Bahirdar
Drive to Gorgora for 60km until the north shore of lake Tana where we shall begin our journey on the lake by boat to visit churches and monasteries on the Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. Located in the north-western Ethiopian highlands, the lake is approximately 84 kilometers long and 66 kilometers wide, with a maximum depth of 15 meters, and an elevation of 1,840 meters. Remains of ancient Ethiopian emperors and treasures of the Ethiopian Church are kept in the isolated island monasteries. Visit the monasteries of Debre Sina in Gorgora, Nargaselassie and Ura Kidanemhret on the islands of the lake. Overnight in hotel. -
Day 12: Bahirdar – Addis/Flight
Drive to the Blue Nile waterfalls 35km from Bahirdar. The Blue Nile Falls are a waterfall on the Blue Nile river in Ethiopia. They are known as Tis Issat in Amharic, when translated, means "smoking water" They are situated on the upper course of the river, about 30 kilometers downstream from the town of Bahir Dar and Lake Tana. The falls are considered one of Ethiopia's best-known tourist attractions. The falls are estimated to be between 37 and 45 meters high. And walking towards the falls gives a chance to witness the lifestyle of local people lives around. Late afternoon flight back to Addis.
