EET 006 – HISTORY & CULTURE (Northern & Sothern Ethiopia) – 18 days
Day 01- AM: Addis Ababa city tour. Visit Entoto Mountains with spectacular views over the capital and St. Marry Church and Merkato, the largest open air market in Africa.PM: Visit the National museum and Trinity Cathedral( Church). O/N at your hotel.
Day 02 – AM: Fly to Bahir Dar, and transfer to your hotel. PM: with very nice view over Lake Tana; visit the papyrus boat production and Bahir Dar City Tour.
Day 03 – AM: Boat trip on Lake Tana to admire the beautiful monasteries over the lake’s islands, as Ura Kidane Mhiret and Mahal Zeghie Gyorgis.PM drive to admire the Blue Nile falls.
Day 04 – AM: Drive to Gondar for a full day visit of castles and churches in Gondar: visit the castle’s compound, the Debre Birhan Sellasie church (light of Trinity) with wonderful murals, the King Fasiladas bath, the old Qusquam monastery, Empress Mentewab palace and more. O/N Gondar.
Day 05 – AM: Drive to Debark. Make short walks in Semien Mountains National Park, admiring spectacular views, spot some endemic mammals suchas the gelada boons and highland endemic birds, very nice sinery. O/N at your Hotel.
Day 06 – AM: Drive to Axum through spectacular views. PM: Visit the steles, the bath and the palace of Queen of Sheba and St Marry of Tsion church (where according to legend it houses the Ark of the Covenant). O/N at your hotel.
Day 07 – AM: Fly to Lalibela, considered by some as the 8th wonder of the world, there are 11 rock hewn churchs dating back to the 13thC . Visit the first cluster of the rock-hewn churches. PM: Visit the second cluster of churches. O/N at hotel.
Day 08 – AM: Visit the cave church of Naktuleab. PM: Fly back to Addis Ababa, drive to the Rift Valley Lake of Langano, relax by the beach, bird wtching.
Day 09 – AM/PM: Drive through the Wolayta people and villages, admiring spectacular green hills, to Arbaminch. O/N at your hotel.
Day 10 – AM: Visit the crocodile market on Lake Chamo (biggest in Africa- 6 -7 m long), hippos and more. PM: Drive to Chencha, for the Dorze people, with their unique culture, houses, and traditions. O/N at you hotel.
Day 11- AM/PM: Proceed to Jinka, admiring the Konso, Derashe, Tsemay, Ari and Benna people. On a market day(Thursdays) admire the very colorful Key Afer village market.O/N at your hotel.
Day 12 – AM: Visit the Mursi people and their villages, the females very famous for the lip plates they wear to beautify themselves. O/N at your hotel.
Day 13 – AM/PM: Drive to Turmi, admiring on the way the very colorful Hamer, Karo and Dassanech People; if on market day (Saturdays) at Dimeka village.
Day 14 – AM: Drive to visit the Karo people, for their very interesting decoration and scarification all over heir body; and very nice views over Omo river from Korcho village. PM: Visit the Hamer people and their villages and participate to a bull jumping ceremony which is carried out as an initiation function. O/N at your hotel.
Day 15 – AM: Drive to Yabello, on the way visit a small Konso Village and the terracing system for which the Konso are famous of through out the world.
PM: Proceed to Yabello for O/N.
Day 16 – AM/PM: Visit the singing wells and the salt mines at Dubluck and drive to Yirgalem. O/N at your hotel
Day 17 – AM/PM: Drive to Awassa, visit the fish market, and the Rift Valley lakes of Abyatta, Shala, (birds, views,). Proceed then to relax to the Rift Valley lakes of Langano, O/N at your hotel.
Day 18 – AM/PM: Drive to Addis. Shopping and farewell dinner with cultural dance before departure.