9-Day History and Culture Tour of Northern Ethiopia

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Addis Ababa
4 stops
1
National Museum of Ethiopia
you'll head to the National Museum or other museum of your choice (see options below). The National Museum is the oldest museum in Ethiopia. Its most famous exhibit is "Lucy", the 3.5 million year old skeleton whose discovery in 1974 demonstrated that bipedal hominids evolved much earlier than previously thought. The museum also holds many other palaeontological and archaeological artifacts, as well as ethnographic and modern art displays.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
2
Holy Trinity Cathedral
After the museum, there will be the chance to visit Holy Trinity Cathedral, built to commemorate Ethiopia's emancipation from the Italian occupation. The cathedral is an important focal point for the Ethiopian Orthodox church. As a place of worship, it is considered second only to the Church of Our Lady Zion in Axum (where the original Ark of the Covenant is believed to be held). The Cathedral also has its own museum with interesting artifacts from the history of the Ethiopian Church. Alternatively, you can choose to visit Entoto mountain or St George's Cathedral instead of Holy Trinity.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
3
Mercato Market
Next, you will visit the Mercato, reputedly the largest market in Africa. The Mercato is the commercial hub of Addis Ababa. A close-knit grid of streets crammed with stalls, kiosks and shops, you can buy virtually anything here, but be prepared to negotiate! Alternatively, you can choose to visit Shero Meda, a more traditional market, or seek out Addis' best souvenir shops.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
4
The afternoon finishes with either a traditional coffee ceremony or a trip to Tomoca, Ethiopia's most famous coffee shop, before heading to your hotel at around 6:30pm.
30 minutes • Admission ticket included
Day 2
Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar
1 stop
5
Bahir Dar
The journey to Bahir Dar will take most of the day, but it's a good chance to view the changing landscapes of the highlands and to see day-to-day life in rural Ethiopia.
9 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 3
Bahir Dar
2 stops
6
Lake Tana
In the morning, you'll take a boat cruise on Lake Tana, stopping to explore some of the island churches and monasteries containing relics and frescos dating from the 16th century.
4 hours • Admission ticket included
7
Blue Nile Falls
In the afternoon, you'll take a trip to the Blue Nile Falls at Tisisat, meaning "smoking water" in Amharic. The spectacular falls are 100m wide and plunge 45m, sending spray high in the air. A short walk and a trip across a 17th century bridge gives a great close-up view of the falls.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 4
Bahir Dar to Gondar
3 stops
8
Gonder
From Bahir Dar, it's about a 3 hour drive to Gondar, after which you'll take a sightseeing tour of the city. Gondar is a historic settlement with an atmosphere of mystery and there are views from the city which extend across the surrounding farmland back to Lake Tana. Founded by Emperor Fasilidas around 1635, Gondar has become one of Ethiopia's largest and most impressive cities.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
9
Fasil Ghebbi
Gondar is famed for its walled Royal Enclosure which contains several well-preserved and very medieval-looking castles, dating from as early as 1650. The castles are unusual for the Horn Of Africa, deriving their architectural style from the Moors and the Portuguese.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
10
Debre Birhan Selassie Church
Gondar has dozens of churches but the most important is Debre Berhan Selassie (Trinity Church of the Mountain of Light), which has an impressive hilltop location. The priest there will explain the story of the many paintings and carvings inside the church.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Day 5
Gondar to the Simien Mountains
2 stops
11
Debark
Leaving Gondar, you'll have a scenic 2 to 3-hour drive to Debark, a small market town at an altitude of 2,700 metres, on the edge of the Simien Mountains National Park.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
12
Simien Mountains National Park
After lunch, there's a trip into the park to see the spectacular landscapes which led to it being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There'll be a chance to stretch your legs, appreciate the views and possibly even spot some endemic wildlife before returning to Debark for the night.
4 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 6
Simien Mountains to Lalibela
1 stop
13
Lalibela
A scenic day of driving to the city of Lalibela with the spectacular Ambalage mountains as a backdrop.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 7
Lalibela
2 stops
14
Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela
A full day of sightseeing in and around Lalibela. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities and a centre of pilgrimage for much of the country. It was built in the 12th century to be the ‘New Jerusalem’ following the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin, and was laid out to resemble that city. Lalibela is most famous for its rock-hewn churches which, like those of Tigray, are literally carved out of the surrounding rock. In all, there are 11 ‘rock churches’.
6 hours • Admission ticket included
15
Bete Giyorgis of Lalibela
Bete Giyorgis (the Church of Saint George) in the Western group is the best known and most impressive. Described as the eighth wonder of the world, the church is carved in the shape of the cross and stands 12m high in a square cut ‘hole’ in the rock outcrop from which it is carved.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Day 8
Lalibela to Kombolcha
2 stops
16
From Lalibela, you'll start the journey back towards Addis, stopping overnight at the town of Kombolcha.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
17
Genete Mariam Rock Church
Genete Maryam is a monolithic rock-hewn church with interesting architectural representations. According to local tradition, the church was established by Yekuno Amlak, the king who 'restored' the Solomonic Dynasty in the late 13th century. The church resembles Bete-medhane Alem, the house of the redeemer of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 9
Kombolcha to Addis Ababa
2 stops
18
From Kombolcha, you'll complete the journey back to Addis, stopping on the way to see the historically important town of Ankober.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
19
The tour ends with dinner at a cultural restaurant in Addis Ababa, where you can sample local dishes and watch energetic traditional dances from across the country.
2 hours • Admission ticket included

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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