Fixed package for “Gena“& “Timket”

Arrival in Addis Ababa, you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel by ENTER Ethiopia Tour and Travel representative. Depending on your arrival time City tour of Addis Ababa will be arranged:

City tour of Addis Ababa includes National museum: home for the oldest and famous hominid fossil of ‘Lucy’, Ethnographic museum: treasured with cultural and historical artifacts from all over Ethiopia , Mount Entoto for the scenic view of Addis Ababa , Trinity cathedral church and Merkato: the biggest open air market in East Africa.

Drive north of Addis to the beautiful Lake city of Bahirdar crossing the Entoto Mountain and the sululta plain. Surrounded by the longest river Blue Nile and Lake Tana in the other side Bahirdar is a beautiful city favorable for relaxing and business conferences. Being seat for the Amahra region Bahirdar is also a center for the Amhara culture.

Overnight in Bahir Dar Avanti hotel.

Morning Drive some 35KM to the small town of Tis Abay where you will be welcomed by the sound of the waterfall. This is the fall where the famous Blue Nile falls pounded down in to the rocks of the Nile gorges about 45 KM.

After lunch we Visit the Zege Penninsula and the monasteries of Azuwa Maryam and Ura Kidane Mehret and if the time enough we visit the island monastery of Debre Maryam near the outlet of the Blue Nile River.

Overnight in Bahir Dar Avanti hotel.

Drive about 180 KM to the legendary town of Gondar known for its Magnificent Castles. This drive will give you a highlight about the Landscape, culture and country side view of Ethiopia.

After lunch visit the Castles of Gondar known as the Camelot of Africa and the mesmerizing Debrebirihan Silase church exclusively known for its Ethiopian angel painting on its ceilings. Additionally, visit Fasilidas’s Pool or swimming pool of fasil, still used for Timket celebrations today, Ras Gimb Palace Museum.

Lunch &Dinner in Gonder hotels

Overnight in Gondar Goha hotel

After an early breakfast drive north of Gondar through the chains of the Simien Mountains and the crossing Tekeze River to the ancient town of Axum. Pass some villages and limalimo road you will reach to Axum after lunch check in the hotel and have some rest in hotel and evening in Axum.

 Overnight in Axum Yared Zema or similar standard.

Morning after breakfast start visit a city with more than 3000 years of history Axum was once the center of a great empire and ancient civilization. Axum is exclusively known for being home of the original Ark of the Covenant. The sightseeing of this ancient city includes St. Mary’s Church, the sanctuary Chapel which is the repository for ‘Ark of the covenant’, the coronation yard, the Stelae Park, Tombs of Kaleb and his son GebreMeskel, Ezana’s inscriptions and ruins of Queen of Sheba’s palace

Overnight in Axum Yared Zema or similar standard.

After breakfast drive to Mekele in route you will visit the 5th century BC temple of Yeha Believed to be Ethiopia’s first capital, Yeha was first uncovered in a complex archeological excavation around a courtyard at the beginning of the 20th C. The first settlers of this area, the Sabeans, were the founders of the Axumite kingdom. And Debredamo monastery/optional /, Visit the Al Negash Mosque and proceed to Mekele for overnight.

Overnight in Mekele Planet or similar standard.

After having your breakfast, leave Mekelle and drive through the Chain Mountains of Ambalage. On the way you will admire the landscape and the small towns of Amhara tribes. Proceed to the 12th C legendary and holly city of Lalibela.

Overnight in Maribela hotel or similar standard.

Morning after breakfast start visit the first group church of Lalibela the magnificent rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This group of eleven monolithic and semi-monolithic structures were carved directly into the stone of the mountainside at least 800 years ago. This complex boasts the largest monolithic church in the world, This day you will visit the famous 11 rock hewn churches including the legendary St. George church, river of Jordan and tomb of Adam.

Evening Christmas Ceremony:

This day in Ethiopian Orthodox church they spend the whole night chanting and praising the birth of Jesus Christ. We will join Bete Mariam chanting and get some rest for the morning Beza kulu celebration.

Overnight in Maribela hotel or similar standard.

In early morning we will go to church of Bete Mariam again to admire the amazing chanting around the church of Bet Mariam. This is the most amazing Chanting you will ever see in the world. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the country come to attend this ceremony every year.

Back to hotel and have late breakfast then drive to Yimrhane Kirstos through the small village of Bilbala. The built-up cave church of Yimrhane Kirstos itself predates the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. This is one of the most beautiful and colorful cave churches, built from marble, wood and beautifully decorated from inside and outside with remarkable architectural skill. In the other side of the cave, you will also see many mummified bodies of pilgrims from centuries ago. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight in Maribela hotel or similar standard.

Fly from Lalibela to Addis with the morning flight. Pick from airport and drive to omo valley, on the way to zeway to Arbaminch,

Overnight: Haile Resort – Arbaminch or similar standard

 In the morning a boat trip on Lake Chamo to visit the “crocodile market”, and the local hippos.  Afterwards, depart from Arba Minch to Turmi.  On the way you will pass through the village of Weyto (market day Saturday), which is home to the Tsemai tribe.  Continue through the Weyto Valley to Erbore, where you will have a brief visit to a local Erbore village (market day is Saturday).  Finally, proceed to Turmi, home of the Hamer tribe.  At night, ”if there is” we can see the traditional night dancing of the Hamer tribe, known as evangadi.

 Overnight: Paradisie lodge Turmi or similar standard

 In the morning, take a day trip to Omorate to visit the Dassenech tribe.  Here you will cross the Omo River by local boat and enter a Dassenech village.  Afterwards, return to Turmi (Monday is market day) for a visit to a local Hamer village.  If there is jumping of the Bulls traditional Hamer coming-of-age ceremony that will be visited.

 Overnight: Paradisie lodge Turmi or similar standard

Depart for Jinka, via Dimeka and Key Afar.  Tuesdays and Saturdays are market days in Dimeka, which is one of the most colorful markets in the area and is visited by many tribes, including Hamer, Benna and Karo.  Afterwards, continue to Jinka

 Overnight: Eco Omo Lodge Jinka or similar standard

In the morning, drive through the Mago National Park to a local village of the Mursi tribe.  The Mursi are known for their lower lip and earlobe plates.  In the afternoon, after returning to Jinka, you can visit the South Omo Museum & Research Center to learn more about the local tribes.  Alternatively, take a hike in the surrounding hills to visit a local Ari village.

 Overnight: Eco Omo Lodge Jinka or similar standard

 After breakfast, depart from Jinka to Arba Minch via Key Afar and Konso.  Thursday is market day in Key Afar, where you will see the Benna and Tsemai tribes trading goods.  This is another very popular market in the region.  After the visit, proceed to Konso (market days are Mondays and Thursdays).  The Konso people are known for their wooden statues, known as wakas, which are erected in honor of dead heroes as well as their innovative agricultural terracing.  Today you will have a brief opportunity to visit a local village and the cultural museum displaying many waka statues.  After the visit, proceed driving to Arba Minch.  

Overnight: Haile Resort Arba Minch or similar standard

In the morning after breakfast, proceed driving to Dorze, set in the highlands above Arba Minch.  The Dorze people are known for their tall beehive-like houses and their fine cotton weaving.  We will visit the village and learn about the daily lives of these industrious people

Overnight in Awassa Haile Resort

After breakfast we pick you from your hotel for a full day drive to the Bale Mountains. The headquarters of the Park are situated in Dinsho where we have to finalize some formalities before we proceed to Goba, our base for the next days.

The whole day is spent to explore the Bale Mountains. This is going to be a day of extraordinary scenery and of course we search for the endemic species of which many are found in this area. Among them the mountain Nyala, Menelik’s bushbuck, Ethiopian wolf and many birds.

This day, weather permitting, we travel to Sof Omar, 100 km/ 2, 5 hr to the east. Here we admire what is believed the largest network of limestone caves in Africa. The Web River flows through the cave system and when the river is too high the caves are not accessible. In that case we explore more of the Bale Mountains.

We are leaving the mountainous area behind and travel down to the bottom of the Rift Valley by a different, very scenic road, via Asela. Late afternoon we drop you at your hotel in Addis Ababa.

(About 115 km (2, 5 hr) before Addis Ababa we pass the hot spring resort of Sodore which could make a nice relaxing overnight break if you have another day to spent)

Note “Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated on January 7 Every Year in all over Ethiopia especially in Lalibela. As History tells King Lalibela built all those rock hewn churches to create the New Jerusalem so people would not endanger their life traveling to Jerusalem for Christmas and Easter. Thousands of Ethiopian come to Lalibela during Christmas as a pilgrim. It is one of the world wonders to see the high priests and deacons chanting on the 11th C rock hewn churches.”