Package ID: 1012
Duration: 8 Days
Season: January- December
Customize: This package can be customized
Accommodation: Standard Hotel
Activities: Archeology/History & Church Tours
Day 1: We will meet you at the Bole International Airport to escort
you to your hotel where you will have time to settle in.
Overnight Addis Ababa
Day 2: You will be taken to Bole Airport to board a one hour flight
to Bahir dar. You will be met by our driver and taken on a scenic
drive to Blue Nile falls; which are about 35 km due south of Bahir
dar, En route you pass typical tukuls, round huts whose walls are
made of cow dung, grass, and clay whose pointed roof is formed from
strong grass. The falls best live up to their reputation during
September- December, after the heavy rains have swollen the lake and
river. The rest of your day will include visiting of the Bezait
palace and local market of the town.
Overnight Bahir Dar
Day 3: After breakfast you will be fetched by our tourist guide from
your hotel to be taken for a boat trip to the monasteries of Lake
Tana. On these Islands, you will see old and interesting paintings
plus artifacts once belonging to kings and queens. Most of Tana’s
monasteries were founded in or just after the 14th century, several
under Emperor Amda Tseyon (1314 - 44).
Kebran Gabriel Island is about 40 minutes by boat from Bahir dar,
Zeghie Peninsula1 ½ hours by boat from Bahir Dar, and Ura Kidane
Mehret, a 17th century monastery church, with its vivid “recent”
paintings. The large island of Dek, 3 ½ hours from Bahir dar, has
several churches and semi mummified remains of king Fasiledes and
his infant son in an open sepulcher. Also near Dek is Daga Estifanos
Island with its perfectly conical hill and its monastery of Daga on
top-no female are allowed near.
Beside the leisure time at the monasteries you will also have a
scenic late afternoon drive to the old city of Gondar.
Overnight Gondar
Day 4: Enjoy a morning of leisure which will give you time for
shopping and visiting places of interest.
You will be fetched for an afternoon city tour which will include,
the castle compound, build by Emperor Fasiledes 1632-67 and his
successors, the church of Debre Birhan Sillasie with its wonderful
ceiling painting of 144 angels, stories of Old Testaments and New
Testaments Finally visit the bath of King Fasiledes, this the pool
where the people of Gondar celebrates the Ethiopian Epiphany then
back to the Hotel.
Overnight Gondar
Day 5: Fly to Axum, the site of the beginning of civilization in
Ethiopia. Check into hotel. Visit the Axum steles, which were meant
to mark the grave of different noble persons of the Axumite period;
the Tomb of king Remhai, also found in the stele compound. The next
stop will be the Archeological Museum of Axum, where you can see
different pottery, stone altars, rings and parchments, and tombs of
kings. After that visit the church of St Mary Tsion (where legend
says the Ark of the Covenant lies). Then Back to hotel for lunch. In
the afternoon visit the bath and palace of the Queen of Sheba, and
finally the tomb of King Kaleb and Gebre Meskel.
Overnight Axum
Day 6: After a 30 minute flight arrive in Lalibela (Defined as the
eighth wonder of the world) then pay a visit to the first group of
rock-hewn churches. It comprises seven churches: Bette Medehanialem,
Bette Mriam, Bette Meskel, Bette Denagel, Bette Debre Sina, Bette
Golgota and the Silassie chapel. These groups of churches are mostly
excavated from below the ground, and are surrounded by courtyards
and trenches, so that they mimic normal buildings. Several of these
churches are monoliths or three-quartet monoliths – free from the
surrounding rock on three or four sides a style of excavation that
is unique in Ethiopia.
Overnight Lalibela
Day 7: We propose an excursion by mule to Asheten Mariam Church or
travel by car to the cave church of Naktuleab. Afternoon you will
visit the remaining churches in Lalibela. The second group of
churches in Lalibela consists of five churches: Bette Emanuel, Bette
Merkorios, Bette Abba Libanos, Bette Lehem and Bette Gebrial-Rufael.
A thirteenth church, Bette Giorgis stands discrete from the two main
clusters. These churches were excavated from a vertical rock face by
exploiting existing caves or cracks in the rock.
Overnight in Lalibela
Day 8: After enjoying a hearty breakfast your driver fetched you to
airport for your return flight to Addis. Visit the Entoto Mountains,
with its view over the capital, the National Museum and Trinity
Church. If time permit you will visit Merkato; the biggest open-air
market in Africa and shopping.
Overnight Addis Ababa
This tour could meet with the Omo Valley Tours (at – 013 or at –
014)