10 Days Northern Ethiopia Tour Including The Tigrai Churches
Day 1. Flight to Mekele
We shall take an early morning flight to Makelle. On Arrival we shall drive to Wukro. Here we shall visit the church of Abraha We Atsbeha. We shall then continue to Hawzen for dinner and overnight.
Overnight Vision Hotel.
Day 2. Hiking Gheralta Mountains
Today we shall take a hike to the Mountain of Gheralta. The Hike to the summit of this mountain will take us about 2 hours. The hike will take us through narrow paths and steep landscapes. While at the summit of the mountain, you will have great views of the Tigray area. The other two attractions are the rock-hewn churches of Mariam Korkor and Daniel Korkor. We shall descend in time for lunch.
After our lunch, we shall do a second hike to the Abune Yemata Gughe. Just like the morning hike, this hike will also take 2 hours to reach the summit. This afternoon hike will need more physical energy compared to the morning one. As you reach the summit, there is a steep rock that you will have to overcome. The rock is about 10 meters high. The locals here will help you with ropes to make sure you successfully reach the summit.
Overnight at Vision Hotel.
Day 3. Drive to Axum
We shall leave Hawzien in the morning after our breakfast and drive to Axum. Enroute, we shall make a stopover at the Adwa Mountains. These are significant site as it is where the Ethiopians defeated the attempt by the Italians to colonise this area. It’s on record the Ethiopia is the only African country that was not colonised. We shall continue to drive towards. The Yeha temple is another attraction here. It is belived to have been built over 2500 years ago. The Sabean architecture is what was used to build this temple.
Overnight Yared Zema international Hotel.
Day 4. Axum – The Begining of Ethiopian Civilization
The town of Axum is a very small and old town in the northern region of Ethiopian raised at an altitude of about 2100 meters above sea level. The story of this town dates about 3000 years ago. This is around the time when Axumite civilization was at its peak. There are still many signs of the existence of pre and post Axumite civilization. This town is considered a sacred place in Ethiopia. The Orthodox community in Ethiopia believes that the church of Mary of Zion has the tablet with the Ten Commandments.
Overnight Yared Zema International Hotel.
Day 5.Drive to Mekele then Flight Back to Addis
We shall have early breakfast and then start our drive to Mekele. Our drive will about four hours. When we get here, we shall flight back to Addis Ababa.
Overnight Best Western premier.
Day 6. Flight to Bahirdar
We shall take another flight in the morning to Bahirdar. When we arrive here, we shall check into our accommodation and take a boat cruise on the Lake Tana. We shall also visit the two old monasteries here. They have beautiful paintings with a touch of the medieval styles. The two monasteries are Ura Kidane Mehret and Azwa Maryam. After we shall drive back to Bahirdar. We shall stop over at the famous for being part of the longest river in the world. After the lunch break, we shall head to the blue Nile falls.
Overnight Jacaranda Hotel.
Day 7. Drive to Gondar (Camelot of Africa)
We shall drive about 190 Kilometers to Gondar. We shall make a stopover at the Amhara region. The Gondar town used to be the seat for many Ethiopian Emperors in the 17th and 18th Centuries. It is also the link to the Simien Mountains. The castles in this town are some of the attractions you will be looking forward to seeing. You will be taken through the lives of the Emperors that lived here. We shall later on go to the area where the Timkat festival is held every year. This is one of the most sought after festivals to celebrate the bird of Jesus Christ. We shall end the day by visiting the church of Debre Berhan Selassie. This church has a very colorful painted ceiling.
Overnight Haile Resort.
Day 8. Explore Simien Mountains National Park
We shall visit the Simien Mountains. They are designated as a UNESCO world heritage site. The drive to this place has very good scenery. This area is home to the endemic and also endangered Gelada Baboon. There are also endemic birds like the Thick-billed Raven and Wattled Ibis. Apart from the beautiful scenery and wildlife, there are also the different vegetation types: Hypericum woodland, Afromontane grassland and Afro-alpine moorland. We shall hike a little search of the endemic baboon and the birds.
Return back to Gondar for overnight.
Overnight Haile Resort.
Day 9. Drive to Lalibela (Eight Wonders of the World)
This morning, we drive to another UNESCO world heritage site, Lalibera. The site is located in the northern area of the country. It is referred to as The New Jerusalem. The town is famous for the rock hewn churches. They are also referred to as the eight wonders of the world. The eastern cluster churches are Bet Medhane Alem, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel, Bet Mikael & Bet Golgotha.
Overnight Top Twelve Hotel or Similar.
Day 10.Visit of Lalibela Churches then fly Back to Addis
We shall explore the eight churches of King Lalibela and the head south to see the eastern cluster churches of Bet Medhane Alem, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel, Bet Mikael & Bet Golgotha. We shall also visit the famous churches of Bet Giyorgis. There is a monument in memory of St. George. We shall then drive back to Addis Ababa for our flight back him. We shall have a lunch stop to enjoy a typical Ethiopian cuisine and also enjoy entertainment for the locals.
//End Of The Tour//
