Ethiopia Historic Tour

Addis is situated at an elevation of around 2438m and is only about a century old. It has some elegant modern buildings and is quite spacious with wide streets and green areas. It remains the capital of a predominantly rural area and the Mercato is one of the largest open markets in Africa. You will have use of day rooms in Addis. This afternoon we fly to Dire Dawa, the commercial centre of the region and the main rail head for the Djibouti to Addis railway. From here we ascend by road from the plains to the walled city of Harar, nestling at 1700m on a hillside. The city walls are pierced by 5 gates topped by 25 towers. The 16th century mosque with its slender minaret and the narrow streets lined with small shops all give the impression of having wandered into a city from the Arabian nights.

Overnight Simple Hotel

Harar is the cradle of Islam in Ethiopia and by the Middle Ages, Harar had become known as the fourth most sacred city in the Islamic world. It remained closed to outsiders and even when the Victorian scholar Burton visited Harar, he entered the city disguised as a Turkish trader. Later, the poet Rimbaud came and was captivated by the beautiful people. The house where he spent his happiest days still stands. He died trying to return to the city he loved. We’ll spend the day exploring the city.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we drive to the scenic Awash National Park, we will visit the town of Aweday famous as the site of the country’s largest chat market (a mildly stimulating plant). The scenic Awash National Park located in the dry acacia savanna of the Rift Valley. The skyline of the park is dominated by the jagged edges of Mount Fantelle, a dormant volcano whose crater towers above the surrounding bush. This aftenoon we will have an opportunity to visit its splendid waterfall spilling into a 150m gorge. We may also have the opportunity to spot some of the parks wildlife. The most visible large mammals are the Beisa Oryx, Soemmering’s gazelle and the Slat’s dik-dik. The park boosts the presence of predators such as lions, hyenas and jackals they are however only seen infrequently.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We drive back to the capital and aim to arrive in the afternoon. We will make an orientation tour of the city visiting the two major highlights of the city, the Ethnographic Museum and the church of the Holy Trinity, whose large dome and slender pinnacles make it a landmark in the city.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we take an early morning flight north to Bahar Dar, capital of the Amhara region situated on the shores of Lake Tana.  We spend time on Lake Tana, visiting the Zeghie peninsula and Ura Kidane Meret Church. This dates back to medieval times and contains valuable manuscripts and religious treasures. From Lake Tana, the river meanders towards the falls, then becomes the Blue Nile on its thousand-mile journey to meet the White Nile at Khartoum. In the afternoon you will have some free time to visit the town and local market.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We visit Tississat Falls, Amharic for ‘water that smokes’ located about 32km south of Bahar Dar. After crossing a 16th century Portuguese built bridge, we walk up the hillside on an easy path to a viewpoint (approximately 45 minutes). There may also the opportunity to extend this to a 2 hour circular walk including a short boat crossing of the Nile. In the afternoon we visit a viewpoint close to the Nile source near a one time residence of Haile Selassie. Here we can pause to consider the tremendous distance this body of water must now travel to reach its mouth in the Delta region of lower Egypt and the Mediterranean.

Please note: viewing of the falls is subject to local authorities allowing water to flow from the Blue Nile dam.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we drive to Gondar, located on the high plateau just north of Lake Tana. The town was the imperial capital of Ethiopia for 200 years. Gondar’s most famous monuments are its exceptionally well preserved 17th century castles. The largest and best is that of King Fasilidas. It is a stone-built construction with round turrets and wooden balconies. The king also built a remarkable bath a mile or so outside of town known as the ‘Pavilion of Delight’. This whole complex of buildings is unique in Ethiopia and unlike anything found elsewhere in Africa. This afternoon, as well as visiting the castle ruins, we’ll also make a visit to the Debre Berhan Selassie Church famed for its ceiling frescoes of many faces.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

A morning’s drive takes us to Debark, the village base for hiking in the Simien Mountains. The range lies north of Gondar and many of the peaks rise above 4000m. The highest is Mt. Ras Dashen at 4543m, the fifth highest in Africa. The mountains are criss-crossed with tracks worn out by the local people travelling from village to village or moving their animals to fresh pastures. The combination of these tracks and the spectacular scenery make for excellent walking.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we plan to explore the Simien mountains National Park on foot (approx 4 hours walking). We’ll keep an eye out for some of Ethiopia’s endemic mammals, the Walia ibex, gelada baboon and the rare Simien fox – misnamed as it is not really a fox, but a member of the dog family restricted to Ethiopia.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Although the roads are rough and dusty, the views in this remote part of Ethiopia are simply spectacular and more than make up for them. The full day drive affords some excellent photo opportunities of the jagged Simien Mountains and the Tekeze Valley. The route is dotted with intermittent mountain hamlets that add to the splendour of the scenery. Our journey brings us to the sacred city of Axum in the Tigrayan region, that was the capital of the Ethiopian empire between the 1st and 10th centuries AD. As the birthplace of Christianity within the country, it was also a bustling commercial centre.

Please note: should the road to Axum be impassable due to local conditions, we plan to return to Gondar and fly to Axum.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Evidence of Axum’s former importance now lies at several points in or near the town. Ruined fortresses, palaces and churches, plus an abundance of giant obelisks or ‘stelae’, carved from enormous slabs of granite stand as mute reminders of its former glory. Axum makes claim to be the final resting place of the sacred Ark of the Covenant. But while its local guardians continue to celebrate the legend, the object of their veneration is kept strictly under wraps.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we will fly to one of the world’s most remarkable historic sites. Although churches carved in rock are found in other parts of the world, those found in Ethiopia are particularly interesting. Generally, they were excavated on all sides of a rectangle, leaving a large block of granite isolated in the centre. This rock was then shaped and formed both inside and out and the carvings show extremely skillful workmanship. Lalibela, the ‘New Jerusalem’, is thought to have been constructed some 800 years ago by King Lalibela. Lalibela was his capital city, but today it is a small village. Our tour this afternoon involves a certain amount of scrambling through a labyrinth of tunnels. The churches stand in two main groups on either side of a stream, known locally as ‘The River Jordan’. There are 11 rock-cut churches of which the most impressive is Bet Giorgis. It is carved in the form of a Greek cross and approached through a passage in the rock. Between them, these rock-cut churches are one of the great wonders of the world.

Please note: most churches have a permanent roof built over them to preserve them for posterity and are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Mountains encircle Lalibela and located among these peaks are several more isolated churches. Using mules, we journey for some two hours to Ashatan Maryam church and are rewarded with stunning views over Lalibela and the peaks and mountains of these remote highlands. Reached by steep paths, it will be necessary to dismount in places due to the shaley path. Good footwear is a must! Vertigo sufferers or people with a low level of fitness may choose not to partake in the mule trek, your tour leader can advise you. In the afternoon, we return to Lalibela allowing more time to explore the rock-cut churches.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we will take a flight back to the capital of Addis Ababa where the tour ends

Included meals: Breakfast