Historic Route – 12 days

We will start our journey today with a drive to Bahir Dar. 501 Km, Drive time –7 - 9 .Visit one of Ethiopia's most holy sites, the monastery of Debre Libanos which was founded in the 13th century. The site is beautifully set beneath a cliff on the edge of gorge and is a peaceful place to wonder. There is a good chance of seeing gelada baboon and lammergeyer along the way. Then proceed to a truly magnificent Blue Nile gorge where you will admire the expansive views over terraced slops and euphorbia studded cliffs on the opposite wall. It is the most dramatic stretches of road in Ethiopia dropping over 1000m.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

A full day visit of Bahirdar. It is a small but fast growing town on the southern shore of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile. It has long attracted religious men and the area contains numerous churches and monasteries, many of them on the thirty or so islands of Lake Tana. 
 Have a boat excursion to Lake Tana islands and medieval monasteries of Kibran Gabriel, Mitsle Fasiledes & Tana Cherkos. The most famous is Ura Kidanemihret of the Zege peninsula with its very beautiful painted temples.

In the afternoon we travel to the Tississat, or Blue Nile, Falls, located about thirty kilometers from Lake Tana. It is still amazing to see the Blue Nile pouring over the fern-fringed lip to be channelled into the incredibly narrow gorges on its journey to Khartoum in Sudan. We take a gentle walk to the falls (approx two hours round trip) before stopping to admire them. From here we head back to the river for a short boat ride to meet the vehicle. (N.B. A shorter visit to the falls can be arranged for those who don't want such a long walk).

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

Visit Ethiopian medieval capital Gondar, with its large royal enclosure containing grand castles, palaces, houses and outbuildings. See King Fasiladas's palace, the oldest and perhaps most impressive of the castles. Behind the castle are various ruined buildings including the remains of a bathing pool, a chancellery and a library of Fasiladas's son Yohannes I. Marvel at Debre Birhan Selassie, one of the country's most famous churches that lies

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

Leaving Gondar  behind and  continue the journey 8 hours of driving through the foothills of the Simien Mountains to reach the ancient town of Axum in the far north of Ethiopia. The roads here are very tough, but rewarded with more truly breathtaking scenery.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

A full day visit in Aksum, where a high civilization had risen several centuries before the birth of Christ. They are 'the last of the great civilizations of antiquity to be revealed to modern knowledge'. Aksum's astonishing Stelae strike you for their huge size, their incredible, almost pristine preservation and their curiously modern look. Sculpted from single pieces of granite to look like multistoried buildings. Though the stone is famously hard, Aksum's masons worked it superbly often following a set design.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

Journey to a little visited but peaceful and astonishing spot 'Yeha' which is Ethiopia's first known capital and considered the birth place of the country's earliest civilization. Its ruins are impressive for their sheer age, dating from around the 5th century BC. Also the monastery of Debre Damo which is the first monastery in Ethiopia dates back to Aksumite times. It boasts the oldest standing church in the country.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

journeying through more incredible mountainous scenery in central Ethiopia to reach the small medieval town of Lalibela.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

Have a full day visit to first cluster of rock-hewn churches in the morning . These churches are Ethiopia's top attraction. The churches are mostly cut from solid rock, and therefore have the appearance of being underground. The most famous church is Bete Giorgis (St George, patron saint of Ethiopia), carved in the form of a Greek cross. It is exceptionally well preserved and visually almost flawless.

probably one of the most fascinating places not only in Ethiopia but also in the world. In fact it was included in the World Heritage list by the UNESCO. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only to Axum, and is a center of pilgrimage for much of the country. Unlike Aksum, the population of Lalibela is almost completely Ethiopian Orthodox Christian. Lalibela was intended to be a New Jerusalem in response to the capture of Jerusalem by Muslims in 1187, and many of its historic buildings take their name and layout from buildings in Jerusalem b/n the 12th and 13thC. There are 11 churches, assembled in 3 groups.

In the afternoon visit another cluster of churches that include the churches of Bete Gabriel and Rafael, Merkorous, Emanuel and Abba Libanos. Bete Emanuel is the best in this group and exceptionally carved with unique Axumite building features, such as the indentations on the walls, symbols of the multi-storey building taken from the stelae of Axum, monkey heads and false windows. The rest of the day is spent absorbing the atmosphere of this extraordinary town with its Tukul or round houses. Made as two-storey buildings, they are unusual in Ethiopia.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

In the morning enjoy an optional adventurous mule journey to visit Ashetan Maryam (St Mary), built on a ridge with excellent views over the surrounding countryside. The trip takes approximately 4 hours (round trip) and will start early to avoid the heat. will ride the mules up the mountain for approximately an hour, before hiking the rest of the way up the mountain to the church. After visiting the church  will walk back down to the village on slippery mountain paths.

Meal: breakfast /lunch /Dinner

Overnight: Hotel

On route you will experience the rugged mountains and beautiful scenery.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Hotel

For sight seeing the beautiful landscape and mountain scenery. In the evening, join us for a farewell dinner at one of the best traditional restaurants in Addis, where we sample cuisine from around the country while enjoying folkloric dances and the music of various Ethiopian peoples. After dinner, we transfer you to the airport for your evening flight onward.

Meals: B, L, D

This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary.

Price:

• 2 Participants USD 1,432
• 4 Participants USD 1,390
• 6 Participants USD 1,375
• Single Supplement: USD 223.00

 The above flight rate will only apply if arrival into Ethiopia was done with the Ethiopian Airlines.

Price inclusive of:-

• All accommodation is based on twin sharing.
• All ground transportations with fuel/ Ground transportation by a newest model air conditioned 4WD, Minibus or coaster bus /
• Three domestic flights
• Private vehicles with driver (road tax, parking, vehicle and driver insurance, accommodation of the driver and allowance)
• The services of escort guide qualified in English during the whole voyage ( can be provide upon request with extra fees )
• Services of local guides during site visits.
• All breakfast
• Airport Transfers
• City transfer
• All entrance fees as per the program
• Boat trip on Lake Tana
• Mule riding
• Scouts
• Government T ax

Price exclusive of: -

• International airfare
• Any alcoholic drinks
• Single accommodation (available on request)
• Personal expense like souvenirs, laundry, etc
• Meals (Lunch and Dinner)
• Tips
• Visa expenses.
• Video or photographing fees or tips at different sites.
• Any alcoholic beverages And any personal item expense
• Any expense which is not stated in the ‘ Included List’ above

Essential equipment and Clothing

Clothing: Daytime temperatures are mainly warm and comfortable but evenings in the highlands can be cold. We recommend a thick jumper or warm fleece and lightweight wind/waterproof clothing. Take a sun hat.

Footwear: Comfortable, good walking shoes with ankle support are strongly recommended as well as comfortable sandals. 

• Daypack
• Light jacket or fleece
• Good walking footwear/boots
• Walking if you normally use them
• Insect spray
• Sunhat
• Sun cream
• Sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Wet wipes
• Anti bacterial hand gel
• Torch and spare batteries

Luggage: On Tour One main piece of baggage and a daypack. Please note that there is a weight restriction of 7kg for hand luggage/daypack for international and internal flights.

Luggage allowance on tour: 20kg

Guided Group: - This is a small group guided holiday. The group is usually between 1 and 20 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level:

• You are reasonably fit, enjoy the outdoors and are looking for some exercise. Some previous experience is preferable for activity based trips. : This tour is not strenuous. Activities such as the mule ride to Asheton Maryan can be tough on the body, but visiting the church complexes, temples and sites is always done at a very easy and relaxed pace.

Accommodation details : All accommodation throughout this tour is 3-4 star (comfortable hotels with en-suite facilities) All accommodation is based on twin sharing.

8 nights hotels en suite and 1 night basic hotel facilities.

Visas: - All nationalities require a visa for Ethiopia which can be obtained before departure or on arrival (at a cost of USD50).

Upon request we arrange visas for our travellers, or if an invitation letter is necessary then we will arrange this for you.

Vaccination: -There are no mandatory vaccination requirement for this trip.

Transport: We will be using a Coaster buses , mini buses or 4WD Toyota land cruiser depending on the condition of the road and the size of the group. The distance covered are fairly large.

Holiday style :-This is a busy trip and requires a certain level of fitness and agility, especially due to the heat and altitude. There are several walks that are not difficult - Tississat Falls and in the Simien Mountains. The harder walk and mule ride in Lalibela is optional. When visiting the rock hewn churches in Lalibela clients have to walk on uneven ground and climb steps that can be slippery.

What tourism exists is quite well organized and in places you may be surprised at the standard of services and personnel. The maximum altitude reached on this trip is 3250m.

Foods :All breakfasts

Hotel meals are generally good and full of variety. Local dishes tend to be very good if you like hot, spicy food although milder versions can be requested. Local food is traditionally eaten with the hands. The sour bread known as injera is used as a scoop for the casserole dishes known as wat.

Private groups: The adventures featured in our itinerary are just a starting point for many of our private group travellers. Working closely with our Groups Department we can organize custom designed itineraries for groups of friends, clubs, charity’s, schools or even work colleagues. Our team will assist you with all aspects of your private group adventure from itinerary design to group flights. For group traveller pledge considerable discount.

Customized tours: On request, this tour can be customized for small groups.

Proceeding / additional days: It's no problem to add days before or after the expedition and we'll book these for you. If you bring more time, you could do day trips from Addis or take an extension tour

Group booking discount: If at least 5 people together book this trip, 6% discount is given.

Please remember that all See Ethiopia tour prices mean NO hidden extras, NO local payments.

Budgeting: -

You will need some extra money to cover meals and drinks not included in the tour price, any optional sightseeing, souvenirs and items of a personal nature such as laundry.

Food :The costs for meals may vary depending upon location, type of restaurant and number of courses eaten and so the prices given are an average guide. Local restaurants located off the beaten track may be less expensive, whereas an upmarket restaurant located in the centre of a major city may charge more.

Lunch $: 8

Dinner $: 9

Drink: -The prices for drinks can vary greatly depending upon location and the prices detailed below are an average guide. In general you would expect that drinks purchased in a supermarket or local bar to be less expensive, whilst drinks in an upmarket bar or restaurant may be more expensive.

Bottle of Beer $: 1.50

Water $: 1.00

Tipping - Local Crew : Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognized part of life in Ethiopia . Some local staff will look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. In order to make things easier for you, your Guide may organise a group's tips kitty and if this is the case, they will account for it throughout the tour.–Accordingly, you should allow US$50 for tipping of local drivers, guides, boat crew and for any miscellaneous tipping of hotel staff.

When to go —All year round.

Climate Ethiopia: Ethiopia is generally pleasant and warm, but varies with altitude. The long rains usually arrive mid- June to early September and the short rains between mid-February and April although this pattern has been completely erratic in recent times. After the rains, the highlands of northern Ethiopia are usually green and thus particularly scenic. The temperature all year round rarely falls below 18°C. Night-time temperatures in the mountains can be cold.