Duration: | 14 Day(s) - 13 Night(s) |
Tour Category: | Religious Tours |
Day 01: Arrival and City Tour
On arrival at Addis Ababa, received at the airport by an assistant from our staff and transfer to a hotel. Climb to the top of Entotto hill, 3200m high, to observe the urbanism of the Ethiopian capital. It is from here that, they say, Emperor Menelik and his wife, Empress Taitou, descended to Finfinne hot springs to establish Addis Ababa… Visit the National Museum; visit the Ethnological Museum (which is the ancient palace of Haileselassie).
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Day 02: Addis - Bahirdar
Leaving for Bahirdar via Dedgen, fertile agricultural land and the breadbasket of Ethiopia. On the way, the Blue Nile and its deep-cut gorges are seen. If possible, we shall also visit the Debre Libanos Monastery with its ancient treasures.
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Day 03: Visit Bahirdar
Bahrdar is a comfortable town located on the bank of Lake Tana which is the greatest lake in Ethiopia. The morning shall be devoted to excursion to source of the Blue Nile, which with White Nile constitutes the Great Nile River. After lunch, we continue our trip to visit Lake Tana, and its islands, on boat. There are 37 islands on Lake Tana, out of which 30 have churches and monasteries of historical and cultural significance.
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Day 04: Bahirdar – Gondar
Morning drive to Gondar. Visits will include churches in Gondar, visit the castle’s compound,the Debre Birhan Sellasie church (light of Trinity) with wonderful murals, the king Fasiladas bath, the old Qusquam monastery, Empress Mentewab palace and more.
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Day 05: Gondar – Debark
Drive to visit the Semine Mountain. Have walks admiring spectacular views, spot endemic mammals (as the gelada baboons), birds, very nice flora, and visit some Amhara people villages.
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Day 06: Debark – Axum
Day to travel through the splendid panoramas of the Simien and Tsellemti massifs. The Simien massif and national park of 179 km2 which it harbors form part of the World Heritage of Humanity since 1979.
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Day 07: Visit Axum
We visit the site of the steles: granite monoliths dating back to the pre-Christian Era decorated with symbolic inscriptions. One of the seven steals ancient era was at Rome from1937 – 2008. Mussoloni took it as a trophy after the Italian Envasion of Ethiopia. We equally visit the Saint Mary-of-Tsion Church. It seems that one of its chapels harbours the Ark of Covenant. “The guardian”, the only person authorised to enter the chapel is also the only person who can see it, looking after it under his protection. There is also a modest museum which consists the crowns of the Ethiopian kings and other treasures.
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Day 08: Axum – Hawzen
Drive to Adua and then proceed to visit the Yeha pre Christian temple (temple of the moon), the Debre Damo Monastery (where only men can enter, by cimbing with ropes for 16 meters)
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Day 09: Hawzen – Mekele
Discovery of the churches in Tigray and stopover at Degoum village, where we find a group of very ancient rock-hewn churches consisting of three monuments. Then, we visit the Abreha we Atsebha Church, no doubt the most impressing monument of the region. The church of the monastery was partially dug out of the cliff and partially cleared. At Wukro, we join the main route and visit the rock-hewn Cherkos Church.
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Day 10: Mekele –Lalibela
Leave the Wallo plains towards the Lalibela mountains through a beautiful wayside scenery; use the occasion to make stops at intervals and take photos. Arrival at Lalibela in late afternoon.
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Day 11: Lalibela
Lalibela, defined as the 8th wonder in the world. start the visit with the first group of the rock-hewn churches in Lalibela. And the Afternoon we will continue to visite the second part.
King Lalibela, at the beginning of 13th century, ordered the construction of eleven churches carved out of a mass of rocks. These churches, some of which are entirely monolithic, were buit from the ceiling around its base contrary to the classic constructions. The architects of these exceptional edifices, all different one from the others, have reproduced every architectural details of the East. The Lalibela site reproduced the holy places of Jerusalem, linked up by a system of galleries and underground passages, divided into two streams called Jordan on both sides.
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Day 12: Lalibela (FASIKA)
We propose an excursion by mules to the Asheten Mariam church, with spectacular views. Or by car to the cave church of Naktuleab. Lunch back at the hotel, afternoon visit the remaining churches in Lalibela.
After dinner, we return back to the site of the churches to attend the religious celebration of the eve of Fasika (Easter) which drowns us into an unreal ambiance.
Easter, Fasika for Ethiopians, is certainly the most important feasts which marks the year. Celebrated after a fasting period of fifty-five days, it commemorates the Resurrection with a totally particular fasting.
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Day 13: Lalibela - Kombolcha
Leave the Wallo plains towards the Lalibela mountains through a beautiful wayside scenery; use the occasion to make stops at intervals and take photos. Arrival at Kombolcha in late afternoon.
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Day 14: Kombolcha - Addis
Take the road in the direction of Kombolcha via the Eastern plateaus. Visit the Oromo farms. Arrival at Addis Abbaba in late afternoon. Farewell dinner with traditional dance and music spectacles.
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