10-Day Northern Ethiopia Tour

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrival In Ethiopia

Extraordinary Ethiopia Tours will welcome all clients arriving at the airport, regardless of arrival time. For morning flights, you may begin sightseeing after check-in; for later arrivals, the tour begins the following day.
Welcome to Abyssinia, the land of origins. You will be whisked off in a modern air-conditioned vehicle to your 4-star accommodation in the heart of Addis Ababa. You’ll enjoy sumptuous meal before retiring for some much-needed rest.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Best Western Premier Dynasty Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Addis Ababa City Tours

After breakfast, you’ll visit the National Museum of Ethiopia to visit the long age history of Ethiopia and the oldest human ancestor, Lucy. Set within Haile Selassie’s former palace, Addis Ababa University’s main campus is the Enthralling Ethnological Museum. It’s easily one of the finest museums in Africa. Before lunch, you'll drive to Holy Trinity Cathedral Church which has a unique architectural style. Immediately after a relaxed lunch, you'll drive up to the Entoto Mountains, the best location to observe the panoramic view of the capital. It is also a historical place where Menelik II resided and built his palace.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Best Western Premier Dynasty Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Addis Ababa- Lalibela

You'll fly to Lalibela on Ethiopian Airlines from Addis to Lalibela and have lunch at the hotel. You'll tour the magnificent rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in the afternoon, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This group of ten monolithic and semi-monolithic structures was carved directly into the stone of the mountainside at least 900 years ago. This complex boasts the largest monolithic church in the world, a maze of passageways and tunnels, intricately carved reliefs, and fabulous examples of icon paintings. On this day, you will see the first group of churches called Bete Medehanialem, Bete Maryam, Bete Meskel, Bete Denagil, and Debre Sina we Golegotha and the third group which is only St’ George.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Sora Lodge Lalibela

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Lalibela- Addis Ababa

After breakfast, check out and drive to visit the second group churches of lalibela which includes 4 churches. Bete Gabriel and Rufael, Bete Merkorious, Bete Emanuel and Bete Aba Libanos.
After visiting the second group churches, we will drive to the Airport for your flight to Addis.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Best Western Premier Dynasty Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Addis Ababa- Semera- Ert- Ale

Total driving distance 300kms/6-7hrs
Total walking distance 1:30 hours.
You will wake up early morning to catch your flight to Semera town of the Afar regional capital, pick from the Airport with experienced drivers and excellent 4WD with AC along a team of experience expert guides, an excellent Cooke teams local guide and road leader from the Tourism authorities, all camping gear ready to depart with you, and drive to the Ert-ale active volcano. You reach our camping ground at the top of the Caldera. Walk 1 hour until the summit Crater Lake is currently at its active cycle. Enjoy the wonder happening right in front of you and walk back to the camping ground. We leave for the volcano around 5:30 P.m. late in the afternoon, and walk back after visiting around 8:00PM. Overnight open-air camping on flat ground with a suitable mattress, pillow, clean bed sheets, and a quiet environment.

Main Destination:

Erta Ale Volcano (Danakil Depression)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Ert- Ale- Dallol

Total driving distance 300kms/6-7hrs
Total walking distance 1:30 hours.
Wake up early morning round 5AM to see the sun rise and return to the camp for breakfast and drive to Lake Afdera (a salt lake that is located in the heart of Danakil Depressions and then later you have to swim around this lake we will be driving to Hamedela town of Dallol. Visit the Sunset at Lake Assale late in the afternoon.
Overnight open-air camping with clean beds, Mattresses, pillows, clean bed sheets, and a lot of water for hydration.

Main Destination:

Danakil Depression (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Dallol- Hawzen

Total driving distance 350kms/8-9hrs
Total walking distance 2:30 hours.
Wake up early morning and drive to Lake Assale to see sun rise then drive to the lunar landscape of the Dallol geothermal site for an amazing wonder seen nowhere else on the planet. A chemical reaction happening right in front of you lives face to face with row nature. You will revise your knowledge of colors from that moment on. After this, we drive to the salt and mud-formed mountain cave right underneath the Dallol crater, another 10-minute drive and a completely different world. We will have a picnic breakfast in nearby the cave with wonder. After this visit, we drive to the vast salt plains, Lake Karum, swim in the saltwater pool in that scorching sun, and finally visit the salt miners before leaving back to Hamedela. From Hamedela you will drive to Hawzen.

Main Destination:

Hawzen (Town)

Accommodation:

Gheralta Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Tigray

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Visit Gheralta Cluster Churches

Total driving distance 150kms/3-4hrs
Total walking distance 8 -9 hours two ways to see all the churches.
Begin the day by visiting the Maryam Korkor Church, a cross-shaped architectural marvel. Known for its cruciform pillars, arches, and vibrant frescoes, this church also offers a scenic one-hour hike with panoramic views of the surrounding Gheralta landscape. From Maryam Korkor, it is just a short walk to Daniel Korkor Church. This seldom-visited site, perched on a dramatic precipice, offers breathtaking views and intricate paintings. Later, visit the iconic Abuna Yemata Guh Church, carved into a high cliff. This monolithic church, dedicated to Abuna Yemata, one of the Nine Saints, features 5th-century dome and wall paintings. Although the climb to the church is challenging, the stunning artistry and incredible views make it a rewarding experience.

Main Destination:

Hawzen (Town)

Accommodation:

Gheralta Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Tigray

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Hawzen- Axum

After breakfast drive to Axum, on the way visit the Yeha Temple. Yeha temple is the oldest standing structure in Ethiopia, the Temple of Yeha, is located in Yeha. This is a tower built in the Sabaean style, and dated through comparison with ancient structures in South Arabia to around 700 BC. Although no radiocarbon dating testing has been performed on samples from site, this date for the Great Tower is supported by local inscriptions. David Phillipson attributes its "excellent preservation" to two factors, "the care with which its original builders ensured a level foundation, firmly placed on the uneven bedrock; and to its rededication -- perhaps as early as the sixth century AD -- for use as a Christian church.

Main Destination:

Axum (City)

Accommodation:

Sabean International Hotel

• Budget hotel located in Axum (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Axum City Tour and Fly to Addis Ababa

After breakfast, explore Axum, a city with over 2,500 years of history and the heart of Ethiopia’s ancient civilization. Visit St. Mary’s Church and the Sanctuary Chapel, believed to house the Ark of the Covenant. Tour the famous Stele Park, featuring towering obelisks that serve as reminders of Axum’s rich past. With a visit to the Axum Museum, which showcases a wealth of historical artifacts. Finally, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Addis Ababa.
In the evening farewell party dinner with cultural dinner and traditional special buffet and local drinks to experience Ethiopia’s cultural meals and drinks.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.