9-Day Ethiopian Easter Pilgrimage

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

Addis Ababa

Welcome to Abyssinia, the land of origins! You will be whisked away in a modern air-conditioned vehicle to your three-star accommodations in the heart of Addis Ababa, where you will enjoy a sumptuous meal before some much-needed rest.

Addis Ababa is the world’s third-highest capital city at 2,665 meters above sea level. It is a city that has worn its heart on its sleeve since it was founded by Ethiopian Emperor Menelik in 1892. Boasting a cityscape that changes almost daily, with rickety wooden scaffolding creeping slowly skyward, Addis has more than enough history and sights to warrant more than just a stopover.

Amharic, the national language, is widely spoken throughout the country and is predominant in Addis Ababa. The principal foreign language is English, but you will also find many people who speak French, Italian, and Arabic. Historian Carlo Conti Rossini once characterized Ethiopia as a “rich cultural mosaic.” He could have also been speaking about Addis Ababa itself!

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Hotel Lobelia

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

+7 Photos

+6 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Addis Ababa

After breakfast, you’ll visit the National Museum of Ethiopia to discover the country’s history and the oldest human ancestor, Lucy. You will also visit the enthralling ethnological museum set within Haile Selassie’s former palace on Addis Ababa University’s main campus. 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 relaxing 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:

Hotel Lobelia

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

Meals & Drinks:

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

Addis Ababa – Semera - Danakil Depression

Take a morning flight to Semera, the capital of the Afar region, where you will be picked up at the airport and meet a group of experienced drivers, expert guides, a cook, and a road leader from the tourism authorities. With all camping gear ready, depart in 4WD vehicles with AC and drive to the Erta Ale active volcano. Upon arrival, we will make our way to the camping ground at the top of the caldera, then walk for about one hour to the summit, where the crater lake is currently active. Enjoy the sight before walking back to the camping ground. Around 5:30 p.m., depart again for the volcano and return around 8:00 p.m. Your overnight accommodations will be open-air camping on flat ground with a suitable mattress, pillow, clean bed sheets, and a quiet environment.

Main Destination:

Danakil Depression (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

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

Ert-Ale - Dallol

Wake up early in the morning around 5:00 a.m. to see the sunrise, then return to the camp for breakfast before driving to Lake Afdera, a salt lake located in the heart of the Danakil Depression. You will have time to swim. Later, you will on continue to Hamedela, Dallol town, and in the late afternoon visit Lake Assale for sunset. Your overnight accommodations will be open-air camping with clean beds, mattresses, pillows, clean bed sheets, and plenty of water for hydration.

Main Destination:

Danakil Depression (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

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

Dallol - Semera - Addis Ababa

Wake up early in the morning and drive to Lake Assale to see the sunrise, then continue to the lunar looking landscape of the Dallol geothermal site to view an amazing natural wonder found nowhere else on the planet. Witness chemical reactions happening right in front of you and experience raw nature up close, where the vivid colors create a striking landscape. After this, drive to the salt- and mud-formed mountain cave beneath the Dallol crater, followed by another short drive to what feels like a completely different world. Enjoy a picnic breakfast near the cave before continuing to the vast salt plains of Lake Karum, where you can swim in a saltwater pool under the scorching sun and visit the salt miners. Finally, return to Hamedela, then drive to Semera for your flight back to Addis Ababa.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Hotel Lobelia

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

Meals & Drinks:

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

Addis Ababa - Gondar

After breakfast, drive to the airport for your flight to Gondar. You will have lunch at the hotel, and after lunch, visit Gondar, the first capital city during the reign of Fasilides. Here there are a dozen castles built by emperors over 236 years. You will visit Fasilides’ Palace, one of the oldest and most impressive castles in the area. Continue to the Church of Debre Birhan Selassie (Light of the Trinity), whose interior is decorated with beautiful frescoes, cherubs, and paintings. Debre Birhan Selassie is rumored to have once been considered the proposed final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant of the Ethiopian Empire, which began in 1632. You will also visit the bathing pool of Fasilides.

Main Destination:

Gondar (City)

Accommodation:

Haile Resort Gondar

• Mid-range hotel located in Gondar (City)

+4 Photos

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Gondar- Lalibela

After having breakfast, you will drive to the airport for your flight to Lalibela. From Lalibela Airport, it is a 30-minute drive to the hotel. After check in, you will have lunch at the hotel and then attend Good Friday in the “African Jerusalem” in the afternoon.

Ethiopian Easter, known as Fasika (or Tinsaye), is a major, deeply spiritual Orthodox Christian holiday preceded by a strict 55-day fast (Hudade) from meat and dairy. It culminates in a midnight mass on Holy Saturday, followed by feasting on doro wat (chicken stew) and breaking the fast on Easter Sunday.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Sora Lodge Lalibela

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Lalibela

After breakfast, explore Lalibela, where the rock-hewn Ethiopian Orthodox Christian churches are considered one of the eight wonders of the world. This unique collection of churches, classified into three groups, is partly connected by fascinating internal channels, with hermit holes where people once lived and died. The surrounding walls are rich with religious symbols.

You will begin your visit to the first and third groups. Lunch will be at Kana Restaurant. After lunch, you will visit the second group, which includes four churches, among them Emmanuel Church (the only monolithic church in the southeastern cluster), as well as the Saturday Market. After dinner, attend the Holy Saturday night service with candlelight vigils and chanting that continues until around 3:00 a.m.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Sora Lodge Lalibela

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

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

Lalibela – Addis Ababa

Eat breakfast at the hotel and then drive to the airport for your flight to Addis Ababa. Upon arrival, check back into your hotel and enjoy the amenities, with time for shopping or optional spa treatments. In the evening, attend a farewell dinner featuring a cultural performance, a traditional buffet, and local drinks at Yod Abyssinia Restaurant.

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.