9-Day Christmas at Lalibela and North Ethiopia

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

Arrival in Addis Ababa and city tour

Arrival in Addis. Welcome by our guide. Visit the National Museum and the Ethnographic Museum at the Addis Ababa University. Sitting at an altitude of 2438 meters, Addis Ababa is a modern African city which is far more developed than you might imagine. Barely more than a century old it is home to some elegant buildings set along wide streets, dispersed with plenty of green space.
This afternoon, after time to freshen up, we will head out on a city tour to include the landmark that is the Church of Holy Trinity and the Ethnological Museum. This museum is said to be one of the finest in Africa, and is the ideal place to start understanding the many cultures that come together within one country and how history has defined present day Ethiopia.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Monarch Parkview Hotel

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

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Fly Lalibela and Visit Yimirahanna Kirstos

Breakfast at the hotel, fly to Lalibela. Arrival in Lalibela and check into a hotel. We drive towards one of Ethiopia's best-preserved late Axumite churches. Named after the 12th century Zagwe priest-king and saint, the church of Yemrehanna Kristos is built of stone and wood inside a cave. We'll make a ten minute walk uphill through a forest of juniper trees to the entrance. As well as it's wondrous setting, behind the church lies a pile of mummified bodies said to be that of pilgrims and holy men. Legend has it that a door found inside this church was given as a gift by the Caliph Saladin himself during the time of the crusaders.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Mezena Resort & Spa

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Visit Nakuto leab and Particcipate on the eve of christmas

After breakfast, leave Lalibela to visit the monastery of Nakutolab- a cave church. This is the easiest of all the outlying churches to reach in the monastery of Nakutolab. The monastery accredited to Nakuotolab consists of a relatively simple church built around a shallow cave in which several holy pools are fed by natural springs. You have off to visit in the afternoon for a longer night.
In the evening, we attends the whole night mass service of Christmas, Evening attends the eve of Ethiopian Christmas or locally called Genna (Genna Festival is celebrated on every 06 January after a 40 days fasting among Orthodox Christians. The clergies, Priests, Bishop & people lift their voice in hymns and chant just as it has been practiced since 4th century on which Ethiopian has been accepted Christianity as official religion of the country. After mass praying, the fast will be broken at 03:00 AM, and then all classes of people disperse to their homes.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Mezena Resort & Spa

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Genna Festival (Ethiopian Christmas) at Lalibela

Early in the morning attend the very colorful Christmas procession performed by beautifully dressed priests and deacons chanting at the edge of the rock hewn churches of Bete Mariam and some more on the bottom representing the shepherds and the angels announcing the birth of Jesus. Afterwards, people disperse to their homes to feast and the clergy break their fast. Walk to one of the family home in Lalibela and join the holiday. Get involved in food preparation of several Ethiopian cuisines. Attend the blessing and good wishes of elders, followed by traditional Coffee ceremony. Enjoy the local foods and drinks and celebrate with music and dancing with the family. Overnight in a hotel in Lalibela.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Mezena Resort & Spa

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Gondar

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Gondar (440 Km from Lalibela) through the beautiful landscape of Guna Chain of Mountains. Stop at various villages and market places. Arrival in Gondar early evening. Check into a hotel. Overnight in a hotel in Gondar.

Main Destination:

Gondar (City)

Accommodation:

Goha Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Gondar (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Visit Gondar and Drive to semien MountainNational Park

Breakfast in hotel. Visit to the Royal Castles (built in the 17th Century A.D.) After Breakfast you will visit the oldest and the most impressive Gondarian structure, the magnificent castle compound including the two storied palace of emperor Fasiladas, built of roughly hewn brown basalt stone held together with mortar, the fantastically decorated Debre-brehan Silassie Church (light of Trinity) the bath (now baptismal place during Ethiopian epiphany, January 19) of king Fasiladas and the ruined palace of Queen Mintiwab at Qusquam, were the Scottish explorer James Bruce used to reside for sometimes. Drive to Debark (100 Km from Gonder, a nearby town to the Simien Mountains). On the way, visit Falasha village. The Falasha Jews are thought to have arrived in Ethiopia 3,000 years ago at the time of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, but their history is shrouded in mystery. Translating to 'exiled' in Amharic, the Falasha claim to be descendants of Moses.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Best Time To Visit September to December (Beautiful scenery)

High Season October to April (Lodges are busy)

Best Weather October to April

Wildlife in Simien Mountains NP

Gelada monkey Abundant

Walia ibex Occasional

Ethiopian wolf Rare

Klipspringer Rare

Bushbuck Rare

Show more

Golden jackal Rare

Hyena Rare

Accommodation:

Tsehay Hotel at Debarqi

• Mid-range hotel located outside Simien Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Visit Semien Mountain

Morning Drive to Simien Mountains National Park. The Simien Mountains has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UN since 1969. The park is full of breathtaking landscapes and abundant flora and fauna. Over 10,000 of the rare & endemic Gelada baboons live in the park and can be observed at a close distance. The park is also the home to the Walia Ibex, which is also called Ethiopian Wolf. We will have an easy hike (approximately 4 – 5 h) from the head quarter until Sankaber (3,260 m). We pass picturesque scenery, as well as Ethiopia’s highest waterfall Jinbar, also called “gateway to hell.” Trek for 2.5 hours to 500m high Jinbar waterfall. Along the way you will observe the splendid landscape and different kinds of flowers and trees. There is also a possibility to see a klipspringer and mini bushbuck. Of course, the delightful gelada baboons are always around. We will visit Waliya Ibex endemic to Ethiopia and Semien Mountain National park too in Geech (3,600 m).

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Tsehay Hotel

• Mid-range hotel bordering Simien Mountains NP without fences

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Bahir Dar and visit

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Bahir Dar (280 Km from Semien Mt.). Check into a hotel. After lunch, a boat ride on Lake Tana to visit the medieval period island monasteries (Azua Mariam and Ura Kidane Mihret: beautiful mural paintings, religious books and sacred) on Lake Tana.

Main Destination:

Lake Tana

Accommodation:

Jacaranda Hotel Bahir Dar

• Mid-range hotel located in Bahir Dar (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Fly back to Addis Ababa and Departure

Flight back to Addis Ababa. Arrival Addis Ababa. Fly back to Addis Ababa. In the evening, a farewell cultural night at the renowned cultural restaurant for authentic Ethiopian cultural food buffet along with live music and dances of the diverse nations and nationalities of Ethiopia. Transfer to airport for a flight home.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

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