6-Day Lalibela Churches and Danakil Depression

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

Fly to Lalibela and Visit the Rock Hewn Churches

You'll fly to Lalibela on Ethiopian Airlines. You'll meet your guide and driver at the airport and transfer to your hotel, 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. You'll explore the churches of Lalibela, the first group of churches called Bete Medehanialem, Bete Maryam, Bete Meskel, Bete Denagil, and Debre Sina, we Golegotha and the second group of churches, which includes Bete Emanuel, Bete Gabriel, Bete Merkorious, and Aba Libanos. Finally, you'll visit the famous St'George church.

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)

Drive to Semera

Driving from Lalibela to Semera is an adventurous and scenic journey, taking you through some of Ethiopia’s diverse landscapes. Semera is the capital of the Afar Region and lies in the Danakil Depression, so the route will take you from the highlands of Lalibela into the lowlands.

Main Destination:

Semera (Town)

Accommodation:

Kuriftu Afar Semera Resort

• Mid-range hotel located in Semera (Town)

+7 Photos

+6 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Semera- Ert-Ale Volcano

After breakfast, you'll drive from Semera to Afedra, where you will have lunch. After lunch, you'll continue driving to Ert-ale active volcano. The drive will take 4-6 hours. You'll reach your camping ground at the top of the Caldera. You'll walk 30 minutes to the summit crater lake, currently in its active cycle. You'll enjoy the wonder happening right in front of you and walk back to the camping ground. You'll leave for the volcano around 5:30 pm, late in the afternoon, and walk back after visiting around 8:00 PM.
Your overnight stay is open-air camping on a 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

You'll wake up early in the morning and walk again 30 minutes one way to see the sunrise. You'll return to the camp for breakfast, then continue driving to Afdera. Lake Afdera is a salt lake that is located in the heart of the Danakil Depression. At this lake, you may have a chance at the natural hot springs. Later, you'll have to swim around this lake, and we will be driving to the town of Dallol. You'll enjoy the sunset at Lake Assale late in the afternoon. Your overnight stay will be 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)

Sunrise and Drive to Mekele

Early in the morning, before sunrise, you'll 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 raw nature. You will revise your knowledge of colors from that moment on. After this, you'll drive to the salt and mud-formed mountain cave right underneath the Dallol crater. Another 10-minute drive and a completely different world. You will have a picnic breakfast in nearby the cave with wonder. After this visit, you'll drive to the vast salt plains, Lake Karum, swim in the saltwater pool in that scorching sun, before returning to Hamedela for some rest. After lunch, you'll drive to Mekele. This drive will take 3-4 hours.

Main Destination:

Mekele (City)

Accommodation:

Planet Hotel

• Budget hotel located in Mekele (City)

+5 Photos

+4 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Mekele-Addis Ababa

Today is the last day of the tour. After breakfast, we will accompany you to the airport for your flight to Addis Ababa or any other tour destinations. If you need any assistance, we are here to help.

Main Destination:

No major destination visited

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

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