5-Day Danakil and Erata'Ale Volcano Desert Safari

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

Arrival and Drive to Semera

Welcome! Upon your arrival at Bole International Airport, you will clear immigration and proceed to baggage claim. After collecting your checked bags, you'll clear customs and pass through the arrivals hall, where you will be met by a Finot Tour Ethiopia tour guide or representative, who will assist you with your transfer to your hotel.
We will pick you up from your hotel and start the drive to Semera. Semera is the capital of the Afar Region. On the way, you'll enjoy the beautiful Ethiopian Rift Valley landscape. You will stop at Allideghe Wildlife Reserve to see zebras, oryxes, gazelles, ostriches, etc. At Semera, you will collect the permit paper to visit the region from the regional tourist office. The Tourist office will provide your local Afar guide and two rangers/ police men who accompany you for the trip.

Main Destination:

Semera (Town)

Accommodation:

Kuriftu Afar Semera Resort

• Mid-range hotel located in Semera (Town)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Danakil Depression

Early in the morning, after breakfast, we will pick you up from Semera at 7:00 AM. Then, you'll drive through Lake Afdera, the Salt Lake, passing through the beautiful Lake Afdera and a breathtaking landscape. You'll arrive in Dallol in the afternoon and visit Lake Asebo. Asebo is the place where the salts are mined. You'll observe the breaking of the salt from the ground, cutting it into rectangular pieces, and loading it on camels. You'll drive ahead to Dallol (130 KM) and visit the different landscape formed by volcanic activity, Dallol + Lake Assal (-130 m) + camel caravans (No camel caravan in July, August, and early September). Excursion to Dallol (116 meters below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world), colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow camel caravans and walk with the Afar people, see the sunset, beautiful and colorful landscape. You'll drive to Hamedela and stay overnight at a camp, Dallol.

Main Destination:

Danakil Depression (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Visit Danakil Depression and Drive to Erta'ale

You'll have an early morning pickup from Hamedela campsite and drive to Dallol to see the sunrise. You'll drive to Hamedela through Berhal’e. Passing through the small town of Berhal’e, where the camel caravan stops before passing to the Northern Highland. En route, you will see many long camel caravans going to the salt mine and others coming out of Danakil with their salt loaded on the camel. You'll drive to Askoma, stop, and trek 10 minutes from Askoma. You'll arrive at Earta’Ale around late afternoon. You will walk for around 20 minutes. You'll spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. Erta’Ale is one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and a 1 km square caldera at its summit. You will spend an unforgettable night at the top of the mountain. The magma flow moved 3.5 km south from old Erta’Ale to the new eruption site.

Main Destination:

Erta Ale Volcano (Danakil Depression)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Visit Erta'Ale and Drive to Semera

You'll wake up early in the morning, watching the two miraculous things on Earth, the sun rising and the Magma. You'll have a morning trek back to Askoma, where breakfast will be served. After spending some time at the campsite, you'll drive back to Semera, en route to visit Lake Afdera. The lake is only visible during the Ethiopian rainy season, but we might have a little chance to see during the summer the mythical Lake Afdera, a saltwater lake located more than 100 meters below sea level, in one of the deepest depressions of the planet. Because of the picturesque landscape, it is interesting to visit the salt flats where the Afar people obtain the salt by evaporating the water of the lake. You'll continue the drive to Semera and stay a night at your hotel.

Main Destination:

Semera (Town)

Accommodation:

Kuriftu Afar Semera Resort

• Mid-range hotel located in Semera (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Addis Ababa and Departure

Today, you'll leave the Afar region and drive into the Great Rift Valley through the savannah to semi-desert with an occasional oasis along the Awash River. You will reach the Awash Sebat, spectacularly located before the Awash National Park, in the late afternoon. Here, you'll have the opportunity to spot a great variety of birds and mammals in the savannah as well as crocodiles living on the river. You will also enjoy an impressive sunset over the Awash River gorge. After lunch, you'll drive directly to Addis Ababa.
This evening, you'll enjoy a traditional Ethiopian buffet dinner and local drinks, celebrating our journey through this culturally rich and fascinating country. After dinner, you will be transferred to the hotel in Addis for your last night in Ethiopia. This evening, you will transfer to the international airport in Addis Ababa for your onward flight, ending this unique Ethiopia Desert Safari Tour.

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.