9-Day Clasical North Ethiopia Historic Route

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

Arrival and Fly to Bahirdar

Early morning after breakfast transfer to the airport to fly Addis to Bahirdar upon arrival meet with driver and transfer to your hotel. After check in your hotel, you will start to drive take a scenic drive of 32 km to the little town of Tiss Abay and walk for about twenty minutes to visit the famous Blue Nile Falls. The falls is locally known as Tiss Isat meaning, “Water that smoke”. Those who may wish to descend to the base of the falls must be climb back to the other side and cross the Blue Nile in a boat in-order to back to the hotel and have lunch. If time allows us afternoon boat cruise on this beautiful highland lake to see the monastery church of the beautifully decorated Ura Kidanmihret, and Azwa Mariam that allows both genders. Under the thatched roof of the monastery, there are some distinctive colorful frescoes of religious scenes an impressive display of illuminated bibles written in “Geez” the religious language from which Amharic is derived.
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Main Destination:

Bahir Dar (City)

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

Drive to Gondar and Visit

After breakfast drive to Gonder 180 km to conduct tour of Gonder known as the “Camelot” of Africa, nestled in the foothills of the breathtaking Semien Mountains National Park in the northwestern part of the country was the 17th and 18th century capital city of Ethiopia, which was founded by Emperors Fasiladas (1632 – 1667) and was home to a number of emperors and warlords, curtsies and kings who built several castles and palaces around the area. Visit the oldest and the most impressive Gonderine 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.

Main Destination:

Gondar (City)

Accommodation:

Goha Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Gondar (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Fly to Lalibela

After breakfast you will take to airport your flight to Lalibela. You will meet upon arrival and take to your Hotel. After lunch you will Visit the first group of seven churches lie in rock cradles one behind the other: Bet Golgotha, Bet Mika’el, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danagl and Bet Medhanealem. Bet Medhanealem, the largest one, is built like a Greek Temple and its stone floor is so polished by the countless numbers of visitors that it reflects shafts of light from apertures in the walls high above. In a corner, there are three empty graves symbolically dug for biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Top Twelve Hotel

• Budget hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Visit Lalibela

In the morning, after having your delicious breakfast at one of the best restaurants. We continue our visiting the second /North Eastern/ cluster. The churches are Bet Gabriel-Rufael, Bethlehem, Bet Merkorios, Bet Amanual, and Bet Abba Libanos and St. George. It is the most famous and symbol of Zagwe dynasty and city of Lalibela. St. Gearge is the most famous and very picturesque of all the churches. Bet Giyorgis /St. George/ constructed in honor of the patron Saint George. Finally, we will have a traditional dinner in one of traditional restaurant with traditional music performance in Lalibela.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

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 Back to Addis Ababa and Fly to Mekele

After an early breakfast, leave Lalibela en-route visit the monastery of Nakutolab a cave church. This is the easiest of all the outlying churches to reach in the monastery of Nakutolab, which is named after its constructor, the nephew and successor of king Lalibela. The monastery accredited to Nakutolab consists of a relatively simple church built around a shallow cave in which several holy pools are fed by natural springs. After a remarkable visit to Lalibela you will be fly back to Addis Ababa and fly to Mekele with connected flight.

Main Destination:

Mekele (City)

Accommodation:

Planet Hotel

• Budget hotel located in Mekele (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Hawzen and Walk and Visit Gheralta Churches

After breakfast, we drive to Hawzen. On the way, we will visit the historic rock-hewn churches of Wukro Cherkos. In Hawzen we have the option of a spectacular half-day trekking in the Gheralta Mountains to explore the churches of Maryam and Daniel Korkor built on top of several hundred-meter-high cliffs. The views from the cliff top over the plains of Hawzen are truly magic. To visit Abuna Yemata Guh, walking for about an hour to commence a steep ascent up the side of the Gheralta massif. This steep ascent soon turn into a climb using foot holds and hand holds chipped into the sandstone rock by the passage of many hands and feet. The church itself can be reached by walking out on a ledge one meter wide and with a 200m drop to the left hand side.
Of the three, Maryam Korkor is the most impressive architecturally. Twelve free standing pillars support a huge, high ceiling. Looking at it you could not help but wonder how the architect managed to carve so high from the ground.

Main Destination:

Hawzen (Town)

Accommodation:

Vision Hotel

• Budget hotel located in Hawzen (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Axum

Drive from Hauzein to Axum via Adigrat and Adwa. About 11 km east of Adwa is the monastery of Abba Garima, said to have been founded by one of the nine saints in the 6th century. The monastery is known for its collection of religious artifacts including three illuminated gospels from the 10th century. Use the town as the base from which to visit Yeha or Debra Damo. Yeha is famous for its huge and remarkable temple. According to the 19th-century German scholar Heinrich Miiller, the temple is thought to date back to about seven or eight hundred years before the birth of Christ. The temple is believed to be the oldest standing building in the country. Beside the remarkable temple stands, a church dedicated to Abba Aftse. Abba Aftse was one of the famous nine saints who came to Ethiopia in the 6th century from the eastern Roman Empire to teach the Gospel. The church, sharing the same compound with the temple is rectangular shape. Finally drive to Axum for overnight.

Main Destination:

Axum (City)

Accommodation:

Sabean International Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Axum (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Visit Axum

After breakfast, you will start the visit of Ancient City of Axum. You will start visit 2000 years old mysterious monolithic Axum Stelae, Queen of Sheba’s palace and bath, Church of St. Mary of Tsion, Axum Museums, and King Kaleb Tomb place, etc. in the ancient city of Axum. After its conversion to Christianity, early in the fourth century, Axum also emerged as an important religious center, site of the country’s most important and revered Church of St Mary of Tsion, which, according to Ethiopian tradition, is the repository of the biblical Ark of the Covenant. It remains the site of quite startling antiquities; the 2000 years old mysterious monolithic stelae, hewn from single pieces of solid granite and carved to resemble multi-story houses, subterranean stone tombs high enough to walk in. Other places including ruins of the legendary Queen of Sheba’s palace and bath; special gold-silver-and-bronze currencies; multilingual tablets dating from the time of Christ and much more besides.

Main Destination:

Axum (City)

Accommodation:

Sabean International Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Axum (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Fly Back to Addis Ababa and Departure

After break fast you will make some souvenir shop visit. After that we will drop you to Axum Airport and fly back to Addis Ababa.
In the afternoon, you will have free time for Shopping and evening head to the farewell Evening cultural dinner party in one of the Traditional Ethiopian restaurant with dances from the different ethnic Groups then transfer to the airport for your departure.

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.