24 Days Tour to Historic Ethiopia, Omo Valley, Danakil & Harar with Meskel Festival Surface- On a well condition, Toyota Minivan for historic route and Harar, for Omo valley and Danakil Group tour a well kept 4 WD fitted with function Ac system. Flight – Scheduled Et domestic flight (Addis Ababa- Bahir dar , Dire Dawa- Addis Ababa) Duration: 23 Nights/ 24 Days N.B: This tour program designed in order to fit the available local markets in omo valley that is date specific and the colorful Meskel festival which fall on Sep 26-27 |
Itinerary |
Day 01: Arrival in Addis Ababa- Drive to Arba Minch for Omo Valley tour
Arrive in Addis Ababa at 06:20 am On arrival our company representative will meet and greet you at the airport then start the southern trip. On the way have a breakfast and coffee. ⇒ Morning drive to see Tiya stelae field UNESCO registered world heritage site. You will have stops for photographing for the sights and locals en-route.hotel |
Day 02: Cultural Drive Arba Minch to Jinka
Þ En route, you will visit the Konso tribes and you will visit their ancient villages. Photographing with tribes. Resort/hotel |
Day 03: Excursion to Mago national park then transfer to Turmi to attend Monday Market in Turmi
Þ Early start for excursion tour to Mago national park. Þ Visit the Mursi Tribes, their women are famous for Lip plates and men for ritual fighting with stick. Þ Then drive to Turmi to attend the biggest of all omo valley local markets at Turmi Monday Market . Þ At Turmi Market you will meet almost all the local tribes as it is their biggest market in the area. You will have a great time to meet the Hammer, Karo, Tsemay, Banna, Bashada peoples and enough time for photographing. Night in Turmi hotel/lodge |
Day 04: Turmi- Murulle- Turmi
Drive to Kangaten to visit the Nyangatom after crossing the Omo river with engine boat. On Return stop at Murulle for picnic lunch then proceed to Korcho to Visit the Karo tribes who live in the western bank of the Omo River. Afterwards drive back to Turmi. Lodge |
Day 05: Excursion to Omo rate then retrace back to Turmi – visit the Hamer people ⇒ Excursion to Omorate.Þ Boating on the Omo River to visit a Dassanech village on the other side or to Karo tribe that set up their beautiful village at edge of Omo River, Karo people are known for their unique body painting.Þ Retrace back to Turmi to visit the colorful Hamer tribes and their villages.Attend Tribal dance or Bull Jumping rite, occasional and optional. lodge |
Day 06: Drive Turmi to Konso via Dimeka – Attend Thursday Keyafer Market
Þ Early morning drive to Keyafer to attend the Thursday local market, Keyafer. Þ Today you will meet Tsemay, Erbore and Ari tribes and other tribes at Keyafer market. Then proceed to Konso for overnight. Lodge/hotel |
Day 07: Drive Konso – Yabello
Þ Enter into Borena people region and afternoon visit ElSODA crater (where down the crater Borena men extract salt for their cattle), Borena villages and more. Motel |
Day 08: Drive Yabello to Awassa (290 km)
Þ On a drive to Awassa, you will get an opportunity to stop on the way for lunch at the Yirga Cheffe coffee plantations: the place where the coffee bean was allegedly first discovered. Þ Crossing Guji people region and very nice views drive to the Rift Valley lake of Awassa. hotel |
Day 09: Awassa – Langano – Addis Ababa.
Þ Morning visit the fish market, and then continue driving to Addis Ababa, by admiring the Rift Valley lakes of Shalla, Abijata and Langano, Afternoon free time in Addis. hotel |
Day 10: Fly Addis Ababa to Bahirdar and then full day sightseeing
Þ Morning Fly to Bahir dar; pick up from Bahir dar airport and transfer to your hotel. Preparation for city excursion. Þ Excursion to visit the Blue Nile Falls that takes you out of the city for a drive on a gravel road through the farmlands and small villages of the Amhara People. Meet local people on their everyday activities especially in the mill house where mostly women gather to get their grains grinded. Retrace the same way back to your hotel for late lunch. Þ PM, you will have a boat trip on Lake Tana to visit the Monasteries on the islands of Lake Tana. We visit the monastery churches of Ura Kidane Mihret that is the most famous monastery and has an important collection of religious icons from the 16th to 18th centuries. Ura Kidane Mihret is known for its paintings and small museum. Ura Kidane Mihret, are decorated from floor to ceiling with incredibly vivid images from Christian traditions.hotel |
Day 11: Drive for a tour in Gondar- then full days sightseeing
Þ AM after Breakfast you will drive over land to Gonder by minivan to Gonder, which is some 180kms. Þ PM is dedicated for sightseeing of Gonder; the 16th century Royal enclosure famous for its 17th C castles that is known as the “African Camelot”, Fasil bath where Timkat (Epiphany) festival colorfully celebrated and one of the old churches Debre Birhan Selassie. hotel |
Day 12: Drive to Axum alongside the Semien Mountains range with spectacular scenery.
Þ Distance :400 km to Axum and takes +- 10 hrs. hotel |
Day 13: Short sightseeing in Axum – proceed to Mekele for overnight
Morning you will have a short sightseeing of: Þ The archeological sites and the famous stele park. Þ St’ Mary of Tsion (Zion) Church the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. Early lunch then proceed to Mekele with a detour Þ PM after you will visit the ruin palace of the Queen of Sheba (9th Century BC), excursion drive to Yeha Temple( 5th century BC) Evening you will be in Mekele. Overnight in Mekele |
Day 14: Mekele – excursion tour to visit the famous rock hewn churches of Tigray
Þ Morning has a short time for breakfast then drive for some kilometers to visit the Tigray rock hewn churches. Þ This day you will visit at least three rock churches (Abreha We Atsebeha, Weqro Cherkos and Abune Yemata. Back to Mekele early evening and have a freetime for a city walks. hotel |
Day 15: Drive Mekele to Hamed Ella to join group tour to the Danakil for two days
Þ Drive to Hamed Ella via Berhale. You will pass through a small town of Berhale. En-route you see many long caravans going to the salt mines and others coming out of the Danakil with their salt loaded camels. (3-4 hrs drive). Þ Evening proceed to lake Asale to see the spectacular sunset. (BB, LL, DD) |
Day 16: Drive Hamed Ella- Dallol- then to Mekele
Þ Morning driving tour to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the salts are mined. Observe the breaking of the salt from the ground, cutting into rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the difference landscape formed by volcanic activity, Dallol, Lake Assal with photographing long chained camel caravans. Excursion to Dallol (116 meter below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow up camel caravans and walk with the Afar people. Drive back to Hamed Ella and proceed to Mekele for overnight. |
Day 17: Drive Mekele for Tour to Lalibela (360km )
Time it will take will be +- 8 hrs (with short leg stretching stops) |
Day 18: Full day tour in Lalibela with attending eve ceremony of Meskel (Demera) Festival
Þ Visit The Amazing rock churches of Lalibela rated as the eighth wonder of the world by many authors. Þ Afternoon attend the Demera ceremony of the Meskel Festival celebration; the colorful festival of the Orthodox Christians, celebrated to commemorate the finding of the true cross by building a bonfires topped by a cross to which flowers are tied. The Ethiopian orthodox patriarch orchestrates the lighting ceremony. You will have a great opportunity to take pictures of the priests dress and sing around the bonfire. Hotel |
Day 19: Excursion tour to visit rock-hewn churches outside Lalibela – today is Meskel day that have less festivity than the eve.
Þ Morning after breakfast you will drive to visit the two amazing rock hewn churches found on top of the mountain (Yemrehane Kirstose and Asheton Mariam).Then back to Lalibela. This day observed with plenty of traditional food and drink as believers go to the spot of Demera and, using ashes from the fires; mark their heads with the sign of cross. You can taste Ethiopian traditional foods made from various spices and pepper. Evening attend traditional coffees ceremony. hotel |
Day 20: Drive to Kombolcha for 300km via the town of Dessie and the drive will take about 6 hrs with some leg stretching stops.
⇒ Beautiful scenery and mountain ranges all along the way. ⇒ Optional you can have a Boat trip on Lake Hayek for the 13th c monastery on island. hotel |
Day 21: Drive back to Addis Ababa for some 400km and it will take +_ 7hrs to arrive in Addis. ⇒ Before Debre Sina you can stop for top view of the Great Rift Valley DepressionÞ Today is Friday there is no local market in Kombolcha and around. The biggest Bati market only held every Monday. So direct drive to Addis Ababa for overnight. hotel |
Day 22: Drive Addis Ababa to Harar – Upon time short time at Awash National park.
Þ To the east of Ethiopia stands Harar, a fiercely religious, old-walled city with 99 mosques including the 16th century Grand Mosque. Harar is considered to be the fourth holiest site in Islam after Mecca, Medina and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. If arrival early evening you can have a walking program around the city.hotel |
Day 23: Tour in Harar- full day
Þ Explore alleyways and markets, visiting the ‘hyena man’ in the evening. Until 1887, access to the city was forbidden to visitors until Menelik was restored to central rule. With 368 labyrinth alleyways and a waft of coffee throughout, it is easy to feel that you are in a different era. The city famed for its silversmiths that are able to create beautiful necklaces, bracelets and chains, which can found for sale in the markets. There are two main markets in the town, one Christian and the other Muslim both within the 1sq/km walled area. Overnight in Harar. |
Day 24: Fly back Dire Dawa to Addis Ababa – Departure
Morning drive from Harar to Dire Dawa airport for checking time around 10:00 am. Þ Your arrival in Addis Ababa will be after an hour flight; On arrival in Addis, we will meet you and have lunchtime then you will visit the remaining attractions in Addis Ababa. Þ A visit to the National Museum, famous for hosting the Humanoid fossil “LUCY” Ethnographic Museums and Trinity cathedral or you will have a free leisure time for shopping. Departure —end of the Tour to Historic Ethiopia, Omo Valley, Danakil & Harar with Meskel tour arrangement—- |
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