Arrival at Bole International Airport (Addis Ababa) where you will be met by our local representative. You will have time to enjoy a city tour of Addis Ababa that includes:-
Trinity Cathedral:-a beautiful church with a baroque style of European architecture which is unique to both Ethiopia and Africa and is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Here you will find scripts of the imperial families, statues done by a Greek sculpture, Stained glass window paintings from the Old and New Testament in the Bible and coffins of Emperor Haile Silassie-I; the founder of the church, and his wife.
National Museum:-It comprises of many archaeological and historical findings including the famous complete hominid fossil remain of ‘Lucy’ locally known as ‘Dinknesh’ meaning wonderful. Visiting this museum is having a good summary for your visit to the historic Ethiopia.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly to Mekele. On arrival, meet your 4x4 vehicles and drive to Hamed Ella. On the way you will pass through the beautiful Tigre villages, and the escarpment of the Afar depression, commonly known as the cradle of mankind and which is part of the Great East African Rift Valley. Here you will see very long camel caravans going to the traditional salt mining, or to the North Eastern highlands of the country, loaded with salt bars in old traditional way. You will also have a stop at BrehaAlle, where you get the permission and scouts for the trip then drive to Hammed Ella, a small village where you camp the next two nights.
Early in the morning you will visit the caravans that are leaving to the traditional salt mining at sunrise. After having breakfast at the campsite drive toDallol;it is a part of the Afar depression with temperature record of. The climate varies from around 25°C / 77°F to 64.4°C/148°F. And it has exceptionally magnificent landscape which includes the Danakil Desert and Lake Asale (less than 126 m below sea level), which is the lowest point in Africa, Dallolis also part of the Depression and one of the hottest places year round anywhere on Earth.
Here in Dallol you will visit the beautiful land mainly covered by salt, sulfur and different minerals that gives the area a spectacular color, after visiting Dallol drive back to the salt lake where you can see the Afar and Tigre men, who cut the salt into bars and carry it by camel to the highland of Ethiopia.Late in the late afternoon visit the Afar village and camel caravan around Hammed Ella.
In the morning drive about 85Km through the breathtaking adventures way to Erta Ale, meaning the smoking Mountain, via the small Afar villages called Kusrewad and Dodem, up on arrival at Dodom continue walking to the ErtaAlle Volcanic hills (613 meters above sea level) and visit the most spectacular lava lakes on earth, it is famous for being the longest existing lava lake. Please note that the best time for photography is at night.
Early in the morning walk down to Dodom where you can have breakfast, after breakfast dive to Mekele via Abala. On arrival in Mekele take late afternoon flight back to Addis Ababa. On arrival, transfer to hotel.
Have a farewell dinner at one of the best traditional restaurants of Addis where you can taste the variety of Ethiopian meals, and see the folkloric dances of the Ethiopians.
Today you will transfer to the airport at an agreed time ready for your onward flight or flight home.
