Upon arrival at Bole International Airport, you will be welcomed and assisted by a Jacaranda staff and driven to your hotel. Your day will start by having a tour of Haile Selassie’s former palace which is now the home of the Ethnological Museum. Next is a visit to the National Museum, known to be the best museum in Africa, where cultural and archaeological relics, including a plaster cast of "Lucy," the 3.2 million-year-old Hominid, are displayed. There is a visit to Trinity Cathedral Church.
Overnight stay at your hotel.
In the morning, we shall take a flight to Bahir Dar. Upon arrival, we shall have a half day boat trip on the lake to explore some of the islands; there is a visit the Zege peninsula for its famous 14th century monasteries of URA Kidanemihret and Azewa Mariam for their wonderful 16th century mural paintings and many old church treasures.
In the afternoon, we will visit the waterfalls of the Blue Nile: 100 meters wide, the water plunges 45 meters. An opportunity to descend the falls and cross the Nile is available.
Overnight stay in Kuriftu resort or hotel of similar standards. (B/ L/ D)
Early in the morning you shall drive to Gondar. In the afternoon we will visit the castle, one of the most marvelous buildings built by Emperor Fasilidas and his descendant.
Later we proceed to the fascinating Debre Birhan Selassie church (termed by UNESCO as one of the World’s heritages). Overnight stay in Goha Hotel or hotel of similar standards.
In the morning you shall be transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Laibela.
The whole day will be dedicated to visiting the first group of rock hewn churches. Overnight stay in Mountain View Hotel or hotel of similar standards.
On the following day you will visit the Asheton Mariam monastery, located high above Lalibela on Mount Abuna Yosef at an altitude of nearly 4,000 m. In the afternoon you shall continue your visit of the 2nd group of the rock hewn churches. You will have an overnight stay at a similar hotel as the previous one.
Fly to Axum this morning. A visit is organized to the steles: granite monoliths dating from pre-Christian times and decorated with symbolic engravings. During the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, Mussolini had taken one of them to Rome. It has since then been returned and re-erected in Axum.
There is also a visit to the church of Saint Mary of Zion, which contains the crowns of Ethiopian kings and other treasures. Overnight stay in Sabean hotel/Yeha hotel or similar standard. (
Today you shall drive to Adigrat. En-route you shall visit yeha temple, the journey takes you on a 5 km rough track through dramatic highland scenery and eventually ends in a beautiful and serene agricultural village of Yeha. Here, the pre-Aksumite Temple of the Moon is the oldest known standing structure in Ethiopia dating to about 700 B.C. It is reputed to be the best preserved example in the world of South Arabian style temple architecture. Overnight stay at Gheralta Lodge. (B/ L/ D)
Enjoy meals and activities before transfer to the airport for your international departure flights.
Tour Ends.
