Special Offer: Northern Route by airplane and Southern Route by 4WD

Day / Route / Excursions / Hotel / Remarks / Photos
1 / Addis Ababa
Monday / Flight to Addis Ababa. Arrival to Addis Ababa with evening or night flight. Meeting with company’s representative at the airport. Transfer to hotel. / Jupiter or Kaleb /
Addis Ababa, Ethnographic Museum
2 / Addis Ababa – Bahr Dar
Tuesday / In the morning short city tour in Addis Ababa visiting National Museum, with its prize possession – remains of Lucy, 3.5 million year hominid Australopithecus Afarensis. Also included excursion to Entoto, where in 1881 King Menelik tried to build a capital city. Most interesting places to see at Entoto are a church museum near the church of St. Mary and the old house of King Menelik. In the evening flight to Bahr Dar. Transfer to Hotel. / Abbay Minch or Summerland / Flight 140, 20:15 – 21:15 /
Lake Tana
3 / Bahr Dar
Wednesday / In the morning boat ride on Lake Tana visiting churches of Ura Kidane Mihiret and Azwa Mariam. Also guests will be able to see outlet of the Blue Nile. Lunch in Bahr Dar. In the afternoon rest in the hotel and walk in Bahr Dar, near the lake. In the evening it is possible to visit a local “night club” with real traditional dances and songs of Gojam province. / Abbay Minch or Summerland / Flight 122, 08:55 – 10:40 /
Blue Nile waterfall, Tiss Abbay
4 / Bahr Dar - Gondar
Thursday / In the morning travel by a minibus from Bahr Dar to Gondar (185 km). Check into Hotel. City tour of Gondar will include visiting the Royal enclosure with famous palace of King Fasil, also swimming pool of king Fasil, and early 18th c. church of Debre Berhan Selassie. / Taye or Florida /
Castle of King Fasil, Gondar
5 / Gondar - Axum
Friday / Transfer to airport and flight to Axum. Check into hotel and city tour of Axum. This tour includes visiting all historic and archaeological sites of Axum, including the stele field. Also it is possible to visit the church of St. Mary, where the original Ark of the Covenant is being kept. In the evening walk in the center of Axum and dinner in one of the local restaurants (Ethiopian food) / Yeha or Branna / Flight 122, 08:55 – 10:40 /
Blue sky of Axum
6 / Axum - Lalibela
Saturday / Flight to Lalibela in the morning. Our Lalibela tour includes visiting all 12 rock-hewn churches of Lalibela: 7 churches of the north complex ibefore lunch, 4 churches of the southern group and the church of St. George in the afternoon. In the evening it is possible to visit the local pub, where tej is served. (Tej is a local wine made from honey, special produce of Lalibela and surrounds) / Mountain View or Lal / Flight 123, 11:10 – 11:55 /
Lallibela, church of St. George
7 / Lalibela – Addis Ababa
Sunday / In the morning flight from Lalibela to Addis Ababa. Check into hotel. Souvenir shopping in the afternoon. Dinner in the traditional Ethiopian restaurant in the evening. / Jupiter or Kaleb / Flight 123, 12:15 – 14:30 /
Ethiopian farming in the 21st century
8 / Addis Ababa – Arba Minch
Monday / Drive from Addis Ababa to Arba Minch by 4WD. On the way we stop to visit Tiya Stele of the 8th c., one of many UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ethiopia. Lunch stop in Sodo, Wellayta. Arrival to Arba Minch late in the afternoon. / Swaynes or Ezana / 475 km, 6 – 7 hrs /
Tiya Stele
9 / Arba Minch
Tuesday / In the morning boat ride on Lake Chamo, part of the Nech Sar Park. Here you can observe the real huge crocodiles and hippos in the wild, and a lot of water birds, pelicans and others. Lunch in Arba Minch. After lunch excursion to Chencha, village of Dorze people. The highlight of this excursion is a visit to a traditional Dorze house where you can observe how bread is made from false banana and drink locally made vodka. Return to Arba Minch in the evening. / Swaynes or Ezana / To the boat – 20 km, 3 – 4 hrs
To Chencha – 70 km, 3 – 4 hrs /
Lake Chamo
10 / Arba Minch - Turmi
Wednesday / Drive from Arba Minch to Turmi via Karat Konso, Weito, and Erbore. Stop at Erbore to take photos of the Erbore people. Arrival to Turmi. If you are lucky and on that day there is a bull-jumping ceremony in a Hamer village near Turmi, it is possible to attend such ceremony. Rest at the lodge in the evening. / Buska or Turmi / 285 km, 7 – 8 hrs (rough road) /
Weaving in Ethiopia is men’s job
11 / Turmi - Jinka
Thursday / Drive from Turmi to Jinka. On the way we make a stop-over at Key Afar, where every Thursday there is a local market. This market attracts Hamer, Benna, Konso, Ari, and many other people of the South Omo. Arrival to Jinka late in the afternoon and rest at the hotel. / Orit or Goh or Eyob / 120 km, 6 – 7 hrs including Key Afar /
Hamer girls
12 / Jinka – Karat Konso
Friday / In the morning excursion to the Mago Park. In this park lives Mursi tribe. It is probably best known in the South Omo Valley, because women of this tribe slit their lower lip and insert a clay or wooden plate, and men fight donga (a stick fight which determines the most eligible bachelors ready to get married). Return to Jinka at lunch time, then drive to Karat Konso. / Kanta / 320 km, 8 - 9 hrs /
Mursi
13 / Karat Konso - Langano
Saturday / Drive from Karat Konso to Langano early in the morning. Langano, one of the lakes of the Rift Valley, is famous because it is one of a few lakes in Ethiopia with beautiful beaches and clean safe water, where you can swim. / Sabana / 385 km, 6 – 8 hrs /
Birds near Lake Langano: superb starling
14 / Langano – Addis Ababa
Sunday / In the afternoon drive to Addis Ababa. Shirt rest at the hotel. In the evening transfer to the airport and flight home. / Jupiter / 200 km, 3 hrs