danakil depression & afar people

Arrival in Addis Ababa. Transfer to the chosen hotel. Have a free morning. Afternoon (1400 hrs from the hotel) tour of the capital: visit Entoto mountain with views over the capital, the National & the Ethnographic museums, St George church and the Mercato, biggest open air market in Africa. Meals free. ON hotel. (If the arrival is 1 day before, pls inform us. And add the overnight cost on the quotation)

Drive to Kombolcha. Being Sunday admire on route the very colorful Afar and Oromo people market at Senbete village. Lunch on the way; dinner and ON hotel.

Drive to admire the very colorful Monday’s Afar and Oromo people market at Bati village. Is the most colorful market of northern Ethiopia and is amazing to see all these camel caravans at ones; and the interaction among the residents and Afar people. Proceed then to Semera, where we take the permits for the Danakil. Drive further a few hours to reach lake Afrera. Proceed then to the hot springs. Lunch on the way; dinner & ON camping (if too windy or full at the hot springs, camp at a hotel in town or use one of the local open air hotels)

Proceed admiring some Afar people villages, camels, the Afar people way of life and more. Cross also very nice different views, including rocky mountains as dunes, green areas and more. Reach for the afternoon Dodom, at the bottom of the active ErTale volcano. Here we organize the camels for the materials and trek from around 1700 hrs till around 2100 hrs to ErTale volcano. Then enjoy amazing views, admiring the volcano at its splendor, and the lava at the volcano rim: is spectacular! Lunch on the way; dinner & ON in local huts on the volcano rim.

Early morning have a last glance of the volcano and then walk back to Dodom. Proceed your drive then to an Afar people village (Emegubi village) for some very interesting experiences, admiring their culture and way of life, how they extract the local wine from the palm trees and more. Reach Ahmedale late afternoon.

Lunch on the way; dinner and ON camping at AhmedAle.

Full day to visit the Dalol natural wonder, spectacular colors of nature, and the Afar men extracting salt.

Have your lunch on route; back to AhmedAle for dinner and ON camping

Drive to Hawsen or Mekele. In ones from 120 mts below sea level we go to the Ethiopian highlands above 2,000 meters. Here in the Tigray region are found more than 110 different churches, with different architectural and ornamental designs.

Lunch on the way; dinner & ON Gheralta lodge at Hawsen or hotel in Mekele

Full day dedicated for the visit of the Tigray churches. Visit Micael Imba, Debre Selam Atsbi and Micael Barka churches. Or Abreha Atsbeha, Degum Selassie and TecleHaimanot Hawsen. Lunch on the way. Dinner at a traditional restaurant in town. ON hotel in Mekele

Fly back Addis. Afternoon free in Addis.

Lunch free in Addis. Dinner with folkloristic dances in a traditional restaurant. After dinner transfer to the airport for departure (or if the flight is next day, have an overnight in Addis Ababa. The next day you’ll be picked up from your hotel 3 hrs before your flight and transferred at the airport.