14 Days Best of Ethiopian Safari
The 14 days best of Ethiopian safari a safari package design to experience most of Ethiopia’s top tourist attractions and this trip will give the true insider of the Ethiopian culture and also experiencing some of the best wildlife areas of Ethiopia.
Highlights
- Historical sites
- Simien mountains
- The Blue Nile falls
- Historical churches in Tigray
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa
Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, you will be received by our representative and transferred to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.
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Day 2: Safari briefing and City tour of Addis Ababa
Meeting at our hotel this morning, there will be time to relax and freshen up before having lunch and an orientation tour around Ethiopia’s bustling capital, including the Trinity Cathedral, the National Museum, and the Merkato, the biggest open-air market in Africa. In the evening we’ll have an early dinner back at our hotel in preparation for the trip ahead.
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Day 3: Flight from Addis Ababa to Mekele then drive North East to Tigray Region
A morning flight takes us to Mekele from where we’ll drive north to our lodge. En route, we will explore some of this fascinating region of Ethiopia, which is home to the stunning rock-hewn churches of Tigray. We will get the chance to discover Wukro Chirkos church, a crooked cruciform sandstone church, which is semi-monolithic and believed to have been created during the 4th century. From here we can continue on to the rock-hewn church of Abreha Atsbeha, considered among the country’s earliest churches and architecturally one of its finest. Enjoying the dramatic scenery of the Northern Tigray region we then complete our journey to our lodge.
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Day 4: Explore the Churches in the Gheralta Mountain
Today we will visit two of Ethiopia’s most striking churches, known for their unique location and stunning views. Miriam and Daniel Korkor are rock-hewn churches located in the heart of the Gheralta Mountains. These unique churches are found in splendid isolation on remote rocky outcrops and involve a strenuous (but highly rewarding!) walk up to reach them, taking around 2hrs to climb up. Taking our time and enjoying the magnificent views as we work our way slowly up the escarpment, at the top we are not only rewarded with the epic vistas but also a wealth of 17th-century paintings and church treasures. After enjoying some time exploring the two churches, we can begin our descent, which will take around an hour back down to the main road.
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Day 5: Drive to Axum UNESCO Heritage site
After breakfast we’ll turn west to Axum, stopping en route at the Yemeni-influenced Yeha temple (also known as the temple of the Moon from the 5th century BC). On arrival in Axum, a town steeped in more than 2,500 years of history, we’ll visit some of the key sites such as the palace and tomb of King Kaleb, the extraordinary stelae field (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the tomb of King Remhay, and the church of St Mary of Tsion, in which the Ark of Covenant is allegedly hiding! Depending on time we will also visit the Queen of Sheba’s Palace.
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Day 6: Drive to Simien Mountains
Our journey continues southwest to the Simien Mountains National Park, stopping for lunch en route. The scenery along this route is truly breath-taking and there will be time for photo stops along the way. On arrival to the Simien’s, there should be time for a leisurely walk in the nearby area where with some luck we’ll get to see some of the wildlife the park is known for, including Lammergeier vultures, Gelada baboons, and bush back.
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Day 7: Explore Simien Mountains
Today we’ll have a full day to explore the stunning landscapes the National Park is renowned for. Taking a picnic lunch with us we’ll walk along the escarpment taking in the exceptional views. Without a doubt, we’ll get to spend some time observing the Gelada baboons and if we’re lucky we might get to see the elusive Walia ibex.
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Day 8: Drive to Gonder
Leaving the mountains behind our next stop is Gonder, where we’ll visit the key sites of the ancient capital including the Debre Birhan Selassie church (Light of Trinity) with its wonderful murals. We’ll also visit the Royal Enclosure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its medieval castles, architecturally unique and unlike anything else found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Day 9: Drive from Gonder to Lalibela
This morning we will catch a flight to Lalibela, arriving late morning. This isolated town, situated high up in the Lasta Mountains, is famous throughout the world for its incredible rock-hewn churches. At 2,630m and perched among wild mountains, the setting is fantastic. From the 10th to the mid-13th century it was the capital of the Zagwe Dynasty that ruled the country and it was under the direction of its most famous King, Lalibela, that the churches were carved. He gathered together the greatest craftsmen possible and some estimate as many as 40,000 people were required to create the churches. This incredible group of monuments consists of six churches to the north and five churches to the south, and the churches are linked by a series of rock-hewn tunnels similar to catacombs. After settling into our hotel and enjoying an early lunch, this afternoon we’ll visit the first cluster of UNESCO World Heritage Site churches, including the famous church of St. George, or Bete Giyorgis, carved in the shape of a cross from the red tuff. For dinner, we hope to pay a visit to a local family for a traditional coffee ceremony and the chance to see how a real Ethiopian family lives.
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Day 10: Explore Lalibela
After breakfast, we’ll drive up into the mountains to visit the wonderful Yemrehana Kristos cave church, situated about 40km from Lalibela. Set at an altitude of 2,700m and protected by an unflattering wall, Yemrehana Kristos is an old built-up church within a large cavern and is a particularly fine example of late Axumite architecture, with a cruciform carved window and an etched wood-panel roof. It’s a short hike up to the church but well worth the visit and the scenery en route is spectacular. With lunch back in Lalibela, this afternoon we’ll visit the second cluster of staggering rock-hewn churches. In the evening we’ll take a trip to a tej house to sample the local liquor, followed by dinner at a traditional restaurant.
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Day 11: Drive from Lalibela to Bashir dar
After morning breakfast you will drive to Bashir dar where the Blue Nile falls is locate and you explore around the town and overnight.
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Day 12: Explore the Blue Nile falls
This morning we’ll drive to Tisissat to visit the Blue Nile falls*. Here the waterfall plunges 45 meters down before continuing its journey to join the White Nile in Khartoum. After taking in views of Tis Abay (Smoke of the Nile) from a classic vantage point we’ll take a beautiful walk via the base of the falls and a short boat trip across the river back to Tisissat. Heading back towards Bahir Dar we’ll board a boat and take a trip out to Lake Tana, visiting a highly distinctive monastery found there replete with some truly spectacular frescoes.
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Day 13: Fly back to Addis Ababa
Depending on your flight time you will be transferred to the airport for your on word flight to Addis Ababa upon arrival you will transfer to your international flight.
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End of tour
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
What’s included in the Safari
- All-inclusive safari vacation except what is excluded
What’s excluded in the safari
- International flights
- travel insurance
- Tips
- Items not included on your final itinerary
When to book the safari package?
1 year in advance.
Best Time to Travel
December to March
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