Depart the USA

Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, take a short flight to Bahir Dar, after checking in at the Hotel, enjoy a boat trip on Lake Tana. On Lake Tana, there are 37 islands and 32 of them have churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. Visit the monastery church of Ura Kidane Mihret, which is the best known of the monasteries and has an important collection of religious icons from the 13th to 19th centuries A.D. Travel back to Bahir Dar for lunch and time to relax.

After Breakfast, Drive for about 45 minutes to the Blue Nile Falls, this is known locally as Tissisat (smoking waterfall): 100 m (328 ft) wide, the water plunges for 45m, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. Enjoy the round walk or direct walk to the waterfall. Travel back to Bahir Dar for lunch and leisure time this afternoon.

After breakfast visit Gondar, the first capital city during the reign of Fasilides. In Gondar, there are a dozen castles built by various emperors over the course of 236 years. The city seems more of European than African origin. In the afternoon, visit Fasiladas' Palace, probably the most impressive of all the castles found in the area and the oldest one! Continue to the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie (Light of the Trinity). The interior is decorated with beautiful frescos, cherubs and paintings. Debre Berhan Selassie is rumored to once have been the proposed final resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant of the Ethiopian Empire, which began in 1632. Check in to your hotel in Gondar.

After breakfast, drive to Simien Mountain National Park. Debarik is a small market town at an altitude of 2700 meters close to the boundary of the Simien Mountains National Park. Corrugated–iron–roofed buildings surround the colorful and busy market area. Before entering the park, you must register at the park headquarters just outside town. Here, an armed scout – one of the park regulations, joins you. Then drive to Sankaber for the best view. En route, pass through pretty country, the foothills of the Semien Mountains, with carefully tended fields, open pasture with grazing horses, stands of trees and distant rocky peaks. At the high point of the road, there are superb views across the weirdly eroded foothills of the range and you may also be lucky enough to spot your first Lammergeiers and Gelada Baboons of the trip. Overnight in Bebarik

After breakfast you will drive back to Gonder (Approximately 2 hrs) Enjoying the scenic views of surroundings. Shopping In Gondar before flying to Lalibela. Overnight in Lalibela.

After a short flight to Lalibela. Visit the first and 3rd group. The Rock-Hewn Ethiopian orthodox Christian churches of Lalibela, are one of the eighth wonders of the world. It’s a collection of churches, some connected by fascinating internal channels, with hermit holes where people lived and died. The connecting walls are full of religious symbols. The city contains 11 monolithic churches that were built in the 12th century. Some are beautifully painted inside. Visit the first and the third group of churches. Overnight in Lalibela.

Early in the morning, go to one of the churches to watch the pilgrims gather for a church service. White-robed churchgoers gather to attend mass together in one of the many churches around town(Sunday). Then after breakfast, you will be transferred to Lalibela Airport and take a flight to Axum for an overnight.

Early flight to Shire, after breakfast drive to Axum, then you will have a city tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Legends narrate in the Kebra Nagast (Book of Kings) how the city of Axum as early as the 10th century B.C. was already the city where the Queen of Sheba resided. It is told that the son of Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, Menelik, brought the Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem to Axum and it remained there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary. Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires and represented a crucial trade connecting point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. Visit the Granite stone Stele of Axum, the Tombs of King Kaleb and his son King G/Meskel, the Ezana’s stone inscriptions, Queen of Sheba’s palace and Swimming pool, and the Church of Zion, the final resting place of the True Ark of the Covenant. Overnight Axum.

After breakfast, Hike to Debre Maryam Korkor and Daniel Korkor for spectacular view of Gheralta mountains and visit the cave churches then drive to Abraha WeAtsheba Visit Abraha WeAtsheba church, continue to Mekelle for afternoon flight to Addis Ababa to connect to your late night return flight to the U.S.A.

Return to the USA