15 Days Northern and Southern Ethiopia Tours

Day 1: Visit BahirDar

1. Bahir Dar
   9h
   You will start your tour in Bahirdar and visit Blue Nile Falls, Africa’s most spectacular waterfall.

Day 2: Drive from Bahir Dar to Gondar

1. Gonder
   10h
   The journey from Bahirdar to Gondar takes around 4 hours. After arriving in Gondar, you will go on a tour of the magnificent city, which is noted for its many medieval castles and distinctive church decorations, notably Debre Birhan Selassie. You'll also see the beautiful Fasildas Castle, which is a well-known heritage monument.

Day 3: Start Simien Mountain Trekking

1. Simien Mountains National Park
   10h · Admission ticket included
   Your chauffeur will pick you up from your Hotel and take you from Gondar to Debark. Here a permit will be obtained from the Park headquarters and collect the obligatory scout before continuing to Sankabar (3250m ASL) and an early start is needed as the drive from Gondar takes 2-3 hours. The trek begins at Buytras taking about 3 – 4 hours to walk to the Sankabar campsite. During the walk, there’s a good chance of seeing your first Gelada baboons.

Day 4: Simien Mountain to Gondar

1. Simien Mountains National Park
   10h · Admission ticket included
   The second day of trekking begins in the early hours of the morning. It begins with 2.5-hour trek to Jinbar Falls, which is 500 meters high. Along the route, you'll see beautiful scenery as well as various flowers and trees. Leopards can be seen in the region, although they are rarely observed; perhaps you will be one of the lucky ones! Of course, there are always the adorable gelada baboons to be found. The 4x4 picks us up after lunch beside the waterfall to take us back to Gondar.

Day 5: Gondar to Lalibela

1. Lalibela
   10h
   You will visit Lalibela, home to the first set of rock-hewn churches.

Day 6: Visit Lalibela

1. Lalibela
   8h
   You will be picked up from your hotel early in the morning and spend the day touring the remaining churches of Lalibela.

Day 7: Drive from Lalibela to Semera

1. Semera
   7h
   You will be picked up early in the morning to begin your journey to Semera, which will take around 6 to 7 hours.

Day 8: Visit Ertale

1. 10h
   Early in the morning drive for about 6hrs to Dodom camping site. After taking short rest, trek up to Ertale, and spend the night on top of the mountain, at the rim of the volcano.

Day 9: Visit Dallol

1. Danakil Depression
   11m · Admission ticket included
   Early in the morning drive to Asebo where the locals mine salt. Then drive to Dallol and visit the colorful landscape formed by volcanic activity. Then drive back to Semera

Day 10: Semera to Arbaminch & Visit

1. Dorze Village
   4h · Admission ticket included
   Start your day by visiting Dorze village. These people set high up in the Gughe Mountains, and they are famous for the shape of their huts, that recall the structure of a beehive.

Day 11: Visit Konso & Drive to Turmi

1. Turmi
   10m
   After breakfast drive to Turmi and on the way you will have a chance of seeing the Konso village, one of the UNESCO site in Ethiopia. And then you will proceed to the Bana village. The Bana who are indigenous pastoral and semi-nomadic people living in the harsh environment of lower Omo Valley. The men often have their hair dressed up with a colorful clay cap that is decorated with feathers. Then proceed to Turmi where the Hammer tribes are located.

Day 12: Visit Omorate

1. 10h
   After having your breakfast, you will have an excursion to Omorate to visit the Dassanech people, who live on the northern shore of Lake Turkana. After your visit, drive back to Turmi for lunch then drive to Jinka then to the Ari people, which are the largest population in the lower omo valley.

Day 13: Visit Murisi

1. Mursi Village
   6h · Admission ticket included
   Take a day excursion to Mago National Park to visit the Mursi village. The Mursi are one of the exotic ethnic groups in Ethiopia. They live in very low huts made of straw leaves. The women like to wear terra cotta on their enormously stretched lower lips and ear lobes.

Day 14: City Tour Of Addis Ababa

1. Mount Entoto
   1h · Admission ticket included
   You will be lucky enough to experience a panoramic view of Addis Ababa from the top of the mountain. You will also visit Menelik II's historic palace.
2. Shiro Meda Market
   Pass by
   The best local markets to shop for handwoven cotton clothes.
3. National Museum of Ethiopia
   1h · Admission ticket included
   The National Museum of Ethiopia is one of Addis Ababa's must-see attractions, especially for the fossil remains of Lucy, the world's oldest hominid (3.25 mil years old).
4. Holy Trinity Cathedral
   1h · Admission ticket included
   It's one of the best places in Addis Ababa to learn about history, and see art and architecture.
5. Mercato Market
   1h
   If you're a market lover, the one place you can't miss is Mercato. It is regarded as Africa's largest market, an open-air sprawl of vendors that stretches for kilometers; it is one of those markets that swirls in all directions, and you never know what you’re going to stumble into or what you’re going to find. What an interesting experience!

• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels