11-Day Ethiopia Highlights Tour with Lalibela and Simien Mountains

Arrive in Addis Ababa and begin the day by exploring the city's oldest iconic hotel. Enjoy typical Ethiopian and international cuisine at Taitu Hotel.

After refreshing, discover the great treasure of the ancestor Lucy at the Ethiopian National Museum.

Head towards the Ta'eka Negest Ba'eta Lemariam Monastery.

Take a coffee break and wander around Mercato, the large open-air marketplace in Addis Ketema.

Drive to Mount Entoto to enjoy the beautiful sunset over Addis Ababa.

Depart early at 08:00 am on a domestic flight from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa, a one-hour flight.

Continue by road to the Muslim city of Harar, a 50-kilometre drive that takes about one hour. You will be in northeastern Ethiopia, about 180 km from the Somali border.

Reach Harar in the afternoon with your Ethiopian guide and travel to the old city of saints.

Visit the massive market of Awoday, a colourful market packed with crowds and exciting activity.

Explore the Rimbaud Museum and stroll through the beautiful, colourful alleys of the old city, known for their unique architectural design.

Visit several houses and Sheikh graves.

In the evening, see the Hyena Man as he feeds wild hyenas by hand in an open area outside Harar.

In the morning, do some trekking.

Drive to Dire Dawa with your Moroccan tour guide.

Take a flight back to Addis Ababa.

Leave the hotel in Addis early at 07:20 am and fly to Bahir Dar.

Drive with your guide to experience the panoramic view of Blue Nile Falls, 25 kilometres southeast of Bahir Dar. As you leave the trail, see the large and beautiful weekly market in the village of Tis Isat and explore the city's open market.

In the afternoon, sail peacefully on Lake Tana. Arrive by boat at the peninsula of Zege, which extends into the lake.

Visit the ancient Ura Kidane Mehret Church, known for its interesting mural. During the ride, see pelicans and cormorants.

Arrive at your accommodation at Bahir Dar Kuriftu Resort & Spa in the evening.

Drive to Gondar, 185 kilometres away, passing through mountain landscapes and occasionally stopping in villages along the way to experience local life in the towns.

Arrive in Gondar in the afternoon and visit several incredible sites, including the Imperial Enclosure called Fasil Ghebbi, which contains the remains of royal castles and fortresses.

Pay a visit to Mantewab Castle, also called Kuskuam. Locals often come here to celebrate happy occasions such as weddings, dressed in fancy western holiday clothes. They dance and sing in procession, creating a cheerful atmosphere against the background of the imperial complex and its large plaza.

Explore the beautiful Debre Birhan Selassie Church, also known as the Church of the Light of Trinity, with its beautiful frescoes depicting Bible stories and its ceiling filled with hundreds of angels.

Witness Fasilides Bathing Pool, which remains empty all year round except during the Timkat holiday, when it is filled with water and crowds gather here to celebrate.

In the evening, arrive at your accommodation at Gondar Florida Hotel, Gondar.

Depart from Gondar early in the morning and drive to the town of Debark.

Visit Simien Mountains National Park, 125 km north of Gondar, in the Semien Mountains.

Arrive in Simien in the afternoon. Leave the car at a lodging point and begin trekking. The trekking route will last up to three hours, and possibly a little longer.

Trek through hilly terrain, up and down among surrounding green mountains, forests, and trees, and witness the unique wildlife and breathtaking landscape views.

Reach a place where several dozen monkeys can be seen. The females have a kind of white apron on their chest. Watching the interaction between the monkeys, how they move through the field, and how they search for plant food is fascinating.

Return to your accommodation at Simien Park Lodge, Simien Reserve. It is very worthwhile to arrive despite the cold.

In the morning, go for another walk in the reserve for about an hour, then drive south back toward Gondar (125 km, about three hours' drive).

Arrive in Gondar in the afternoon and enjoy a tour of the city itself until evening.

Explore the local market and the nearby streets with your Ethiopian tour guide.

Walk through picturesque streets filled with exciting and colourful human and physical scenes.

Reach your accommodation at Gondar Florida Hotel, Gondar.

Depart from Gondar and fly north to Aksum. The flight usually takes 45 minutes or two hours, depending on whether the plane arrives at Gondar from the south or from the east, and your flight will last two hours because it is not direct.

Visit the interesting sites of Aksum, including the Church of St. Mary, considered the most important and most sacred church in Ethiopia. When visiting Aksum, the guide will point out a building between the new church, antiques, tablets, and the original Ark of the Covenant. There is no access to the building because of its holiness.

Explore the Stelae Field, where more than 120 monumental pillars, like obelisks, were erected. The most prominent and famous pillar is called the Obelisk of Aksum. There are also tombs in the field of stelae.

Experience the area near the Stelae Field, including the Queen of Sheba Bath. This reservoir was built about a thousand years ago and served as a source of water for the kingdom of Aksum.

Visit another archaeological site called Dungur Palace, also known as the Queen of Sheba Palace.

Arrive at your accommodation at Aksum Sabean International Hotel, Aksum.

In the morning, take a 45-minute flight from Aksum to Lalibela. Witness the celebrations and ceremonies of the Meskel holiday in Lalibela. The trip will be planned accordingly so that on the date of Meskel, you will be in Lalibela.

In the afternoon, explore several large rock-cut churches carved into the ground. The structure of the churches is impressive in both size and height. In various corners of the churches, Christian clergymen read from books and pray. Also witness the preparations for the main ceremony of the Meskel celebrations.

Travel along the town's main street.

Reach your accommodation at Lalibela Mountain View Hotel, Lalibela.

The Ethiopian Meskel celebrations take place in the morning in the central square of Lalibela, with the participation of many religious figures. A procession of clergymen, dressed in white and decorated with red and coloured umbrellas, moves around the plaza. The crowd gathers in the centre for speeches, greetings, and prayers, while in the middle of the square young people prepare a high pile of trees before burning them in the fire.

In the afternoon, visit the neighbourhoods of Lalibela and several other churches.

Around 10:00 am, fly from Lalibela to Addis Ababa. The flight will take one hour.