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Home4-Day Danakil Depression & Erta Ale Tour From Mekele
Description
Journey to the Erta Ale active volcano base, where you will spend the night under starry skies with crater pits nearby, and learn how the Afar merchants make salt from the seawater and transport it by camel caravans. Admire the stunning, eye-catching colours of the sulfur springs and visit the various landscapes formed by volcanic activity in this 4-day tour to the hottest place on Earth!
Highlights
- Watch the dramatic action of the boiling lava
- Spend a night at the rim of the volcano
- Discover the various landscapes formed by the volcanic activity
- See the merchants producing salt from Lake Assal
Itinerary Expand All Collapse All
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Day 1: Mekele to Hamed Ela expand_more
Drive to Hamed Ela via Berhale, where the camel caravan stops before proceeding to the northern highlands.
See the Danakil Depression, which is one of the most inhospitable regions of the world. Yet it is full of eye-catching colours.
Camp at Hamed Ela.
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Day 2: Hamed Ela to Dodom expand_more
Drive to the base of Erta Ale- an active basaltic shield volcano, which has an almost persistent lava lake. The road is rough, and the 80 km distance takes about 6 hours.
Pass through the transforming landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and palm-lined oasis.
Arrive at Askoma village or the parking area.
Have dinner at 5:00 pm.
Trek to Erta Ale at night around 8:00 pm. All the camping materials and food will be transported by the camels.
Spend the night near the rim of the volcano.
Trek distance and duration from Askoma to Erta Ale: 9 km, 6 hours.
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Day 3: Erta Ale expand_more
Spend the early morning walking around the pit craters. The main pit crater is 613 m above sea level and 200 m deep. It is sub-circular and 3-storied. Then descend from Erta Ale.
Head back to Askoma for breakfast.
Reach camp and relax.
Drive to reach Lake Afdera (only during wintertime) and the mythical lake Giulietti, which is a salt-water lake in one of the deepest depressions.
Visit the salt flats nearby to watch how Afar people obtain salt by evaporating the water of the lake.
Continue to Hamed Ela for an overnight stay at a camp.
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Day 4: Driving to Ragad (Asebo) expand_more
Drive to Ragad (Asebo) to see the salt mining.
From here, drive to Dallol to visit a landscape that has been formed by volcanic activity. It is the hottest place on Earth, and only merchants frequent it to stock up on salt.
Visit Lake Assal, which is a saline lake and is the lowest point in Africa.
Follow the salt-laden camel caravans and walk with the Afar people.
Drive back to Hamed Ela, which is a small village near Lake Assal.
Return to Mekele.
What's Included
- All Entrance fees and licenses as per the program.
- Accommodation and all meals throughout the tour
- Bottles of water for the trip
- Surface Transport expense with four-wheel drive Land-cruiser, including fuel expense and drivers allowance
- Local English-speaking guide service for the Afar region as per the program
- Cooking and camping equipment
- Scout and police service in Afar Region as per the program
- Camel and camel tires in Afar Region as per the program
What's Excluded
Domestic flight one way
Know before you go
No camel caravan in July, August and early September.
Meeting Point
Mekele, Ethiopia
Cancellation Policy
For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -
Refund of 80% of the tour price.Price Details
| Adult | |
| 1 To 1 | USD 400 Per Person |
This is a group tour | |