16-Day Ethiopia Heritage Tour from Addis Ababa with Simien and Lalibela

Meet and greet by our representative/guide at the exit of the luggage claim area, followed by a transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast, you will drive to Bahir Dar (564 km from Addis). En route, you will visit Debre Libanos Monastery, founded in the 13th century by the priest Tekle Haimanot, today one of Ethiopia's most renowned saints, as well as its museum.

About 100 km from Debre Libanos Monastery, the road drops more than 1000 m and gradually winds down to the bottom of the Blue Nile Gorge, comparable to America's Grand Canyon and cited as the largest canyon in Africa.

You will stop for lunch at Debre Markos, then arrive in Bahir Dar in the late afternoon and check into your hotel.

You will have dinner, rest, and spend the night there.

You will have an early breakfast and drive to Lake Tana for a boat ride to visit the medieval island monasteries, known for their beautiful mural paintings, religious books, and sacred treasures. These include Kibran Gabriel (only for men), Entos, and, on the Zegien Peninsula, Ura Kidan Mehiret, Azuwa Mariam, and Mahal Giorgis.

After lunch, you will drive about 30 km to visit the Blue Nile Falls. Please note that visiting the Blue Nile Falls is not recommended at present because the amount of water is very low.

In the evening, you will have dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

You will be driven to Gondar (185 km) right after breakfast.

After checking into your hotel and taking a short break, you will have lunch.

You will then visit the Royal Castles and the Bath of Emperor Fasiledes, which is filled with water once a year for the important Timkat ceremony.

Your visit continues to Debre Birhan Selassie Church (Trinity at the Mount of Light), the Castle of Empress Mintewab, and the Kuskwam Complex, a royal compound built by Empress Mentewab.

Early in the evening, you will visit an 'Azmari Bet' traditional music house, after which you will have dinner at the hotel and stay there for the night.

You will have breakfast and drive to Debark (100 km from Gondar), complete the formalities at the park headquarters in Debarq, and continue another 20 km. You will then make a short walk/trek and spend the day visiting Simien Mountains National Park, registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, with endemic mammals, birds, natural vegetation, and incredible landscapes.

Late in the afternoon, drive back to Debark for an overnight stay, or stay at Simien Lodge in Sankaber.

Spend the day in Simien Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Enjoy guided hiking excursions around Sankaber campsite, the Jinbar waterfalls, and Chenek campsite with its scenic views and wildlife. The scenic Simien Mountains are a good break from the busy cities. Rising high above an eroded landscape of deep gorges and valleys, they rank among the continent's most beautiful and unusual mountain ranges. Several peaks reach well over 4,000 m (13,123.4 ft), and Ras Dashen, the highest peak in Ethiopia, is one of Africa's highest mountains.

Here, you can see some of Ethiopia's remarkable flora and fauna, including the Gelada baboon, Walia ibex, and, if you are lucky, the Ethiopian wolf. The huge lammergeyer is also found soaring over the valleys here.

Return to your comfortable lodge for the evening.

Right after breakfast, an early morning drive will take you to Aksum (270 km from Debark) through the Simien Mountains, with magnificent topography and scenery, including the Limalimo Gorge and Tekeze Valley.

You will arrive in Aksum late in the afternoon, check into your hotel, and take a break.

Dinner will be at the hotel.

You will have breakfast and visit the Stelae of Aksum, the Inscription of Ezana, Queen Sheba's Palace, the famous St. Mary of Zion Church, and the ruins of ancient palaces built up to the 4th century A.D., with a lunch break in between.

Outside Aksum, you can also visit the tombs of Kings Kaleb and Gebre Meskel, dating to the 6th century.

You will return to the hotel in the evening and spend the night there.

After breakfast, you will be driven to Hawzen (250 km from Aksum).

Along the way, you can visit Yeha, Ethiopia's earliest known capital city, considered the birthplace of the country's earliest civilization. Its most remarkable antiquity is the well-preserved walls of the 12 m-high Stone Temple of the Moon, thought to be over 2,500 years old. You will then continue on the Wukro-Adigrat road.

Visit a selection of churches, including Arbuta Inessa in Adi Chewa, Medhane Alem Adi Kasho, Petros and Paulos, and Mikael Melehayzenghi.

After breakfast, you will visit some of the most beautiful medieval churches set on impressive viewpoints, such as Abuna Yemata Guh, Debre Maryam Korkor, or Abreha-we-Atsbeha Church, all situated near the road between Mekele and Hawzen. Reaching these churches requires climbing a steep mountain, so good walking or mountain shoes are recommended.

You will stop for lunch at Hawzen Lodge and then drive to Mekele, arriving late in the afternoon.

You will check into your hotel and take a break. Dinner will be at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will be driven to Lalibela (470 km from Mekele) through the Ambalage chain of mountains.

You will arrive in Lalibela late in the afternoon.

You will check into your hotel, have dinner, and spend the night there.

Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will visit the eleven rock-hewn monolithic churches of Lalibela, carved from a single rock. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is renowned for its magnificent architecture and the paintings inside the churches.

In the evening, you will return to the hotel, rest, have dinner, and relax.

Right after breakfast, an early morning drive will take you to historical churches around Lalibela, such as the hill church of Asheton Mariam, reached on the back of a mule or on foot, as well as Yimerhane Kirsotos, Nakute Leib, or Genete Maryam.

After breakfast, an early morning drive will take you to Kombolcha (335 km).

En route, visit Hayk Estifanos Monastery, located 45 km before Kombolcha and famous for its variety of birdlife near the town of Hayk.

Later, you will drive to Kombolcha and, upon arrival, check into your hotel and stay there for the night.

After breakfast, you will be driven back to Addis Ababa (375 km).

Along the way, you will see the different landscapes of South Wello.

On this day of the tour, you will visit the capital city of Addis Ababa.

You will visit the Institute of Ethiopian Studies Ethnological Museum, which houses a unique collection of artifacts from more than 80 tribes of Ethiopia. You will also have the opportunity to visit Trinity Cathedral and Mercato.

On the way, you will have the chance to see avenues, squares, obelisks, and many places of interest and shopping.

Finally, depending on your scheduled flight, you will be taken for a farewell dinner and then transferred to Bole International Airport for your return flight home.