6-Day Historic Ethiopia Tour from Addis Ababa with Lake Tana and Lalibela

• Drive up to Mount Entoto to start your sightseeing tour of Addis Ababa.

• After your descent, drive to the National Museum to explore the fossil of the oldest hominid, named Lucy.

• Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral, built during World War II.

• Proceed to the Ethnographic Museum, which was once the palace of Emperor Haile Selassie. After that, drive to Merkato Addis, the biggest market in East Africa.

Stay the night in Addis Ababa.

• Board a flight from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar and check in at the hotel upon arrival. Hop on a boat cruise on Lake Tana to visit the 14th-century Monastery of Ura Kidane Mihret, one of the most famous monasteries on the Zege Peninsula.

• After lunch, drive to the village of Tis Isat to see the Blue Nile Falls. Note that the volume of the water could be minimal because of the construction of the new dam.

Stay the night in Bahir Dar.

• After breakfast, begin the journey to Gondar, the royal capital of Ethiopia, which was founded in 1636 by Emperor Fasilides.

• In the afternoon, drive into the city of Gondar and visit the castles and churches built by Emperor Fasilides and his descendants.

• Proceed to the fascinating Debre Birhan Selassie (the Enlightening of Trinity), home to mural art, and visit the Qusquam Church.

Stay the night in Gondar.

• Catch the outbound flight to Aksum, a city with more than 2500 years of history that was once the centre of a great empire and ancient civilisation. Home to the original Ark of the Covenant, Aksum is the prime historical site in the north of Ethiopia.

• Take a city tour that includes St. Mary's Church, the Sanctuary Chapel, the Coronation Yard, Stelae Park, the tomb of Kaleb and his son Gebre Meskel, Ezana's Inscriptions, Queen of Sheba's Bath, Queen of Sheba's palace ruins, and the Axum Museum.

Stay the night in Aksum.

• Board a flight from Aksum to Lalibela. Known as the 'Eighth Wonder of World Heritage', Lalibela is famous for its underground rock-hewn cathedrals.

• After lunch, visit the other top attractions of Lalibela.

Stay the night in Lalibela.

• From Lalibela, board a flight back to Addis Ababa. Attend a folkloric dinner and taste several national dishes while enjoying performances from the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia.

• Attend the traditional coffee ceremony, after which you will depart for the airport for your outbound flight.