10-Day Historical Ethiopia Tour with Simien Mountains and Lalibela

Arrive at Bole International Airport, where Enat Ethiopia Tours will meet you مهما كان وقت وصولك. After hotel check-in, visit Holy Trinity Cathedral, the resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie, and the Ethnological Museum. Drive up to the Entoto Hills for panoramic views and visit Entoto Maryam Church, then stop at the Shiro Meda cloth market and explore Merkato or Shola Market. Overnight in a hotel (B, L, D).

Fly to Bahir Dar and take a boat trip on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, to visit two monasteries on the Zege Peninsula, such as Ura Kidane Mehret, Azwa Maryam, Mehal Zege Giyorgis, or Bete Maryam. End the day with sunset views from Bezawit Hill. Overnight in a lodge (B, L, D).

Visit the Blue Nile Falls in the morning; water levels vary by season. Return to Bahir Dar for lunch, then drive to Gondar via the Awra Amba community. Overnight in a hotel (B, L, D).

Visit the Kuskuam ruins, built for Empress Mentewab, and tour the Royal Enclosure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 17th-century castles. Continue to Debre Birhan Selassie Church, famous for its ceiling covered with painted angels. Overnight in a hotel (B, L, D).

Drive to Sankaber, the gateway to Simien Mountains National Park. Enjoy light hiking and look for endemic wildlife such as the gelada monkey. Overnight in a lodge or camping (B, L, D).

Enjoy a scenic drive to Axum, stopping at viewpoints along the way, and arrive in the late afternoon in the ancient capital of the Aksumite Empire. Overnight in a hotel (B, L, D).

Visit the stelae fields, including the 24-metre obelisk returned from Rome in 2005, the Archaeological Museum, and St. Mary of Zion Church, believed to house the Ark of the Covenant, plus other tombs and sites as time permits. Overnight in a hotel (B, L, D).

Fly to Lalibela and tour the rock-hewn churches, a UNESCO World Heritage Site carved into the mountainside over 800 years ago, including the largest monolithic church in the world. Enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony and an injera-baking demonstration. Overnight in a hotel (B, L, D).

Choose between a mule-assisted hike to the Asheton Maryam monastery or a drive to Yemrehanna Kristos, a church built inside a cave. Continue touring Lalibela's churches in the afternoon. Overnight in a hotel (B, L, D).

Fly to Addis Ababa and visit the Ethnological Museum or the National Museum, home of 'Lucy'. There is time for optional souvenir shopping, followed by a farewell dinner with traditional music and dance before your transfer to the airport for a late-night departure (B, L, D).