5-Day Northern Ethiopia Tour with Lalibela, Gondar and Lake Tana

• Fly to Bahir Dar on Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa.

• Arrive and meet your local tour guide at the airport for pick-up and transfer.

• Visit the marketplace in Bahir Dar.

• Take a boat excursion on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile.

• Climb to the ancient island monasteries with your Ethiopian tour guide.

Overnight stay at a hotel in Bahir Dar.

• Drive through the countryside to Gondar with your Ethiopian tour guide.

• Tour the Royal Enclosure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see the five castles built by successors of Ethiopian kings during the beginning of the early 17th century. Having survived several wars, including air raids during World War II, the castles stand as a testament to the resilience of this once mighty African Empire.

• Visit the Church of Debre Birhan Selassie, famous for its religious art and especially its iconic ceiling depicting angels.

Overnight stay at a hotel in Gondar.

• Fly to Lalibela on Ethiopian Airlines.

• Tour the magnificent rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This group of eleven monolithic and semi-monolithic structures was carved directly into the stone of the mountainside at least 800 years ago. This complex boasts the largest monolithic church in the world and consists of a maze of passageways and tunnels, intricately carved reliefs, and fabulous examples of icon paintings.

Overnight stay at a hotel in Lalibela.

• Fly to Axum on Ethiopian Airlines.

• Traverse the ancient stelae fields, which have stood for more than 2,000 years.

• Visit the new and impressive Archaeological Museum, along with other tombs and archaeological sites, as time permits.

Overnight stay at a hotel in Axum.

• Fly to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines.

• Visit the Ethnographic Museum or the National Museum, home of the 3.18 million-year-old skeleton "Lucy."

• An optional activity of souvenir shopping can be done in the afternoon.

• Enjoy a farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant featuring dancers and musicians representing some of the country's many ethnic groups.

• Transfer to the airport for late-night departure.