ITINERARY:

Day 1 Addis Ababa to Bahir Dara
After a short briefing we drive to Bahir Dar, the road takes a winding route over the Ethiopian Plateau towards Debre Libanso for lunch. After eating we continue to our campsite at Bahir Dar. Bahir Dar is a large town on the edge of Ethiopia’s largest lake, the deep blue Lake Tana.
Optional Activities: Lake Tana cruise. Blue Nile Falls
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar is a large town on the edge of Lake Tana with a sticky tropical ambience, more similar to somewhere like Awassa in the Rift Valley. This is probably the most important commercial center today, with a population of 150, 000, it’s the largest town in Ethiopia and the fastest growing as well.
The central market is one of the finest in the country and worth a few hours. You can pick up a goatskin injera, a holder used by herdsmen as a "picnic basket". There in a daily fish market on the shore of the lake about 500m from the Ghion Hotel. Here you can also see a great many papyrus tankwa boats, and a large numbers of pelicans.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 3 Bahir Dar to Gonder
In the morning we drive from Bahir Dar to Gonder, the tour arrives in the afternoon; here there’ll be a tour of Gonder. Gonder is the most immediately impressive of Ethiopia’s major cities, and was the first capital city of the Ethiopian Empire, which began in 1632 with the reign of Fasilidas.
In Gonder, there are a dozen castles built by various emperors over the course of 236 years. The city seems more European than African and also has Islamic influences. In the afternoon, we visit Fasilidas' castle, probably the most impressive of all the castles found in the area and the oldest one! Constructed in 1640 and re-stored some time in the mid-20th century.
Fasilidas castle is made of stone and shows a unique combination of Portuguese, Axumite and even Indian influences. The walls are decorated with a symbol similar to the Star of David, which became the emblem of the Ethiopian royal family after the Solomonic dynasty reclaimed the Throne in the 13th century.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 4 Gonder to Simien Mountains
4 km after leaving Gonder on our way to the Simien Mountain National Park, we visit the Woleka village. This village of the Felasha (African Jews) is famous for their (poor) ceramics made in the Felasha tradition. All but one of the Felasha occupants was airlifted to Israel during the last famine. The Felasha woman who remains is also trying to emigrate to Israel.
Than we head off to the Simien Mountains, one of Africa’s largest mountain ranges (Simien National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The road passes over mountainous areas of wild beauty, drawing close to the Simien Massif (in Amharic, Simien means north). In the park, many of the mountain peaks exceed 4,000 m (13123 ft); the highest is Ras Dejen, at 4,543 m (1905 ft) above sea level is the highest point in Ethiopia and the 4th highest in Africa.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5 Simien Mountains to Axum
The road passes over mountain regions of the National Park with all of its wild beauty, passing though the Limalimo Mountain, we traverse the Tekeze valley, with breath taking views all day we finely reach Axum. The legends narrated in the Kebre Nagast ('Book of Kings') recount how the city of Axum was as early as the 10th century B.C already the city in which the Queen of Sheba resided. It is recounted that the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant to Axum and it remains there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary.
Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires, and represented a crucial connecting-point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. A visit is organised to the stelae: granite monoliths dating from pre-Christian times and decorated with symbolic engravings. In ancient times, there were seven large steles, now one of them is in Rome – Mussolini brought it there during Italy’s occupation of Ethiopia.
We'll also visit the museum, next to the church of Tsion Maryam, build by Haile Selassie's wife and contains the crowns of past Kings, ancient crosses and the supposed Ark of the Covenant. There is also a visit to the church of Tsion Maryam (St Mary of Zion), which contains the crowns of Ethiopian kings and other treasures, although entrance is forbidden to women. Then at night the tour stay’s in one of the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6 Axum to Mekele
By way of a beautiful panoramic roads, we drive to Yeha, the ruined city of Yeha dates back 2,700yrs. The cities most antiquity is a well-preserved 12m-high stone temple that is thought to be over 2, 500yrs old. Nobody knows what religion was practiced in the temple, but appearances suggest links with the pagan faith of the Sabaean civilization of South Arabia. A little further along the road we find the monastery of Debre Damo, the oldest church in Ethiopia (dating from the Axumite epoch). Only men are allowed to visit the church and it is necessary to climb up to it with the aid of a rope. From the 8th to the 15th century, in this region, hundreds of rock-hewn churches were carved and constructed out of one rock. Many of the churches are carved directly into the cliff walls of the 'Ambas': typical Ethiopian mountains with flat tops and almost vertical sides. Along the way, we visit some of the churches. Then it's onward to Mekele for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7 Mekele to Lalibel
The whole day is required to cover this distance. The unpaved road climbs several times to heights of about 3,000 m and descends into valleys where powerful rivers run. The landscape is dry, but visually splendid. For a considerable stretch, the winding road follows the spectacular canyon of the river Tekeze, one of the principal rivers of Ethiopia. Just before Lalibela, is the beautiful rock hewn church of Genete Mariam. Afterwards we arrive to Lalibela in the evening; dinner and overnight in a hotel.
Meals: Breakfast &and Dinner

Day 8 Lalibela
This strange city in the mountains of Lasts is located at 2,600 m above sea level. Roha, as it was known back in the 10th century to the mid 13th century and was the capital of the Zagwe dynasty. Its modern name comes from the most famous of the Zagwe rulers, the 12th century King Lalibela.
It contains 11 monolithic churches that were built in the 12th century and are carved out of the pink granite rock; they have been classified as one of the wonders of the world. Each church has a unique architectural style; all are superbly carved and most of them are decorated with well-preserved paintings. The entire city may be described as a sculpture dedicated to the glory of God. Legend has it that King Lalibela was instructed by angles to build the replica of a rock city he saw in a vision, other stories say he was in exile in Jerusalem and was inspired to create the ‘new’ Jerusalem in Roha. The day is dedicated to visiting the churches and exploring the city itself. Tonight we have dinner and stay in the same hotel as the previous night.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 9 Lalibela to Kombolcha
The road runs through villages, cultivated plains and small passes. Here, we are close to the land occupied by the Afar shepherds, a Semi-nomadic people who live mainly in the deserts of Danakil depression. We encounter them on the road with their caravans of camels. Dinner and overnight in a hotel in Kombolcha.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 10 Kombolcha to Addis Ababa
The road crosses the Ethiopian plateaux, with its vast expanses of cultivated fields. In Senbete, on Sundays, there is an interesting market where the Afar, Oromo and Amhara peoples meet. We arrive in Addis Ababa in the evening. Your tour ends here.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 11 Addis Ababa to Arba Minch
It’s an early start as we leave Addis Ababa and begin the adventure of Omo Valley in 4x4 vehicles. We pass by the Rift Valley lakes before arriving into Arba Minch. This town is the largest in southern Ethiopia; it is situated among green hills that offer grand views over the Rift Valley Lakes of Abaya and Chamo. Tonight we have dinner in the Soma Restaurant, famous for its fresh fish dishes.
Meals: Dinner

Day 12 Arba Minch
In the morning we take a relaxing yet very rewarding boat trip on Lake Chamo, which although much smaller, is much bluer in colour , and populated by a substantial number of crocodiles and hippos. Abaya is the largest of the Rift Valley lakes +-1,070km2 and has a rusty appearance resulting from ferrous hydroxide suspended in the water.
Later in the afternoon we visit the Nechisar National Park, which is one of the most beautiful parks in Africa. Established in 1974 and set in the Rift Valley at an altitude of 1,100 – 1,650m, the park not only covers the easterly Nechisar(white grass) plains is named after, but also a large part of the two lakes and the mountainous “bridge of God” that lies between the two lakes. On the open Nechisar plains is the best viewing spot to see large game, most commonly of which is Burchell’s zebra which are regularly see in herds of 100 or more and Grant’s gazelle, although rare there are also ±100 Swayne’s hartebeest. Lion, cheetah and even African Wild dog are present, but you’d be extremely lucky to see them.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 13 Arba Minch to Turmi
The road continues into the savannah, running alongside the "Mountains of Men", the road then rises up the Karkerte Mountains (providing splendid panoramic views) until it reaches the soft, terraced hills of Konso, here we visit a Konso village on the southern extensions of the highlands to meet the locals who are excellent farmers. The Konso are also noted for there unusual practice of sculpting eerie wooden statues to mark the graves of their dead. Should the Chief of Konso be in residence, we may be granted an audience with him. Then we continue our route through the savannah and on to Turmi where the tour will spend the night.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 14 Turmi to Omorate
Today the tour drives through the savannah along tracks that are barely visible, passing through a vast meadowland with shrubs and umbel lifers ("umbrella" acacia trees). As we pass over the Omo River nothing in Ethiopia or modern Africa prepares you for South Omo. This area is filled with extraordinary cultural integrity, where the people weren’t even aware that such a thing as Ethiopia existed until 50yrs ago. Omorate lies on the eastern bank of the Omo River and is almost totally isolated from the rest of Ethiopia.
The main attraction is the Dasanech Villages on the out skirts of the town. The Dasanech are also known as Galeb or Reshiat they were forced out of there homeland in a region called Nyupe, to the west of Turkana, by the expansionist wars of Turkana in the 18th century. They now cover a large territory of the western banks of the Omo all the way south to Lake Turkana. Here we’ll encounter the Galeb people in the countryside, and go into the villages, after which we head back to Omorate to look at the local wild life on the banks of the river. The tour then returns to Turmi for the evening to rest before tomorrow’s adventure.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 15 Turmi to Mago National Park
Today the tour continues northwest up towards Murulle, where we can visit the Karo tribes of Kolcho and Dus. We then continue to Mago National Park, from here on there is no real track to speak of any more. Instead we travel through the savannah in a typically African landscape. Here we’ll frequently be running into herds of Oryx and gazelle and surrounded by huge trees, this is the land of the Karo tribe and it is possible to meet with them along the river.
We continue the drive north to Mago National Park. Mago National Park was proclaimed in the 1960’s and is bisected by the Mago River, which flows into the Omo on the southern boundary. After about 2 hours of rough road we arrive at the camp site where we spend the night in tents.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 16 Mago National Park to Arba Minch
The tour leaves Mago National Park on the return journey towards to the northeast, passing though the Konso villages. We will have a very brief stop over in Jinka and then continue towards Key Afer, here we will visit the Ari and Bana tribes and you can have lunch in one of the local hotels or restaurants. Then it's back on the road and towards in the evening we will arrive to Arba Minch.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 17 Arba Minch to Awassa
This morning we return to the road that leads back up the Rift Valley. On route the tour cross through fertile lands that have been planted with bananas, cereals and tobacco. All kinds of fruit and weaved goods are sold along the roadside. On the way we'll stop off in Chencha and visit a Dorze village. The Dorze people are renowned cotton weavers, and their tall beehive-shaped huts are the most distinctive in Africa, these remarkable huts can measure up to 6 meters tall, and are constructed entirely from organic material. These dome structures are extremely durable; one would last a lifetime.
In the afternoon the tour arrives at Awassa, this large city is located on the edge of Lake Awassa, at an altitude of 1,685m and about 275km south of Addis Ababa. The lake is the smallest of the Rift Valley lakes. Set in an ancient volcanic caldera, the lake has no outlets, yet remains fresh with an abundance of both fish and bird life. Lake Awassa is surrounded by stunning mountains and lush fringing vegetation. There is also a beautiful dyke that run’s along the lake close to town, built to prevent flooding when the lake rises, which is perfect for walk's, to stretch those legs and go bird watching.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 18 Awassa to Dinsho
The tour now heads out east towards Dinsho, the route taken passes through immense fields of wheat, barley and high-altitude meadows. This is a particularly lush green landscape, especially in October and November. The local Ormo people, move from one village to the next on small horses, carrying various goods of grain and weaved cotton. We arrive in the evening, have dinner and camp the night.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 19 Dinsho
Dinsho is our gate way to the Bale Mountains National Park. the park encompasses the higher reaches of the Bale range, including Mt Tullo Deemtu, at 4,377m is the second highest peak in Ethiopia. The main attractions are the wild alpine scenery, especially the 4,000m-high Senetti Plateau as well as the Simien wolves. The road across the Senetti Plateau is reportedly the highest all weather road in Africa. We'll spend the day exploring the park and meeting some of the locals Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 20 Dinsho to Addis Ababa
The tour heads back up north for the drive to Addis Ababa. Your tour ends here.
Meals: Breakfast