15-Days Danakil Depression and Historic Route
Overview
Tour : Danakil Depression and Historic Route
Duration : 15 Days
Group Size : 2 Persons
Day One
Addis Ababa – Bahir Dar
Starting off aa
Saturday 19/02 : Addis Ababa – Kombolcha
Departing from Addis Ababa in the morning you will be heading to Kombolcha via Debre Birhan and Kemise. Arriving Kombolcha late afternoon, you will be spending overnight at Sunny Side Hotel.
t 7:30am, you will be heading North to Bahir Dar, on your way visiting the 13th century Debre Libanos Monastery and the Blue Nile Gorge. Arriving late afternoon, you will be spending overnight at Avanti Blue Nile Hotel / Kuriftu Resort / Summerland Hotel / Ethio-Star Hotel.
Day Two
Bahir Dar
At 8:30AM, you a
Sunday 20/02 : Kombolcha – Eli Wuha – Hadar – Gona – Bati
In the morning, you will be heading to Hadar and Gona sites just past Eli Wuha village. Spending the day at these sites, you will be proceed to Mille or returning back to Bati for overnight stay.
will have a boat trip on Lake Tana where you will be able to visit about 2 of the Lake Monasteries. Returning back to Bahir Dar at lunch time, proceed to visit the Blue Nile Falls where you will also be able to visit the first Portuguese Bridge, the first bridge built on the Blue Nile River. Returning back to Bahir Dar, overnight will be at Avanti Blue Nile Hotel / Kuriftu Resort / Summerland Hotel / Ethio-Star Hotel.
Day Three
Monday 21/02 : Bati – Aramis – Campsite (Researcher’s Campsite)
With an early start out of Bati (6:00AM), you will be heading to Aramis. Permits secured at local administrative village where you will have an accompanying local guide, you will be visiting the site. Returning back late afternoon to the Researcher’s Campsite, you will be camping overnight.
Day Four
Tuesday 22/02 : Campsite – Mille – Semera – Afdera
In the morning, you will be heading to Afdera via Mille and Logia, further detouring through Serdo Meda, you will be heading West into the Danakil Depression to Afdera. At Afdera, you will be visiting the salt lakes where powder salt is extracted and transported to the Central Ethiopian highlands for sale. End of the day, you will be camping in Afdera.
Day Five
Wednesday 23/02 : Afdera – Dodom – Erta Ale
Early morning, you will be heading West via Kusrawad to Dodom, base camp to start trekking up to Erta Ale peak. Arriving Dodom, you will be adding up accompanying local Afars assistants and camels to start your trekking up to the peak at 5:00PM – roughly 3 hours walking up to the tip. You will be camping overnight at the peak for additional picturing opportunities, same to be repeated early morning the next day.
Day Six
Thursday 24/02 : Erta Ale – Dodom – Hamed Ila
In the morning, you will be heading East to Hamed Ila via Dodom and local Afar villages which you will get to visit en route. Arrival at Hamed Ila, you will be camping overnight.
Day Seven
Friday 25/02 : Hamed Ila – Dallol / As Ale – Hamed Ila
Through the day, you will be driving into the Dallol Plains where you will be able to see locals making salt bars – cutting, shaping, packing and loading. Lake As’Ale, the old Italian potassium site are also to be seen. Mid-afternoon, you will be returning back to Hamed Ila where you will be camping overnight.
Day Eight
Saturday 26/02 : Hamed Ila – Berahile – Mekele
Starting off from Hamed Ila in the morning, you will be heading West to Mekele via Berahile. In the surrounding hills of Berahile, you will be able to see Camel caravans loaded up with salt bars from the Dallol Plains heading for the central Tigrean Highlands. Proceeding further past Berahile, you will be exiting out of the Danakil Depression and heading in the Tigrean highlands. Arriving Mekele late afternoon, you will be spending overnight at Axum Hotel.
Day Nine
Sunday 27/02 : Mekele – Weldiya – Lalibela
Starting off from Mekele in the morning, you will be heading to Lalibela via Weldiya and the scenic Dilb Route. Arriving Lalibela late afternoon, you will be spending overnight in Lalibela at Mount View Hotel.
Day Ten
Monday 28/02 : Lalibela
Through the day, you will be visiting the rock-hewn cluster churches in Lalibela town. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Mount View Hotel.
Day Eleven
Tuesday 01/03 : Lalibela – Awra Amba – Gondar
In the morning, you will be heading to Gondar. Shortly before Woreta, you will be visiting Awra Amba village, an exemplary community where irrespective of gender differences, men and women are equally engaged in daily community activities, ranging from farming, to cotton weaving and cloth making, handling of elder community members etc. Driving further through Adis Zemen, you will be arriving Gondar late afternoon, spending overnight at Quara Hotel.
Day Twelve
Wednesday 02/03 : Gondar
Through the day, you will be visiting the various attractions of Gondar – Emperor Fasiledes Castle complex and spiritual bathing pool, Debrebirhan Silassie Church and Wolleka – the one time Falashmura (Ethiopian-Jews) village who are best known for their pottery and blacksmith skills. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Quara Hotel.
Day Thirteen
Thursday 03/03 : Gondar – Bahir Dar
In the morning, you will be heading to Bahir Dar. Arriving Bahir Dar and after lunch break, you will be visiting the daily local market that attracts locals from the surroundings of Bahir Dar. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Summerland Hotel.
Day Fourteen
Thursday 03/03 : Gondar – Bahir Dar
In the morning, you will be heading to Bahir Dar. Arriving Bahir Dar and after lunch break, you will be visiting the daily local market that attracts locals from the surroundings of Bahir Dar. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Summerland Hotel.
Day Fifteen
Saturday 05/03 : Bahir Dar – Debre Libanos Monastery – Addis Ababa
In the morning, you will be proceeding to Addis Ababa, en route visiting the Blue Nile Gorge and further ahead the 13th Monastery Debre Libanos Monastery. Arriving Addis Ababa late afternoon, you will be checking into Sadula Lodge After refreshing up, you will be having complementary dinner from SORA Tours at Yod Abyssinia Restaurant where you will be able to enjoy the best of spicy Ethiopian cuisine while watching live traditional music performance from various ends of Ethiopia. At 10:30PM, you will be transferred to the Sadula Lodge for overnight, thereby ending your 15 days tour of the Danakil Depression and Historic Route.