Ethiopia Explorer: The Historic North, Harar, National Parks and Omo Valley; 20 Days / 19 Nights

Tour Itinerary CO19

Arrival Bole International Airport
Awaze Tours will meet all clients arriving at the airport regardless of arrival time. For morning flight arrivals you may begin your tour after checking into your hotel. For afternoon or evening arrivals, you may begin your tour the following day.

"Waka" wooden sculptures by the Konso people on display at the Ethnological Museum.

Day 01 Addis Ababa
Visit Trinity Cathedral, resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie. Tour the Ethnographic Museum, a great introduction to Ethiopian culture and history. Make a short drive to Entoto Hills for a view of the city and visit Maryam Church. En-route, stop at Sheromeda traditional cloth market. Visit the Mercato or the Sholla Market, two of Addis Ababa's main markets.

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Blue Nile Falls

Day 02 Addis Ababa - Bahar Dar
Fly to Bahar Dar on Ethiopian Airlines. Take a boat tour on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, and tour ancient monasteries on the Zege Peninsula. We will visit two of the following monasteries: Ura Kidane Mehiret, Azwa Maryam, Mehal Zege Giorgis, and Bete Maryam. End the day with a sunset visit to Bezawit Hills overlooking the Nile River.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Inside the Royal Enclosure, Gondar.

Day 03 Bahar Dar - Gondar
Drive through the countryside to Gondar. Tour the Royal Enclosure, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring five castles built by a succession of Ethiopian kings beginning in the early 17th century. Having survived several wars, including air raids during World War 2, the castles are a testament to the resilience of this once mighty empire. Visit the church of Debre Birhan Selassie, famous for its religious art and especially its iconic ceiling depicting angels.

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Lalibela's Saturday Market

Day 04 Simien Mountain Excursion
Drive to Sankabar the gateway to the Simien Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy an easy hike (2 - 3 hours) to take in the spectacular scenery and spot wildlife such as the endemic Gelada Baboons. Return to Gondar by evening.

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Deacon in Lalibela.

Day 05 Gondar - Lalibela
Fly to Lalibela on Ethiopian Airlines 700 kilometers north of Addis Ababa. Tour the magnificent rock-hewn churches, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This group of eleven monolithic churches were carved directly into the stone mountainside at least 800 years ago. This complex boasts the largest monolithic church in the world, a maze of passageways and tunnels, intricately carved reliefs, and fabulous examples of icon paintings. In the late afternoon, enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony and learn the process for baking injera (a staple food for much of Ethiopia.)

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Emmanuel Church, Lalibela.

Day 06 Lalibela
For the morning you have two choices: Take a morning hike with mules to Mount Asheton, with its 13th century rock-hewn monastery and great views of the town; - OR - Drive to Yemrehanna Kristos, a beautiful church situated in a shallow cave that predates the churches of Lalibela. The drive to Yemrehanna will also give you the opportunity to view the rural countryside and villages of the Ethiopian highlands. Following either option above continue with tour of Lalibela’s churches in the afternoon.

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

King Ezana's stone in Axum.

Day 07 Lalibela - Axum
Fly to Axum on Ethiopian Airlines. Tour the ancient stelae fields, standing for 2000 years. Visit the new and impressive Archeological Museum. See St. Mary Tsion Church, which houses the Ark of the Covenant according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (no one is allowed to see the Ark.) Visit other tombs and archeological sites as time permits.

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

At the Dire Dawa market

Day 08 Axum - Dire Dawa - Harar
Fly from Axum to Dire Dawa via Addis Ababa. Continue by vehicle to Harar (50 minutes drive) stopping at a coffee plantation and the area’s largest “chat” plantation en route.

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

A traditional Harar home

Day 09 Harar
Stroll through the 16th century walled city of Harar, the fourth most important city in the Islamic World. See the home of Arthur Rimbaud, renowned French poet who worked and lived in Harar as a "gun-runner" during the 19th century. Visit the National and Harari museums; the house of Ras Mekonnen (father of Haile Selassie); and a traditional Harari home. In the evening see the "Hyena Man" feeding the hyenas that gather nightly outside the town. This is a centuries old tradition to help preserve the town’s wellbeing.

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

The museum in Harar

Day 10 Harar - Awash National Park
Drive to Awash National Park making stops at the Rift Valley Lakes. Take an evening game drive in Awash National Park. The park boasts a variety of mammals: the Anubis Baboon, Colobus Monkey, Black-backed Jackal, Bat-eared Fox, Egyptian Mongoose, Warthog, Beisa Oryx, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Lesser Kudu, Salt’s Dikdik, etc.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Soemmerring Gazelles in Awash

Day 11 Awash National Park - Langano
After an early morning game, drive to Lake Langano with birding stops at Koka Dam, the Awash River, and Lake Ziway. Spot species such as; the African Pygmy Goose, Black-billed Woodhoopoe, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Northern Black Tit, Little Weaver, Yellow-billed storks, Collared Pratincole, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, White Pelicans, Fish Eagles, and crowned and common cranes are seen here in impressive numbers. Relax at the Sabana Lodge. Lake Langano is safe for swimming.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Home of the Dorze People.

Day 12 Lake Langano - Arba Minch
Drive to Arba Minch (“Forty Springs”) located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. En route, visit a Dorze Village in the Guge Mountains. The Dorze are known for their tall, beehive-shaped bamboo houses. If the base becomes infested with termites, the entire house can be lifted and moved to another location.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Ari village near Jinka

Day 13 Arba Minch - Jinka
Take a boat trip on Lake Chamo and view some of the largest crocodiles in the world sunning on the banks of the lake. Hippopotami and birdlife are also abundant. Drive to Jinka visiting various peoples such as the Gamo and Derashe. Stop at Key Afar's weekly market (if on a Thursday) and wander among the various tribes such as the Benna and Ari that have gathered to barter their goods.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Mago National Park

Day 14 Mago National Park Excursion
Early morning drive to the Mago National Park to visit the Mursi people. The Mursi women are known for the clay plates they insert into their lower lips. Time permitting, visit the Omo Valley Museum in Jinka.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Hamer children, Omo Valley.

Day 15 Jinka - Turmi
Drive to Turmi to visit the Hamer people who are well known for the scarring of their bodies, using clay to shape their hairstyles, and the unique practice of "bull-jumping" which every young man must accomplish prior to marriage. En route to Turmi, visit the Benna and Ari people.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Crossing the Omo River

Day 16 Omorate Excursion
Excursion to Omorate to visit the Dassanech people, known for their elaborate body-painting. Cross the famous Omo River by canoe. Return to Turmi for the evening.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

A Konso village

Day 17 Turmi - Konso
Drive to Konso, recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. A highland people, the Konso are known for the ancient and intricate terraces that encircle their well-planned villages.

Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

A generation pole in a Konso village

Day 18 Konso - Hawassa
Drive to Hawassa via the Shenkele game reserve. This Park is the the last pocket of the original Ethiopian Savannah. You will have a chance to spot the endemic Antelope called Swayne`s hartebeast, one the rarest and most elegant animals in all of Africa. Continue to Hawassa and relax at a lakeside resort.

Overnight Resort (B, L, D)

Harenna Forest in the Bale Mountains.

Day 19 Hawassa - Bale Mountains
Drive east to the Bale Mountains National Park which is known for its incredibly diverse landscapes. Near the park headquarters take a leisurely walk, possibly spotting two endemic mammals that frequent the area: Menelik's Bushbuck and the Mountain Nyala. Birds in this area include the Blue-Winged Goose, the Spot-Breasted Lapwing, the Abyssinian Long Claw, the Wattled Ibis, the Black-Headed Siskin, Rouget’s Rail, and numerous other species.

Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 20 Bale - Addis Ababa
Drive to Addis Ababa stopping at Rift Valley Lakes that are renowned for their endemic birdlife. Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, optional souvenir shopping if time permits. Enjoy a Farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant featuring dancers and musicians representing some of the country's many ethnic groups. Transfer to airport for late night departure or additional hotel night booked upon request.

(B, L, D)

End of Tour
(Awaze Tours will arrange additional hotel nights in Addis Ababa upon request.)

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