Day 01 Arrival.
Arrive at Bole International Airport.Tours representative will meet you and take you to your hotel.
Overnight Hotel – Addis Ababa

Day 02  Addis Ababa
Visit the Ethnographic Museum, a great introduction to Ethiopian culture and history. Visit the Mercato, one of Africa’s largest outdoor markets, and Trinity Cathedral, resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Overnight Hotel – Addis Ababa

Day 03  Addis Ababa – Bahar Dar
Fly to Bahar Dar on Ethiopian Airlines. Visit the marketplace in Bahar Dar. Take a boat tour on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, and tour ancient island monasteries.
Overnight Hotel – Bahar Dar 

Day 04  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 African Empire. Visit the church of Debre Birhan Selassie, famous for its religious art and especially its iconic ceiling depicting angels.
Overnight Hotel – Gondar 

Day 05  Gondar – Sankabar
Drive to Sankabar the gateway to the Simien Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy some light hiking in Simien Lodge the afternoon in the park.
Overnight Lodge

Day 06  Sankabar – Axum
Take a scenic drive to Axum, capital of the ancient Axumite Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Frequent stops at viewpoints along the way. Arrive in Axum late afternoon.
Overnight Hotel – Axum

Day 07 Axum
Tour the ancient stelae fields, standing for 2000 years. Visit the new and impressive Archeological Museum. Visit other tombs and archeological sites as time permits.
Overnight Hotel – Axum

Day 08  Axum – Ghiralta Lodge
Drive to the Ghiralta Lodge passing the Adwa battlefield, site of Emperor Menelik II’s 1895 victory over the invading Italians. Visit the 2,500 year old ruins of Yeha, an ancient moon temple.  Continue past Adigrat and visit Aba Gerima and Petros Paulos, two of the Tigray region’s oldest and finest rock churches.
* On this day, we will pass the 6th century monastery of Debre Damos which is perched atop a remote plateau.   The monastery is only accessible using a rope and the monks will help pull visitors up the 20 – 25 meter cliff.  However, we only recommend this for physically fit individuals.  Women are not allowed on the grounds of the monastery, and therefore, it is not part of our regular tour itinerary.  However, we can stop here for those on a custom or private tour.
Overnight Ghiralta Lodge

Day 09  Ghiralta Lodge – Mekele
More of Tigray’s remote and ancient rock-hewn churches:  Abraha Atsbeha, dating from the 10th century; the beautiful Wukro Chirkos; and  Medhane Alem Kesho.  Drive to Mekele.
Overnight Hotel – Mekele
Day 10  Mekele – Ahmedela
Meet support vehicles and drive to Ahmedela via Berhaile. Make camp, and see camel caravans passing against a backdrop of dramatic sunsets.
Overnight Camping

Day 11  Lake Asale and Dalol Excursion
Visit Lake Asale and watch the salt workers as they cut bricks of salt from the lake bed. The bricks are then sold on the market and loaded on camel caravans for transport to the highlands. Proceed to Dalol and view the dramatic and colorful geological formations caused by the hot springs rich in sulfur, potash, and salt.
Overnight Camping

Day 12  Trek to Erta Alle
Drive to Dodom. Trek 15 kilometers to the Erta Alle volcano lake, 613 meters above sea level. Arrive at Erta Alle around midnight and walk to see the spectacular volcanic eruption. Set up camp and rest.
Overnight Camping

Day 13  Drive to Mekele
Return trek to Dodom. Drive to Mekele.
Overnight Hotel – Mekele

Day 14  Mekele – Lalibela
Drive on a scenic road to Lalibela. Arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy the sunset from the terrace.
Overnight Hotel – Lalibela

Day 15  Lalibela
Tour the magnificent rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This group of eleven monolithic and semi- monolithic structures were carved directly into the stone of the 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.
Overnight Hotel – Lalibela

Day 16  Lalibela – Addis Ababa – Harar
Fly to Dire Dawa via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines. Continue by vehicle from Dire Dawa to Harar.
Overnight Hotel – Harar

Day 17  Harar
Stroll through the 16th century walled city of Harar, the fourth most important city in the Islamic World. See the home of Arthur Rimbuad, 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.
Overnight Hotel – Harar

Day 18  Harar – Awash National Park
Drive to Awash National Park. Visit the Awash Falls. Take an evening game drive in Awash National Park and visit an area frequented by hyenas.
Overnight Hotel – Awash National Park

Day 19  Awash National Park – Lake Langano
Drive to Langano, one of the Rift Valley Lakes for relaxation at the Sabana Lodge. Lake Langano is Bilharzia free and safe for swimming and has fantastic birdlife.
Overnight Lodge – Lake Langano

Day 20  Lake Langano – Arba Minch
Drive to Arba Minch, one of the main towns in Southern Ethiopia. On the way, 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 Hotel – Arba Minch

Day 21  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 – Jinka

Day 22  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 – Jinka

Day 23  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 – Turmi

Day 24  Murele Excursion
Drive to Murele and visit the Karo people, known for their elaborate body-painting. Also visit a village of the Dassanech people. Return to Turmi for the evening.
Overnight Lodge – Turmi

Day 25  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 – Konso

Day 26  Konso – Hawassa
Drive to the lakeside town of Hawassa. Relax and recover from your journey at one of Hawassa’s fine resorts.
Overnight Resort – Hawassa

Day 27  Hawassa – Bale Mountains National Park
Drive to the Bale Mountains National Park and meet with park guide. Arrive at the park headquarters in the afternoon, in time for a leisurely afternoon hike, 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 – Bale Mountains National Park

Day 28  Bale Mountains National Park – Addis Ababa
Drive to 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 upon request.