An Ethiopian Adventure

Addis Ababa, The Simien Mountains, Gheralta and Danakil Depression

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£5,900pp

$7,100pp

Highlights

Spend an evening in Addis Ababa, listening to Ethiopian jazz and sampling local injera dishes
See ‘Lucy’, one of the world’s most important paleontological discoveries and ancient inhabitant of Ethiopia
Trek through the Simien Mountain Range, spotting the endemic Ethiopian wolf, gelada monkeys and walia ibex
Climb the Gheralta Mountain Range to visit some of the ancient rock-carved churches and sacred Axumite sites
Spend two nights in the Danakil Depression, surrounded by brightly coloured sulphur pools, salt sculptures and lava pools

What’s Included

8 nights Fully inclusive
Private Guided Tours 
4X4 Excursions
National Park Entrance Fees 
Economy Class International Flights 
All domestic flights and transfers

Example Itinerary

Day 1-2 Day 2-5 Day 5-6 Day 6-8

Day 1-2

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

See Ethiopia’s most ancient inhabitant – an archaeological discovery that changed our understanding of human origins
Settle into an evening listening to a live Ethiopian jazz band in Addis’ famous Fendika

Spend one day exploring Addis Ababa before spending the evening at the grand Sheraton Hotel.

Start your Ethiopian adventure in the foothills of the Entoto Mountains, in the capital of Addis Ababa. Spend the day exploring the high altitude city, visiting the National Museum to see the world-famous 3.2 million-year-old Lucy, the Ethnographic Museum, its beautiful churches and the Merkato Unity Park in the Grand Palace. In the evening, enjoy listening to some classic Ethiopian jazz and sampling your first injera, before spending the night at the grand five star Sheraton Hotel. The hotel offers beautiful views over the city as well as first class amenities such as its spa and pool, making a relaxing and luxurious first night in Ethiopia.

Day 2-5

SIMIEN MOUNTAIN RANGE, Ethiopia

Spot the rare and endemic Ethiopian wolf as it searches for prey in the Simien Mountains
Trek through the landscape of this African highland on foot, to discover its unique flora and fauna

Fly from Addis Ababa to Gondor to spend three nights discovering the endemic species found in the Simien Mountain Massif.

From Gondar, explore the historic 16th century Fasilides fortress castle before continuing your journey to the Simien Mountains for your three night stay at the Limalimo Lodge. This unique and sustainable lodge has some spectacular panoramic views over the landscape which can be enjoyed with your breakfast or a sundowner on the balcony. During the day, drive through the Simien Mountains spotting its endemic species – the Ethiopian wolves, gelada monkeys and walia ibex. Explore the plateau on foot, trekking up to the Simien peaks or across the lowlands, spotting some of Ethiopia’s fantastic birds and flora. A trip to a rural Ethiopian village can also be arranged, where guests can take part in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony and try local dishes, as well as learn about local beekeeping.

Day 5-6

GHERALTA, Ethiopia

Climb to the ancient and sacred rock carved churches high in the Gheralta Mountains
Trek through the remote rocky landscape to see Gheralta’s hermitages, shrines and ancient Sabean and Axumite sites

Test your head for heights, climbing through the Gheralta Mountain range to discover some of its sacred carved churches.

Discover the ancient city of Axum, Ethiopia’s historic imperial centre and the supposed residence of the Queen of Sheba, before driving through the Gheralta Mountains. Stay at the KorKor Lodge in the Eastern Tigray Region, surrounded by the mountains where some of the 140 rock hewn churches and archaeological sites can be explored. These include half day excursions to the Debre Maryam Korkor and Abba Daniel. Most of these sacred cave churches were carved in the mountains before the 14th century, and to explore them, you must have a strong sense of adventure and a head for heights as you trek through the remote rocky landscape.

Day 6-8

DALLOL DESERT, Ethiopia

Wander through the alien-like landscape of the Danakil Depression in the Afar Region
Explore the Danakils’ salt pans, lava pools and sulphur springs

Spend two nights in a tented camp on the outskirts of the Danakil Depression to explore this volatile geological landscape.

Head to the hottest place on earth – the Danakil Depression in the Dallol Desert. Stay two nights at the Saba River Camp to explore this volcanic crater surrounded by sulphur springs and lava pools. The tented mobile camp is in the ultimate location to explore the Danakil, and you can walk through this otherworldly landscape, past brightly coloured sulphur pools, alien-like sculptures, salt pillars and hot springs. Stroll up the Saba River to visit the small Afar communities who harvest the salt in the Danakil’s lakes and salt pans. Spend an evening watching the sunset over the lake, with a sundowner to hand, watching the camels as they carry their loads of salt to the distant market.

Included Destinations

Lalibela, Ethiopia — Lalibela, The Historic North of Ethiopia

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Lisa

Ethiopia was a trip of a lifetime! The whole thing was organised beautifully, and our guide was beyond excellent. He took us to his family home in Lalibela and went completely out of his way to ensure that we were happy and saw everything that we wanted to. The tribes in the south were particularly amazing and the whole thing felt like a really authentic experience. My daughter loved the trip and was in seventh heaven – I will 100% book my next trip with TLT and am hoping to go to Australia next!