Summary of this Budget Safari
Explore the intriguing historical highlights of northern Ethiopia, from ancient palace ruins, castles and tombs to holy temples, churches and monastaries.
This Historic Ethiopia & Simien Mountains Tour visits numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites and unique attractions over just nine days.
Evocative historic places include:
14th Century Azwa Mariam Monastry on an island in Tana Lake
Gondar Castle and the Bath of Emperor Fasiladas in the Camelot of Africa
3rd Century Empire of Aksum and the famous Stele Park
Churches of King Lalibela central to pilgrimages over the centuries
Queen of Sheba's palace dating from the 9th Century BC
Asheton Mariam Church from the 13th Century AD
6th Century palace ruins and the tomb of King Kaleb and Gebre Meskel
The incredibly beautiful Simien Mountains National Park, home to rare and endemic species, is the scenic highlight of this budget lodge safari.
Itinerary for this Tour
Day 1: Addis Ababa – Ethiopia
Your guide welcomes you to the Horn of Africa upon arrival at the International Airport in Addis Ababa, and transfers you to your first overnight hotel in the city.
Addis Ababa, located at the foot of the Entoto Mountains, is the capital of Ethiopia, founded in 1886 by Emporor Menekil. Known locally as the "new flower", the city is dotted with Eucalyptus trees and surrounded by mountains. Addis is a regional hub with quite a cosmopolitan feel, offering interesting sights and delicious Ethiopian cuisine. Places of interest include the national and ethnological museums, Trinity Cathedral and Merkato, one of Africa's largest open-air markets.
Ethiopia is one of the oldest places where human societies have lived and for most of its history it has been a monarchy, with its roots dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. Ethiopia is also considered to be the place from where the Homo Sapiens migrated to the Middle East and beyond.
Accommodation - Jupiter International or similar 4 Star Hotel in Addis.
Day 2: Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar
On day two we fly from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia's third largest city located in north-western Ethiopia. Bahir Dar is known for its wide palm-lined avenues and colourful mix of flowers. From Bahir Dar we visit the scenic Blue Nile Falls, about 35 km's from the city, before lunchtime. Bahir Dar is set on the southern shore of Lake Tana, and in the afternoon we embark on a boat trip on the lake.
Lake Tana covers about 3600 km² and is Ethiopia’s largest body of water, featuring islands that host some of the oldest churches and monasteries in the world. On our boat trip we visit the island monasteries of Ura Kidane Mihret (14th Century AD) and Azwa Mariam (14th Century AD).
Accommodation - Summerland or similar Hotel in Bahir Dar.
Day 3: Bahir Dar to Gondar
Today we leave Bahir Dar for the ancient royal city of Gondar - the former capital of Ethiopia back in the 17th century. Since the 12th century Gondar has been home to numerous emperors and princesses, and today it is called "The Camelot of Africa" because of the old castles, palaces and churches.
In the afternoon we visit Gondar Castle, the UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of a complex of castles and palaces called the Imperial Castle Compound of Gondar. We also visit the ‘Bath of Emperor Fasiladas’ who founded Gondar in about 1635 and the church of Quskuam Mariam dating back to the 17th century AD. Last but not least we visit the residence of Empress Mintwab, and the church of Debre Birhan Sillassie, famed for its ornate wall and ceiling paintings.
Accommodation - Goha, located on a hill with excellent views over the city, or similar Hotel.
Day 4: Gondar to Simein Mountains National Park
We travel from Gondar to the Simien Mountains National Park on day four of this Historic Ethiopian Lodge Tour.
We make our way to Debark, the headquarters of Simien Mountain Park, before continuing 36km's to the jagged Simien Mountains. This incredibly scenic mountainous area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, for its globally significant biodiversity, including rare and endemic species. The national park is home to threatened species such as the iconic Walia ibex, an endemic wild mountain goat species, the Gelada baboon and the Ethiopian wolf.
The spectacular scenery of the Simien Mountains was created by millions of years of large-scale erosion on the Ethiopian plateau, giving rise to the deep valleys, rugged mountain tops and sheer precipices of some 1500 metres.
Accommodation – eco-friendly Simien Lodge.
Day 5: Simein Mountains National Park to Axum
Day five sees us heading to Axum, the original capital of the historic Aksumite Empire in northern Ethiopia. The Empire of Aksum, once a great civilization, had its own alphabet and was the first major empire in the world to convert to Christianity. The Kingdom of Aksum was one of the great world powers in the 3rd century, along with Rome, Persia, China and India. Today Aksum hosts intriguing ruins, tombs and archeological sites, the remnants of its mysterious past.
En route to Axum, also called Aksum, we travel through the Tekeze Gorge, one of the deepest canyons in the world, deeper than 2000 meters (6,562 feet) at some points.
Accommodation – Yeha or similar Hotel.
Day 6: Axum
Explore the mysteries of Aksum on a sightseeing tour today, travelling back ages in time. This is the holiest city in Ethiopia and an important place of pilgrimage.
We visit the Archaeological museum of Axum, the famous Stele Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Old and New Cathedrals of St Mary of Zion, along with the Chapel of the Tablet which is believed to house the original Ark of the Covenant. We also explore the palace ruins and tomb of King Kaleb and Gebre Meskel dating to the 6th Century AD, and the ruins of the Queen of Sheba's palace dating from the 9th Century BC.
Accommodation – Yeha or similar Hotel.
Day 7: Axum to Lalibela
We fly to Lalibela in the morning, leaving ancient Axum behind. Lalibela, formerly known as Roha, was home to King Lalibela after whom it was named in the late 12th century AD.
Here we visit the first group of world-famous rock-hewn churches, built by King Lalibela. The churches of King Lalibela are another UNESCO World Heritage Site and Lalibela itself is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, central to pilgrimages in Ethiopia. According to some, Ethiopian legends say that God instructed King Lalibela to build the unique churches that have been central to pilgrimages over the centuries and that angels helped to build the churches of Lalibela.
Accommodation – Roha or similar Hotel.
Day 8: Lalibela
On the morning of day eight in Ethiopia we take a short ride on mule back, making our way to a church on top of a hill.
The semi-monolithic Asheton Mariam church dates back to the 13th century AD and is a rewarding destination for our mule ride. From the hilltop we get to admire the beautiful views over the surrounding area, as well as seeing the ancient church. This afternoon we visit the second and the third groups of King Lalibela churches, cut out of the rocks in an architectural triumph.
Accommodation – Roha or similar Hotel.
Day 9: Lalibela to Addis to Langano
Today we take a return flight to Addis Ababa, where our historic and Simien Mountains tour of Ethiopia ends.
In the afternoon we embark on a half-day city tour of Addis Ababa, which includes visiting the National Archaeological Museum, Merkato - the largest open air market in Africa, and driving to Mount Entoto to enjoy panoramic views of the capital.
On the final evening you are welcome to join a celebratory dinner at one of Addis Ababa's top traditional restaurants. This is a great chance to sample a variety of Ethiopian flavours, and watch some symbolic folk dancing.