🕓Addis Ababa: 8-Days Tigray, Dallol, Erta'Ale& Lalibela Tour

Day 1 Addis Ababa City TourUpon arrival in Addis Ababa, meet your guide at Bole International Airport and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a morning of leisure and lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, visit historical sites including the National Museum, to view the 3.2 million-year-old remains of “Lucy” whose skeleton was discovered in 1974.Continue to the Ethnological Museum for a great insight into the many different peoples of Ethiopia and their respective cultures. After visiting Holy Trinity Cathedral, end the day with a drive to the top of Mount Entoto, which rises to an altitude of 10,500 feet and offers a panoramic view of the metropolis.Day 2 Addis Ababa-SemeraFly to Semera. Upon arrival, drive through the volcanic lavas to Erta’ale. On the way, visit the saline lake of Afdera, where cooking salt is mined. After your arrival at the base camp, take a rest and start trekking to the crater rim of the Erta Ale volcano.At the top, peer down at the permanent lava lake (the only one in the world erupting throughout the year) while the sun ser over the horizon. Take time to soak in the views before heading back to the camp for overnight.Day 3 Erta’ale-Hamed’ElaAfter breakfast, drive to Dallol, which at 116m below sea level is the lowest point on the African continent. Here the landscape is beautiful, the ground many shades of red and yellow from the hot water, acids, and minerals spurting up from the ground.Visit Lake Asale, which is the salt lake from which the Afar nomads extract salt. Witness (and even try) their laborious task of removing salt from the ground as hundreds of camels relax before the long trek back to Mekelle. At the end of the day, return for overnight camping.Day 4 Dallol-GheraltaDrive to the Gheralta Range, home to a treasure trove of rock churches, which are carved into the sandstone buttes. Visit Abreha we Atsbeha before checking in to the lodge. This church was built in the 4th century by two royal brothers, Abreha and Atsbeha (known in the west as kings, Ezana and Saizana), who were responsible for converting Ethiopia to Christianity. The church is large and cruciform in shape, with interesting architectural features such as cruciform pillars and stepped capitals.Day 5 GheraltaDedicate the day to another adventure to discover the hilltop churches of Gheralta Guh and Mariam Korkor.Day 6 Gheralta-LalibelaEnjoy a long drive with scenic views of the Tekeze and the other side of the Simien Mountains.Day 7 LalibelaDiscover the 12th-century rock churches still active for Orthodox Christians. They are 11 in number and showcase the engineering skill of the time.Day 8 Return to Addis Ababa and DepartureMorning flight to Addis. Visit the ‘Merkato’, the largest open-air market in East Africa. In the evening, enjoy a “farewell dinner” and coffee ceremony at a cultural restaurant with Ethiopian Folkloric show, transfer to the airport for your late-night flight to your home city.