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16
Days & 15 Nights Historical Driving Tour
Brief Description:
For the road enthusiastic, this 16 day
driving tour to northern and eastern historical, cultural and
wildlife attractions gives an opportunity to see most northern and
eastern tourist destinations. The drive starts from Addis to Gojam
then Bahir Dar. The route follows the Bahir dar –
Gondar
–
Axum
– Mekele – Lalibela – Kombolcha driving historic route.
After the Bati market visit we will cross and drive to
Awash
Park
. We will have 2 days in Harrar and Diredawa. The tour ends after
a drive back to Addis from Dire Dawa.
Itinerary
 Day
1: Arrive
Addis upon evening arrival in
Addis Ababa
,
Ethiopia
, members on the group flight are greeted with the traditional
Ethiopian hospitality at the airport and transferred to the hotel.
Day
2:
Early morning breakfast and start driving 9.30 am north to Gojjam
through Debre Libanos, about 110 km from
Addis Ababa
or approximately two hours' drive. On the route we will also visit
the blue Nile gorge and Portuguese bridge. Overnight at Dejen.
 Day
3:
Drive to Bahir Dar. And upon arriving at Bahir Dar transfer to the
hotel and have an early lunch. Afternoon, a boat trip will be
arranged to Ethiopia's largest Lake called Tana known for its
middle age island monasteries. Lake Tana is the source of the
longest river in Africa, the
Blue Nile
and home for 37 islands. We will have the opportunity to visit the
Zege peninsula for its famous 14th century monasteries
of Ura Kidanemihret, Azewa Mariam and the island monastery of
Kibran Gebriel (where only men are allowed) for their wonderful 16th
century mural paintings, crowns, crosses and many old church
treasures. A traditional dinner will be hosted to you accompanied
by traditional dancers and singers. Dinner and overnight at your
hotel.
Day 4:
 After an early breakfast drive to the
Water
Falls
of the
Blue Nile
which is 30kms from Bahir Dar. On arrival at the site we will walk
the uphill for about 20-30 minutes to reach the best view point of
the falls which has 45 meters deep and up to 400 meters wide
during the rainy season of June, July, August and September.
Depending on your interest we can descend to the base of the falls
and climb back up the other side and cross the
Nile
in a papyrus boat which will take us about an hour.
In the afternoon visit to the city of
Bahir Dar
.
 Visitors should also expect to see
Colorful
market with easy access to buy traditional baskets, pottery, hand
made woven clothes, capes, scarves and etc
The
Woito village where the local people make the papyrus boat
The
Mount
Bezawit
where Emperor Haile Selassie’s palace of is gracefully situated.
It also provides a magnificent scenery
 Day 5:
Start driving to
Gondar
which is 175Km/ 120 Miles from Bahir Dar. Picnic Lunch at Gorgora
where visitors will also have a chance to walk
to the Monastery of Maneenedaba. Later
reach
Gondar
and transfer to Ghoa hotel. We will make a time to visit
the church of Debre Berham Selassie,
translated to mean “Light of the Trinity”, which is
located at the summit of a hill and surrounded by fortified walls.
Dinner and overnight stay are in a hotel with a splendid panoramic
garden.
Day 6:
They
say “you have only to stroll through the banqueting halls and
gaze down from the balconies of the many castles and palaces here
to imagine the intrigue and pageantry that took place back in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when
Gondar
, then the Ethiopian capital, was home to a number of emperors and
warlords, courtiers and kings.
Gondar
is also the site of numerous fine churches, a number of which have
survived to this day. After an early visit to the castles we will
start driving to
Axum
. The road passes over mountain regions of wild beauty, running
alongside the National Park of the Simien massif. In the park,
many of the mountain peaks exceed 4,000m; the highest is Ras
Dejen, at 4,543 meters above sea level. These mountains consist of
volcanic masses that have been eroded away by centuries of rain.
Today they have amethyst-colored peaks and deep gullies, which
have been further deepened by rivers. The crevices play host to
the Waliya, the ibex of the
Simien
Mountains
. We arrive in
Axum
in the evening, with dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.
Day 7:
Ethiopian
legends first recorded in the fourteenth-century Kebre Nagast
(Book of Kings) make
Axum
the capital of the Queen of Sheba in the tenth century BC. Rising
to importance around the time of the Christ, Axum was the capital
far-reaching Axumite kingdom, dominated the vital crossroads of
Africa and
Asia
for almost a thousand years. After settling ourselves in one of
the comfortable hotels in Axum, Yeha Hotel, we will start our
visit to the famous historical sites of Axum such as the
Archeological museum, the Zion Cathedral where the original Arc of
the covenant is said to be found, the stele park where the
magnificent single block of stones standing since the 3rd century.
Later the day we will have an opportunity to visit the ruin palace
and
Bath
of Queen
Sheba
. Dinner and overnight stay at Yeha hotel.
Day
8:
 By way of a beautiful panoramic road,
we will arrive to Yeha, where we visit the
Temple
of the Moon (dating from pre-Christian times). A little further
along the road we find the monastery of Debre Damo, the oldest
church in
Ethiopia
. Only men are allowed visit the church and it is necessary to
climb up to it with the aid of a rope. After lunch, we drive to
Mekelle, in this region; from the 8th to the 15th century,
hundreds of rock-hewn churches were carved and constructed out of
one rock. Many of the churches are carved directly into the cliff
walls of the ‘Ambas’: typical Ethiopian mountains with flat
tops and almost vertical sides. En route, we visit the Abrha
Atsbha and the Wukro churches. Dinner and overnight in a hotel in
Mekele.
 Day
9:
The
whole day is required to cover this distance. The unpaved road
climbs several times to heights of about 3,000 meters and descends
into valleys where powerful rivers run. The landscape is dry, but
visually splendid. For a considerable stretch, the winding road
follows the spectacular canyon of the river Tekeze, one of the
principal rivers of
Ethiopia
. Just before Lalibela is the beautiful rock hewn
church
of
Genete Mariam
. Afterwards we arrive to Lalibela in the evening; dinner and
overnight in a hotel.
Day
10:
Lalibela
is the 8th wonder of the world. 13 rock-hewn churches cut out of a
solid red volcanic rock, some completely hidden in deep trenches,
while others stand in open quarried caves and a complex series of
tunnels and narrow passageways connecting the churches, Lalibela
indeed
 offers a great opportunity for any
traveler. Upon arrival and transfer to the Ghion Roha Hotel we
will start our visit with the first group of churches and the city
itself. In the afternoon, we will visit the second group of
churches, dinner and overnight stay at the same hotel as the
previous night. With arrangement made with local households we
will provide you the opportunity to see how a typical Ethiopian
family in this town live. A traditional coffee ceremony will be
hosted for you.
Day
11:
The
road runs through villages, cultivated plains and small passes.
Here, we are close to the land occupied by the Afar shepherds, a
Semi-nomadic people who live mainly in the deserts of
Danakil
depression. We encounter them on the road with their caravans of
camels. Dinner and overnight in a hotel in Kombolcha
 Day
12:
Early
morning see the Bati market. After
watching the market drive to
Awash
National Park
, which is the oldest and most developed wildlife, reserve in
Ethiopia
. Through the road visit the towns; Overnight and dinner at
kereyou in Awash.
Day
13:
Early
morning, more game drive and visit of the
Awash River
falls. Featuring the 1800 m high Fantalle Volcano, extensive
mineral
Hot Springs
, and extraordinary volcanic formations. This natural treasure is
bordered to the south by the
Awash River
and lies 225 Kms east of Addis. Drive to the
Hot Springs
about 30 kms from the Head quarter of the park. Evening game drive
in the National Park. Over Night at Kereyou Lodge in the Park.
After
noon
slow drive to the town of Harar.
Day
14:
Harar-
Located at an altitude of 1,800 meters, Harar is a labyrinth of
small streets surrounded by old city walls. Its architecture
reflects a strong Islamic influence. We take a walk through the
old city and visit the house where Rimbaud lived. Harar was the
poet’s favorite city and he established quarters there in order
to trade in arms destined for the emperor Menelik.
It is largely 16th century and later, but some of the
mosques were founded as early as the 13th century. Until
relatively recently it was venerated by Muslims as a centre of
pilgrimage, the most holy city in the Horn of Africa, with large
numbers of mosques and Koran schools. Our visit will include some
of these as well as some of the traditional old houses of Harar.
The main sights are:-
Return to the hotel for dinner and
overnight. In this evening after dinner there is a visit to the
hyena man (the man feed's the hyenas).
Day 15:
Drive back to Addis. We will arrive in
Addis Ababa
in the evening. We stay overnight in the same hotel as before and
have dinner in one of the many restaurants of the capital.
Day
16:
Addis
Ababa
is located at 2,500 meters above sea level at the footstep of the
highest parts of series of Mountain chain. Addis is also the seat
of African Union (AU) and many International offices and over 100
Embassies. It enjoys an excellent climate all year round; with an
average temperature of 16°C.
Addis Ababa
is a pleasant city with wide avenues of jacarandas, interesting
museums and one of the largest open-air markets in
Africa
, known as the Merkato. After early breakfast we will visit the
National
Museum
(a multi-collections representing
Ethiopia
's past and present image). Among the famous exhibits, the 3.5
million year old skeleton of 'Lucy' is worth visiting. We will
also visit the Ethiopian Studies Institute Ethnological museum for
it’s extraordinarily collection of the priceless and varied
ethnic medley. Then we continue driving up to the mount (over 3000
meters) Entoto, the first seat of Emperor Menelik II before he
established
Addis Ababa
as the capital of
Ethiopia
in 1886. Visitors will also have the opportunity to visit Trinity
Cathedral and Merkato. Along our way we will have the chance to
see avenues, squares, obelisks and many places of interests and
shopping. Late at night transfer to the
Bole
International
Airport
and depart for home.
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the
city walls and gateways, 
