Tour Package (Simien Mountains, Lalibela, and Danakil Depression)

Discover the awe-inspiring landscapes, ancient wonders, and surreal beauty of Ethiopia in an immersive 6-day journey.

Day 1- Simien Mountains National Park

We will meet you in the morning at Gondar Airport or your hotel in Gondar. Drive from Gondar to Debark, which is the headquarter town for the national park. We will stop here to get permission to enter the park and meet the scout. We will have tea and coffee break and visit the local market if we have time. The local market is open every day, and every Wednesday and Saturday is the big market day. From Debark town, we will drive to the park gate, which is about 16 km from the town. Then, we are heading about 6 km to Buit Ras, the first area of the national park. From Buit Ras, we will trek for about 3, 4 hours to Chilkuwanit which is one of the most beautiful viewpoints.

Absorb stunning views this area offers over the escarpment dropping vertically. You will most certainly encounter troops of the endemic Gelada Baboons and see them up-close. You may also see common jackal, klipspringer and more. There are a lot of birds such as Thick-billed Raven, Augar Buzard, Black Kites, Lammergeyer and different plant species such as Abyssinian Rose, Erica Arboria tree, Euphorbia Species, St. John’s Wort Tree (Hypercumrevoltum) and so on.

Day 2- Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

Visit the 11 groups of Lalibela Churches which are located north of a small stream named Jordan River. These Churches were carved during the time of King Lalibela (1181 – 1221) and are registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Here is the list of churches you will visit.

Day 3-Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

Drive from Lalibela to Mekele enjoying the beauty of the landscape of the country

Day 4- Erta Ale

We start our day by driving to Erta Ale (which means smoky mountain in Afar language). Erta Ale ranks one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and 1 km square caldera at its summit. Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake. It is 613 metres, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century. We start early in the morning, drive to Dodom (at the base of Erta Ale). This may be one of the roughest roads in the world. The 80 km distance may take about 6 hrs passing through changing the landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and occasional palm-lined oasis. After passing several small hamlets scattered here and there in this deserted land, you will arrive at Dodom camping site, located about 17 km from Erta Ale. Dinner will be served around 17:00 o’clock. After a short break, trek up to Ertale at 20:00 hours. Camels will be transporting all the camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light mattresses and mat and water) to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. You will spend the night on top of the mountain, at the rim of the Volcano.

Day 5- Erta Ale

Early Morning sunrise at the northern one corresponds to the main pit crater and walking 5 minutes for the southern and central pits could either correspond to an ancient pit, or to a simple collapse structure. The main pit-crater, 200 m deep and 350 m across, is sub-circular and three-storied. The smaller southern pit is 65 m wide and about 100 m deep. Descend from Erta Ale around 9 am Dodom – Leave back to Dodom after an early breakfast, if possible at 07:00 o’clock. You will reach the latest at 10:30 o’clock at the camp, where you will be relaxing. As soon as possible, drive to reach the mythical Lake Giulietti (or Lake Afrera)(optional may not be available during summer time), a saltwater lake located more than100 metres below sea level, in one of the deepest depressions of the planet. Because of the picturesque landscape, it is interesting to visit the salt flats where the Afar people obtain the salt by evaporating the water of the lake, continue to Erbiti and proceed Abaa;a/ Hamed ela.