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Addis Tour, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Tour Operators in Ethiopia

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Historic Ethiopia Tour

Package ID: 1012

Duration: 8 Days

Season: January- December

Customize: This package can be customized

Accommodation: Standard Hotel

Activities: Archeology/History & Church Tours

Day 1: We will meet you at the Bole International Airport to escort you to your hotel where you will have time to settle in.

Overnight Addis Ababa

Day 2: You will be taken to Bole Airport to board a one hour flight to Bahir dar. You will be met by our driver and taken on a scenic drive to Blue Nile falls; which are about 35 km due south of Bahir dar, En route you pass typical tukuls, round huts whose walls are made of cow dung, grass, and clay whose pointed roof is formed from strong grass. The falls best live up to their reputation during September- December, after the heavy rains have swollen the lake and river. The rest of your day will include visiting of the Bezait palace and local market of the town.

Overnight Bahir Dar

Day 3: After breakfast you will be fetched by our tourist guide from your hotel to be taken for a boat trip to the monasteries of Lake Tana. On these Islands, you will see old and interesting paintings plus artifacts once belonging to kings and queens. Most of TanaвЂ™s monasteries were founded in or just after the 14th century, several under Emperor Amda Tseyon (1314 - 44).

Kebran Gabriel Island is about 40 minutes by boat from Bahir dar, Zeghie Peninsula1 ВЅ hours by boat from Bahir Dar, and Ura Kidane Mehret, a 17th century monastery church, with its vivid вЂњrecentвЂќ paintings. The large island of Dek, 3 ВЅ hours from Bahir dar, has several churches and semi mummified remains of king Fasiledes and his infant son in an open sepulcher. Also near Dek is Daga Estifanos Island with its perfectly conical hill and its monastery of Daga on top-no female are allowed near.

Beside the leisure time at the monasteries you will also have a scenic late afternoon drive to the old city of Gondar.

Overnight Gondar

Day 4: Enjoy a morning of leisure which will give you time for shopping and visiting places of interest.

You will be fetched for an afternoon city tour which will include, the castle compound, build by Emperor Fasiledes 1632-67 and his successors, the church of Debre Birhan Sillasie with its wonderful ceiling painting of 144 angels, stories of Old Testaments and New Testaments Finally visit the bath of King Fasiledes, this the pool where the people of Gondar celebrates the Ethiopian Epiphany then back to the Hotel.

Overnight Gondar

Day 5: Fly to Axum, the site of the beginning of civilization in Ethiopia. Check into hotel. Visit the Axum steles, which were meant to mark the grave of different noble persons of the Axumite period; the Tomb of king Remhai, also found in the stele compound. The next stop will be the Archeological Museum of Axum, where you can see different pottery, stone altars, rings and parchments, and tombs of kings. After that visit the church of St Mary Tsion (where legend says the Ark of the Covenant lies). Then Back to hotel for lunch. In the afternoon visit the bath and palace of the Queen of Sheba, and finally the tomb of King Kaleb and Gebre Meskel.

Overnight Axum

Day 6: After a 30 minute flight arrive in Lalibela (Defined as the eighth wonder of the world) then pay a visit to the first group of rock-hewn churches. It comprises seven churches: Bette Medehanialem, Bette Mriam, Bette Meskel, Bette Denagel, Bette Debre Sina, Bette Golgota and the Silassie chapel. These groups of churches are mostly excavated from below the ground, and are surrounded by courtyards and trenches, so that they mimic normal buildings. Several of these churches are monoliths or three-quartet monoliths вЂ“ free from the surrounding rock on three or four sides a style of excavation that is unique in Ethiopia.

Overnight Lalibela

Day 7: We propose an excursion by mule to Asheten Mariam Church or travel by car to the cave church of Naktuleab. Afternoon you will visit the remaining churches in Lalibela. The second group of churches in Lalibela consists of five churches: Bette Emanuel, Bette Merkorios, Bette Abba Libanos, Bette Lehem and Bette Gebrial-Rufael. A thirteenth church, Bette Giorgis stands discrete from the two main clusters. These churches were excavated from a vertical rock face by exploiting existing caves or cracks in the rock.

Overnight in Lalibela

Day 8: After enjoying a hearty breakfast your driver fetched you to airport for your return flight to Addis. Visit the Entoto Mountains, with its view over the capital, the National Museum and Trinity Church. If time permit you will visit Merkato; the biggest open-air market in Africa and shopping.

Overnight Addis Ababa

This tour could meet with the Omo Valley Tours (at вЂ“ 013 or at вЂ“ 014)

Book at info@addistour.com