Duration: 10 days
Day 1: Arrive in Addis Ababa, city tour of Addis Ababa.
Meet-up location at one of Bole International airport terminals and transfer to a hotel. Here you will be given a briefing on the program and itinerary.
During the rest of the day we tour the city of Addis Ababa, including National Archaeological Museum, Ethnological Museum at Addis Ababa University, Holy Trinity Cathedrals and Mount Entoto which rises up to an altitude of 3200 meters and offers a panoramic view of the metropolis. Overnight stay at hotel of your own choice in Addis Ababa, It can be at hotel Ghion.
Day 2: After breakfast drive to Awash.
Visit includes Bird watching stops throughout the drive and the Awash waterfall, wildlife and sceneries in the Awash National park. Overnight stay at Genet Hotel or similar.
Day 3 : Drive to Asaita from Awash.
Visit Lake Afambo in the Awash Delta, overnight Hotel in Asaita or camp at Lake Afambo which is nice for bird viewing as well
Day 4: Drive to Afdera.
Sightseeing includes the hot springs and salt mining in Afdera. Overnight stay at local hotel Horahur or otherwise at a camping.
Day 5: Drive to Kirsuwad or Kirsawad
nearest village to Erta ale and continue to Dodom afterwards for your walking to the volcano hill, Erta Ale. Erta Ale Volcanic hills (613 meters above sea level). Walking will be commenced sometimes at 06:00 Pm or after. You will be expected to arrive at Erta Ale around mid-night and walk to see the Erta ale volcanic eruption. At night you will camp nearby the Erta ale eruption, on the crater rim above the active lava lake. At Night Shooting good pictures of the Volcano. Overnight resting around Erta Ale
Day 6: Drive from Dodom to Hamed ela
This day you walk back to the base camp, Dodom from Erta ale volcano and meet the vehicles there and drive to Hamed ella for your sightseeing to Danakil , Afar, (Dallol) depression. Hamed ela is the base to explore the salt mines, salt workers and camel caravans. Overnight camping at Hamedela.
Day 7: Hamed ela
Excursion to Dallol depression, visit the Dallol area, salt mining and camel caravans. After early breakfast drive to the Lake Asale, salty Lake and visit the salt workers and the merchant. Here you will observe salt cutting, shaping and then loading to the endless Camel Caravans. Then after proceed to Dalol and enjoy the spectacular view of the small hills, colorful hot spring in several places. The spectacular colors created by sulfurs potash and various mineral compounds. Finally drive back to Hamed ela for an overnight stay, camping.
Day 8: Mekele via Berahile
Drive towards north west to Mekele via Berahile. On the way visit the Afar village over the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley system and one of the rock hewn churches of Tigray; Can be Michael Imba or Michael Barka. Mekele is the capital city of the Tigray people regional state where as Berahile is the town/village of Afar and many more highlander Salt miners. Overnight stay at Aksum hotel in Mekele.
Day 9: Mekele
City tour of Mekelle. Visit includes Atse Yohannes IV Museum, Martyrdom monuments and Chelekot Slasie.
Day 10: Fly to Addis Ababa
After breakfast you will check in to Mekele Airport for your flight to Addis Ababa. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner in one of the Ethiopian restaurants for cultural dinner and dances from the different ethnic groups. Then transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
NB. All the hotels mentioned in the itinerary are subject to change depending on rooms availability and requests of clients.