Duration: 9 days
Description: Explore the Simien Mountains and enjoy the Timket/The Ethiopian Epiphany
Program: Excursion to the Simien Mountains and enjoy one of the unique Festivals of the world; Timket/ Ethiopian Epiphany procession.
Transport: All by air, except Bahir Dar to Gondar and the excursion to the Simien Mountains National Park
Timket/Timkat (Ethiopian Epiphany)
Timket (Ethiopian Epiphany) is one of the greatest festivals in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church calendar. It commemorates Christ’s Baptism by Saint John in the Jordan River. Timket is celebrated in Ethiopia on January 11 Ethiopian calendar (January 19 Gregorian calendar), two weeks after Ledet (Ethiopian Christmas), beginning on the Eve of Timket with colorful processions and ceremonies ending on January 12 (January 20 on the Gregorian calendar). In Timket, Tella and Tej are brewed, special bread is baked called “Ambasha” (in Amharic), and sheep are slaughtered to mark the three-day celebration.
This is going to be a trip that will take you thousands of years back in time.
Highlights of the itinerary:
Day 1: Jan. 16 – Arrival in Addis Ababa
Day 2: Jan. 17 – Fly to Bahir Dar and sightseeing in Bahir Dar
Day 3: Jan. 18 – Drive from Bahir Dar to Gondar on the Eve of the Ethiopian Epiphany celebration
Day 4: Jan. 19 – Full day in Gondar: Epiphany festivity
Day 5: Jan. 20 – Day trip to the Simien Mountains National Park
Day 6: Jan. 21 – Fly to Lalibela
Day 7: Jan. 22 – Full day in and around Lalibela for sightseeing
Day 8: Jan. 23 – Flight to Aksum and visit the sights in Aksum
Day 9: Jan. 24 – Flight to Addis and visit the sights in Addis
Day 10: Jan. 25 – Departure
Notes: As Ethiopia is a country of enormous cultural and natural beauty, the above mentioned trip highlights could be combined, extended /condensed, or rearranged differently with other nature and cultural sightseeing depending on your interest and budget.
Please note that during the busy Ethiopian Christmas and Timket festivals hotels and domestic flights can get full quite rapidly. In this season we recommend you to book your trip months before your departure.
Safari Ethiopia Tours caters to travelers in all budget categories from budget to luxury. Regardless of your budget we deliver high quality personal service to our customers at a reasonable price.
For further discussion and detailed itineraries, please don’t hesitate to contact us.