Name: Tour Axum Tsion(Celebration Of St. Mary)And Historic Trip To Ethi | Visit Ethiopia
Price: 2719.00 USD
Rating: 3 (1 reviews)

Guide

Professional Driver Guide Applicable Local Guide

Flights

Transport

From and to Airport Transfers

Not included:

Others

All lunches and dinners Gratitude, Tips and porter fees Accommodation on the last day

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: 24 Nov: Arrival In Addis And City Tour
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: 24 Nov: Arrival In Addis And City Tour

The tour starts with a pick up from airport/hotel, and then drive to the National Museum of Ethiopia for visiting the long age history of Ethiopia and the oldest human ancestor, Lucy. Set within Haile Selassie’s former palace and surrounded by the beautiful gardens and fountains of Addis Ababa University’s main campus is the enthralling Ethnological Museum. Even if you’re not normally a museum fan, this one is worth a bit of your time – it’s easily one of the finest museums in Africa. Before lunch, drive to Holy Trinity Cathedral Church which has unique architectural style. Immediately after a relaxed lunch, drive up to Entoto Mountains, the best location to observe the panoramic view of the capital. It is also a historical place where Menelik II resided and built his palace. It is notable as the location of a number of celebrated churches, including Saint Raguel and Saint Mary (Maryam Church).

Overnight stay at Nexus Hotel or similar, Addis Ababa.
Day 2 Day 2: 25 Nov: Drive To Bahir Dar
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: 25 Nov: Drive To Bahir Dar

En-route, you will have a stop to visit the Blue-Nile Gorge and Debre Libanos monastery. Situated 210 km north of Addis Ababa and is about one mile wide and deep. The Blue Nile Gorge is one of the most spectacular gorges in the world. After 100 km drive on the waylays the renowned monastery of Debre Libanos, founded in the 13th century in a magnificent 700m-deep canyon. You will be arriving in Bahir Dar late afternoon.

Overnight stay at Jacaranda Hotel or similar, Bahir Dar.
Day 3 Day 3: 26 Nov: Boat Trip And Blue Nile Falls
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: 26 Nov: Boat Trip And Blue Nile Falls

After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a boat trip on Lake Tana, where 37 islands and 20 of them have churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. You visit the monastery churches of Ura Kidane Mihret is more decorative with a huge, conical thatched roof is painted with scenes from Biblical lore, Azuwa Maryam and Debre Maryam. Lake tana is also reached with its birding and hippos it’s a great chance to cost sometimes on the lake to spot a different kind of aquatic birds! In the afternoon, excursion to the Blue Nile Falls, also known locally as Tissisat (smoking water): 100 m (328 ft) wide, the water plunges for 45m, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. Late in the afternoon, drive back to Bahir Dar and finish the day with a lovely sunset over Lake Tana from Bezawit palace.

Overnight stay at Jacaranda Hotel or similar, Bahir Dar.
Day 4 Day 4: 27 Nov: Drive To Gondar
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: 27 Nov: Drive To Gondar

Afternoon, you will visit Gondar, the Camelot of Africa. The city seems more of European than African origin. In the afternoon, visit Fasiladas’ Palace, probably the most impressive of all the castles found in the area and the oldest one! Continue going to the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie (Light of the Trinity). The interior is decorated with beautiful frescos, cherubs, and paintings. Debre Berhan Selassie is rumored to once have been the proposed final resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant of the Ethiopian Empire, which is begun in 1632.

Overnight stay at Goha Hotel or similar, Gondar.
Day 5 Day 5: 28 Nov: Drive To Simien Mountains
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: 28 Nov: Drive To Simien Mountains

Depart Gondar in the morning, and drive to Sankaber via Debark where the park’s entrance fee is paid, and obligatory staff is met. You will be dropped off at Buyit Ras for a 3-4 hours hike to Sankaber by which you will pass close to the escarpment edge. Nearing Sankaber, you will have beautiful views on both sides of the escarpment ridge and where you will likely see the endemic Gelada baboons.

Overnight stay at Ras Dejen Hotel or similar, Debrak.
Day 6 Day 6: 29 Nov: Drive To Axum And City Tour
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: 29 Nov: Drive To Axum And City Tour

After a lunch in Axum, you will have a city tour in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Legends narrate in the Kebra Nagast (Book of Kings) how the city of Axum as early as the 10th century B.C. was already the city where the Queen of Sheba resided. It is told that the son of Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, Menelik, brought the Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem to Axum and it remained there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary. Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires and represented a crucial trade connecting-point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. Visit the Granite stone Stele of Axum, the Tombs of King Kaleb and his son King G/Meskel, the Ezana’s stone inscriptions, Queen of Sheba’s palace and Swimming pool, and the Church of Zion, the final resting place of the True Ark of Covenant.

Overnight stay at Sabean Hotel or similar, Axum.
Day 7 Day 7: 30 Nov: Axum Tsion Celebration-Festival Of Maryam Zion
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: 30 Nov: Axum Tsion Celebration-Festival Of Maryam Zion

This is one of Ethiopia’s largest festivals. In the days leading up to the event on 30 November, thousands of pilgrims arrive and sleepy Aksum truly awakens. Celebrations start in front of the Northern Stelae Field, where the monarchs of the Orthodox church line the steps and watch performers in the street below. For an unforgettable experience make your way to the compound of the St Mary of Zion church between 1 am and sunrise on the day of the festival and witness a sea of white-robed pilgrims curled up asleep. Standing among the slowly shifting sea are a few scattered priests reading by candlelight.

Overnight stay at Sabean Hotel or similar, Axum.
Day 8 Day 8: 01 Dec: Day Trip To Yeha And Proceed To Mekele
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: 01 Dec: Day Trip To Yeha And Proceed To Mekele

Morning drive to Yeha. Yeha is considered as the birthplace of Ethiopia’s earliest civilization three millennia years ago. It is an important pre-Axumite archaeological site mainly known by the large square temple and dated to 500B.C. The temple was built using stone blocks without mortar and is supposed to be the oldest building in Ethiopia. The ruins of the temple consist of a single roofless oblong chamber. The remaining wall of the temple is still standing to a height of 12 meters. Many stone-carved inscriptions were also discovered in and around Yeha. They are most likely the earliest inscriptions that have ever been discovered in Ethiopia. Then, proceed to Mekele for the overnight.

Overnight stay at Planet Hotel or similar, Mekelle.
Day 9 Day 9: 02 Dec: Drive To Lalibela
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: 02 Dec: Drive To Lalibela

This drive would be the longest and it may take the whole day to drive from Mekele to Lalibela.

Overnight stay at Panoramic View Hotel or similar, Lalibela.
Day 10 Day 10: 03 Dec: Exploring The Rock Hewn Churches
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: 03 Dec: Exploring The Rock Hewn Churches

Today, you are ready to discover Lalibela, the home of the largest monolithic church in the world. The city contains 11 monolithic churches that were built in the 12th century. Some are beautifully painted inside. Before lunch, you will start visiting churches the first and the second group out of the three groups. Afternoon, proceed, visiting the third group.

Overnight stay at Panoramic View Hotel or similar, Lalibela.
Day 11 Day 11: 04 Dec: Drive To Kombolcha
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: 04 Dec: Drive To Kombolcha

Passing through small towns of the north and south Wollo of Amhara Region, you will arrive Dessie mid-afternoon.

Overnight stay at Golden Gate Hotel or similar, Kombolcha.
Day 12 Day 12: 05 Dec: Back Addis Ababa
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: 05 Dec: Back Addis Ababa

Depart kombolcha in the morning after a relaxed breakfast. Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, you will have a quick shopping schedule and a farewell dinner at one of the best traditional restaurants will be also arranged.

END OF THE TOUR!

12 days tour

Axum Tsion(Celebration Of St. Mary)And Historic Trip To Ethi

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Axum Tsion(Celebration Of St. Mary)And Historic Trip To Ethi

Day 1: 24 Nov: Arrival In Addis And City Tour

Day 2: 25 Nov: Drive To Bahir Dar

Day 3: 26 Nov: Boat Trip And Blue Nile Falls

Day 4: 27 Nov: Drive To Gondar

Day 5: 28 Nov: Drive To Simien Mountains

Day 6: 29 Nov: Drive To Axum And City Tour

Day 7: 30 Nov: Axum Tsion Celebration-Festival Of Maryam Zion

Day 8: 01 Dec: Day Trip To Yeha And Proceed To Mekele

Day 9: 02 Dec: Drive To Lalibela

Day 10: 03 Dec: Exploring The Rock Hewn Churches

Day 11: 04 Dec: Drive To Kombolcha

Day 12: 05 Dec: Back Addis Ababa

Experience Style

Accomodation level

Experience Type

Physical Rating

Age range

Who talk about us:

Best cities to travel to

America

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania