PTT 0101 - HISTORIC ROUTE BY AIR (9 DAYS/8 NIGHTS)

Day 1:
Arrive in Addis Ababa to a warm welcome by PTT staff at the airport, and then
transfer to your hotel. Morning will be free. Afternoon, start your sightseeing tour
of Addis Ababa, starting your tour from the Trinity Cathedral, visit to the
National Museum (archaeological and historical), which has the best collection of
Ethiopian antiquities and archeological discoveries, including the famous oldest
hominid “Lucy”; then drive up to Mt. Entoto, the highest part of the capital, where
you will have a panoramic view over the town of Addis Ababa; a visit to the adjacent
church of St. Mary; a drive down to the biggest open air market in East Africa
called Mercato.
Drive back to the hotel for overnight.

Day 2:
Around 05:00 hrs, drive to the airport to fly to Bahir Dar by ET 122. Around 07:00-08:00 am, arrive at Bahir Dar after a 55 minutes’ flight. Drive to Tana Hotel for check-in. You will have a free morning at the hotel. Lunch is served at Tana Hotel, then in the afternoon, at around 14:30PM, drive to Tisissat (45 minutes) to get to the water fall, which is 35km away from Bahir Dar. At Tisissat, you get a chance to see the “smoke of the Nile” from the usual vantage points.
Later, drive back to Bahir Dar. Dinner and overnight will be at Tana Hotel.

DAY 3:
At 08:00 hrs, drive to the port of Bahir Dar, 2 Km from your hotel, and board boat to cross Lake Tana. En route, you will visit the churches of UraKidanemihret, Mehal Zege Georgis and Narga Selassie. Lunch will be served on the boat in lunch boxes. Late in the afternoon, you will arrive in back Bahir Dar- at around 17:00 hrs- you might get a chance to see the very stunning sun-set from the boat. Overnight and dinner will be at Tana Hotel.

Day 4:
Transfer in the morning at 08:30 hrs to the airport to fly to Gonder and then transfer from the airport to Goha- a 20 minutes’ flight. Start visiting the 17th century capital of Ethiopia: Gonder. Sites to visit include: the castle compound (UNESCO World Heritage Site), King Fasiledes’ Bath, the Debre Birhan Selassie (The light of Trinity) church with wonderful murals, Qusqam church and Mentwab palace. Later, drive to the Jewish village called Welaka, 6Km away from Gonder.  Overnight will be at Goah Hotel.

Day 5:
Early in the morning, drive to the airport to fly to Lalibela in the morning and then transfer from the airport to your hotel. The airport is 26 Km from the hotel- it will be a half-an-hour drive. After check-in, start visiting the rock hewn churches of Lalibela. Today you tour the first group of churches (the grouping is according to their geographical location): Bete Medhane Alem, Bete Mariam and Bete Meskel. Return to your hotel for lunch at 12:30 AM, and continue touring the rest of the first group of churches after 14:00 AM. Return to your hotel at 17:30 AM.
Overnight will be at Roha Hotel.

Day 6:
At 09:00, start your tour of the 2nd group of the rock hewn churches of Lalibela: Bete Emanuel, Bete Rafael and Gabriel, Bete Mercury’s and Aba Libanos. Return to your hotel at 12:30 for lunch. In the afternoon at 14:00, continue your tour from the stunning Bete Giorgis, which was hewed out with the Greek cross, then walk back to your Hotel.
Overnight will be at Roha Hotel.

Day 7:
At 07:30, transfer to the airport to fly to Axum by ET 122 0950-1030 and then transfer to your hotel, which is 10 minutes drive from the airport. Sightseeing in Axum, a town steeped in more than 2500 years of history, from the palace and tomb of King Kaleb (6th C, AD). You will also visit the extraordinary Stella’s files (WHS) and the tomb of king Remhay (1st to 4th C, AD).
Overnight will be at Yeha or Remhay Hotel.

Day 8:
Visit the church of St Mary of Tsion (17th C, AD), in which is deposited the Arc of the Covenant. Return to your hotel around 13:00 for lunch. At 15:30, drive out of the town to Gonder, 4 Km away, where you will walk up to see the rock-carved lion and palace from where the Stella's were hewn- some still lie there, unfinished.  From here we can visit the palace of the queen of Sheba, and other archaeological sites. The day’s wandering ends at the small but amazing museum. Return to your hotel at 17:30.
Dinner and overnight will be at Yeha or Remhay Hotel.

Day 9:
At 10:30, drive to the airport to fly to Addis Ababa by ET123, arriving at a hotel in Addis at 14:30. Lunch will be Addis Ababa, and the rest of the afternoon will be freely spent at the hotel. In the evening at 19:30, meet in the lobby and then drive to the traditional restaurant, where you will enjoy traditional Ethiopian music performances at your fare well dinner.
Overnight will be at the hotel in Addis.