PTT 0103 - HISTORIC ROUTE AND SEMIEN MOUNTAINS (8 DAYS/7 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:
Fly to Bahir Dar. After an hour’s flight arrive at Bahir Dar and drive to Tana Hotel for check-in. From Tana Hotel, drive to Tisissat (45 minutes) to get to the water fall, which is 35 Km away from Bahir Dar. After taking in the ‘‘smoke of the Nile” from the usual vantage points, you will then take a beautiful one hour walk via the base of the fall, and a short boat trip across the Blue Nile River.
Return to Bahir Dar for late lunch and in the afternoon, drive to the port of Bahir Dar, 2 Km from your hotel. At the port, board boat to cross Lake Tana. En route, you will visit the church of UraKidanemihret Mehal Zege Georgis.
Dinner and overnight will be at Tana Hotel.

Day 3:
Journey to Gonder, the 17th Century capital of Ethiopia, which is 180 Km. In Gonder, you will visit the castle compound (UNESCO WHS) and King Fasiledes’ Bath, and then return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, you will visit the Debre Birhan Selassie (The Light of Trinity) church with wonderful murals, Qusqam church and Mentwab palace.
Overnight will be Goha Hotel.

Day 4:
Drive to Debark in the morning, 100 Kms from Gonder, and move on to the Semien Mountains National Park. Proceed to Sankaber, 37 Kms further, which is your first trekking starting spot, 3250 ms above sea level. Spend the day trekking around the camp. Lunch will be served in lunch boxes on top of the view point.
Around 15:00 hrs, you will drive back to Gonder for overnight at Goah Hotel.

Day 5:
Fly to Axum, a town steeped in more than 2500 years of history. You will visit the palace and tomb of King Kaleb (6th Century AD), the extraordinarily Stella’s Files (WHS), the tomb of King Remhay (1st to 4th Century AD), and the church of St. Mary of Tsion (17th Century AD), the church in which is deposited the Arc of the Covenant. You will then drive out of the town and 4km on the way to Gonder, you will walk up to see rock carved lion, and the palace from where the Stellas were hewn- some still lie there, half finished. From here you visit the palace of the queen of Sheeba. Late in the afternoon, drive to your hotel.
Overnight will be at Yeha Hotel.

Day 6:
Fly to Lalibela and transfer to Roha Hotel, 26 Km from the airport. Check-in at Roha Hotel and start visiting the cluster of the first group of the famous rock-hewn churches in Lalibela, including the famous church of St. George which is carved like a cross out of the red balsit rock. Lunch will be at the hotel, and in the afternoon you visit second cluster of the rock hewn churches, another UNESCO World Heritage site. The site of these churches will simply startle you.
Dinner and overnight will be at Roha Hotel.

Day 7:
Morning excursion to Asheten Merry church found on top of a hill. You will be back around midday. In the afternoon, you will visit the remaining 5 rock hewn churches. After visiting the churches, you will be invited for a coffee party in one of the traditional houses. Overnight will be at Roha Hotel.

Day 8:
At 09:30, drive to the airport to fly to Addis Ababa by ET123, arriving at the hotel in Addis at 14:30. Lunch will be in Addis Ababa, and you will have the rest of the afternoon to yourself 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 farewell dinner, and then depart.