Northern Historic Route

Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa

On arrival in Addis Ababa, you will be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel. After a short break, the visit to Addis Ababa begins, the third highest capital in the world. The visit includes the Entoto Hills, the place from which King Menelik, founder of Addis Ababa, descended to the plains. In Entoto, from where there is a wonderful panoramic view of the city, there are two churches built by Menelik, who was crowned in one of them. Near this site is the old Menelik Palace, still intact and open to visitors. Inside you can see some royal clothing, artifacts of war, furniture and old books. The visit to the city also includes the National Museum, one of the most important museums in sub-Saharan Africa. Here is the Selam skeleton, found in December 2000 in Dikika, Afar region, northern Ethiopia. Like Lucy, Selam is an Australopithecus Aphaeresis. However, there is an important difference between the two, since Selam lived more than 150,000 years before Lucy! Finally, a visit to Mercato, the largest open market in East Africa, is scheduled in the afternoon. It is possible to find items as diverse as spices and jewelry. There is nothing that cannot be found in this vibrant and immense market. Accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Day 2: Addis Ababa – Bahir Dar
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Bahir Dar, one of the most attractive cities in Ethiopia. Bahir Dar, with its wide avenues delineated by rows of palm trees, is located on the southern shore of Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia. Bahir Dar is also the best base to visit some of the monasteries built on the islands of the interior of Lake Tana, between the 12th and 18th centuries, as well as the sources of the Blue Nile River. After locating ourselves at the hotel, departure to the Tissisat Falls of the Blue Nile, about 30 kilometers from the city. A 20-minute walk takes us to these waterfalls, with a drop of 45 meters in height, which shows its most spectacular appearance during and just after the rainy season (from June to January). Here, the Blue Nile, which contributes 85% of the flow of the Nile River, begins its long journey to the Mediterranean. Lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, visit to the city of Bahir Dar. The tour includes the city itself, as well as the town of Woito, 2 km to the west, known for its production of tankwa boats made of reeds. Then continue with a visit to the ancient palace of Emperor Haile Selassie in Bezawit, with excellent views of the city, the exact site where the Blue Nile rises from the lake, and some of the local markets. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Day 3: Bahir Dar – Gorgora – Gondar
The day begins with a boat ride on Lake Tana, where a visit to some of the ancient monasteries that were built around Lake Tana and on many of the islands within it is scheduled, totaling about 38 in total. The list includes a visit to the Zeghe Peninsula, where the churches of Ura Kidane Mehret and Mariam Azewa will be visited, which were built in the late 13th and 14th centuries, respectively, and whose walls are covered with incredible 16th-century murals. Also visiting the church of Dek Stefanos, with its valuable collection of icons, as well as the remains of several medieval emperors, the church of Kibran Gabriel (closed to women) and, finally, the church of Narga Selassie. Picnic lunch on the boat, then continue on the way to the town of Gorgora, where the Debreseina Mariam church is visited. In Gorgora the cars are collected and it continues for 60 km to the city of Gondar. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Day 4: Gonder
Full day of visits in Gondar. Emperor Fasiladas founded Gondar as his imperial seat in 1636 and, until the 19th century, the city was the capital and main commercial center of the region. The visit includes the Royal Enclosure, or Fasil Gibbi, and the six castles built by the various emperors who ruled Gondar. 2 km from the city center are the King Fasilidas baths where, during Timkat (the Epiphany in Ethiopia), a nearby river is diverted to fill an area the size of a small pool. Worshipers and pilgrims plunge into the cold water in a recreation of the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. Next, visit the church of Debre Berhane Selassie, the only church that was saved from the Mahdista invasion of the 1880s. According to legend, a swarm of bees drove away the invaders who were trying to loot the church. The walls and ceiling of this church are completely covered with murals – the faces of the angels in the ceiling have become a common motif in Ethiopian design. Lunch at the hotel. Finally, visit the ruined palace of Queen Mentowab, and the Qusquam Mariam church, located on a hill just outside the town. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Day 5: Gonder – P.N. Simien Mountains
Breakfast and transfer to the P.N. Simien Mountains, which will take 3-4 hours by car, depending on stops. The Simien Mountains are located in the extreme north of the Ethiopian highlands, constituting one of the most spectacular mountain landscapes in the world. Picnic type food. In the afternoon, excursion in the Sankaber sector to explore the park, which was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. With a total area of ​​190 km², the park contains 57 species of trees and plant varieties herbaceous, 22 large mammals, 13 small mammals and about 180 species of birds. Among all the existing species in the park, the Walia goat, the Ethiopian wolf, and the Gelada baboon are endemic. Dinner and accommodation at Simien Lodge, the highest hotel in Africa, at an altitude of 3,260 meters above sea level.

Day 6: Axum Mountains
Departure very early in the morning towards Axum, a day where you can enjoy the best landscapes in the north of the country. Crossing the Tekeze River canyon, never losing sight of the Simiem Mountains. Picnic during the journey and continuation to Axum. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Day 7: Axum 
Breakfast and visit to the city of Axum. Between 200 BC and 700 AD, Axum was the capital of an empire that stretched across the Red Sea to the Arabian Peninsula, traded with India and China, had its own alphabet, and built great engineering works, including dams. . It has been defined by historians as the fourth largest and most powerful empire of the 4th century. Axum is known for its extraordinary granite monoliths and for the church of Santa María de Sión, where the remains of the original Ark of the Covenant are believed to be kept. The visit to the city includes the church of Santa María, the monoliths of Axum, the tombs of the Kaleb emperors and their son of Gebre-Meskel and the Mai Shum, name with which the Queen of Saba baths are known. Lunch, dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Day 8: Axum – Lalibela
Breakfast and transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Lalibela. Between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, King Lalibela, from the Zaghwe dynasty, ordered the construction of a series of churches carved in the rock, going on to call the place “New Jerusalem”. Today, Lalibela is deservedly recognized as one of the greatest wonders of the world. In the town, baptized in memory of the emperor, there are 11 churches, while other rock-cut churches are in the vicinity. They are all in use today. After registration at the hotel, the visit to the first group of churches begins; Bet Golgotha, Bet Mikael, Bet Mariam, Bet Meskel, Bet Denagel and Bet Medhane Alem. The latter, the largest, resembles a Greek temple. On one corner three empty tombs are observed, symbolically excavated for the Biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, visit Bet Giyorgis, possibly the most elegant church of all the churches in Lalibela, located on a rock terrace on the southwest side of the town, and which can only be accessed through a tunnel. The rest of the day is free to explore the city on your own. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Day 9: Lalibela
Early in the morning visit the Yemrehene Christos rock church (40 km, 1½ car), built by the king of the same name before the reign of King Lalibela. The church is built inside a cave, with alternating levels of wood and stone. Return to Lalibela and lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon we will visit the second group of churches in Lalibela, located south of the Jordan River. Which includes the churches of Bete Emanuel, Bete Mercurios, Bete Abba Libanos and Bet Gabriel-Rufa´e. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Day 10: Lalibela – Addis Ababa
After breakfast, flight back to Addis. Arrival and transfer to the chosen hotel, where you can make use of the room during the day. In the afternoon, farewell dinner in one of the best traditional restaurants in the city, before transfer to the airport to catch a flight back to home.

Payment and Refund Policies

If you have any questions or you’d like to book this trip, please contact us.

Custom itineraries available to this or any of the destinations we travel to.

Please check the Resources page for more information on Travel Insurance, Visa Service and other useful links.

SPECIAL AIRFARES: Kutrubes Travel can assist you with your flight reservations to your destination with all major carriers. We offer special rates through our various airline contracts. Please call us or email us with your proposed travel plans and we will be sure to accommodate you and respond quickly.

Kutrubes Travel also offers a variety of other tours throughout this region. Contact us for detailed itineraries and descriptions.