Meskel Festival

Arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Welcome to Ethiopia! Upon arrival at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, you will be welcomed and assisted by your tour guide and driven to Kaleb Hotel (4*). If you arrive in the morning, we can arrange an optional city tour.

In the morning, drive to Bahirdar through the Great Blue Nile Gorge with a stopover at different small towns like Dejen, Chancho, and GohaTsion.

In the morning, we will take a boat cruise and visit some island monasteries from the 13th and 14th centuries. After having lunch at the hotel, we will drive 35 km to visit the majestic Blue Nile Falls.

After breakfast, we drive to Gondar through the beautiful countryside scenery and arrive at Gondar around lunchtime. After lunch, we tour the ancient city of Gondar.

After an early breakfast, we will drive to the Simien Mountains National Park. For the rest of the day, we trek to explore the surroundings of Sankaber, part of the Simien Mountains National Park.

After breakfast, we will drive to Axum through the beautiful Simien Mountains and Tekeze River Gorge.

After breakfast, we will visit the ancient city of Axum and the Stele Square, Kaleba Tombs, the 4th-century Christian inscription of King Ezana, Queen of Sheba’s Palace, Archeological Museum, and Tsion Mariam Church, where the original Ark of the Covenant is housed.

In the morning, we drive to Mekele through the stunning and historical mountains of Adwa en route visiting the pre-Christian temples of Yeha and Wikro Cherkos.

After breakfast, we drive north to Lalibela through Sekota. En route, you will visit Yimrhane Kirstos and different villages of the Agwe tribal people.

In the morning, we visit the first group of rock-hewn churches. The rock-hewn churches that we will visit today include Bete Medhani Alem, Bete Mariam, Bete Meskel, and Bete Denagil.

In the morning, we will witness one of the most colorful festivals held in Ethiopia — the Meskel Festival at Lalibela.

For the rest of the day, we will continue our journey into Ethiopia’s long and marvelous past with a visit to other of Lalibela’s remarkable churches. The rock-hewn churches that we will visit this afternoon include Bete Gebriel, Bete Mercorios, Bete Amanuel, Bethlehem, and Bete Aba Libano

In the morning, we will drive to Kombolchaon to the top of the amazing Yeju Wadla Delanta land bridge, a highland plateau that adjoins the Wello and Gondar regions and the beautiful Lasta Mountains. We will also drive through the towns of Weldia and Dessie.

In the morning, we return to Addis Ababa through Kemise, Ataye, Shewarobit, and Debresina. At Kemiise, we will have the chance to see a multi-tribal local market.

In the evening, there will be a Grand Holidays Ethiopia Tours complimentary farewell dinner party with a traditional special buffet and local drinks (flight schedule permitting). At the end of the farewell dinner, transfer to Addis Ababa airport for the flight back. End of tour.