Black Kite Tour
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North and South Ethiopia by car

Departure dates:

5th of October 2019, 2th of November 2019, 7th of December 2019, 
4th of January 2020, 1th of February 2020, 7th of March 2020,


2 – 4pax = 3563 $ USD per person; single room supp. 470 $

Duration: 20 days

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Price includes:

  •  Hotel accommodation based on double/twin sharing in 3* S hotels
  •  Transfers to/from airport
  •  Meals – half board basis (breakfast and dinner)
  •  4X4 car with driver guide, fuel, insurance
  •  Local guide service in each destination
  •  Scout in Omo Valley
  •  Boat trip
  •  Entrance fees
  •  Local taxes and service charges
  •  24/7 assistance from Head Office in Addis Ababa

Not included:

  •  International flights (country of origin/Addis – Addis/country of origin)
  •  Drinks
  •  Personal expenses (telephone calls, laundry, gifts etc)
  •  Tips to guides and drivers
  •  Personal insurance (highly recommended)

Day 1: Addis Ababa

Arrive Addis Ababa at Bole International Air Port & meet with us for transfer to the hotel. Overnight hotel

 Day 2: Addis Ababa

Today you have a full day city tour in Addis Ababa. Visit the National Museum, where you see the famous fossil Lucy, who was 3.2 million years old, the Ethnographic Museum, Entoto St. Mary Museum, St .Trinity Cathedral church, and Merkato market, the largest open-air market in Africa. Overnight hotel

 Day 3: Bahir Dar

After an early breakfast drive to the city of Bahir Dar. Passing by mt. Entoto through the sululta plain and stop at Jemmal valley for photo. Then proceed to the spectacular scenery of the Blue Nile Gorge, which has a breath taking scenery and better than the Grand Canon according to visitor. Overnight hotel.

 Day 4: Bahir Dar

We drive to the Blue Nile Falls, which is known locally as Tissisat (smoking water) fall: 100 m (328 ft) wide, the water plunges for 45 m (148 ft), giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. After lunch we will have a boat trip on Lake Tana. There are 37 islands on Lake Tana and 32 of them have churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. We visit the monastery church of Ura Kidane Mihiret, which is the best known of the monasteries and has an important collection of religious icons from the 16th to 18th centuries A.D. Overnight same hotel

 Day 5: Gonder

Drive to Gonder, which is 180 kms away from Bahir Dar. Gonder was the first capital city of the Ethiopian Empire, which began in 1632 with the reign of Fasilidas. In Gonder, there are a dozen castles built by various emperors over the course of 236 years. The city seems more European than African. In the afternoon, we visit Fasilidas’ Palace, probably the most impressive of all the castles found in the area and the oldest one! We continue on to the Church of Debre Berham Selassie (Light of the Trinity). The interior of Debre Berham Selassie is decorated with beautiful frescos, cherubs and paintings. Debre Berham Selassie is rumored to once have been the proposed final resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant. Overnight hotel

 Day 6: Debark

After breakfast drive from Gonder to Semen Mounatin National park, which is 130 kms. This is a small market town at an altitude of 2700 meters close to the boundary of the Semien Mountains National park. Corrugated – iron – roofed buildings surround its colorful and busy market area. Before entering the park, you have to register at the park headquarters just outside town. Here, armed scout – one of the park regulations, joins you. Then drive to Sankober for the best view. En route, pass through pretty country, the foothills of the Semen Mountains, with carefully tended field, open pasture with grazing horses, stands of trees and distant rocky peaks. At the high point of the road, there are superb views across the weirdly eroded foothills of the range and you may also be lucky enough to spot you first lammergeyers and gelada baboons of the trip. Overnight hotel in Debark

 Day 7: Axum

Having your breakfast drive to the ancient town of Axum through the chains of the Semen Mountains and the Tekeze river valley. Overnight hotel

 Day 8: Axum

Today you will have a city tour in Axum, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The legends narrated in the Kebre Nagast (Book of Kings) recount how the city of Axum as early as the 10th century B.C was already the city in which the Queen of Sheba resided. It is recounted that the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant to Axum and it remains 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 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/Mesekel, The Ezana’s stone inscription, The Queen of Sheba’s palace and Swimming pool, and the Church of Zion, which is the final resting place of the True Arc of The Covenant. Overnight same hotel

 Day 9: Mekelle

After breakfast drive to Adigrate by the Adwa Mountains. On the way visit Yeha Temple, which is more than 2500 years old and small museum in the Church compound. And then drive to Debre Damo, which is the first monastery in Ethiopia and found in 6th C by Abune Aregawi, who was one of the Nine Saints. After lunch drive to Mekele. En route, visit the 4th C rock church of Wukro Cherkos. Overnight hotel

 Day 10: Lalibela

After an early breakfast drive to the town of Lalibela via Sekota(300 kms) to experience the rough nature of road but nice with the beautiful scenery (gigantic, ups and downs landscape) have. Overnight Hotel

 Day 11: Lalibela

Today you have a full day city tour in Lalibela. The city contains 11 monolithic churches that were built in the 12th century and are carved out of the pink granite rock; they have been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the first and the third group of churches, which have seven rock churches. After lunch visit the second group of churches, which have four rock churches. Overnight at same hotel

 Day 12: Kombolcha

Drive 325 kms to Kombolcha through the highlands of Dilb, where you may see the endemic mammal of Gelada baboon. Along the way you will have a chance to take a picture of the beautiful hair style of the Wello people and will have a short stop at Lake Hayk, where you see colorful water birds. And then proceed to Kombolcha. Overnight hotel

 Day 13: Addis Ababa

After breakfast drive back to Addis Ababa through the tunnel of Tarma Ber, which is 580 meters. On the way, you will have a stop at Gemassa plateau, where you see the Great Rift Valley and one of the Oromo village with their people . Overnight hotel

Day 14: Arba Minch

Drive to Arba Minch via Butajera. On the way visit the rock hewn church of Adadi Mariam, which believes carved by King Lalibela at the end of 12th C and the steles of Tiya, which carved from monolithic stones and used as Tomb for the soldiers who died between the age of 18 and 22. And also the Stele of Tiya registered on the UNESCO Album as one of the world heritage site. Overnight hotel

 Day 15: Arba Minch

AM visit village the Dorze people who live on the Guge Mounatin and are famous for their beehive bamboo house and weaving skill; In their society, it is a taboo for men to spin the cotton and also taboo for the women to make a traditional cloth. After lunch will have a boat trip on the 3rd lagest lake in Ethiopia called Chamo; which famous for big Crocodile, Hippos, and water birds. Overnight same hotel

 Day 16: Jinka

After breakfast drive to Weyto via the town of Key Afer. On the way visit the konso village, where you see colorfully costumed dress, impressive terracing of the land, annually engraved wooden status used as grave markers and community house. In the community house called Mora, all the young boys above 12 years old expected to stay every night in it till their marriage . And then drive to Weyto for Lunch. After Lunch continue driving to the town of Jinka. Overnight hotel

 Day 17: Turmi

AM drive to Mago National Park to visit the Mursi people with their village. The mursi are well known for the large clay discs that the women wear inserted in their slit lower lips ; The Mursi women start cutting their lips between the age of 12 and 16 years and then after they cut their lips, they put small wooden plugs and change every night with the big one to stretch the lips till their lips can hold 6 inch round clay. The Mursi men wear very little, although a cotton wrap is be coming more & more common . After lunch drive to Turmi via Dimeka. If the day is Saturday or Tuesday, will have a chance to see the colorful weekly market at Dimeka. Overnight hotel

 Day 18: Turmi

A.M drive to Korocho village to visit the Karo tribe; They are famous for body decoration during the ceremony; In the old time, Men are famous for body scars; By counting of the scars, you can identify how many person he killed. Afternoon drive to Omorate to visit the Dassench people, who live across the Omo river. And then drive back to Turmi. If the day is Monday, there is a weekly market at Turmi for the Hamer people. Overnight same hotel.

 Day 19: Arba Minch

Visit the Hammer village, where you see kids playing in the compound and women are decorate their hair by using red soil, water and cow butter. Hamer people have a bull Jumping ceremony; This ceremony is a transformation for young boys from young to adulthood; During the ceremony, you see the real Hamer traditional dance called Eveangadi; and also the women from the jumper’s families are being wipe by his friend’s to show their love to the Jumper.

Drive to Arba minch via Arbore. On the way will have stop at Arbore tribe, who practice circumcision before marriage for the girls. After circumcision program, she will stay two month in her Husband’s family house. Overnight hotel

 Day 20: Addis Ababa/Departure

Drive back to Addis. On the way visit Lake Zeway, where you see the Colorful water birds and it is the largest lake from the Northern Rift Valley Lakes. Evening after the dinner program in one of the traditional restaurant, transfer to air port for departure. End of the tour.