7-Day Historical Sites of Northern Ethiopia

See All Photos

In the morning drive to Gondar. Along the way stop at one of the villages of the Amhara people to see how Ethiopians prepare Enjera, the country's national bread and visit various viewpoints. In the afternoon, take a tour of Gondar to visit the six castles in the Imperial Castle Compound of Gondar and the beautiful old Church of Debre Birhan Selassie which is noted for its hand-painted wall and ceiling paintings.

See All Photos

Drive from Gondar to the Simien Mountains National Park. Check out the street-side market where locals sell clay handicrafts that were made by the Felasha Ethiopian Jews. Then stop at Debark to get entrance permissions, meet your local guide, and armed park scouts. Then you go off-road to Simien Mountains National Park, while exploring you might see the Gelada baboon while passing many viewpoints on your hour-long walk.

See All Photos

Fly to Axum and visit the ancient obelisks of Axum which date back to the 1st century BC. Then visit the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, an Ethiopian Orthodox-Tewahedo Church that claims to contain the Ark of the Covenant, making it one of the most important in East Africa. After exploring the historical sites, churches, and ruins of Axum, take a walk in Axum town to shop for hand-woven cotton clothes and other specialities of Axum.

See All Photos

After breakfast fly to Lalibela. In Lalibela, you'll explore the famous hand-hewn 12th- and 13th-century churches. The true marvels of Ethiopia, this afternoon, you will visit six of the eleven rock churches of Lalibela which are known as the first group” or north-west cluster, some of which are the most important churches, and first in the entire country. After the tour, you'll head to your hotel to relax.

See All Photos

In the morning, visit the remaining five churches of Lalibela known as the Second Group. Each church has its own story that plays an important part in the religious narrative of this special place. After lunch at Ben Abeba Restaurant while taking in the surrounding mountains, drive out of Lalibela to visit the cave church of Na’akuto Le’ab which was founded in the 13th century by the successor and nephew of King Lalibela. Then, attend a typical Ethiopian coffee ceremony.