Day 1 – To Addis Ababa: Fly from London
Heathrow to Addis Ababa with Ethiopian
Airlines. (N)
Day 2 – Addis Ababa: Arrive in the third
highest capital in the world. Afternoon tour
of Addis, including the Ethnological Museum
and Mount Entoto. Stay 1 night at the
Radisson Blu. (L, D)
Day 3 – To Hawzien: This morning, fly to
Mekelle and drive to Hawzien visiting the rock-hewn churches of Wukro Cherkos,
Abreha wa Atsbeha and Dugem Selassie. Also
en route is the mosque at Negash, the earliest
Muslim settlement in Africa. Stay overnight at
Gheralta Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 4 – To Axum: Morning visit to the
Medhane Alem Adikesho, one of the best
preserved rock hewn churches in the Tigray
region, which also exhibits some beautiful wall
paintings. Continue to Yeha, to see the eighth
century BC Sabaean temple. Proceed to Axum
and stay 2 nights at the Yeha hotel. Adjacent to
the hotel are the northern stelae fields, which
mark the tombs of the former kings of Axum.
(B, L, D)
Day 5 – Axum: Full-day tour of Axum.
Discover history and myth at the Queen of
Sheba’s Palace and Bath before visiting the
St Mary of Zion churches, reputedly home
to the Ark of the Covenant. Continue to
King Ezana’s Stone en route to the tombs
of King Kelab and Gebre Meskelm, two of
Axum’s most important rulers who succeeded
in bringing southern Arabia under their rule.
After lunch, drive to the Abba Pentalewon
Monastery, which houses some fine
illuminated manuscripts and religious artifacts.
Continue to the Abba Liqanos Monastery where a short walk offers excellent views of
the surrounding countryside before a private
visit to a local artist who specialises in religious
paintings. (B, L, D)
Day 6 – To Lalibela: Morning flight to
Lalibela, famed for its 11 Unesco-protected
rock hewn churches. Built by King Lalibela
in the 12th century, the town was to be the
‘new Jerusalem’ after Muslim conquests halted
Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land.
On arrival, transfer to the town for a private
demonstration by a local priest in the ancient
tradition of parchment writing used for early
manuscripts and paintings. This afternoon, visit
the north-west cluster of churches, including
the Church of St George, referred to as the
‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. Stay 3 nights at
the Mountain View Hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 7 – Lalibela: Morning visit to the southeast
cluster of churches, which includes a
former royal palace, chapel, prison and bakery.
Optional afternoon visit to a local family for a
cooking demonstration, including the baking of
injera, the national dish of Ethiopia. (B, L, D)
Day 8 – Lalibela: Full-day tour to the Bibilla
Circuit of churches north of Lalibela. This off -
the-beaten track cluster is rarely frequented,
but offers visitors a rewarding contrast in style
to the Lalibela churches. Highlights include
the semi-monolithic Bibilla Cherkos with its
beautiful 800-year-old goatskin books and the
Yemrehanna Kristos cave monastery, whose
alternating wood and granite face gives it the
appearance of a layered chocolate cream cake.
(B, L, D)
Day 9 – To Gondar: Fly to Gondar and
transfer to the Goha Hotel for 2 nights.
Afternoon sightseeing tour to the castles of
Emperor Fasiladas and the palace of Queen
Mentuab. (B, L, D)
Day 10 – Gondar: Morning visit to the church
of Debre Berhan Selassie, whose ecclesiastical
17th- to 19th-century paintings by Haile
Meskel and, more recently, Egwala Tyson,
depict religious scenes ranging from the life of
Christ to Mohammed being led by the devil. The ceiling is painted with 80 cherubic faces
and is probably the most photographed piece
of art in Ethiopia. Optional afternoon visit to
the Kosoye Viewpoint, which offers a stunning
panorama of the Simien mountains and the
chance to see the endemic gelada monkeys.
(B, L, D)
Day 11 – To Bahir Dar: After breakfast, drive
to Gorgora, a quaint town on the northern
shores of Lake Tana. Visit the Derbre Sina
Mariam church, a fine example of a circular
thatched church decorated with religious
murals, before embarking on a private boat
across the lake to Bahir Dar where abundant
birdlife is attracted to the islands. En route,
visit a variety of island monasteries including
Tana Cherkos monastery, Narga Sillassie
monastery, Ura Kidane Mehret, and the Zege
Peninsula. Spend 2 nights at the Kuriftu
Resort & Spa. (B, L, D)
Day 12 – Bahir Dar: Morning visit to the
picturesque Blue Nile Falls with its quaint
river walks. Afternoon at leisure at the hotel
or optional visit to the Bezawit Palace and the
market in Bahir Dar. (B, L, D)
Day 13 – To Addis Ababa: Morning flight to
Addis Ababa. Arrive and drive south to Bishoftu, a resort town known for its five crater lakes.
Visit the African Arts and Training Museum
run by the legendary Ethiopian artist Lemma
Guya renowned for his pioneering animal skin
paintings. Return to Addis Ababa and stay
overnight at the Radisson Blu Hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 14 – To London: Morning at leisure.
Afternoon city tour of Addis Ababa including
St George’s Cathedral, notable for its unique
octagonal design and stained glass works by
Afewerk Tekle. Visit the baroque-style Trinity
Cathedral, built to commemorate Ethiopia’s
liberation from Italian occupation, and which
also contains the coffin of the revered emperor,
Haile Selassie I. Finish at the Modern Art
Museum, dedicated to the painter-poet Gebre
Kristos, whose style of abstract expressionism
pioneered the form of contemporary art in
Ethiopia. Enjoy a farewell dinner and traditional
entertainment before a late evening transfer to
the airport. Fly from Addis Ababa to London
Heathrow with Ethiopian Airways. (B, L, D)
Day 15 – London: Early morning arrival. (N)
Accessibility: Ethiopia is mountainous and
altitude may be a problem for some visitors.
Some rocky drives and steep walks are
necessary to reach many of the churches and
monasteries. Of the 27 decorated churches
we plan to visit, three are historically only
open to men (Abba Pentalewon Monastery,
Abba Liqanos Monastery and Tana Cherkos),
however, there are often nearby church
buildings for women to visit. Please contact
Cox & Kings for details.
Discovery Tour: Ethiopia is a poor country.
Hotels, while sometimes not reaching western
standards, are clean and comfortable and
the cultural wonders more than make up for
occasional de. ciencies.
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
