10 Days Tours to Simien Mountains, Tigray Rock Hewn Churches & Danakil Depression
Day 1: Addis – Gondar
Fly from Mekelle to Gondar and Meet up at Gondar airport and drive to Sankabar camp. You can be dropped off two hours trek before the campsite to enjoy the views over the escarpment and you are likely to spot large groups of the Gelada monkey.
Overnight” at Sankabar camp which is at 3250m.
Day 2: Sankaber – Geech
Trek from Sanakabar camp to Gich camp via Jinibar falls, which takes around 6 hours.
Overnight: at Geech camp 3600m.
Day 3: Geech – Chennek
Trek from Gich to Chennek (3620m) via Imet Gogo. At Imet Gogo there are excellent views of the Simien escarpment and on the Gich plateau you will see the endemic plant Giant Lobelia in abundance . At Chennek there are again excellent views, and you should see more Gelada monkeys, Walia ibex and if you are lucky the Ethiopian wolf. Trekking time of around 9 hours.
Day 4: Chennek – Buwahit – Debark
In the morning walk to mount Buwahit which is the second highest pick in the country with 4430masl and back to the base camp to drive back to Debark.
Overnight: stay at Debark.
Day 5: Debark – Axum
After breakfast drive out to Axum through the lowland part of the park and drive the incredible road which built by Italian during the invention back to 1936 – 1941. About 7-8hrs drive.
Overnight: Axum.
Day 6: Axum – Gehralta
On this day we will drive to Gehralta on the way visit Yeha Temple the oldest historical place in Ethiopia with 2500 years old. And in the afternoon visit the rock hewn churches of Tigray called Abune Yemata one of the most beautiful rock hewn church around the area.
Overnight: Hawzen
Day 6: Gehralta – Mekelle
In the morning you will visit some of the other rock hewn churches of Tigray on your way to Mekelle.
Overnight: at Mekelle
Day 7: Mekelle – Hamedella
Drive from Mekelle to Dallol Depression/ Hamedela/ via Berhale. The Danakil Depression can be said to ‘begin’ here. The desert has several points lying more than 100 meters (328 ft) below sea level. You pass through a small town of Berhale where the camel caravans stop before they proceed to the northern highlands. En route you see many long caravans going to the salt mines and others coming out of the Danakil with their salt loaded camels.
Overnight: at Hamedela.
Day 8: Hamedela – Abaala
Morning driving tour to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the salts are mined. Observe the breaking of the salt from the ground, cutting into rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the difference landscape formed by volcanic activity, Dallol + Lake Assal. Excursion to Dallol (116 meter below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, Drive back to Abaala
Overnight: at Abaala.
Day 9: Abaala – Dodom
In the morning start drive to Dodom at the base of Erta Ale. This may be one of the worst road in the world. The 80 km distance may take about 6 hrs passing through changing landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and the occasional palm lined oasis. You pass several small hamlets scattered here and there in this desert land, After reaching Dodom. You will trek from Dodom to Erta Ale which takes about 2 hrs. Early dinner around 17:00 and trek up to Ertale.Camels transport all the camping materials and some food, sleeping materials, mattresses and water, to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava(Volcano). Erta Ale ranks one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia.Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake and you will spend an unforgettable night on the top of the mountain. As arriving you will walk around pits and craters.
Day 10: Eartale – Mekelle – Addis
Early morning you will rise with the sun with time to walk around pits and craters again if you want see it again. You will leave around 7:00 to head back to Dodom for Breakfast and after some time to relax you will drive to mekelle after arrival you will be transferred to the air port to fly to Addis.