6 Days tour Package (Simien Mountains Lalibela and Danakil Depression)

6 Days tour Package (Simien Mountains Lalibela and Danakil Depression)

Simien Mountain and Danakil are two different landscapes, simien mountains are part of the Ethiopian Highlands. They are a World Heritage Site and include the Simien Mountains National Park. The mountains consist of plateaus separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles. Where as danakil is one of the most geologically active regions with three tectonic plates meeting at the Afar Triple Junction. When tectonic plates move apart like at Danakil, it creates lave lakes, hot springs, geysers and fissures in the ground. The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia are the most extraordinary man-made sites in sub-Saharan Africa. Our tour is unique as it is well-arranged including "must visit" historic sites of Lalibela which we deliver all with Ethiopian hospitality and touch.

Itinerary

Day 1: Simien Mountain Trekking

Stop At: Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
We will meet you in the morning at Gondar Airport or your hotel in Gondar. Drive from Gondar to Debark, which is the headquarter town for the national park. We will stop here to get permission to enter the park and meet the scout. We will have tea and coffee break and visit the local market if we have time. The local market is open every day, and every Wednesday and Saturday is the big market day. From Debark town, we will drive to the park gate, which is about 16km from the town. Then, we are heading about 6km to Buit Ras, the first area of the national park. From Buit Ras, we will trek for about 3, 4 hours to Chilkuwanit which is one of the most beautiful viewpoints. This area offers stunning views over the escarpment dropping vertically. You will most certainly encounter troops of the endemic Gelada Baboons and see them up-close. You may also see common jackal, klipspringer and more. There are a lot of birds such as Thick-billed Raven, Augar Buzard, Black Kites, Lammergeyer and different plant species such as Abyssinian Rose, Erica Arboria tree, Euphorbia Species, St. Johns Worttree(Hypercumrevoltum) and so on.


Duration: 7 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight Florida Hotel Gondar

Day 2: Fly to Lalibela

Stop At: Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, Lalibela 1260 Ethiopia
Visit the 11 groups of Lalibela Churches which are located north of a small stream named Jordan River. These Churches were carved during the time of King Lalibela (1181 – 1221) and are registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Here is the list of churches you will visit.
Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Lalibela Hotel

Day 3: Drive from Lalibela to Mekele

Pass By: Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, Lalibela 1260 Ethiopia
Drive from Lalibela to Mekele enjoying the beauty of the landscape of the country.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Mekele Hotel

Day 4: Drive to Erta Ale

Stop At: Erta Ale, 01.275 Mekelle, 1049 Ethiopia
We start our day by driving to Erta Ale (which means smoky mountain in Afar language). Erta Ale ranks one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and 1km square caldera at its summit. Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake. It is 613 meters, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century.
We start early 9:00 AM, drive to Dodom (at the base of Erta Ale). This is may be one of the roughest roads in the world. The 80 km distance may take about 6 hrs passing through changing the landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and occasional palm-lined oasis. After passing several small hamlets scattered here and there in this deserted land, you will arrive to Dodom camping site, located about 17km from Erta Ale.

Dinner will be served around 17:00 o’clock. After a short break, trek up to Ertale at 20:00 hours. Camels will be transporting all the camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light mattresses and mat and water) to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. You will spend the night on top of the mountain, at the rim of the Volcano.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Camping

Day 5: Dallol

Stop At: Erta Ale / Dallol, Erta Ale and dallol Ethiopia
Early Morning sunrise at the northern one corresponds to the main pit crater and walk 5 minutes for the southern and central pits could either corresponds to an ancient pit, or to a simple collapse structure. The main pit-crater, 200 m deep and 350 m across, is sub-circular and three-storied. The smaller southern pit is 65 m wide and about 100 m deep. Descend from Erta Ale around 9 am Dodom – Leave back to Dodom after an early breakfast, if possible at 07:00 o’clock.
You will reach the latest at 10:30 o’clock at the camp, where you will be relaxing. As soon as possible, drive to reach the mythical Lake Giulietti (or Lake Afrera)(optional may not be available during summer time), a saltwater lake located more than100 meters below sea level, in one of the deepest depressions of the planet. Because of the picturesque landscape, it is interesting to visit the salt flats where the Afar people obtain the salt by evaporating the water of the lake, continue to Erbiti and proceed Abaala/ Hamed ela
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Campiing

Day 6: Salt Mine

Stop At: Erta Ale / Dallol, Erta Ale and dallol Ethiopia
Morning tour Drive to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the localities are mining salt. Look the activity of workers breaking salts 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 + camel caravans. Excursion to Dallol (116 meters below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow up camel caravans (No camel caravan on July, August, and early September) and walk with the Afar people. Drive back to Hamedela and proceed to Mekele.

Fly from Mekele to Addis.
End of tour
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.