Fifteen Days of Cultural Journey to Ethiopia-Timket Epiphany Celebrations

Fifteen Days of Cultural Journey to Ethiopia-Timket Epiphany Celebrations

Timket or Epiphany is one of the largest religious holidays celebrated in Ethiopia every year on the 18th or 19th or 20th of January (depends on the calendar of the year but in 2020 the exact day is planned to be on Monday 20th January) to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Chris by St John the Baptist in Jordan. The ceremony begins with the feast of the holiday season in the early afternoon and Christians gather around the churches to witness the ceremony of the release of the copies of the Ark of the Covenant, also known as the "Tabotes". During the procession, the Tabotes (wooden altar, like the Ark of the Covenant, which is kept out of sight of the faithful) are covered by a cloth and are worn on the heads of the people. priests from each church to place them in a tent mounted near a water tank.The next morning OR the day of the feast, the faithful who attended the Mass around this sacred place, plunges or returns to the water to purify itself.

Itinerary: 15 Days / 14 Nights (Since the arrival and return of Addis Ababa)
From Friday 17 January to Friday 31 January 2020

Jr-1: Addis Ababa (2355m): Visit of Addis Ababa
Jr-2: Addis Ababa -Axum (2130m): 1hr of flight in the morning: Visit the archaeological sites
Day 3: Aksum: Afternoon: first part of the ceremony of Timket: Visits of Archaeological Sites in Axum
Jr-4: Axoum (2130m): The Timket Festival and visit of the rest of the sites in Axum and the surrounding area
Jr-5: Axoum-Adigrat (2460m): Road from 4 to 5 hrs. Festivities of St Michel: Visit of a temple
Day 6: Adigrat (2460m) -Hawzein (2105m): Road from 2 to 3 hours: Visit the rock churches in the Gueralta region.
Day 7: Gueralta (2105m) -Mekele (2085m): 3 to 4 hours to Mekele. Visit and meet the locals when visiting a traditional house + discovery of a primary or elementary school + visit the ancient monasteries of the Tigray region of Gueralta
Day 8: Mekele-Lalibela (2630m): 6 to 7 hours drive.
Day 9: Lalibela (2630m): Visit of the 11 rock churches of Lalibela
Day 10: Lalibela-Lalibela's surroundings: 2-3 hours of roads-A / R
Day 11: Lalibela (2630m) -Bahir Dar (1800m): Road from 6 to 7 hours.Visit Community Awramba
Jr-12: Bahir Dar -Nile Blue Fall-Boat Tour on Lake Tana
Day 13: Bahir Dar (1800m) -Gonder (2311m) -Debark (2800m): Visit some sites to Gonder
Day 14: Thursday, January 30, 2020: Debark-Park Semein (3260m) -Gonder: Discovery of the Simien National Park during a hike from 1 to 2 hours.
Day 15: Friday, January 31: Gonder-Addis Ababa: (FLIGHT THE MORNING) and at the arrival, visits of the remains of the sites of Addis Ababa
In the evening, after dinner in a restaurant with folk dances, departure and transfer to the airport for the evening flight international flight.FIN FROM OUR SERVICE.

PRICE INCLUDED:
1- Accommodation: ** Hotel in Full Board
2 - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Full board)
3-Transport: A High Roof Mini Bus of 15 and very good level + All transfers
4-A professional French-speaking guide
5-All local guide fees and entrance fees + boat trip
6-All expenses for meetings-
7-Government tax

PRICES EXCLUDED: 1-Flight International A / R and 2 domestic flights / 2-taxes at the airport / 3-Tips / 4-personal expenses travel insurance / 5-Visa AND all that is not indicated on the part "The price included"