9) HISTORY AND CULTURE 21 days

01. SAT. Arrival Addis Ababa. Afternoon tour of the capital. Visit Entoto mountains, the National museum, StGeorge church, the Merkato. ON chosen hotel. 
02. Fly to Bahirdar. Afternoon boat trip on lake Tana. ON in Bahirdar
03. Morning drive to admire the Blue Nile falls. Lunch back to Bahirdar. Afternoon drive to Gondar, city of castles and churches. Dinner and ON Gondar.
04. Full day visit of castles and churches in Gondar: visit the castle’s compound, the Debre Birhan Sellasie church (light of Trinity) with wonderful murals, the King Fasiladas bath, the old Qusquam monastery, Empress Mentewab palace and more. ON Gondar.
05. Excursion to visit the Semien mountains. Make short walks, admiring these spectacular views, spot some endemic mammals, visit Amhara villages. ON Debark htl.
06. Excursions and then proceed your drive to Axum. ON htl
07. Visit the steles, different archeological sites, churches. ON in Axum.
08. Fly to Lalibela, afternoon visit a group of the rock-hewn churches. ON in Lalibela
09. Morning visit one of the churches out of the town: Asheten Mariam church, or the cave church of Naktuleab. Afternoon remaining churches in Lalibela. ON in Lalibela
10. Fly to Addis Ababa. Relax in Addis. Visit the Ethnographic museum and the Merkato, biggest open air market in Africa. ON htl
11. Proceed through the Wolayta people and villages and admiring spectacular green hills, to Arbaminch, in Amharic meaning “forty springs”. ON Swaynes hotel, with spectacular views over Chamo and Abaya lakes. www.swayneshotel.com
12. Morning drive to Chencha, for the Dorze people, with their unique culture, houses, and traditions. Afternoon boat on Chamo lake for crocodiles, hippos. ON Swaynes hotel.
13. THU. Proceed to Jinka, admiring the Derase, Tsemay, Ari and Benna people. Being
THU admire the KeyAfer village market of Tsemay and Erbore people. ON Jinka in htl or camp (depend on availability)
14. Enter into the Mago National park to visit the Mursi people and villages. Here for beauty women use to put round plates into their lips. ON camp Mago
15. Cross the Karo people region, for their very interesting culture & very nice views over Omo river from Kortcho village. Proceed then to the Hamer people. ON Turmi Evangadi lodge (you can ask with supplement the bungalows; otherwise use camping. www.evangadilodge.com
16. Morning excursion at Omorate village, to visit the Dassanech people. Admire the Hamer people dances (Evangadi) and with luck the marriage ceremonies with the bull jumping. Visit their villages. ON Evangadi lodge Turmi.
17. MON. Visit the very colorful Hamer, Karo and Dassanech people market at Turmi village. Free day for Hamer people. ON Turmi.
18. Cross and admire the Erbore people villages; so make a stop to admire the traditions as terracing agriculture of the Konso. ON Konso.
19. Enter into the Borena people region and visit the singing wells at Dublock, the ElSod crater (where from a marshy lake Borena men extract salt) and Borena villages. ON Yabelo or AgereMariam.
20. Drive via the Guji people and the Awasa Rift Valley lake, to Langano lake for relax and ON at Wenney ecolodge. www.wenneyecolodge.com
21. Relax at Langano. Drive back to Addis. Evening traditional dinner with folkloristic dances. Then departure.