Ethiopia's Historic Route

Founded in 1886 by Menelik II, Addis Ababa is located 2,500m above sea level in the Entoto mountain chain, where it enjoys an excellent year-round climate, with an average temperature of 25°C. It is a vibrant, developing city that is a pleasure to explore on foot, with wide avenues of jacaranda trees, interesting museums and one of the largest open-air markets in Africa.

Depending on the time of your arrival, it may be possible to fit in an afternoon guided tour of the city, taking in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the National Museum, and the market.

Ethiopian tradition holds that the royal city of Axum was founded in the 10th-century BC as the royal seat of the Queen of Sheba. Around this time, the tradition continues, Menelik, the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, brought the Ark of the Covenant to Axum where it remains to this day, preserved in a sanctuary within the church of St Mary of Zion. Whatever the veracity of this legend (archaeologists prefer to date the origins of Axum to the 5th-century BC), Axum has played a crucial role in Ethiopia’s history and remains very much the religious and cultural heart of the country to this day.

Axum was Ethiopia’s capital during the long Axumite reign (est. 5th-century BC to 10th-century AD), and was thus at the heart of one Africa’s greatest and oldest empires. During this time, it represented a crucial connecting-point between Africa and Asia.

Your afternoon tour of Axum will take in the main highlights, beginning with the famous stellae, granite monoliths dating from pre-Christian times and decorated with symbolic engravings, before continuing to Ethiopia’s holiest temple, the church of Saint Mary of Zion.

End your tour with a visit to the Palace of the Queen of Sheba, followed by a short drive to a high viewpoint overlooking this ancient site, before returning to the guesthouse.

Located at an altitude of 2,600 metres above sea level, the mountain city of Lalibela is remote even by Ethiopian standards. It has long been a holdout for the Orthodox Ethiopian Church, untouched by the Islamic conquests of the 16th-century and by later European attempts at colonisation. For Orthodox Ethiopians, pilgrimage to the churches of Lalibela, where services are still held daily, is as important as the pilgrimage to Mecca is to devout Muslims. Nowhere in Ethiopia does the spirituality of its people echo louder than in Lalibela.

Lalibela is of course most famous for its 12th-century monolithic churches, of which there are 11, each carved out of pink granite rock and collectively considered to be one of the wonders of the world. Each of the churches has a unique architectural style, though they share many features; most notably, each has been carved from the top-down, a technique not practiced anywhere else in the world. They are also beautifully decorated. Looked at in isolation, each of the temples is remarkable, but taken together they are a wonder; the entire city has been described as a sculpture dedicated to the glory of God, and as you wander the complex network of tunnels and subterranean passageways that connect its underground structures, you’ll quickly come to appreciate why.

The temples at Lalibela are loosely divided into two groups, and today you’ll focus on exploring the first.

Overnight at Mountain View Hotel which has wonderful views of the Lasta Mountains.

The journey up a steep and winding track to the monastery is an adventure in and of itself. And the view from the top – the monastery is located at an altitude of almost 4,000m above sea level – is stunning.

In the afternoon, return to the temples at Lalibela and take the time to explore the second, and most famous, group of rock churches, including the Church of St George, or Bete Giyorgis. After the tour, return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

NB. If the mule trek, which can also be completed on foot, does not appeal, let us know and we’ll allow for more time at the main Lalibela complex or alternatively arrange for you to drive to Yimrehane Kiristos, a remote cave church.

Set in a mountainous landscape of stunning beauty, Gondar was founded in the early seventeenth century (the precise dates are unclear) as the capital of the Ethiopian Empire under Emperor Fasilides. It provides a fascinating insight into this most tumultuous era in Ethiopian history.

Today’s tour will take in the city’s historic centrepiece, Gondar Castle, built by Emperor Fasilides and his descendant, Yohannes I, as well as the fascinating Debre Birhan Selassie Church, a World Heritage site. With its walls and ceilings decorated with scenes of Biblical lore and medieval history, Birhan Selassie serves as one of the best examples of the religious art of the Gonderian period.

The Simien Mountains, which include Ras Deshen, Ethiopia's highest mountain, are located in the north-western corner of the country. Now a world heritage site, the Simiens boast some of Africa's most beautiful mountain scenery, as well as flora and fauna that is endemic to this region. The wildlife is hugely varied and includes the walia ibex, gelada baboon, bearded vulture, thick-billed raven and eagle.

Many gelada baboon can be seen on the escarpment. There are currently an estimated 2,700 baboons in the park, their numbers fairly static. Although their predators have declined, increased farming in the park means that the gelada do not have the same grasslands and woodlands as before.

Gelada form family groups comprising a dominant male and up to 8 females with young. These families join with others to form huge troops, which during the dry season can number as many as 800. You’ll have plenty of time to watch the Gelada at a distance this afternoon. With luck, you may also spot the endemic Walia Ibex.

After exploring the escarpment on foot, check in to Simien Mountain Lodge, which enjoys a fabulous location right on the edge of the escarpment, for dinner and overnight.

Check-in at the Goha hotel for dinner and overnight.

On arrival, check-in at the Kuriftu Resort & Spa for one night.

Start with the famous 14th-century monastery of Ura Kidanemihret, on the Zeghie Peninsula; then walk through the coffee trees to Azewa Mariam to explore its wonderful 16th-century mural paintings, crowns, crosses and many old church treasures, before ending at Debre Mariam (14c), the most striking of the Lake Tana monasteries.

In the afternoon, drive to the airport for your flight back to Addis, arriving early afternoon.

On arrival in Addis, check into your hotel, the Saro Maria (or similar). This will either be on day room basis or overnight depending on your international flight times.

This evening, we will arrange for a farewell dinner in a restaurant with Ethiopian music and dance, or in a good city centre restaurant.