Welcome to Ethiopia! Upon arrival at Bole International Airport, you will be welcomed and assisted by a Jacaranda staff and driven to your hotel.

After checking in, you will begin your city tour. The name of the city, in Amharic, means “new flower”. Founded in 1886 by Menelik II, it is located at 2,500 meters above sea level in one of the highest parts of the Entoto mountain chain (3,000 meters above sea level). Addis Ababa is a pleasant city with wide avenues of jacaranda trees, interesting museums and one of the largest open air markets in Africa, known as the “Mercato. While touring, you will have lunch at a local restaurant, and then be transferred back to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

This morning after breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Lalibela. The city is located at 2,600 meters above sea level. It contains 11monolithic churches that were built in the twelfth century and are carved out of the pink granite rock; they have been classified as one of the wonders of the world. Each church has a unique architectural style; all are superbly carved and most of them are decorated with well-preserved paintings. The entire city may be described as a sculpture dedicated to the glory of God. Upon arrival you will visit the Monastery of Nakuto Leab named after its constructor, the nephew and successor of King Lalibela.  After lunch you will visit the 1st group of the rock hewn churches and exploring the city itself.  Overnight stay Mountain View Hotel or a hotel with similar standard. (B, L, D)

This morning you will have an early morning visit to the Monastery of Asheton Mariam. Afternoon, continue to visit the second group of the rock hewn Churches in Lalibela. Overnight stay will be the same as the previous night. (B, L, D)

Today after breakfast, you will drive to Mekele (10 hrs) along a breathtakingly beautiful scenic route, passing several villages and peeking at the people’s way of life. Mekele is the capital of Tigray, founded by Emperor Yohannes IV. A platform for people Tigray, Amhara and Afar, Mekele is a modern and very active place. You shall arrive at our destination at dusk. Overnight stay Planet Hotel or a hotel with similar standard. (B, L, D)

After breakfast you will drive to Adigerat (3 - 4 hrs). En route you shall visit couple of Tigray churches including Wukro Chirkos church an extraordinary church hewn Dated from the 4th century A.D from a living rock situated around 200m from Wukro and is the most accessible church, known for the handsomely decorated interior with symmetrically patterned arches, columns and carvings. 

The next destination is about 18 km west of Wukro, a long gravel road which twists and turns up and down the hills and mountains through numerous hairpin turns until you finally reach another rock hewn church Abreha Atsebah, The trip takes about 45 minutes the vehicle is parked on the road at the base of the mountain and start towards the church by entering through a stone archway, till you reach a stairway that you will have to climb from the base of the cliff, up to the church courtyard proper. Overnight stay Geraltha Lodge / Agoro Lodge or a hotel of similar standard. (B, L, D)

Morning drive will take you to Axum (3-4 hours). En-route you shall visit Yeha temple which well-preserved stone temple estimated to be at least 2500 years old.. Overnight stay Yared Zema Hotel or a hotel with similar standard. (B, L, D)

Today, you will take a visit to the stelae: granite monoliths dating from pre-Christian times and decorated with symbolic engravings. In ancient times, there were seven stelae. During the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, Mussolini had taken one of them to Rome. It has since then been returned and re-erected in Axum. The day is dedicated to visiting the sites in Axum. Overnight stay will be same hotel as the previous night. (B, L, D)

This morning you will have a journey of 282Km (7 hours) from Axum to the Simien Mountains, a gentle highland at altitudes above 3600 meters above sea level, which are undoubtedly among Africa’s most beautiful ranges. In the park, the highest mountain is Ras Dashen, at 4,543 meters above sea level and is appropriately named as ‘The Roof of Africa’. These spectacular segments of the Simien Mountain, termed as the wildest and most spectacular site of all the Ethiopian Landscapes is home to many endemic animals like the Ethiopian Wolf, Waliya Ibex and plants like Giant Lobelia.  This massive 4,000 meters-high table of rock offers easy but immensely rewarding trekking along the edge of a plateau that falls sheer to the plains far below.  The scenery and the variety of wildlife will leave you speechless.  The afternoon is dedicated to trekking in the mountains. Overnight stay Simien Lodge or a hotel with similar standard. (B, L, D)

Today you explore the park with a chance to encounter the endemic gelada baboons and other endemic animal. It’s also possible to hike or trek in the park. Overnight stay same as previous night. (B, L, D)

This morning, you will continue the journey by driving to Gondar (10 hrs). Gondar was once the capital city of the Ethiopian empire, which began in 1632 with the reign of Fasilidas. The morning will be dedicated to the discovering of the imperial city of kings and then you will have lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon, visit a small palace called "Fasiladas bath" built outside of the city, and discover the most beautiful church of Ethiopia, Debre Berhan Selassie whose walls are covered with beautiful paintings. Overnight stay Goha Hotel or a hotel with similar standard. (B, L, D)

After breakfast drive to Bahir Dar (3-4 hrs) which is a pleasant city located at 1,800 meters above sea level on the shores of Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia. There are 37 islands on Lake Tana and 30 of them have churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. In the afternoon you shall head to the Blue Nile Falls, which is known as locally Tissat Falls: 100 meters wide, the water plunges for 45 meters, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. (Its take about 1 hr walk to reach the fall and another 1hr to return back to the point of departure via the Portuguese bridge). You shall return back to the city for sunset. Overnight stay Kuriftu Resort or a hotel of similar standard. (B, L, D)

This morning, you will cross Lake Tana to visit the monastery of Ura Kidane Miheret, and Azwa Mariam located on the peninsula of Zegue. The churches at this peninsula are a pleasant surprise, not only because of the paintings but also because of the age of the building and the unique style of decorations.

In the afternoon you will have time to explore some part of the city. The city is distinctly known for its wide avenues lined with palm trees and a variety of colorful flowers. It is also considered as one of the most beautiful, well planned, and safest cities by many standards, and in 2002 it was awarded UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize for managing to address the challenges of rapid urbanization. Overnight stay same as the previous night. (B, L, D)

After a relaxed breakfast you will catch a flight back to Addis Ababa. In the afternoon you will have time to explore more of the capital and maybe do some shopping. In the evening, there is a farewell traditional dinner where you will experience live cultural music and dance. Your tour concludes by being dropped to the airport to catch your flight back home. (B, L, D)