Christmas in Laibela

Ethiopia is a country of numerous interesting and wonderful tourist attractions. There are nine world heritage sites representing nature, architecture, archaeology, prehistory, art, culture and many more. The best time to make a holiday to Ethiopia is on the date of its festivals, the colorful festival celebration of Ethiopia Christmas on 7 January in Lalibela. Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated seriously by a church service that goes on throughout the night, with people moving from one church to another..….

TOUR CODE	EMTT – 0017/04
DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION	Addis Ababa, Arba Minch
DURATION	8 Nights & 9 Days
TRANSPORT	Drive/Flight

Day 1: Departure

Arrive in Addis Ababa a warm welcome at the airport, and then transfer to your hotel. Morning will be free. Afternoon, start your sightseeing tour of Addis Ababa, starting your tour from the Trinity Cathedral, visit to the National Museum (archaeological and historical), which has the best collection of Ethiopian antiquities and archeological discoveries, including the famous oldest hominid “Lucy”; then drive up to Mt. Entoto, the highest part of the capital, where you will have a panoramic view over the town of Addis Ababa; a drive down to the biggest open air market in East Africa called Mercato. Overnight Hotel.

Day 2: Fly to Bahir Dar

Drive to the airport to fly to Bahir Dar. Arrive at Bahir Dar after a 55 minutes’ flight. Drive to Tana Hotel for check-in. drive to Tisissat (45 minutes) to get to the water fall, which is 35km away from Bahir Dar. At Tisissat, you get a chance to see the “smoke of the Nile” from the usual vantage points. Board on boat to cross Lake Tana. En route, you will visit the churches of UraKidanemihret, Mehal Zege Georgis and Aswa Marim Late in the afternoon, you will arrive in back Bahir Dar- at around 17:00 hrs- you might get a chance to see the very stunning sun-set from the boat. Overnight and dinner at Tana Hotel.

Day 3: Fly to Gonder

Morning transfer to airport to Fly to Gonder transfer to Goha Hotel. Start visiting the 17th century capital of Ethiopia: Gonder. Sites to visit include: the castle compound (UNESCO World Heritage Site), King Fasiledes’ Bath, the Debre Birhan Selassie (The light of Trinity) church with wonderful murals, Qusqam church and Mentwab palace. Later, drive to the Jewish village called Welaka, 6Km away from Gonder. Overnight will be at Goha Hotel.

Day 4: Fly to Lalibella

Early in the morning, drive to the airport to fly to Lalibella in the morning and then transfer from the airport to your hotel. The airport is 26 Km from the hotel- it will be a half-an-hour drive. After check-in, start visiting the rock hewn churches of Lalibella. Today tour will be the 1st group of churches (the grouping is according to their geographical location): Bete Medhane Alem, Bete Mariam and Bete Meskel. Return to your hotel for lunch at 12:30 AM, and continue touring the rest of the first group of churches after 14:00 AM. Return to your hotel. Overnight will be at Roha and Tikul Guest Hotel.

Day5: Excursion to Asheten Mariam church

Early in the morning make a mule excursion to Asheten Mariam church, where you will the semi-monolithic church which was hewed out by the nephew of King Lalibella, then back to Hotel for lunch afternoon feevisit the remaining churches in Lalibella by the 2nd group of the rock hewn churches of Lalibella: Bete Emanuel, Bete Rafael and Gabriel, Bete Mercury’s and Aba Libanos. Continue your tour from the stunning Bete Giorgis, which was hewed out with the Greek cross, and then walk back to your Hotel. Overnight will be at Roha or Tikul Guest Hotel.

Day 6: Celebrat ETHIOPIAN Christmas

Ledet (ETHIOPIAN Christmas) falls on December 29th on the Ethiopian calendar (January 7th on the Gregorian calendar). It is celebrated after 43 days of fasting, known as Tsome Gehad (advent), with a spectacular procession, which begins at 6 am and lasts until 9 am. After the mass (service), people go home to break the fast with the meat of chicken or lamb or beef accompanied by Injera and the traditional drinks Tella and Tej. In Lalibella Ledet (ETHIOPIAN Christmas) celebrated very uniquely because the birth of St.Lalibela and The Birth of Jesus Christ will fall on the same day according to the Ethiopian calendar therefore today you will have a very unique day celebrating this fest with the local people. Overnight will be at Roha or Tikul Guest Hotel.

Day 7: Fly to Axum

Transfer to the airport to fly to Axum and then transfer to your hotel, which is 10 minutes drive from the airport. Sightseeing in Axum, a town steeped in more than 2500 years of history, from the palace and tomb of King Kaleb (6th C, AD). You will also visit the extraordinary Stella’s records as a world heritage site (WHS) and the tomb of king Remhay (1st to 4th C, AD). Visit the church of St Mary of Tsion (17th C, AD), in which is deposited the Arc of the Covenant. Return to your hotel for lunch. Drive out of the town to Gonder, 4 Km away, where you will walk up to see the rock-carved lion and palace from where the Stella’s were hewn- some still lie there, unfinished one too. From here we can visit the palace of the queen of Sheba, and other archaeological sites. The day’s wandering ends at the small but amazing museum. Return. Dinner and overnight will be at Yeha or Remhay Hotel.

Day8: Fly to Addis Ababa

Drive to the airport to fly to Addis Ababa, arriving at a hotel in Addis at 4:30. Lunch will be Addis Ababa, and the rest of the afternoon will be freely spent at the hotel. In the evedning at 19:30, meet in the lobby and then drive to the traditional restaurant, where you will enjoy traditional Ethiopian music performances at your fare well dinner. Overnight Hotel.

Day 9:Turmi – Yabello

Full day tour of Addis Ababa, morning mausoleum of Menililik the II at the church of Beata Mariam, then drive to Ethnographic museum in the courtyard of Addis Ababa university, then drive back your hotel or have lunch en the route, afternoon visit the ECA Economic commission for Africa, for its wonderful painting on the reception hall. In the evening, there will be traditional dinner and live cultural dance show. At the end of the farewell dinner, transfer to Addis Ababa airport for the flight back. End of tour.