Day 1 - Addis Ababa
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 m above sea level). It enjoys an excellent climate all year round, with an average temperature of 25°C. 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 Merkato. It also has a good number of restaurants and discotheques. Dinner, overnight stay and breakfast in a four-star hotel, Ghion Hotel.

Day 2 - Bahir Dar
Just before arriving in Bahir Dar, guests visit the waterfalls of the Blue Nile: 100m wide, the water plunges for 45 meters, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. Those who wish may descend to the base of the falls, climb back up the other side and cross the Nile in a papyrus boat (traditionally known as a Tankwas) in order to return to the point of departure (about an hour’s walk). Afterwards we arrive in Bahir Dar in the evening, dinner and overnight in a hotel.

Day 3 - Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar is pleasing city located at 1,800 meters above seal level on the shore of Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia. There are 37 islands on the lake and 30 of them have churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. The morning is set for a boat trip on the lake to explore some of the islands and a walk is organized on one of them to see mural paintings, crowns, crosses etc. The afternoon is free, with the possibility of a city tour and visiting the market, where one may peruse the typical hand-woven capes and scarves of good local cotton. Overnight stay is in the same hotel as the previous evening.

Day 4 - Bahir Dar – Gondar
The road reaches heights of 3,000m, the landscape becomes progressively more arid and, in the background, huge chains of mountains extend to the horizon. We arrive in Gondar before lunchtime. Gondar was the first capital city of the Ethiopian empire, which began in 1632 with the reign of Fasilidas. In the city, there are a dozen castles built by various emperors over the course of 236 years. The city seems more European than African and the historical Islamic influence is also noticeable. The afternoon brings a visit to the palaces, residences and baths of Fasilidas; afterwards, the church of Debre Berhan Selassie (Light of the Trinity), located at the summit of a hill and surrounded by fortified walls. The interior is decorated with beautiful frescos. Dinner and overnight stay at the Goha Hotel, known for its splendid panoramic garden.

Day 5 - Gondar – Axum
The road passes over mountainous regions of wild beauty, running alongside the National Park of the Simien massif. In the park, many of the mountain peaks exceed 4,000m; the highest is Ras Dejen, at 4,543 meters above sea level. These mountains of amethyst-colored peaks and deep gullies consist of volcanic masses eroded away by centuries of rain. The crevices play host to the Waliya, the ibex of the Simien Mountains. We arrive in Axum in the evening, with dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.

Day 6 - Axum
The legends narrated in the Kebre Negest (‘Book of Kings’) describe the city of Axum as the home of the Queen of Sheba. It is recounted that her son and King Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant to Axum and it remains there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary. Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires, and represented a crucial connecting-point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. A visit is organized to the steles: granite monoliths dating from pre-Christian times and decorated with symbolic engravings. In ancient times, there were seven steles, now one of them is in Rome – Mussolini brought it there during Italy’s occupation of Ethiopia. There is also a visit to the church of Santa Maria of Zion, which contains the crowns of Ethiopian kings and other treasures. Dinner and overnight stay in the same hotel as the previous evening.

Day 7 - Axum – Mekele
From the 8th to the 15th century in this region, hundreds of churches were carved and constructed out of living rock. Many of the churches are carved directly into the cliff walls of the Ambas: typical Ethiopian mountains with flat tops and almost vertical sides. Guests will visit several of these churches during the drive to Mekele. Dinner and overnight in Axum Hotel.

Day 8 - Mekele – Lalibela
The whole day is required to cover this distance. The unpaved road climbs several times to heights of about 3,000 meters and descends into valleys where powerful rivers run. The landscape is dry, but visually splendid. For a considerable stretch, the winding road follows the spectacular canyon of the river Tekeze, one of the principal rivers of Ethiopia. Just before Lalibela is the beautiful rock hewn church of Genete Mariam. Arrive in Lalibela in the evening; dinner and overnight in Roha Hotel.

Day 9 - Lalibela
The city is located at 2,600 meters above sea level. It contains 11 monolithic churches built in the twelfth century, carved from pink granite, and are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Each church has a unique architectural style; all are superbly carved and most of them are decorated with well-preserved paintings. In fact, the entire city can be described as a sculpture dedicated to the glory of God. The day is spent visiting the churches and exploring the city itself. Dinner and overnight stay in the same hotel as the previous night.

Day 10 - Lalibela – Kombolcha
The road runs through villages, cultivated plains and small passes, close to the land occupied by the Afar shepherds, a Semi-nomadic people who live mainly in the deserts of Danakil depression. Guests might encounter them on the road along with their caravans of camels. Dinner and overnight in Tekele Hotel in Kombolcha.

Day 11 - Kombolcha – Addis Ababa
The road crosses the Ethiopian plateau, with its vast expanses of cultivated fields. On Sundays in Senbete there is an interesting market where the Afar, Oromo and Amhara peoples meet. Arrival in Addis Ababa in the evening. Have dinner in one of the many restaurants of the capital.

Day 12 - Addis Ababa
Free day, with the chance to visit one of the many museums or take in the exotic sights and smells of the Merkato market. Throughout the city there are shops that sell typical artisan wares, materials and antiques. Dinner in one of the restaurants of the city with departure following.