Day 1: Arrival Addis Ababa (L, D)

You will be met on arrival at Bole International Airport and driven approx. 20 mins to your hotel in central Addis Ababa, the Saro Maria. Founded in 1886 by Menelik II, Addis Ababa is located 2,500m above sea level in the Entoto mountain chain. It enjoys a warm climate all-year round, with an average temperature of 25°C. It is a pleasant city, with wide avenues of jacaranda trees, interesting museums and one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. It also boasts Ethiopia’s best restaurants! Depending on time of your arrival, we’ll arrange for a short tour of the city this afternoon, starting with the Holy Trinity Cathedral – the final resting place of Haile Selassie, and Ethiopia’s second most prominent place of worship after Axum’s Temple of St Mary of Zion – followed by a visit to the National Museum, where cultural and archaeological relics, including a plaster cast of "Lucy," the 3.2 million-year-old Hominid, are displayed hall.com Time-permitting, the tour will typically end with a visit to Addis Ababa’s central market, the largest of its kind in East Africa.

Day 3: Exploring Gheralta region (B, L, D)

After breakfast at Gheralta Lodge, drive and walk to several nearby rock churches, including Debre Maryam Korkor and Abune Yemata (optional). Maryam Korkor is located on a high hill and involves a lengthy trek to reach its summit (approx, 1 and a half hours up, one hour down), but it’s worth it for the marvellous view. Built into the cliff- face, Abune Yemata is known as the most difficult church to reach in Ethiopia and possibly in the world, involving a steep rock climb. If you choose to visit Abune Yemata, we shall place a safety rope on the climb section but extreme caution must also be taken on the exposed ledges at the top. In the afternoon, you may like to stop for a simple coffee ceremony in a local coffee bar, then visit a village market or school. Lunch will be at a local restaurant between the church visits. Late afternoon, return to Gheralta Lodge. Gheralta landscape, Tigray

Day 5: Axum (B, L, D)

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 centre of the country to this day. Axum was the capital of Ethiopia 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. Commence your tour of the ancient city this morning with a visit to its most famous site, the dramatic Stellae Field. These granite monoliths almost certainly pre-date the introduction of Christianity to Ethiopia, and their symbolic engravings – the meaning of which remains a mystery – provide a possible insight into early Ethiopian religious culture. (The stellae also figure in Ethiopia’s more recent history, as during the Italian occupation Mussolini had one of the obelisks removed to Rome. It has since then been returned, restored and re-erected in Axum, its status as a national monument reaffirmed. Finish your explorations of Axum with a visit to the Church of St Mary of Zion, Ethiopia’s holiest site. The Church is said to house the Ark of the Covenant. Visitors aren’t allowed to see the Ark, but there are a number of other treasures on display, including the royal crowns of successive Ethiopian kings. Afterwards return to the guesthouse.

Day 7: Lalibela (B, L, D)

This morning you will visit the Asheton Maryam Monastery a small, uninspiring church carved into the cliff-face, however, the setting of the church is incredible, high up in the mountains and overlooking the town. In the afternoon you will explore the second group churches.

Day 9: Simien Mountains Excursion (B, L, D)

Wake for an early breakfast, and then begin your drive into the Simien Mountains, stopping for coffee en route. The drive time from Gondar to the Simiens is approximately two hours but may vary depending on the weather and traffic. Altitude sickness is a risk, as you will be ascending to approx. 3,500m, though your time spent at Lalibela will have provided some altitude acclimatisation. Nevertheless, drink lots of water before you reach the Simiens to ensure you don’t dehydrate while in the mountains. 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 are home to rare and endemic flora and fauna – walia ibex, gelada baboon, Simien fox, bearded vulture, thick-billed raven and eagle – and scenery of such splendour that many travellers consider the range to be the most beautiful mountain country in all africa. 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 extent of grasslands and woodland to roam as they once had. Gelada live in family groups made up of a dominant male and up to 8 females with their respective young. They come together in large bands, which, during the dry season, can number as many as 800. If lucky, you may also spot the endemic Walia Ibex as you explore the Simiens. You stay tonight at the Simien Mountain Lodge, which enjoys a fabulous position right on the edge of the escarpment.

Day 11: Bahir Dar (B, L, D)

This morning you will visit the fascinating Debre Birhan Selassie Church, a UNESCO 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. Afterwards drive to Bahir Dar (180km; approx. 3-4 hours), a lovely city located at 1,800m above sea level on the shore of Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia. Check in at the Avanty blue nile

Day 13: Bahir Dar – Addis Ababa (B, L, D)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport to catch the morning flight to Addis Ababa. The afternoon is at leisure. If flying out this evening, we will arrange for you to have access to a day-room at a hotel in the city. In the evening enjoy a traditional dinner with live music and dance, before transferring to the airport.