Fri Day 01: USA / Addis Ababa.
Today, we make our way to the airport for our flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Overnight: En Route.

Sat Day 02: Arrive Addis Ababa.
Addis Ababa: Late morning and afternoon city tour.
This morning arrive at Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. After clearing immigrations and customs, we transfer by our private coach to our hotel reaching around 8:30am.

From 9:00am until 10:30am we have time to have a hot buffet breakfast at our hotel and to check in to our rooms for everyone to shower and freshen up. At 11:00am this morning, we set off with our guide and driver to visit the suburb area of Addis Ababa at the foot of Mt. Entoto.
We will view the Church of Mariam, where Menelik was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in 1889, and the Church of Archangel Raguel. Walking on the mountain, especially between the churches is refreshing and gives you the chance to see rural life, the city itself, forest and unbelievably beautiful landscape intersected by farmlands and trails of farmers.

For lunch from 12:00pm-1:00pm we will dine at a local restaurant called Blue Tops with a great view of the city below. It is from here that Menelik II and Queen Taitu conceived of the establishment Addis Ababa. You can get a sense of the city plan yourself by looking from here at the current city.

After lunch we descend back to the city and continue with a tour of the city itself. Walking along the street starting from Meskel Sq. to Sidest Kilo is very comfortable and entertaining. It will give you the chance to see the Africa Hall, the palaces and the Parliament building, the marvelous architectural adventure of a building hosting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the first modern school (which Menelik the II built in the 1880s), the Trinity Orthodox cathedral, the St. George Cathedral, and the Addis Ababa University.

Lastly, visit the The Menelik Mausoleum. Built in 1911, in the old Baata church, it serves as a tomb for emperors, princes and martyrs of freedom. Built to house the tomb of Emperor Menelik II it also includes the graves of members of his family.

At 5:00pm we return to the hotel and then gather for an early dinner tonight and early to bed.

8:00pm – 9:00pm: CMED
Overnight: The Ghion Hotel. (B,L,D)

Sun Day 03: Addis Ababa / Bahir Dar.

This morning after our breakfast, we check out at 5:30am from the hotel and transfer to the airport to board our flight to Bahir Dar. Upon arrival we will transfer to the hotel for check-in, and stop for breakfast.

At 10:30am load up our coach and drive to the Blue Nile Falls. We set out to see the source of the Nile River – which flows from here all the way to the Mediterranean. Here it is called Blue Nile Falls or in local Amharic; Tis Isat, “Water that Smokes”). For about an hour, we will drive down a dirt road passing folks carting things to market, with thatched roof huts in fields of millet, and acacia and baobab trees in the background. The scenes from the drive are of typical villages like the one pictured. This is real Africa, with ladies doing their wash in the murky water, herds of cattle tended by six year olds blocking the road, donkeys pulling carts piled 20 feet high with cut grass, and crocodiles lurking in the papyrus.

Once we arrive at the falls, we will have our guide explain its importance. Then, we take a short ferry to the opposite bank of the river. The locals also use this form of transportation and you can see them munching sugarcane on the short, swimming in the river and transporting goods to market. Some women can be seen carrying huge loads of firewood or large water jugs on their backs and heading home.

This afternoon we return to the coach and drive back to Bahir Dar and if possible stop for photographs of such scenes as drying fresh spices in the sun. At 2:00pm we stop for lunch at the Ghion Hotel back in town.

We end the day’s touring at the summer vacation home of Emperor Haile Selassie, which was so beautiful that the Emperor considered moving the national capital to the town. The palace is an impressive architectural work of its time.
Dinner this evening is at the Debe Anbasse hotel.

8:00pm – 9:00pm: CMED
Overnight: Blue Nile Hotel. (B,L,D)

Mon Day 04: Bahir Dar. (Island visits)
Today, we enjoy a tour of the city, and the nearby island monasteries.

Located on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, Bahir Dar is an Ethiopian town with wide avenues of palms and flowers. Bahir Dar’s main attraction is the selection of Ethiopian Christian monasteries which are found on some 20 of Lake Tana’s 37 islands; reached by comfortable boat ride.

We will visit the islands and monasteries for the day. The Zege Peninsula is home to the Ura Kidane Mihret and Bet Maryam monasteries. The former is one of the most-visited of the monasteries. This round building consists of three concentric circles, the innermost of which is the Holy of Holies containing the monastery’s replica of the Ark. The walls are covered in bright paintings, many of which depict violent martyrdoms. Bet Maryam also has an interesting museum/treasury.

Another island is home to Kibran Gebriel, which can only be visited by men (female visitors will be taken to a different island monastery nearby). It also has an interesting museum, filled with old manuscripts, crowns and crosses.

This afternoon we continue with a tour of the city itself, and its market. There will be an option for getting some hair-weaving done.

This evening enjoy dinner and overnight once again at the hotel.
8:00pm – 9:00pm: CMED
Overnight: Blue Nile Hotel. (B,L,D)

Tue Day 05: Bahir Dar / Gondar.
This morning we have breakfast at 6:00am, and check out from the hotel. Transfer to the Red Fox Hotel for check in at 9:30am and then you will begin your visit of this small town.

This morning we will attend an Ethiopian Epiphany Ceremony as part of the Timkat Festival.

Gondar, one of Ethiopia’s largest cities, springs to life every January for Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany. Timkat, which is celebrated on January 19, commemorates Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by reenacting the holy ceremony, and nowhere is the festival more stunning than in the 17th-century palaces of Gondar where the Ethiopian emperors once reigned.

Afternoon we visit Gondar which is known as Ethiopia’s Camelot, for its many medieval castles. The city’s main imperial precinct, known as the Royal Enclosure, covers an area of 7.7 hectares and contains five castles, raised walkways and connecting tunnels surrounded by high stone walls. The oldest of these is the Castle of Fasilades. Built of stone in the mid-17th century it reflects a number of influences, Axumite, Portuguese and Indian. The upper storey offers panoramic views and Lake Tana is visible on a clear day. The castle has been renovated recently. Fasilades grandson, Lyasu the great, built his own castle and decorated it with ivory, gold and precious stones but an earthquake in the early 19th caused severe damage.

Return to the hotel this evening for dinner and overnight.
Dinner tonight is at the Goha Hotel.
8:00pm – 9:00pm: CMED
Overnight: Red Fox Hotel. (B,L,D)

Wed Day 06: Gondar / Axum. 
This morning breakfast is from 5am-6am, and then we check out and transfer to the airport for our flight to Axum. Arrival and transfer to Africa Hotel.

Today we set out on a tour of Axum. From the 10th to the 1st centuries BC, Axum (also spelled Aksum) was the capital of the great Axumite Empire, which is considered one of the last of the great civilizations. It was a thriving hub of commerce with Red Sea and Indian Ocean ports and the earliest Christian kingdom in the world.

Modern Axum retains little of its former grandeur, but it is still the spiritual heart of the country. It is a deeply religious city (both Ethiopian Orthodox and Sunni Muslim) that houses the country’s most sacred artifact, the reputed Ark of the Covenant.

Today, you will visit the Northern Stelae Field including the Ezana Stele and the Giant Stele. There are numerous monolithic stelae fashioned out solid granite. Their mystery lies in that it is not known exactly by whom, and for what purpose, they were so fashioned, although they were likely associate with burials of great emperors.

Also visit the Church of St. Mary of Zion. Ethiopian legend has it that the Church is the repository of the Ark of the Covenant (the subject of the controversial The Sign and the Seal), which is said to have been stolen (with God’s will) from the temple of Jerusalem by Menelik I, Solomon’s own son by the legendary Queen of Sheba. Unfortunately, for visitors, the chapel in which the Ark is secreted away is not accessible to anyone, even the Ethiopian emperors. There are two churches in the compound: the old church, which was built by Emperor Fasiladas in 1665, and an incredibly ugly new church built in the 1960s by Haile Selassie.

Return to the Romehi hotel this evening for an Italian dinner.
8:00pm – 9:00pm: CMED
Overnight: Africa Hotel. (B,L,D)

Thu Day 07: Axum / Lalibela.

This morning we have some free time to sleep in and catch up on some rest. After a leisurely breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to Lalibela. Upon arrival transfer to the Lali Hotel for check in. We will enjoy lunch at the Jerusalem Hotel from 1:00pm-2:00pm.

Your first visit of Lalibela begins in the afternoon.

The small town of Lalibela, originally known as Roha, is home to one of the world’s most astounding sacred sites: 11 rock-hewn churches, each carved entirely out of a single block of granite with its roof at ground level. It was renamed after the 12th-century King Lalibela, who commissioned these extraordinary churches.

Of Lalibela’s 8-10,000 people, over 1,000 are priests. Religious ritual is central to the life of the town, with regular processions, extensive fasts, crowds of singing and dancing priests. This, combined with its extraordinary religious architecture and simplicity of life, gives the city of Lalibela a timeless and almost biblical atmosphere. The churches are set apart in two separate groupings. Today you will visit the first set (five of eleven) of churches.

This evening: Dinner and overnight at the Lali hotel.
8:00pm – 9:00pm: CMED
Overnight: Lali Hotel. (B,L,D)

Fri Day 08: Lalibela.
Full day sightseeing Lalibela. This morning after breakfast (7:30am-8:30am), we set out once more to the magnificent Rock Churches, known to many as the 8th Wonder of the World. We couldn’t see them all in just one day, so today, we visit the second half of churches.
Break for lunch at the nearby Jerusalem Hotel.
Carved form the soft, volcanic turf in which they stand, these are the world’s most incredible man-made creations and are a lasting monument to man’s faith in God. Legend also has it that it was built with the help of angels. The churches are carved from the rock they stand in, and many are comprised of labyrinth tunnels and crypts connecting galleries and grottos. While some lie almost completely hidden in deep trenches, others stand in open quarried caves. A visit to these extraordinary churches will open your imagination to what was and remains today.

This evening: Dinner and overnight at the Lali hotel.
Overnight: Lali Hotel. (B,L,D)

Sat Day 09: Lalibela / Addis Ababa.
This morning after breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our return flight to Addis Ababa.
On arrival we will proceed directly to an Orphanage – visiting the children of an orphanage in Addis Ababa from 11:30am – 1:00pm.

The children will be amazed to have your company. We will be visiting the Abebech Gobena Foundation, a non profit, non political Orphanage in Addis Ababa. If possible, meet with Ms. Abebech Gobena or her staff to learn about the work she is doing here with the Orphans.

After a wonderful visit to the Orphanage we proceed to town and to break to eat and be thankful for lunch.

1:00pm – we drive to the largest outdoor market in the world – The Mercato where we break for lunch at nearby restaurant

2:30pm – we set out with our guide on a walk through the famous Mercato to shop on our own and purchase curios to take home. Ending our trip the right way, we get a feel for the local culture and the friendly spirit and exotic feel this land carries. The goods here are produced by locals and some of the handicrafts here would be nearly impossible to find outside of the area.

5:00pm – 7:00pm – rest time to re-organize our suitcases and get our personal gear together.
7:00pm – 8:30pm – farewell dinner.

Sun Day 10: Addis Ababa / USA
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to USA.

CODE: WCRJAN2018