10 Night Itinerary
The theme of this trip will be humanity and exploring the human condition with undercurrents of religious studies in areas of natural beauty. We will trek to Ancient Orthodox churches, and see the last remnants of Ethiopian Judaism. Additionally there is a focus on short but scenic drives, market days, active hikes, and meeting with local leaders.
A few off the beaten track highlights include visiting a small subsistence village in the Simien Mountains, attending an early morning candlelit mass in Lalibela, and speaking with the international researchers studying the Gelada monkeys.
November is a beautiful time to be in Ethiopia where the greens from the rainy season still linger but the weather is mostly dry and the temperatures are cool.
Flights arrive at various times on the 6th, and depending on your arrival time, you will either have the day to rest and explore, or you will be arriving around 9:30pm. We will arrange transport and activities as needed. For those arriving in the morning, there are some great city tour options.
Nov 7th: Addis Ababa to Korkor
We will have some time this morning to relax and adjust to the time difference. In the mid-morning we will visit the amazing Sabahar textile market and a local market where you can view the entire process behind Ethiopian textile production. We will have a quick Ethiopian lunch before heading to the airport.
An early afternoon flight departs for Mekelle and we begin the journey through the remote red-rock region where 121 churches were carved into local sandstone and limestone caves. We will likely arrive to the hotel just after sunset in time for dinner.
Nov 8th: Tigray Rock Hewn Churches
After breakfast there are two hiking options:
The journey to Abuna Yemata church is a difficult 2 hour trek to a cliffside monastery rumored to have built in the 5th century. The strenuous hike offers extraordinary rewards (pictured here).
An alternative is an hour hike on a moderate road to the Maryam Papesita church with exceptional paintings from the 17th century.
After lunch, we will organize a lecture and walk with Luigi Cantamessa who has lived, studied and traveled throughout the region for 28 years.
Nov 9th: Hiking the Rock Hewn Churches
After breakfast, and for those inclined, today can offer another hike to Maryam Korkor and Daniel Korkor church or the option to rest, read and relax by the lodge.
After lunch at the lodge we will visit a local farm and family to see how staples like chickpea stew (shiro) and honey are made and harvested.
Nov 10th: Lalibela
A quick breakfast and early morning drive to the city of Axum gives us the opportunity to view the ruins of the ancient Christian kingdom. Stelae from the 3-4th century are scattered across the valley.
We fly to Lalibela, arriving around 1pm. After a late lunch we will view a few churches all carved from a single rock surface dating from the early 12th century.
Dinner will be at sunset at the Ben Abeba restaurant, a Gaudi-inspired architectural marvel perched on a beautiful cliff overlooking the Rift Valley.
Nov 11th: Lalibela and Surrounding Areas
After breakfast, we will view the southern cluster of churches, including the most famous St. George, carved into a single piece of rock in the shape of a cross.
For lunch, we have a visit to our guide Birhan’s home and restaurant. Here, we will have an Ethiopian cooking demonstration where we will learn how to make Injera and a few Ethiopian staple dishes.
In the afternoon, we will drive to the beautiful remote town of Yemrehena Kristos where a cave church was built in the early 11th century. There is a nice and scenic 45 minute trek uphill to the cave.
Nov 12th: The Simien Mountains
We begin the morning with our favorite time to view Lalibela : 5am for mass. This is a rare opportunity to see Lalibela in it’s natural setting, a candlelit affair with incense and chanting. After mass, we will return to the hotel for rest and breakfast.
A late morning flight allows us to visit the library that Birhan and Michael built in 2015 and meet some of the teachers and students attending the high school.
We fly to Gondar and begin a 2 hour drive to the Simien Mountains National Park. We will have the chance to visit the Orthodox castle built in the 17th century by King Fasil that was bombed by the British during the second world war.
We will watch the sunset and have dinner at the Limalimo lodge in the Simien Mountains National Park.
Nov 13th: Simien Mountains Trekking
Today we will spend the day in the Simien Mountains National Park. After breakfast we will drive to Sankobar.
Here we will meet the American researchers who are studying the Gelada Monkey and spend some field time as they observe the troops of Geladas endemic to Ethiopia.
After lunch, we hike two hours to the stunning Sankobar waterfall. We drive back to the lodge for dinner
Dinner at the lodge will give us the opportunity to speak with former local guide Chiferaw and/or his wife Julie about building a luxury eco-lodge in the remote mountains.
Nov 14th: Gondar to Addis Ababa
On the way back to Gondar and Addis, we will stop by one of the last remaining Jewish communities and tour their small synagogue. Most of the Jews in Ethiopia fled following persecution and famine. They travelled through Sudan to Israel, starting in 1984.
In Addis we will do some shopping before having an early dinner at the famous Kategna restaurant where high-society wines and dines on Ethiopian cuisine.
Afterwards we will attend a cultural dancing show at Fendeka or Yod Abyssinia - a traditional dancing house where a local honey wine fuels the lively crowd and dancers. Dinner will be with a local leader in the non-profit arena.
Nov 15th: Heading Home
Flights returning to Newark depart in the morning. We will say our goodbyes in the most Ethiopian way - over coffee.
“Accommodation is important to us and we like our guests to stay in the nicest, friendliest eco-lodges in the country when possible. Some of our favorites include the Limalimo lodge in the Simien Mountains and the Korkor lodge in Tigray. ”
