The Holy Holidays of Timket and Epiphany

Arrive to the sunny city of Addis Ababa. Up on your arrival, our driver and guide will wait you at the airport holding sign your group name written on it so that you can easily spot him. They will transfer you to the hotel and right after your check-in, our guide will explain the tour details in brief.

This day, you will have welcoming coffee ceremony in the hotel. Based on your arrival time, you are going to visit places in Addis.

Mount Entoto-Top View of Addis

It is the highest pick in Addis with an altitude of 3200 meters, which was the site for the first palace of Emperor Menelik-II, the founder of Addis Ababa. Here there is St. Mary church, where Emperor Menelik crowned as Emperor in it and you will admire the panoramic view of the city with its surrounding forests and the breath taking air.

Overnight Jupiter Hotel

Wake up morning at 7:00am, have breakfast and start your day at 8:30am by visiting the National Museum.

National museum:

It comprises of many archaeological and historical findings including the famous complete hominid fossil remain of “Lucy” locally known as “Dinkinesh” meaning wonderful.

Weaving style at shiromeda + Shopping

This is making of cultural clothes with different designs in traditional way. Here you can see while the weavers are weaving and selling the products in the nearby to their weaving place. The main products are the traditional shema clothes like “Gabi”, “Netela”, etc…… from cotton, which are completely in different style with other industrially made nylon clothes. The national cloth is also made in the same way. Even if weaving is the activity that can be done in every part of the country, there are people who are specialized for this activity making quality cultural clothes in many different forms. These are Dorze people, one of the southern nations and nationalities who are also known for their beehive elephant head. In Addis Ababa they are leading in supplying the cultural clothes.

Since the water volume at Blue Nile falls is very low, spending one hour at the fall will be enough. Take the afternoon flight and arrive to Bahir Dar at 2:00pm. Picked up from airport and directly drive to the falls before you check-in to the hotel.

About 30 km after Blue Nile falls exits Lake Tana, plunges over a 45 m high rock face to form one of Africa’s most spectacular waterfalls. Lake Tana , with the surface area of 3673 sq km, is the largest lake in Ethiopia . Besides being the source of the Blue Nile, Lake Tana is renowned for its varied birdlife as well as housing on its islands and peninsulas more than 20 monastic churches most of which were founded in or before the 15 the century, and are still in service today.

Finally, transferred to the hotel for overnight. This night after you have dinner at the hotel, we will take you to local restaurant so that you can enjoy the genuen cultural dances.

Overnight Blue Nile Resort and Spa

Wake up morning at 7:30am, have breakfast in the hotel and start the boat trip on Lake Tana. Take a boat trip on Lake Tana to visit the island monasteries, , such as those on the Zege Peninsula and Kibran Gabriel (not allowed for women and many other thousand years monasteries- about 3-4 Churches on Lake Tana.

After lunch and half an hour break start driving to Gondar which takes 3 hours. On the way, you will have chance to see the Vast Amhara region, the topography and the people.

You will arrive to Gondar around 5:00pm, check-in to the hotel prepare yourself for the next day trip.

Overnight Harfazy Hotel

Morning after breakfast start your city tour of Gondar at 9:00am. Among the dozen edifices found on the precinct of the royal compound the earliest of the castles was created by Fasilidas himself and is still in such an excellent state of repair that it is still possible climb its stairs all the way to the roof which commands a breathtaking view over much of the city.

The City tour of Gondar includes the Ethiopian Origin Jewish Community Village, Guala the other Jewish village

This day, the Great Timket ( Epiphany festival) eve will start around 2:30pm in the afternoon. You will join the crowd and celebrate the colorful amazing holiday with thousands of tourists.

Dinner this night, you can have at 7:00pm, our driver will take you for dinner at 4 Sister restaurant which is very special place. There you will enjoy the Gondar traditional Eskeseta.

Overnight Harfazy Hotel.

This day, starting from 8:00am in the morning, the main celebration of Timket( Epiphany) will begin on the place where all the Covenants stay.

One of the most significant celebrations in the Ethiopian Christian calendar is the annual Timket festival. Deriving its name from the Amharic word for Epiphany, Timket is the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s celebration of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River. Although celebrated elsewhere in the Christian world, the festival is particularly vibrant and esteemed in Ethiopia, offering a window into the country’s particular brand of Christianity. Occurring every January, eleven days after the orthodox Christmas, the three-day festival centers around a tabot, a replica of the tablets found in the Ark of the Covenant.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/jan/20/photography-ethiopia-timkat-festival-in-pictures

Overnight Hotel

Wake up morning at 7:00am, have breakfast in the hotel and depart to the Simein Mountains. Drive from Gondar to Debark. Here we obtain a permit from the Park headquarters and collect our obligatory scout before continuing to Sankabar (3250m ASL) for the first overnight camp. An early start is needed as the drive from Gondar takes a 2-3 hours. The trek begins at Buytras (Simien Lodge), taking about 1 or 2 around.

You will have picnic lunch before you depart back to Gondar at 12:40pm. During the walk you will see a lot of Gelada baboons and if you are lucky Walia Ibex. Our trek will go to the point where we can meet our car to drive back to Gondar. This night, you can have dinner in the hotel and go to at 4 Sisters traditional hotel to enjoy the Gondar cultural music’s and dances.

Take a flight from Gondar to Lalibela. Upon arrival picked up by our driver and start the Lalibela Churches visit right after you check-in to the hotel.

This day, visit the Lalibela Churches which are located north of a small stream named Jordan River. These Churches were carved during the time of King Lalibela (1181 – 1221) and are registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Afternoon, Have a excursion trip to the cave-built up church of Ne’akuto Le’ab (13th Century AD) which is famous for its wide collection of ancient crosses, manuscripts and icons. If this day is Saturday, spare some time at the interesting weekly market of Lalibela.

T In the city of Lalibela you will see about Eleven Rock Churches organized in to groups of three.

• Biete Medhane Alem
• Biete Maryam
• Biete Golgotha Mikael
• Biete Maskal (House of the Cross)
• Biete Denagel (House of Virgins)
• Biete Giyorgis
• Biete Amanuel
• Biete Qeddus Mercoreus
• Biete Abba Libanos (House of Abbot Libanos)
• Biete Gabriel-Rufael
• Biete Lehem (Bethlehem Hebrew: בֵּית לֶחֶם, House of Holy Bread).

This night, we will reserve you dinner at the beautiful Ben Abeba restaurant.

Today will be your last day in Ethiopia. Morning after breakfast walk around the city of Lalibela and transferred to the airport at 9:00am. You will arrive back to Addis at 11:30am.

You may have few hours in Addis until your international flight check-in. As an option, we can take you to the center if you want to shop some gifts to take it back home. Finally, we will transfer you to the airport after an amazing unforgettable experience.

End of the Tour