Destinations

Axum

Axum, located in northern Ethiopia, is a historical city known for its rich cultural heritage and ancient ruins. A tour of Axum offers a chance to explore significant archaeological sites and experience the charm of Ethiopian Christianity.

Highlights of an Axum tour include a visit to the famous obelisks, towering structures that date back before 4th century AD. These obelisks, some of which are more than 33 meters tall, are a testament to the city’s ancient civilization.

You can explore the St. Mary of Zion Church, believed by many to house the Ark of the Covenant. This sacred site holds immense religious significance and attracts pilgrims from around the world.

Axum is also home to the ruins of ancient palaces and royal tombs. Exploring these historical sites provides insight into the ancient Axumite civilization, its power, and its cultural legacy.

In addition to its historical and natural attractions, Axum boasts vibrant local markets where visitors can discover traditional crafts, taste local cuisine, and immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of Ethiopian culture.

Overall, an Axum tour promises a blend of historical exploration, natural beauty, cultural immersion, and religious significance, making it a captivating destination for travelers seeking a unique and enriching experience.

Lalibela Churches

Lalibela is one of Ethiopia’s holiest places, dating back to the 12th century. Lalibela town, formerly known as Roha, named after one of Ethiopian ruler, King Lalibela (1181-1221), a member of the Zagwe dynasty. Lalibela is known by the amazing eleven churches hewn from solid rock. Built in the twelfth century, they are still standing in excellent condition. Most consider them as the eighth wonder of the world, and is one of the world heritage sites listed by UNESCO.

The famous churches carved out from the rock on which they stand. Some lie almost completely hidden in deep trenches, while others stand in open quarried caves. A complex and amazing labyrinth of tunnels and narrow passage ways connects them all.

Danakil Depression

Danakil depression tours offer by the best Ethiopian tour operator and travel Agency to danakil depression one of the top Ethiopian tourist destination located north part of Ethiopia. Erta Ale is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano in the Afar region of north-eastern Ethiopia, the most active volcano in Ethiopia. It is in the Afar Depression, a badlands desert area spanning the border with Eritrea, and the volcano itself is surrounded completely by an area below sea level, making it a relatively low-elevation volcano.

Erta Ale is 613 metres (2,011 ft) high, with one or sometimes two active lava lakes at the summit which occasionally overflow on the south side of the volcano. It is notable for being the longest-existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century (1906). Volcanoes with lava lakes are very rare: there are only five in the world.

Erta Ale means “Smoking Mountain” in the local Afar language and its southernmost pit is known locally as “the gateway to hell”

Dallol is famous for its hot brine, and multicoloured white, pink, red, yellow, green, gray and black salt deposits, hot springs and miniature geysers. These bizarre structures form in a complex interaction of solution and crystallization processes driven by hydro-thermal waters and rapid evaporation.

Dallol overlies several km of Quaternary evaporates which contain large amounts of potash that were quarried by shifting mining companies for most of the 20th century.

It is believed that Dallol, located on the main rift axis of the Danakil depression, is caused by an active basaltic volcano located under the layers of salt. The roughly circular depression on top of Dallol Mountain was suggested to be a collapse crater. The only known volcanic activity was a phreatic explosion in 1926 that produced a 30 m wide crater at the foot of the Black Mountain.

Danakil and Erta Ale volcanoes are an amazing attractions found in the remote part of northern Ethiopia Afar region but they are very wonderful and adventurous places and recommended once to every one .

Our danakil depression tours are operating from Addis to Semera then to danakil depression finally back to Addis via Semera route .

Simien Mountains National Park

Ethiopia is a very different African destination. Known as “The Roof of Africa,” this is a land of surprises, with a wealth of superb trekking and a rich cultural heritage. Ethiopia includes some of the finest mountain scenery in Africa, most notably in the Simien Mountains trekking  which have been designated a World Heritage Site. This highland area in the northern part of Ethiopia includes many summits over 4000 meters, the highest being RasDeshen, at 15154 feet/4620 meters, the fourth highest mountain in Africa.

Geographically, the mountains comprise several major plateau, which are underlain by basalt lavas thousands of meters thick. It is the erosion of these lavas that have created the dramatic escarpments and freestanding pinnacles which are characteristic of the range and which are comparable in terms of spectacle to the Grand Canyon.

The Simien: is an area of highland country in the northern part of Ethiopia in the Administrative of North Gondar. Rosita Forbes says, the Simien massif is a “volcanic pile now bounded by gigantic erosional precipices on almost all sides.” In addition to spectacular scenery, the region contains a number of unusual botanical phenomena and some of the rarest animals in the world. The walia ibex has its citadel among the peaks of the Simien;The Simien fox, also very rare, is found nowhere else but in these mountains and in the highlands of southern Ethiopia . The Gelada, a primate which looks like a cross between a baboon and a lion, is another exclusively Ethiopian species which lives in this habitat. Birds which are endemic to Ethiopia are found in the Simien.In 1969, the wildest part of this region was gazetted as a national park.

Bale Mountains National Park

Bale Mountains National Park is an area of high altitude plateau that is broken by numerous spectacular volcanic plugs and peaks, beautiful alpine lakes and rushing mountain streams that descend into deep rocky gorges on their way to the lowlands below.

The park is known for being home to the largest populations of both the endemic and endangered Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) and Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), as well as the endemic Bale Mountains vervet−Bale monkey (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) and giant mole rat

Harar

Harar tours from Addis Ababa is operated by the top tour operator and Travel Agency sycamore Ethiopia Tours to the city of Saints .

The historic city of Harar is located in the eastern part of the Ethiopia . Harari people are Semitic in origin and also known as Adare mainly living in Harar town in the eastern part of the country. They are specifically known for their two storey houses called gegar and for their very colorful traditional customs still worn by many Harari women to this day. In the past the Harari were known as great craft people, weavers, basket makers, and book binders.

The city is embraced by a strong wall encircling it. The walls of Harar were pierced in early times by five gates, a number supposed to symbolize the Five Pillars of Islam. These gates, known to the Hararis as Ber, were situated respectively to the north, east, south-east, south, and west of the city. Each had its own distinctive name, and provided entry and egress to caravans traveling to and from different stretches of the surrounding country.

Each of these gates thus played a different role in the economy of the city and of neighbouring lands. The northern gate, for example, was known as the Assebe Ber, because it was used by traders importing pepper and salt, from the Gulf of Aden coast of Africa; while the eastern gate was called the Argoba Ber because it served merchants handling the lucrative trade from Argobba, one of Ethiopia’s inland regions.

The gates of Harar in olden days were strongly guarded, and were strictly closed at night – for no one was allowed to enter or leave the city during the long hours of darkness. Strangers wishing to enter Harar in daytime had first to deposit their spears, guns and other arms with the cities guards, who would look after them scrupulously, and return them when their owners were ready to leave. The walls had, however, a number of holes placed to allow the drainage of water and sewage and to enable hyenas, which constituted the principal garbage collectors.

There are 99 mosques in Harar and the city is believed to be the fourth holiest city after Makka, Madina and Jerusalem.

Some of the most visited places in Harar include a building by Emir Nur a five large gates supported by oval towers, Mosques and Muslim shrines, Handicrafts, including weaving, basket-making and book-binding, Silversmiths, Gate of the Duke and Berbera Gate, Ras Makonnen’s stately old palace, Rimbaud House, Jami mosque, Gidir Megala, Big market, Hyena-man, feeding of the wild beast in the evening. While you are in Dire Dawa you will see Afetiessa market, Lege Oda, cave paintings, Railway town and station.

Omo Valley Tribes

Join us on a cultural journey to the southern Ethiopia Omo valley tribes tour and adventure safari . The Omo valley Ethiopia is one of the most popular tribes and most recommended tourist destination

Ethiopia is the home of more than 83 indigenous ethnic groups and each tribe has their own remarkable and colorful culture.

The Omo people are some of the tribes located to south western Ethiopia, home of many well known tribes where immense ethnic groups have settled dawn on this valley. Omo valley is known for rich culture, nature, marvelous scenery, wild life, and birds.

The Mursi people are the most known Animist people from the region. They are famed for their practice of inserting large clay plates behind the lower lips by their women.

The most important event in the life of Hamer male is the bull –jumping ceremony –marriage .A row of eight to ten bulls is farmed and the naked imitate must traverse the row ,leaping from one animal to the next –four times . If successful, his male relatives they flog the backs of his female relatives, who see this as a chance to prove loyalty and valour.

The Konso people are famous by their terracing system, walled village, waqa is the carved wooden status used for as a grave marker like the Axumite pagan people .Konso people they erect this status to memorised their parents .The primary cash crop in the konso region is cotton, which is sold at the local market .The women in Konso go beautifully dressed in long deresses, which are locally woven. Konso as ‘Konso New York City’, this an ending plateau composed of fabulous ‘hodos’ very similar to Bryce Canyon in the USA.

The Karo or Kara is a small tribe with an estimated population between 1,000 and 3,500. They are closely related to the Kwegu tribe. They live along the east banks of the Omo River in southern Ethiopia and practice flood retreat cultivation. The crops that are grown by them are sorghum and maize. Only small cattle are kept because of the tsetse flies. These flies are large and consume the blood of vertebrate animals.

Like many of the tribes in the Omo, they paint their bodies and faces with white chalk to resemble the bird genie fowl. The chalk is mixed with yellow rock, red iron ore and charcoal to make its color. Face masks are worn at times and they have clay hair buns with feathers in them. Red clay mixed with butter is put into their hair and clothing is made from animal skin. The women scar their chest believing it makes them beautiful.

The men’s scars represent an enemy or dangerous animal killed. They also wear clay hair buns which symbol a kill. A man in the tribe can have as many wives as he wants, but must be able to afford them. Most men will only marry two or three.

The  omo valley tribes are unique ,safaris culture will take you to a beautiful cultural adventure , nature and safari as well as beauty of the southern Ethiopia.

Which Omo Valley Tribes to Visit

There are dozens of tribes you can choose from but here are some of the most recognizable tribes (with alternate spellings in parenthesis). Also, the bold names are considered to be among the most popular or most accessible ones:

• Arbore
• Ari (Aari)
• Banna (Bana, Bena)
• Bashada
• Basketto – outside Omo Valley
• Borana – outside Omo Valley
• Dassanetch (Daasanach)
• Dime
• Dorze – outside Omo Valley
• Hamar (Hamer) – famous for their ochre hair
• Karo (Kara) – famous for their body paintings
• Konso – outside Omo Valley
• Kwegu (Muguji)
• Nyangatom (Bume)
• Mursi – famous for their lip plates
• Meen (Bodi)
• Surma (Suri)
• Tsamako
• Tsemai (Tsemay, Tsamai)
• Turkana

Tigray Rock Hewn Churches