Itinerary

Day 1: Saturday, August 1, 2009
Depart home city via United Airlines. Arrive into Washington Dulles Airport domestic arrivals. Ethiopian Airlines flight #501 departs Dulles Airport in Washington, DC at 8:30pm

Day 2: Sunday, August 2, 2009
Arrive Addis Ababa at 7:30pm. Upon arrival transfer to hotel. The name of the city, in Amharic, means “new flower”. Founded in 1886 by Menelik II, it is located at 2,500 meters above sea level in one of the highest parts of the Entoto mountain chain (3,000 m above sea level). It enjoys an excellent climate all year round, with an average temperature of 25°C. Addis Ababa is a pleasant city with wide avenues of jacaranda trees, interesting museums and one of the largest open air markets in Africa , known as the “Mercato”. It also has a good number of restaurants and discotheques.

Day 3: Monday, August 3, 2009
Breakfast & lunch included
Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning departure on a full day city tour including lunch, Ethnological Museum and visit to Fistula Clinic. The last stop will be the Mercato, eastern Africa’s largest market. Rumor has it that you can purchase anything you desire here, even a new soul! Time permitting, we maybe able to visit Churchill Street, known for its many curio shops selling traditional Ethiopian crafts and fine quality silver and cotton.

Day 4: Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Breakfast & dinner included
Breakfast at the hotel.

Ethiopian Airlines flight #122 departs Addis at 7:20am and arrives Lalibela at 9:40am. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.

Lalibela is located at an altitude of 2,600 meters above sea level. The city contains 11 monolithic churches that were built in the twelfth century and are carved out of the pink granite rock; they have been classified as one of the wonders of the world. Each church has a unique architectural style; all are superbly carved and most of them are decorated with well-preserved paintings. The entire city may be described as a sculpture dedicated to the glory of God. The day is dedicated to visiting the first group of churches and the city itself. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel; in the evening you may attend a show featuring traditional dance.

Day 5: Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Breakfast & dinner included
Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning we go on foot or riding on mules to visit some rock-churches outside the city (about a 3-hour walk). In the afternoon, we visit the second group of churches and local schools found in Lalibela town. In dinner at hotel.

Day 6: Thursday, August 6, 2009
Breakfast & dinner included
Breakfast at the hotel.

Ethiopian Airlines flight #122 departs Lalibela 10:00am and arrives Axum at 10:40am. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.

The legends narrated in the Kebre Nagast ˜Book of Kings” recount how the city of Axum as early as the 10th century B.C was already the city in which the Queen of Sheba resided. It is recounted that the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant to Axum and it remains there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary. Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires, and represented a crucial connecting-point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. A visit is organized to the steles: granite monoliths dating from pre-Christian times and decorated with symbolic engravings. There is also a visit to the church of Saint Marry of Zion, which contains the crowns of Ethiopian kings and other treasures, dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.

Day 7: Friday, August 7, 2009
Breakfast & dinner included
Breakfast at the hotel.

Ethiopian Airlines flight #123 departs Axum 11:00am and arrives Gondar at 12:30pm. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.

Gondar was the first capital city of the Ethiopian empire, which began in 1632 with the reign of Fasilidas. In Gondar, there are a dozen castles built by various emperors over the course of 236 years. The city seems more European than African and also has Islamic influences. In the afternoon, we visit the palaces, residences and baths of Fasilidas; afterwards, we visit the church of Debre Berham Selassie (Light of the Trinity), which is located at the summit of a hill and surrounded by fortified walls. The interior is decorated with beautiful frescos. Dinner and overnight stay are in a hotel with a splendid panoramic garden.

Day 8: Saturday, August 8, 2009
Breakfast & dinner included
Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, transfer via motorcoach to the city of Bahir Dar. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.

Bahir Dar is a pleasant city located at 1,800 meters above sea level on the shores of lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia. There are 37 islands on lake Tana and 30 of them have churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. Dinner and overnight in a hotel with a pleasant garden on Lake Tana.

Day 9: Sunday, August 9, 2009
Breakfast & dinner included
Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning we visit the Blue Nile Falls, which is known as locally Tissat Falls: 100 meters wide, the water plunges for 45 meters, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. Those who may wish to descend to the base of the falls should climb back up the other side and cross the Nile in a papyrus boat (locally known as “Tankwas” in order to return to the point of departure (about an hour’s walk). In the afternoon we will have a boat trip on Lake Tana. In the evening, we will have a barbeque organized besides the lake. Overnight stay will be as previous night

Day 10: Monday, August 10, 2009
Breakfast included
Breakfast at the hotel.

Ethiopian Airlines flight #121 departs Bahir Dar 8:50am and arrives Addis at 9:50am. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.

In the afternoon, group will visit orphanages in Addis.

Day 11: Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Breakfast included & dinner included
Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, the day is free. 4pm checkout of hotel. 5pm departure for farewell dinner before transferring to the airport for departure.

Ethiopian Airlines flight #704 departs Addis at 10:15pm.

Day 12: Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Breakfast included & dinner included Arrive Dulles Airport in Washington DC at 7:20am. Transfer to United flight to New York City.