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5-Day Denakil Depression & Lalibela Churches Tour: Explore Ethiopia's Culture, History, & Landscapes

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Uncover the covert wonders of Ethiopia, encompassing the local culture, history, customs, day-to-day activities, ideologies, and way of life!

The prime choice for exploring Lalibela’s churches, the Volcano, and the Denakil Depression.

Duration: 5 days

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE OF LALIBELA CHURCHES

Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela - LALIBELA CHURCHES TOUR (Lalibela churches full day Tour)

An early start for the UNESCO World Heritage rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, often referred to as the ‘new Jerusalem’ and the holiest town in Ethiopia, is highly recommended. With 12 churches to explore, there’s much to see and learn—be ready by 7:30 am.

Your full-day professional tour guide will meet you at your hotel’s reception. After a 5-minute walk to the ticket office and the entrance of the first group of churches, you’ll begin your tour.

Until lunchtime, you’ll visit the first group of churches: Bet Medhane Alem, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel, Bet Mikael, and Bet Golgotha, all connected through underground tunnels.

In the afternoon, after lunch, you’ll visit the second group of churches, including the most famous church of St. George: Bet Gabriel-Rufael, Bet Merkorios, Bet Amanual, and Bet Abba Libanos.

Lastly, you’ll visit the most famous and picturesque of all the churches: Bet Giyorgis (St. George), constructed in honor of the patron Saint George. (Please note all churches close at 6 pm.)

After the tour, you have the option to attend the famous Ethiopian coffee ceremony in a local house. The traditional 3 rounds of ‘Buna’ (Amharic for coffee) will be served, so it will take some time. We recommend visiting a traditional Tej house at night to taste Ethiopian honey wine and enjoy a live traditional Northern Ethiopian dance.

Overnight: Hotel, Lalibela

LALIBELA TO MEKELE

Mek’ele - A 10-hour drive from Lalibela to Mekele through Woldia, Alamata, and Korem towns.

START THE TOUR TO ERTA ALE

Erta Ale - Today, we start our day by driving to Erta Ale (which means smoky mountain in the Afar language). Erta Ale is one of the most captivating and physically challenging natural attractions in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and a 1 km square caldera at its summit. Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake. It stands 613 meters tall, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest-existing lava lake, present since the early 20th century. (It may not be as active as before, and activity at the flank eruption has slowed down.)

We start early at 9:00 AM, driving to Dodom (at the base of Erta Ale). This may be one of the roughest roads in the world. The 80 km distance may take about 6 hours, passing through changing landscapes of solidified lava, rock, sand, and occasional palm-lined oases. After passing several small hamlets scattered in this deserted land, you will arrive at the Dodom camping site, located about 17 km from Erta Ale.

Dinner will be served around 5:00 PM. After a short break, a 30-minute trek up to Erta Ale begins. Camels will transport all camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light mattresses and mats and water) to the rim of the volcano, where we will spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. You will spend the night on top of the mountain, at the rim of the volcano.

DODOM - AFDERA

Afdera - Early morning sunrise at the northern pit crater, followed by a 5-minute walk to the southern and central pits, which could either correspond to an ancient pit or a simple collapse structure.

The main pit-crater, 200 m deep and 350 m across, is sub-circular and three-storied. The smaller southern pit is 65 m wide and about 100 m deep. Descend from Erta Ale around 9 am. Leave Dodom after an early breakfast, if possible at 7:00 AM. You will reach the camp by 10:30 AM, where you can relax. As soon as possible, drive to reach the mythical Lake Giulietti (or Lake Afdera) (optional, may not be available during summertime), a saltwater lake located more than 100 meters below sea level, in one of the deepest depressions on the planet. Due to the picturesque landscape, it is interesting to visit the salt flats where the Afar people obtain salt by evaporating the lake water. Continue to Erbiti and proceed to Abaala/Hamed Ela.