Danakil Depression Tour: Explore Dallol and Erta Ale

Embark on a 3-day adventure through the Danakil Depression. Explore Dallol, hike Erta Ale, and experience Afar culture. Unforgettable journey awaits!

Duration: 3 days
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Semera - Erta Ale

Semera - At 8:00 AM, the guide and driver will meet you at Semera Airport and take you for a brief coffee and juice break in town. Semera is the capital of the Afar Regional State. After the break, you will enjoy a pleasant drive to Afdera.
Afdera - Afdera is a key center for salt production and distribution, located at an…

What's Included
  • All necessary permits and entrance fees
  • Experienced local guides
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Excellent camping gears, mattress and, bedsheets
  • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
What's Not Included
  • Domestic Flights
Additional Information

The 3-day tour of the Danakil Depression stands out as it provides an extraordinary journey through one of the planet’s most extreme landscapes. Participants will have the opportunity to discover the colorful Dallol hydrothermal fields, trek up the active Erta Ale volcano, and marvel at the captivating salt flats of Lake Asale. All of this is accompanied by knowledgeable and engaging tour guides.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(10 Ratings)
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323wataruh
Dec 25, 2024
Highly recommended - Great tour. This tour contains every thing you have to see in Danakil. We were super lucky to see massive flow of lava and our tour guide was helpful enough to show those as close as possible, of course considering our safety as the highest priority.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Huberflock
Dec 22, 2024
Once in a lifetime experience! - We had had great time at the tour, Ert Ale, Dalol and all of Afar. You should definitely check it out. The tour organization and guides were awesome, we had aircon jeeps.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Clarkc993
Dec 20, 2024
Otherworldly scenery - An amazing experience! An absolutely must do tour during a trip to Ethiopia, I have not seen natural phenomena like this anywhere else in the world. The amount of lava flowing in the caldera was impressive, and our guide Aki was careful in ensuring our safety while at the same time finding a path that would let us get as close as possible to the lava for both the experience as well as photos. Camping under the stars by the volcano was a novel experience, allowing us to experience one of the most dramatic sunrises I have ever seen. The alien landscape and colorful pools at Dallol are also incredible, and have to be seen! The tour was very well organized, the drivers were safe, the food was delicious, and the guides were knowledgeable. I also appreciate Isaac's communication regarding the tour, as well as his kindness in meeting us the day before in Addis to both introduce himself and the local food and drinks (honey wine was certainly a new taste!) Not related to this specific tour, but Isaac was able to customize a one day extension to visit the mountain churches of Tigray (fun climbing and trekking for panoramic views)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apartha
Dec 17, 2024
A GREAT TRIP TO DANAKIL DEPRESSION - Danakil Depression trip was a memorable experience for us. Great view of the volcano, Lake Asale is a unique natural salt lake and Dallol is a great experience. The trip was memorable due to impeccable arrangement made by Isaac of Great Ethiopian Tours. He always communicated well so the expectation was aligned during the planning stage. The guide Bahiran, driver Kibatu and the cook Seloman made a great team to support us. They were very eager to cater all needs. The guide is knowledgeable and remained engaged. Seloman cooks extremely tasty food. Kibatu picked us up from Semera airport and brought us to Lake Afdera, where we met our guide. He conducted himself like an independent guide during this trip. He is extremely good and careful driver. Given the limited infrastructure support available in Afar region, timely information from the guide is always helpful to manage expectation. We were always at the spot at right time, be at Erta Ale, Lake Asale or Dallol. We highly recommend Isaac and Great Ethiopian Tours for Danakil Depression Tour as he has a very dedicated and knowledgeable team on the ground.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_vvr
Nov 15, 2024
Great experience in Danakil - I had an opportunity to know Isaac on a three days long tour in Danakil, Ethiopia. Isaac is a professional guide who took us to the top of Erta Ale volcano, we visited salt lake Karum and sulphur hydrothermal pools Dallol and an abandoned ghost town. He fulfilled everything what was in itinerary. We finished all the goals a few hours sooner than expected, so he took us for free to a beautiful church in the mountains, the famous Abuna Yemata Guh. Isaac is not only a professional guide with years of experience, but a very kind and friendly person who keeps his word when promising something and makes everything to fulfill the needs of the clients. Hope to see you again in Ethiopia 🇪🇹
Review provided by Tripadvisor
L9069vqmonican
Nov 5, 2024
Extraordinary nature experience! - Before the trip I was wandering whether the photos would lie, but my high expectations were even exceeded! I have travelled to app. 80 countries and this might be the most spectacular nature I have ever seen! To stand a few meters from the fire of an active volcano, sleeping under the stars and to see the amazing colours in Dallol was such an adventure. I can fully recommend going with Great Ethiopians Tours & Travel, everything was well organised and the staff was knowledgeable and helpful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hellen4997
Nov 1, 2024
Mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime experience - This trip was amazing and I can honestly count it as one of the most impressive and most memorable experiences of my life. Over the course of 3 days, we visited the Lake Asale salt flats, Dallol, Erta Ale volcano, and Lake Afdera. Every single location we visited was breathtaking in its own way, and there was not a single moment where I was not impressed. I felt like everything was super well organized by Great Ethiopian Tours. As all the places we visited were very remote, many things needed to be prepared for in advance - you'll be spending 2 nights camping underneath the stars, which is a beautiful experience in itself. All the guides, the drivers, the cook, and the people accompanying us on the trip were super friendly and helpful. I can definitely recommend this trip; it is a truly mind-blowing and once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mk_traveller87
Oct 11, 2024
Stunning Trip - Great experience with great people and organisation. Amazing scenery. 100% recommend. Acommodation is basic, but thats due to the remoteness of the place and not due to anybody cutting corners. Great Ethiopian Tours is highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vineelkpratap
Oct 8, 2024
Epic Experience - We are very happy that we took this tour and it was an absolutely amazing experience. All the places - Arte Ale, Dallol, Lake Asale are quite unique and breathtaking. Our tour guide also planned the trip in such a way that we visit these places at the right time to get great photos than other tour operators. The places we go are remote. So, you will have sleep with a mattress and bedsheet provided by them. It won't be a 5-star comfy place to sleep but the places we visited are just out of this world and more than make up for it. Apart from the visiting these incredible places, it was great working with Isaac. He is a very friendly person to chat with and answered all the questions we had about doing the trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
_josebahanan
Nov 3, 2024
The day when Erta Ale erupted. - It was an amazing experience. Our trip was on October 29th the day when the volcano erupted. By 8 pm we returned to our camp satisfied with the volcano tour and retired for the day. Around 10 pm there was a commotion in the camp. Then I heard our guide Fish speaking in a loud voice saying the volcano has erupted. He encouraged us join him to get to volcano as soon as possible. His scout, George Bush, also joined us. In 15 minutes time we were at the eruption site. Our guide was looking after us as well as taking photos and videos for us. The scout was on watch for any sign of trouble and alert Fish about it. I have seen the raw power of nature with my own eyes. It's beyond words. Earlier on the day we trekked to the volcano around 5.30 pm . As we were slow, I am 70 and my wife 66, Our guide Fish assigned George Bush to take care of us. At the rim of the mountain my wife felt that she doesn't want to proceed. We agreed that she will remain on the rim and George will take me to volcano and come back soon. She was left alone in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately Fish found her by the rim. He took her by his arm literally and our tour group became saviour. They visited the volcano and brought her to the camp safely. An our earlier George Bush , an Afar, brought me to the camp. With out the guide and scout our story would have been a different one. This tour was organised by Isaac of Great Ethiopian tours. A wonderful person. I recommend his company for this tour.
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
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