Ethiopia in Depth

If you have organised an airport pickup through your sales representative (either on the group transfer or private transfer), you should exit the terminal to find our representative with the Exodus board. You may see people with signs inside the terminal but they are generally people with special permission such as the UN, government, or hotels with desks inside the terminal.

After a leisurely morning to relax, we spend the afternoon on a sightseeing tour of Addis Ababa. We visit the National Museum, which houses some of the country's historic treasures. The collection of fossils and bones of early hominids discovered in Ethiopia include the 3. 5m-year-old remains of Lucy, the oldest hominid every found. We also visit the Holy Trinity Church, Ethiopia's main cathedral and home to the remains of the last emperor, Haile Selassie. Finally, we visit Menelik's Mausoleum. Stay: Golden Royal Hotel (or similar).

Today we take a spectacular flight to Bahar Dar. From the air, we can gaze across the extraordinary nature of the Ethiopian Plateau, repeatedly cut by immensely deep gorges. Bahar Dar is a small but fast-growing town on the southern shore of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile. It has long attracted religious men and the area contains numerous churches and monasteries, many of them on the 30 or so islands of Lake Tana. The afternoon is free to enjoy the fantastic birdwatching around the lake or head into Bahar Dar itself and explore the market. There is also the option of doing a half-day excursion to the Blue Nile Falls (usually in the morning). Stay: Tana Hotel (or similar) (B).

We have a full-day boat trip on Lake Tana to visit the monasteries of Narga Selassie and URA Kidane Mehret. We travel by boat to visit some of the more remote monasteries and churches, most of which date to the 13th century. The monasteries are fascinating and unlike any others outside Ethiopia, often decorated with bright mural paintings. Because of their isolation, they were used to store art treasures and religious relics from all over the country. Local history says the Ark of the Covenant was kept on one of these islands when the city of Axum was under threat, and the remains of five emperors are found at Daga Istafanos. Stay: Tana Hotel (or similar) (B).

This morning we drive north to Gondar, the former capital of Ethiopia. Arriving in Gondar we stop by the Kindu Trust, a local organisation working with disadvantaged children, their families and communities. After lunch, we explore Gondar and visit the castles, which were built in the 17th and 18th century by several generations of Ethiopian kings. Nearby is Debre Birhan Selassie church, which has a sensational angelic ceiling, and the bathhouse of Fasilides where thousands of Ethiopians celebrate Timkat festival every January. Our clifftop hotel has wonderful views over the town. Stay: Goha Hotel (or similar) (B).

After breakfast, we drive to Debark on the edge of the Simien Mountains. The road has considerably improved and the drive should take about two hours. In the late morning, we drive up into the mountains for some spectacular views of this unique ecosystem. The highland plateau is capped by a dramatic skyline of jagged volcanic plugs and split by deep gorges and gullies. On a good day, the views are sensational and the striking towers and formations have been described as the chess pieces of the gods. We take an optional two-hour walk, mostly flat or downhill, and hope to see the endemic gelada baboons and klipspringers before returning to Debark. The maximum altitude we reach is 10,660ft (3,250m). Stay: Simien Park Hotel (or similar) (B).

Continue on a full day's drive to the fabled city of Axum via the lowlands of the Simien Mountains and Tekeze River gorge. Though this is a long journey, the spectacular views make time slide away. We arrive in the late afternoon. Stay: Yared Zema Hotel (or similar) (B).

Axum was the capital of the Kingdom of Axum, once among the most powerful in the ancient world. Located at the centre of the trading routes between the Mediterranean and India, and the great port of Adulis on the Red Sea, it was economically, politically and technically advanced and at times had control over both sides of the Red Sea. Axum is also the origin of Christianity in Ethiopia and believed to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. The old church of St Mary of Zion was the first church built in Sub-Saharan Africa around 330 CE. Its ruins can be seen in the precinct of the church compound.

We visit the monolithic stelae of Axum, the tallest still standing reaches more than 69ft (21m) and the greatest one of them all, once 111ft (34m) high, lies on the ground. It is still, however, the largest monolith ever put up by humans. The subterranean tombs, stone inscriptions of ancient Axumite kings and the small archaeological museum reveal Axumite history. We also visit the Queen of Sheba's ruined palace who is said to have given birth to Menelik the First, fathered by King Solomon, the founder of Ethiopia's ruling family until Haile Selassie. Stay: Yared Zema Hotel (or similar) (B).

We leave for Wukro visiting some of the rock-hewn churches of eastern Tigrai on the way. We first pass through the Battlefield of Adwa, where the Ethiopians defeated the Italian colonial army in 1896, and then visit the pre-Christian Temple of Yeha, built in 500 BCE. We have lunch at Adigrat and proceed to Wukro. En route, we visit the beautiful rock-hewn church of Medhane-Alem Adi Kesho in Tsaeda Imba. We stay overnight at Wukro. Stay: Fiseha Hotel (or similar) (B).

This morning, we start by driving about 12. 5mi (20km) northwest of Wukro to visit the rock-hewn church of Abreha Wo Atsebeha and Wukro Cherkos, on the northern outskirts of the town, before proceeding to Mekele in time to explore this fast-growing city. Stay: Planet Hotel (or similar) (B).

Today is a long day's driving but the scenery, once again, is spectacular as we pass through mountains and river gorges, seeing for ourselves why the Ethiopian landscape is completely different to anywhere else. We eventually reach Lalibela, possibly the most famous site in Ethiopia. Stay: Roha Hotel (or similar) (B).

We spend the day exploring the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. While they may feel busy compared to the ones we've visited in Tigrai, they are still spectacular and well worth visiting. The churches are mostly cut from solid rock, and therefore have the appearance of being underground. The most famous is Bete Giorgis (St George, patron saint of Ethiopia), carved in the form of a Greek cross. It is exceptionally well preserved and visually almost flawless. The churches are quite dark inside, with little artificial light, and in some cases limited natural light.

There is a resident priest in each, who is usually happy to put on richly embroidered vestments and pose for a photo with his crosses, ancient bibles and sunglasses (due to constant camera flashes!). Although the churches are remote, they are not short of worshippers: most Ethiopians, certainly of the older generation, are devout Orthodox Christians, and the services in the churches on religious festivals are of marathon length: 16 hours is not unusual. Stay: Roha Hotel (or similar) (B).

In the morning, we enjoy an optional (no extra cost) adventurous mule journey to visit Ashetan Maryam (St Mary), built on a ridge with excellent views over the countryside. The round trip takes approximately six hours and will start early to avoid the heat. We ride the mules up the mountain for approximately an hour, before hiking the rest of the way up to the church. After visiting the church, we walk back down to the village on slippery mountain paths.

This is a tough walk and is optional. If you choose not to do the walk, there is plenty to do in Lalibela. There is the opportunity to walk into town and visit some of the many shops or relax in a Tej bar to sample the local fermented honey drink or a local cafe to socialise. The rest of the day is spent absorbing the atmosphere of this extraordinary town with its tukul or round houses. Made as two-storey buildings, they are unusual in Africa. Stay: Roha Hotel (or similar) (B).

An afternoon flight takes us back to Addis Ababa. We are then transferred to the hotel where we can make use of day rooms and get settled before enjoying an optional dinner at a well-known restaurant serving local dishes. The group departure transfer back to the airport may be this evening or tomorrow morning depending on flight schedules. If the group transfer timings do not work for you, make use of the free airport transfers organised by the hotel. Alternatively, the extension to the Islamic city of Harar starts today with an overnight in Addis Ababa. Speak to your sales representative if you would like to join.