Length 04 days
Nature
Bale Mountains
Bale Mountains
Dawn on the Sanetti Plateau above 4,000 m, watching for the Ethiopian wolf, then the long descent into the Harenna forest.
Adventure journeys
Danakil Depression: Erta Ale and Dallol
A night on the rim of Erta Ale’s lava lake, then dawn among Dallol’s acid pools and salt flats below sea level.
This tour is paused for now
Paused while Afar and the border area are under official travel warnings.
You can travel now on
Length 04 days
Popular Cultural
Omo Valley
Omo Valley
Four days in the Lower Omo, from Ari farms around Jinka to the Karo village on its bluff above the river.
Overview
The journey in brief
- Duration
- 4 days, 3 nights · 3-day version on request
- Where
- Eastern · Danakil Depression
- Travel style
- Private tour
- Best season
- November to February
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Price
- USD 1,195 per person
Erta Ale holds one of the few lava lakes on earth, active since at least 1906. You climb it in the dark and sleep on the rim. Two days later, at Dallol, the ground turns yellow, green and white with sulphur and salt, and Afar miners still cut salt by hand from the flats around Lake Assale (Karum), about 120 m below sea level, for camel caravans to carry away.
The heat is extreme even in winter, camps are mattresses under the stars, and an armed escort and Afar guides travel with you, as required. This route is paused for now; we will reopen it when it is safe.
Highlights
- Erta Ale’s lava lake glowing in the dark from the crater rim
- A night under the stars on the rim of an active volcano
- Dallol’s yellow and green acid pools and salt chimneys at dawn
- Afar miners cutting salt blocks by hand on the flats of Lake Assale
- Camel caravans loading salt for the climb to the highlands
- Sunset on salt flats about 120 m below sea level
What is included
- Flights Addis Ababa–Semera and Mekelle–Addis Ababa at the Ethiopian Airlines discounted fare
- Airport transfers
- 1 night in Semera, twin share, and 2 nights camping on mattresses
- Meals as listed in the itinerary, cooked by the camp team
- 4x4 vehicle and driver
- English-speaking guide
- Afar guides and armed escort, as the region requires
- Regional permits and site fees
- Drinking water throughout
What is not included
- International flights
- Ethiopian visa
- Domestic fare difference if you do not fly Ethiopian Airlines internationally (about USD 150 per round trip)
- Single room in Semera (optional extra)
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for guides, escort, cook and drivers
- Travel insurance
Itinerary
Day by day
Day 1 Down to Semera and the Afar PlainSemera
Your guide meets you at Bole International Airport for the flight to Semera, the Afar regional capital. Here you meet your Afar guides and escort, and we complete the regional permits. In the evening your guide goes over water, heat and what the next three days ask of you.
Activities
- Flight to Semera
- Permits and meeting the Afar team
- Evening briefing
Day 2 A Night Climb to Erta AleErta Ale
A long 4x4 day crosses lava fields and sand, past Lake Afrera, a salt lake below sea level. At the base camp you rest through the heat, then start walking around dusk, about 3 hours up. On the rim, the lava lake glows and spits in the dark. You sleep in a simple stone shelter.
Activities
- Drive past Lake Afrera
- Rest at base camp
- Dusk hike of about 3 hours
- Night on the crater rim
Day 3 From the Volcano to the Salt FlatsHamed Ela
You return to the crater at first light, then walk down before the sun gains strength. The drive north reaches Hamed Ela, the salt-mining settlement, in the afternoon. At sunset you walk on the salt flats of Lake Assale, where the water mirrors the sky.
Activities
- Crater at dawn
- Descent to base camp
- Drive to Hamed Ela
- Sunset on the salt flats of Lake Assale
Day 4 Dallol at Dawn, Then MekelleDallol
Early morning you walk among Dallol’s sulphur springs, acid pools and salt chimneys, before the heat sets in. Then you watch miners levering salt blocks from the flats and camel caravans loading for the climb to the highlands. The road climbs to Mekelle for the flight to Addis Ababa.
Activities
- Dallol springs and pools at dawn
- Salt miners and camel caravans
- Drive to Mekelle
- Flight to Addis Ababa
Itineraries can change with weather, road and flight conditions. We will tell you promptly if they do.
Gallery
A look at the trip
Photo: Unsplash
Good to know
Before you book
- Guide languages
- English, Amharic
- Minimum age
- 12 years and over
- Group size
- 1 to 12 travellers
- Meeting point
- Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. Your guide meets you in arrivals with a name sign.
- Accessibility
- Extreme heat, a night hike on rough lava, very basic camps and long rough drives. Not suitable for wheelchairs, young children, or travellers with heart or breathing conditions.
What to bring
- Sturdy closed shoes
- A wide-brimmed hat
- Sunscreen
- A headlamp
- A light sleeping bag or sheet
- A scarf against dust and fumes
- Rehydration salts
Dress code: Light, loose long sleeves and trousers against the sun, modest in Afar settlements.
Cancellation policy
This tour follows the Strict policy. Days are whole calendar days before departure.
| When you cancel | What you get back |
|---|---|
| 30 or more days before departure | 50% refund |
| Fewer than 30 days before departure | No refund |
A non-refundable USD 150 per traveller (domestic flights) is deducted before these percentages are applied.
Questions
About this tour
When will this reopen?
When official warnings for Afar and the border area are lifted and flights resume. Tap Notify Me and we will email you.
Will I see the lava lake?
Erta Ale’s activity changes; some years the lava sits deep in the crater. We check conditions before you travel.
How hot is it?
Even in November to February, days are often around 35°C or more. In summer it can approach 50°C, so we do not run it then.
Why the armed escort?
The region requires one for all visitors, along with Afar guides. Both travel with you the whole way.
What is the 3-day version?
It skips the night in Semera and goes straight to Erta Ale, which makes Day 1 very long.
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