Historical journeys
A boat to a painted lake monastery, the Blue Nile Falls, then Gondar’s castles and its ceiling of angel faces.
Paused while Amhara is under official travel warnings.
Length 03 days
Arba Minch
Crocodiles basking on Lake Chamo, zebra on the Nechisar plains and Dorze weavers in tall bamboo houses, from a base above two lakes.
Overview
On the ceiling of Debre Birhan Selassie in Gondar, 80 painted angel faces look down in rows, each with the same wide eyes. The church sits at the end of a short trip through Ethiopia’s royal north: Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile, with a monastery on the Zege peninsula, and Fasil Ghebbi, the walled enclosure of castles begun by Emperor Fasilides in the 17th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
The days are easy, with one drive of about 3 hours along the lake. This route is paused for now; we will reopen it when it is safe.
Itinerary
Your guide meets you at Bole International Airport for the morning flight to Bahir Dar. A boat crosses Lake Tana to the Zege peninsula, where the walls of Ura Kidane Mehret are painted floor to ceiling with saints. In the afternoon you drive about 30 km to the Blue Nile Falls and its 17th-century stone bridge.
The road runs about 3 hours north with Lake Tana beside you. In the afternoon you walk inside Fasil Ghebbi, where stone castles, a library and banqueting halls stand within a long wall pierced by 12 gates. The light turns warm on the towers before closing time.
Morning at Debre Birhan Selassie, under its ceiling of angel faces, then the Fasilides bath, a stone pavilion in a pool that Gondar fills for Timket. An afternoon flight takes you to Addis Ababa and your hotel or international flight.
Itineraries can change with weather, road and flight conditions. We will tell you promptly if they do.
Gallery
Photo: Unsplash
Good to know
Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered in churches and monasteries; women bring a light scarf.
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
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Plan with us
Choose your dates above, or tell us what you have in mind and we will shape the trip around you.
