Departs 17 Jan
Popular 4 days, 3 nights Cultural
Addis Ababa
Timket in Addis Ababa
Walk beside the tabots to Jan Meda on the eve, then stand in the crowd at dawn as the blessed water falls.
Cultural journeys
Timket in Gondar
Follow the tabots to Fasilides’ Bath on the eve, then watch the bishop bless the pool and young men leap in.
This tour is paused for now
Paused while Amhara is under official travel warnings and flights to Gondar are not running normally.
You can travel now on
Overview
The journey in brief
- Duration
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Where
- Northern · Gondar
- Travel style
- Small group
- Best season
- January
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Price
- USD 1,895 per person
Most of the year, Fasilides’ Bath in Gondar is an empty stone pool gripped by tree roots. For Timket, a nearby river is turned into it. On the eve, priests carry the tabots of the city’s churches there under velvet umbrellas, and many families keep watch beside the water through the night. At dawn the bishop blesses the pool with the cross, and young men leap in and splash the crowd. For the faithful, the pool is the Jordan; people carry its water home to sick relatives.
Around the festival stand Gondar’s 17th-century castles. This route is paused for now; we will reopen it when it is safe.
Highlights
- The Ketera processions carrying the tabots to Fasilides’ Bath on 18 January
- The bishop’s blessing at dawn and young men leaping into the pool
- Fasil Ghebbi, a walled royal enclosure of 17th-century stone castles
- Eighty painted angel faces on the ceiling of Debre Birhan Selassie
- Traditional white clothing, provided, to wear on both festival days
What is included
- 5 nights’ accommodation, twin share
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Domestic flights Addis Ababa–Gondar–Addis Ababa at the Ethiopian Airlines discounted fare
- Traditional white clothing for the festival
- Vehicle and driver
- English-speaking guide
- Local guide in Gondar
- Entrance fees
- Airport transfers
- Bottled water
What is not included
- International flights
- Ethiopian visa
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Domestic fare difference if you do not fly Ethiopian Airlines internationally (about USD 150)
- Single room (optional extra)
Itinerary
Day by day
Day 1 White Clothes and a Timket BriefingAddis Ababa
Your guide meets you at Bole International Airport on Saturday 16 January. Over dinner, we explain the tabot and why it is never shown, what to wear, and how to stand in a crowd of worshippers without getting in their way.
Activities
- Airport pickup
- Welcome dinner
- Timket briefing
Day 2 The Castles of Fasil GhebbiGondar
A morning flight north to Gondar. In the afternoon we walk Fasil Ghebbi, the royal enclosure Emperor Fasilides began in the 17th century, its stone castles inside a wall about 900 m long with 12 gates. The town is already filling with pilgrims.
Activities
- Morning flight to Gondar
- Fasil Ghebbi castles
- Evening walk in town
Day 3 Ketera: the Tabots Go to the WaterGondar
A slow morning. In the afternoon the tabots leave their churches, priests in embroidered robes, deacons drumming, and walk through the streets to Fasilides’ Bath. We follow one procession, stay for the evening prayers by the pool, then return to the hotel.
Activities
- Free morning
- Ketera procession to Fasilides’ Bath
- Evening prayers by the pool
Day 4 The Blessing and the LeapGondar
We leave before dawn for the bath. After the night’s prayers and readings, the bishop blesses the water, and young men jump from the walls into the pool, throwing water over everyone within reach. Later the tabots walk home through singing streets, and we sit down to a festive lunch.
Activities
- Dawn blessing at Fasilides’ Bath
- Tabots’ return to their churches
- Festive lunch and coffee ceremony
Day 5 Eighty Angels and Saint Michael’s DayGondar
In the morning, the 80 angel faces painted on the ceiling of Debre Birhan Selassie, a church built under Emperor Iyasu I in the 1690s. Some tabots, including those of Saint Michael’s churches, go home today, so the singing returns. A farewell dinner closes the festival.
Activities
- Debre Birhan Selassie
- Saint Michael’s procession
- Farewell dinner
Day 6 Back to Addis Ababa and HomeAddis Ababa
A morning flight back to Addis, lunch together, then a transfer to Bole for your flight home.
Activities
- Morning flight
- Lunch in Addis Ababa
- Airport transfer
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
- 8 years and over
- Group size
- 6 to 16 travellers
- Meeting point
- Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. Your guide meets you in arrivals with a name sign.
- Accessibility
- Dense crowds, long periods of standing, stone steps around the bath and a pre-dawn start; not suitable for wheelchairs.
What to bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- A warm layer for cold early mornings
- Sun hat and sunscreen
- A small dry bag for your phone
- A zipped inside pocket or money belt for valuables
Dress code: White or light clothing with shoulders and knees covered; we provide traditional white clothing for both festival days.
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 Amhara are lifted and flights to Gondar are running normally. Tap Notify Me and we will email you.
What can I do instead now?
Join Timket in Addis Ababa, 17 to 20 January 2027, with the processions to Jan Meda.
Can I go into the pool?
The leap is for local worshippers, mostly young men. Expect to be splashed from the steps, which most people count as a blessing.
Are there rules around the tabot?
Yes. It is sacred and never shown, so do not touch it, step in front of the priests carrying it, or use flash.
Can I join alone?
Yes. You share a twin room with a traveller of the same gender at no extra cost, or add a single room.
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