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Blue Nile, Mountains & Castles

Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, has intricately decorated island monasteries to explore and nearby are the impressive 45 metre Tississat Falls. Travelling north you reach Gondar, the former capital, where the 17th century castles and palaces hint at the grandeur of this powerful kingdom. Crossing the Simien Mountains, home to the gelada baboon, you'll take a walk amongst dramatic scenery before reaching the sacred city of Axum with its curious obelisks and supposed resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.

Rock Churches & Medieval Harar

You'll spend three days based in the mountain settlement Lalibela giving you plenty of time to discover the incredible rock hewn churches. Exploring on foot, by vehicle and even taking a mule trek up to a remote monastery carved in a cleft in the rock face you'll be amazed by these ancient buildings. Your last stop is to the medieval walled city of Harar ' a vibrant maze of backstreets and colourful markets.

Eighth Wonder of the World

Legend says that King Lalibela was resurrected by God with instructions to build churches the like of which the world had never seen. Hewn from the solid rock in enormous trenches or standing in vast quarried caves and linked by a labyrinth of tunnels, his creations are truly breathtaking ' it is easy to believe that the angels themselves helped in the building.