Ethiopian Vegan Holiday 10 Days & 9 Nights

Daily itinerary

Day 1-2: Arrival at Addis Ababa, visit the city and surroundings

Be welcomed at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Addis Ababa is the third largest city in Africa with an estimated population of five million and the third highest capital in the world. Addis is a colorful and vibrant city regarded by many as ‘The African diplomatic capital’.

The city tour of Addis includes among others, museums – the national and the ethnographic; market – Merkato (the largest open air market). Churches – St George Cathedral also housing a museum of various religious icons.

Wander around Merkato, one of the largest outdoor markets on the continent. For lunch enjoy Ye’Ts’Om Beyaynetu (the vegan platter), a combination platter with a delicious mix of mostly lentils, vegetable stews and collard greens. The mixed Ethiopian vegan plate offers a little bit of everything with incredibly tasty variety. The flavors and ingredients are unbelievably delicious together.

Day 3: Fly to Bahirdar, visit the Zege peninsula, and monasteries

An hour flight to Bahirdar town, as pleasant as you’ll find for relaxing and viewing the lake, and the weather is probably the best in Ethiopia. You will have a boat trip on Lake Tana to the island monasteries where you can experience a great calmness. You will visit Azwa, Ura or Mehal Zege; Kibran Gabriel; Entos Eyesus and will get an impression of just how far back Christianity goes in this region.

Among others Ura-Kidane Mihret is the largest and most impressive monastery on the peninsula, situated near one of the prettiest and most secluded inlets in the area. Mango Park at Lake Tana the best place to view pelicans and enjoy sitting by the shores.

For dinner enjoy misr Wott (red lentils stew), is a delicious and wonderfully tinted mixture of split red lentils slow cooked with spicy berbere powder, onions garlic and oil (vegetable or olive) (depending on the ingredients, it may be look lighter or darker).

Day 4: Drive to Gonder, visit the 17th century royal enclosure

A three hour drive to visit Ethiopian medieval capital Gonder that contained large royal enclosure containing castles, palaces, houses and outbuildings among them Fasiladas’s palace is the oldest and perhaps most impressive. You will visit the various ruined buildings including the remains of a bathing pool, a chancellery and a library of Fasiladas’s son.

There are also peaceful, and shady spots just to relax and watch the world go by. Next continue to Birhan Selassie one of the country’s famous churches hosting beautiful 17 century paintings. Try Shiro wot (ground chickpea powder-based stew), is a mouth-watering dish slow cooked with Ethiopia’s spicy berbere powder, oil, onions, garlic and ginger (you can include or leave out spices as you like).

There are several kinds of Shiro to enjoy, from the thin soup-like shiro wott called Shiro Feses to the thick Shiro wott called shiro Tegamino. Shiro-wot, a chickpea or bean puree lightly spiced and accompanied by vegetables served especially on fasting days.

Day 5: Fly to Lalibela

Visit Lalibela where you will get an impression of landing in a kingdom at least seven centuries behind your own. Alvares, the early 16th century Portuguese writer, described them as ‘edifices, the like of which and so many cannot be found anywhere else in the world.’

In Lalibela you will marvel and be immensely impressed by the remarkable rock hewn, monolithic, semi monolithic and cave churches built at least seven centuries ago. After check in, you will visit the northern clusters known as the earthly Jerusalem; Bete Medhani Alem, Bete Mariam, Bete Meskel, Bete Denagil, Bete Golgotha /Michael.

In the afternoon visit the heavenly Jerusalem part; Bete Gebriel and Rufael, Bete Mercurious, Bete Amanuel and Bete Aba Libanos, and at last Bete Giorgis. At one of the restaurants you will try Gomen (stewed collard greens), this is a scrumptious healthy dish of stewed collard greens packed with vitamins, usually slow-cooked with olive oil and garlic.

Also the delicious fosolia (string beans), another delightfully healthy and flavored dish cooked with string beans often sautéed with oil, carrots and onions.

Day 6-8: Community trekking at southern Lalibela

Marvel the amazing Werkaye Mariam, Mequat Mariam; Atrow; among others. The trekking project is also to benefit the local communities in the trekking and accommodation facilities.

Visitors typically do three to five days trekking staying three or four nights in the community run accommodations having tasty meals cooked by the local villagers and watching the sun set over the mountains will be the highlight of your trip. Enjoy the coffee ceremony chatting with the local people, a drink at sunset watching the world from a cliff.

A simple but tasty food served for breakfast and dinner in a cozy restaurant tukul; a picnic lunch is also provided for the trail. You will walk 5-6 hours each day and stay in huts built and maintained by local villagers who also prepare your meals…injera with wat (stew) or lentils, chick peas.

The terrain is largely level and follows the escarpment, at first the altitude might slow you but after a while you will become acclimatized. Good walking shoes or boots are safer and more comfortable for the uneven rocky ground, particularly the descent to Yadukulay Tukul camp.

Day 9: Fly back to Addis

Fly back to Addis then at the evening a farewell dinner at a cultural restaurant awaits you where you can enjoy delicious Ethiopian cuisine accompanied by traditional music and dances.

Day 10: Transfer to the airport for your departure flight back home.