AUD 4652 / pp

Timkat Festival

Ethiopia

Dates:
13 - 25 January 2021

Activity level:

1 of 3 - Easy. No much walking, no long driving, take your time and relax

2 of 3 - Moderate. Consider some walking, some days may include long drives

3 of 3 - Challenging. You may have to take some risks and to fit the requirements

Duration:
13 days

Group:
12 ppl

AUD 5180 / pp

A truly unforgettable tour

Join us on this small-group tour to Ethiopia for the Timkat Festival which is the Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Epiphany. Pilgrims travel for days to the churches at which the celebrations are held.

Itinerary

Addis Ababa → Adigrat and Tigray → Mekelle → Axum → Simien Mountains → Gondar → Bahir Dar → Blue Nile Falls and Lake Tana → Lalibela

Day 1: Addis Ababa

Arrive in Addis Ababa and transfer to hotel accommodation. The rest of the day is free to relax. Overnight at Nexus Hotel or similar.

Day 2: Addis Ababa – Adigrat and Tigray churches

A morning flight takes us to Mekele and on by road to Adigrat. We explore the sites of Tigray, visiting some of the region’s 130 rock churches including Medhane Alem Adikusho, Wukro Cherkos and Abraha Atsbeha. The architecture is notably different here. Churches are in part or wholly excavated within the living rock, rather than carved from it. Overnight at Agoro Lodge or similar.

Day 3: Mekelle - Axum

Axum passes through spectacular landscapes. Axum is Ethiopia’s holiest town and since 1980 a World Heritage Site. Highlights include a remarkable collection of ancient stelae, the bath and palace of the Queen of Sheba, and St Mary of Tsion Church, claimed by some to hold the Ark of the Covenant containing the original stone tablets handed down to Moses. Overnight at Yared Zema Hotel or similar.

Day 4: Axum - Simien Mountains

The journey to the Simien Mountains is long, but as we ascend towards the mountains the scenery is rewarding. Along the way, it’s worth keeping an eye out for endemic Ethiopian wildlife, including Gelada Baboons and many species of birds. Depending on our arrival time there may be an opportunity for a short walk in the park to glimpse the breath-taking beauty of Simien mountainscapes. Overnight at Ras Dejen Hotel or similar. Please note it can be very cold in the mountains at night so you should bring warm clothing to wear.

Day 5: Simien Mountains

Today we walk in the mountains, taking in awe-inspiring viewpoints and spotting some of the endemic wildlife. The effects of altitude, though mild, will be apparent. We’ll make frequent stops, stay well hydrated and travel at the pace of the slowest. Shorter hikes are possible for those preferring not to walk for the whole day. Overnight at Ras Dejen Hotel or similar.

Day 6: Simien Mountains - Gondar

Drive to Gondar, once Ethiopia’s imperial capital, and famous for its beautiful castles and palaces. This afternoon, you can witness the Eve of the Timkat Festival celebration. Overnight at Goha Hotel or similar.

Day 7: Timkat Celebrations

Early in the morning, we will go to the church to see the Timkat celebration and the crowd waiting to be baptized by the holy water. The water which symbolizes the Jordan River is blessed by the priest, and the patriarch then dips a golden cross into it, and extinguishes a burning consecrated candle on the altar. He then sprinkles water on the assembled congregation in commemoration of Christ's baptism in the Jordan River. The ceremony will be over around 8 am and afterwards, we visit some of the town’s main sites, which include the Bath of King Fasiladas and the ornately decorated Debre Birhan Selassie Church (Light of Trinity) known for its colourful murals. Overnight at Goha Hotel or similar.

Day 8: Gondar - Bahir Dar

After breakfast we continue to explore Gondar before the drive to Bahir Dar, close to Lake Tana, stopping at points of interest en route. On arrival check into our hotel which overlooks Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile. Overnight at Avanti Blue Nile Hotel or similar.

Day 9: Blue Nile Falls and Lake Tana

From the town we drive to the Blue Nile Falls, taking a short walk to view the falls themselves, before returning. We take boats out onto Lake Tana to explore its collection of ancient monasteries, dramatically situated on the lake’s islands and peninsulas. Overnight at Avanti Blue Nile Hotel or similar.

Day 10: Bahir Dar - Lalibela

After breakfast, start the journey to the town of Lalibela, stopping at points of interest along the way. Overnight at Mountain View Hotel or similar.

Day 11: Lalibela

This morning we will begin to explore the rock-hewn churches known in some circles as the 8th wonder of the world. This afternoon we will continue visiting these intriguing monuments to discover more of Ethiopia’s enigmatic past. Overnight in Mountain View Hotel or similar.

Day 12: Lalibela - Eve of Timkat Celebrations

This morning we will visit the first group of rock-hewn churches known in some circles as the 8th wonder of the world. This afternoon, you can witness the Eve of the Timkat Festival celebration in one of the Rock-Hewn churches. Overnight in Mount View Hotel or similar.

Day 13: Departure

At a suitable time, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Tour ends.

Show less

Show more [{"id":1741,"ture_id":"112","image_id":null,"name":"Addis Ababa \u2192 Adigrat and Tigray \u2192 Mekelle \u2192 Axum \u2192 Simien Mountains \u2192 Gondar \u2192 Bahir Dar \u2192 Blue Nile Falls and Lake Tana \u2192 Lalibela","name_option":"Itinerary","text":null,"active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-13 11:24:01","updated_at":"2020-03-13 11:24:01","order":"1"},{"id":1727,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2404","name":"Day 1: Addis Ababa","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"Arrive in Addis Ababa and transfer to hotel accommodation. The rest of the day is free to relax. Overnight at Nexus Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:06:47","order":"10"},{"id":1728,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2405","name":"Day 2: Addis Ababa \u2013 Adigrat and Tigray churches","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"A morning flight takes us to Mekele and on by road to Adigrat. We explore the sites of Tigray, visiting some of the region\u2019s 130 rock churches including Medhane Alem Adikusho, Wukro Cherkos and Abraha Atsbeha. The architecture is notably different here. Churches are in part or wholly excavated within the living rock, rather than carved from it. Overnight at Agoro Lodge or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:07:58","order":"20"},{"id":1729,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2406","name":"Day 3: Mekelle - Axum","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"Axum passes through spectacular landscapes. Axum is Ethiopia\u2019s holiest town and since 1980 a World Heritage Site. Highlights include a remarkable collection of ancient stelae, the bath and palace of the Queen of Sheba, and St Mary of Tsion Church, claimed by some to hold the Ark of the Covenant containing the original stone tablets handed down to Moses. Overnight at Yared Zema Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:10:42","order":"30"},{"id":1730,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2407","name":"Day 4: Axum - Simien Mountains","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"The journey to the Simien Mountains is long, but as we ascend towards the mountains the scenery is rewarding. Along the way, it\u2019s worth keeping an eye out for endemic Ethiopian wildlife, including Gelada Baboons and many species of birds. Depending on our arrival time there may be an opportunity for a short walk in the park to glimpse the breath-taking beauty of Simien mountainscapes. Overnight at Ras Dejen Hotel or similar. Please note it can be very cold in the mountains at night so you should bring warm clothing to wear.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:12:42","order":"40"},{"id":1731,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2408","name":"Day 5: Simien Mountains","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"Today we walk in the mountains, taking in awe-inspiring viewpoints and spotting some of the endemic wildlife. The effects of altitude, though mild, will be apparent. We\u2019ll make frequent stops, stay well hydrated and travel at the pace of the slowest. Shorter hikes are possible for those preferring not to walk for the whole day. Overnight at Ras Dejen Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:14:18","order":"50"},{"id":1732,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2409","name":"Day 6: Simien Mountains - Gondar","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"Drive to Gondar, once Ethiopia\u2019s imperial capital, and famous for its beautiful castles and palaces. This afternoon, you can witness the Eve of the Timkat Festival celebration. Overnight at Goha Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:15:03","order":"60"},{"id":1733,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2411","name":"Day 7: Timkat Celebrations","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"Early in the morning, we will go to the church to see the Timkat celebration and the crowd waiting to be baptized by the holy water. The water which symbolizes the Jordan River is blessed by the priest, and the patriarch then dips a golden cross into it, and extinguishes a burning consecrated candle on the altar. He then sprinkles water on the assembled congregation in commemoration of Christ's baptism in the Jordan River. The ceremony will be over around 8 am and afterwards, we visit some of the town\u2019s main sites, which include the Bath of King Fasiladas and the ornately decorated Debre Birhan Selassie Church (Light of Trinity) known for its colourful murals. Overnight at Goha Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:19:11","order":"70"},{"id":1734,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2412","name":"Day 8: Gondar - Bahir Dar","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"After breakfast we continue to explore Gondar before the drive to Bahir Dar, close to Lake Tana, stopping at points of interest en route. On arrival check into our hotel which overlooks Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile. Overnight at Avanti Blue Nile Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:20:29","order":"80"},{"id":1735,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2413","name":"Day 9: Blue Nile Falls and Lake Tana","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"From the town we drive to the Blue Nile Falls, taking a short walk to view the falls themselves, before returning. We take boats out onto Lake Tana to explore its collection of ancient monasteries, dramatically situated on the lake\u2019s islands and peninsulas. Overnight at Avanti Blue Nile Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:21:07","order":"90"},{"id":1736,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2414","name":"Day 10: Bahir Dar - Lalibela","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"After breakfast, start the journey to the town of Lalibela, stopping at points of interest along the way. Overnight at Mountain View Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:04:14","updated_at":"2020-03-13 11:24:01","order":"100"},{"id":1737,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2415","name":"Day 11: Lalibela","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"This morning we will begin to explore the rock-hewn churches known in some circles as the 8th wonder of the world. This afternoon we will continue visiting these intriguing monuments to discover more of Ethiopia\u2019s enigmatic past. Overnight in Mountain View Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:05:39","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:23:30","order":"110"},{"id":1738,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2416","name":"Day 12: Lalibela - Eve of Timkat Celebrations","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"This morning we will visit the first group of rock-hewn churches known in some circles as the 8th wonder of the world. This afternoon, you can witness the Eve of the Timkat Festival celebration in one of the Rock-Hewn churches. Overnight in Mount View Hotel or similar.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:05:39","updated_at":"2020-03-13 11:24:01","order":"120"},{"id":1739,"ture_id":"112","image_id":"2417","name":"Day 13: Departure","name_option":"Itinerary","text":"At a suitable time, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Tour ends.","active":"1","created_at":"2020-03-10 14:05:39","updated_at":"2020-03-10 15:24:57","order":"130"}]

Travellers and rooms

Persons:

Rooms:

Total:

AUD 5180 /per person

Apply price for Club Members This discount will be applied only if you provide a valid World of Discoveries Club Member certificate on your name

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What's included

Accommodation

12 nights at the hotels

Meals

Day 2, 3, 4 - Breakfast and Dinner

Day 5 - Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 - Breakfast and Dinner

Day 13 - Breakfast

Guided tours

Guided tours as per itinerary (only local guides)

Transportation

Transfers as per itinerary

Support

24/7 phone/WhatsApp support line

English-speaking guide

ABTA and ATOL bonded

Not Included

International flights

Meals not mentioned

Optional tours and activities

Personal expenses

Highlights

Discover Ethiopia’s natural beauty as it reveals itself in the Simien Mountains

Visit the annual Timkat Festival, which celebrates the Ethiopian Epiphany

Spend time in Lalibela exploring both the main churches and lesser-known ones

Explore the sites of Tigray, visiting some of the region’s 130 rock churches

Learn about the history of the ancient Axumite Empire at Axum

Travel to ‘Africa’s Camelot’ – the wonderful castles and palaces of Gondar

Book

Our reviews

Lyn Lennard

Australia

We have finished our trip in Mongolia and I busted to say thank you very much for all your assistance while we were on the ground in Russia. By far the best guide we had was Yuri in Moscow - he was excellent. We had a very good visit to Novgorod where Natalia was an excellent guide too, and we learnt much about Russian history: It was very good to have the car to take us around the Golden Circle and Victor was a good driver. and the guide in Peterhof and Faberge museum was very nice, approachable, taxis were always waiting for us when we got off the boat etc. We both had a very good holiday and learnt a lot about Russian history and culture: thanks again.

Peter Gay & Andrew Carroll-Keays

Australia

Travelled on the TransMongolian Railway in Feb/Mar. Not too cold. Just take usual ski gear. Great scenery. Organisation was absolutely excellent. Every transfer and every guide were on time. The hotels were all very good. The Russian Sim (provided by the company) was great for keeping in contact with each other and the support line.

Rami Selim

Egypt / Australia

Thanks you Abby and Varvara and all the other staff members of World of Discoveries for making our stay in Russia over 2 and a half weeks easy, comfortable and memorable. Thanks for the great organisation with transfers and accommodation. Thanks also for organising a phone sim card for each one in our group. It made our life much easier to stay in touch with each other and with our family and friends back home. We loved our stay in Russia and will certainly come back soon.

Stacy

Australia

Trans- Scandinavian train tour on a private, September 2019 I’s looking for a train trip around Scandinavia and found it was not widely available option with many operators. Mostly, they do coach tours or cruises. World of Discoveries was the first company which offered a solution, a privately arranged non-escorted train trip tour for our small party of just 6 people. We are experienced travelers in our early 40th and always want to be immersed in the culture of a new country, eat local food, meet the people. We wanted an authentic experience and it was a great trip all round. We did not have to worry about our accommodation, or train tickets, or activities in various locations. We had our transfers to and from hotels pre-arranged. Guides provided great insight into Scandinavian culture and were undeniably helpful as we all had different ideas about spare time and extra activities. We went out at every visited city and they gave us lots of great recommendations. Could have stayed for more! Would love the same experience when we visit other, less traveled and remote parts of the world with World of Discoveries! Would love the same experience when we visit other, less traveled and remote parts of the world with World of Discoveries!

David Wellnet

Australia

Georgia in autumn! We had a wonderful trip - one that will stay with us for a long time. Everything was so well organized. All our guides were very informative, and accommodations were just fine. Pre-tour service was very good too and we had travel a lot. My husband’s grandparents are from Georgia and we wanted to explore family routes. All our guides were great in terms of looking after us and they really were so interesting to speak to. Altogether, we had a wonderful time and I would love to explore more of the region and visit neighboring counties.

Douglas Schroeder

Australia

Everything worked like clockwork, when someone was suppose to be there they were. Yuri and Cathrine were excellent guides in Moscow and St. Petersburg and we learned a lot from both. We chose the 4 star hotels, and were very satisfied. Would highly recommend this trip to anyone interested.

Our reviews

Victoria Peck

Australia

Thank you to Varya and her team for organising our trip to Russia for World Cup (June 2018). Before the trip, Alex was our main contact. He was very responsive to all our needs and developed a bespoke itinerary for us. Our trip took almost 2 months of planning, thank you Alex for being so patient. During the trip, Varya had a team of dedicated consultants, working 24 hours a day to ensure we were where we needed to be and safe. What was particularly impressive was that every transfer was taken care of and her team rang the drivers to confirm we had been picked up. Thank you Discovery Russia for making our trip to Russia an unforgettable and amazing holiday.

Dave Kendall

Australia

Just travelled to Russia for the World Cup. Discovery Russia was the most organised and professional travel agency I have ever used. Everything was well organised by Discovery Russia from hotels, tours to transportation. Highly recommend anyone travelling to Russia to book through Discovery Russia!!

Chris Balogh

Australia

Discovery Russia has made my World Cup dream a reality and also provided a spectecular tour of Kazan, Samara & Sochi along the way! The team who made it happen were fantastic, organised, attentive and even fulfilled requests like having window seats on all 3 of my domestic flights not to mention the smooth transportations to and from airports.

Steve Giannoress

Australia

Traveled to Russia for the world Cup 2018 with Angelo. Alex and myself with Discovery Russia. They were exceptional in every way, I want to thank Varya , Alex Tati and there team for there support and service during our trip there in Russia. I highly recommend anyone that wants to travel with Discovery to Russia or Balkans to use the great service of the above people, contact Varya to book you in now. Thanks again guys, well done and we all look forward to catching up again in the near future.

Alison Dannish

USA

We just returned from the World Cup in Russia where we followed Team Iran. This involved travel to three different stadiums many miles apart. Thank goodness we booked through Discovery Russia. They arranged our lodging and transport. They even set us up with local English speaking guides to take us to see the interesting and historical sights of this beautiful land. We had a blast. We met new friends, ate great food, drank great vodka and cheered our team on. It was a trip of a lifetime. Thanks to Varya, Tim, Ury, Ruslan, Daria, Alex and the others who helped us to enjoy this part of the world.

Chris McCabe

Australia

Varya and the Discovery Russia staff were amazing. Any pre trip trepidation was quickly dissolved by how safe we felt through our travels. We saw the sights and partied hard with not even a hint of any trouble. The Russian people were so eager to help and make our trip memorable. The language barrier was over come with their willingness to make us feel safe. Thanks Russia memories for ever

William Watt

Australia

What a trip ... the World Cup, five cities, amazing camaraderie, and great tour leadership against the background of one of the globe’s most amazing countries ... Russia. My World Cup tour with Discovery Russia was one of the great experiences of my travel life. The Discovery Russia team provided a wonderful platform with an itinerary both practical and flexible. The local tours in each of the venue cities - Moscow, Kazan, Samara, Sochi and St Petersburg were informative and,importantly, fun. Considering the accommodation pressures created by the huge influx of Cup tourists, the hotels selected by Discovery Russia were more than adequate. Special mention goes to the Grand Hotel Tchaikovsky In St Petersburg. The tour leadership provided by the company was both expert and considerate. Importantly each traveller’s individual enjoyment and safety appeared to be the paramount consideration. This World Cup holiday was meant to be a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience for me but I am now planning for the next Cup. Bring on 2022 in Qatar!

RobynChris Haynes

Australia

We travelled to Russia for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 to follow the Australian Socceroos with Discovery Russia. We had the most fantastic time in an amazing country visiting 5 cities and attending all 3 Socceroos pool games. All travel, accomodation,sightseeing and pre and post game entertainment was organised expertly by the team at Discovery Russia, all travel was coordinated extremely well including airport transfers to and from hotels. Not knowing what to expect in Russia we were pleased with the standard of our accomodation, the locations were excellent and the standard of hotel was great.The great team from Discovery Russia looked after our every need and are to be congratulated for their level of commitment to ensuring our Russian experience was the very best. Thank you all.

Linh Taylor

Australia

We had such a wonderful time traveling with Discovery Russia. We were there for the World Cup in addition to touring. The company did an amazing job at communicating before, during and after. We felt very safe and taken care of our entire stay. We would highly recommend the company.

Gabriel Carvajal

Mexico

My cousin and I attended the first Mexico soccer games of the 2018 World Cup and Discovery Russia was excellent. The lodging accommodations were great and centrally located. The personnel were wonderful. Thank you Tim for taking care of all our request. I was very surprised to received a message at 3 am informing me that our car was outside waiting to transfer us to the airport. That is the level of service that we received from Discovery Russia. Great company that made our trip even more memorable since it was absolutely hassle free.

Rami Selim

Egypt / Australia

Jacinta Ami

Australia

Highly recommend!! Well organised, friendly and knowledgeable staff who go out of their way to make sure you have the best experience! If you ever intend on visiting Russia, definately try this company!

Santiago Angulo

Colombia

We joined the Colombian Team tour during the Russia World Cup. The package was extremely well planned, we got to enjoy 5 cities, museums & attractions, and specially we were able to follow our team during the classifying phase. The World of Discoveries coordinator, Phillip, was excellent, he answered all our inquiries, helped us resolving any issues with the tour and with any other parties, and he was committed to help us have a great time. I will recommend World of Discoveries to anyone looking to visit remote countries, not just from the tourist point of view, but from the authentic local culture!!!

Alison Danesh

Iran / USA

We just returned from the World Cup in Russia where we followed Team Iran. This involved travel to three different stadiums many miles apart. Thank goodness we booked through World of Discoveries (Discovery Russia branch)! They arranged our lodging and transport. They even set us up with local English speaking guides to take us to see the interesting and historical sights of this beautiful land. We had a blast. We met new friends, ate great food, drank great vodka and cheered our team on. It was a trip of a lifetime.

Francisco Caycedo

USA

Travelled to Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 with a family of 4 including (2 boys: 4 and 12 y/o) . What an amazing experience it was! Super well organized, transfers were always on time, hotels were good, we couldn’t ask for a more responsible tour guide, Phillip was awesome and in care of every little detail to make us feel like at home, would recommend the company with no hesitation at all!

Gordon Ketelbey

Australia

Discovery Russia put an excellent tour together. All well organised with lots of side events all unplanned but the focus was on fun. Pity Australia can’t score goals but the party made up for it.

Andrew Wiefler

Australia

I decided to use the Discovery Russia Tour Service of the World Cup after some extensive research into the tour alternatives.
Discovery Russia seemed to differentiate its tour Service by providing a more culturally based service with a healthy dose of Football and Fun.
My experience was that it as well run ie they delivered on their promises. They have a health mix of local staff and Australian staff. The Russian staff had a great empathy for the challenges for us Aussies traveling in a country where you had no language skills they bridged that gap with there wonderful help.
I know there are many alternative tours but Discovery Russia certainly lived up to its name. I felt I discovered part of Russia but there’s plenty more to go!
Overall just a great experience.

Timkat Festival

A truly unforgettable tour

Itinerary

What's included

Highlights

Our reviews

Our reviews

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