12 Day North and South Tour
Explore Ethiopia’s 12-day adventure through Erta Ale, Dallol, Gheralta churches, Axum, Lalibela, and Omo Valley tribes. Discover history, culture, and unforgettable landscapes.
4 Day Danakil Depression Photographers Tour
Tour Overview
Step into a world few get to se and bring your camera. Our 4-Day Special Trip for Photographers to the Danakil Depression is crafted for the serious creator who craves bold landscapes, intense light and once in a lifetime frames. Imagine capturing the raw lava of the Erta Ale volcano as night falls, plotting wide-angle compositions of neon-sulphur pools at Dallol, and tracking camel caravans across the whiteness of salt flats.
Every step of this journey is tuned to your lens: we’ve chosen locations with prime light, designed the rhythm so you’re always ready for that perfect shot.
What To Expect
1
Mekelle - Dodom
Early in the morning, we start driving to Dodom. This is may be one of the worst roads in the world. The 70 km distance may take about 5 hours passing through changing landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and occasional palm lined oasis. After you pass several small hamlets scattered here and there in this desert land, Dodom is about 9.5km from Erta Ale and it takes about 3 hours trekking. Early dinner around 17:00 and trek up to Erta Ale at 20:00 where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava.
Erta Ale ranks one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and 1km square caldera at its summit. Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake. Erta Ale is 613 meters, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century. Overnight camping under the stars.
2
Erta Ale
After visiting the volcano with sunrise, then return to the base camp for breakfast. After breakfast walk again for one and half hours to the top of the crater to see the new erupted volcano which is bigger creator and active one but we will be a bit far from the rim back to the comp for lunch. In the afternoon visit the south creator and stay the night there.
3
Erta Ale - Dodom - Hamed Ela
Early in the morning, we descend from the mountain in the direction Dodom, which we will reach after 2 hours. Here breakfast will be served and you have some time to relax. We start our drive to hamedela lunch and for the night HAMED ALE, our next destination ours Lunch is served in route, we reach Hamed Ale around 4:30pm, a bigger village with a total population about 500. Lake Asale, a huge salt lake-is in walking distance, where we take a deep breath and a wine or beer for sunset, taking in the many reflections. Overnight camping in Hamed Ale.
4
Hamed Ale - Dallol - Mekelle
You get served an early breakfast at 6, around 7we start driving the short distance (approx 30 min) to Dallol (‘a colorful place’) via Asebo (‘the salt desert’), where- you can guess it- they mine salt. btw: 1,200 km2 of the Afar Depression is covered by salt. You can watch the workers breaking the salt from the ground, cutting it into rectangular pieces and loading it onto camels. The caravans start from here. This is also the lowest point of the Danakil – 116 meters!
We continue driving ahead to Dallol and stroll through the different landscapes formed by volcanic activities. Incredible, moon-like, colorful creations of the sulfur and huge salt mountains are to be found here. From here we proceed to Mekelle with the wonderful mountains on our side.
What's Included
All transfers and ground transportation with fuel and driver allowance
All entrance fees according to the program
Accommodation while camping (or tent).
Bottles of drinking water throughout the tour
Multilingual professional guide
What's Excluded
International and local flight tickets, visa and insurance
Pay the locals for photo and video
Alcoholic drinks
Any other expenses which are not mentioned
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12 Day North and South Tour
This 12-day journey immerses you in Ethiopia’s most extraordinary natural and cultural wonders: from the fiery lava lake of Erta Ale and the surreal salt worlds of Dallol to the cliff-hewn churches of Gheralta, the ancient treasures of Axum and Lalibela, and the vibrant tribal cultures of the Omo Valley.
Blending adventure, history, and authentic encounters, this experience offers an unforgettable exploration of Ethiopia’s landscapes, heritage, and diverse communities.
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