Highlights of Ethiopia: The Historic North

This morning you explore Addis Ababa, beginning at the National Museum to meet Lucy, the astonishing 3.2-million-year-old fossil hominid whose discovery made Ethiopia a cradle of humankind. You visit the grand Holy Trinity Cathedral, resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie, and perhaps climb toward Entoto for sweeping views over the city and a breath of eucalyptus-scented mountain air. You then plunge into the vast, teeming Merkato, one of Africa's largest open-air markets, a swirl of spices, textiles, silver and everyday life. After lunch you transfer to the airport for a short domestic flight north to Bahir Dar, the relaxed lakeside town on the shore of Lake Tana. You settle into your hotel by the water as the sun sets over the lake. Rest well beside the source of the Blue Nile.

Today you take to the calm waters of Lake Tana, Ethiopia's largest lake and the sacred source of the Blue Nile, on a boat excursion to its ancient island monasteries. Hidden among trees on peninsulas and islands, these centuries-old monastic churches are treasure houses of Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, their round interiors covered in vivid religious murals and their monks guarding illuminated manuscripts, ancient crosses and royal crowns. You might visit the monasteries of the Zege Peninsula, such as Ura Kidane Mehret with its glorious painted walls, walking through coffee-shaded forest alive with birdsong and monkeys. Out on the water you watch fishermen pole their slender papyrus tankwa boats, a scene little changed in centuries. Back in Bahir Dar you can relax at a lakeside cafe or stroll the palm-lined avenues. Rest well by the tranquil lake.

This morning you journey out to the spectacular Blue Nile Falls, known in Amharic as Tis Issat, the Smoking Water, where the great river plunges over a broad basalt cliff in a thunder of spray that throws rainbows across the gorge, most dramatic after the rains. A scenic walk across countryside and over a centuries-old Portuguese-era bridge brings you to fine viewpoints, past villagers, birdlife and lush greenery. Returning to Bahir Dar, you then travel north to Gondar, the road climbing through highland farmland and villages with grand mountain views. Arriving in Gondar, Ethiopia's romantic seventeenth-century imperial capital, you settle into your hotel. This historic city, ringed by mountains, has a grand and atmospheric air. Enjoy dinner and perhaps a traditional coffee ceremony this evening. Rest well in the old imperial capital.

Today you immerse yourself in the imperial splendour of Gondar, often called the Camelot of Africa. At the heart of the city stands the Fasil Ghebbi, a walled royal compound and UNESCO World Heritage Site enclosing a remarkable cluster of stone castles, palaces and towers raised by Emperor Fasilides and his successors from the 1600s. You wander among the soaring battlements of Fasilides Castle, the library and banqueting halls, imagining the pageantry of the imperial court. You visit Fasilides Bath, a serene sunken pool still filled once a year for the joyous Timkat festival, its surrounding walls wrapped in the roots of ancient trees. Finally you admire Debre Berhan Selassie church, whose famous ceiling is covered with rows of winged cherub faces gazing serenely down. Rest well this evening amid the romance of imperial Gondar.

After a final look at Gondar, you transfer to the airport for a short flight to Axum, the ancient and sacred cradle of Ethiopian civilisation in the far north. Once the centre of one of the great trading empires of the ancient world, Axum today is a quiet town that guards extraordinary treasures. On arrival you begin to explore its haunting main stelae field, where towering granite obelisks, carved some seventeen centuries ago to mark royal tombs, rise dramatically from the ground; the greatest still standing soars over twenty-four metres and is intricately carved to resemble a many-storeyed building. As the light softens in the late afternoon the monuments take on a golden glow. You settle into your hotel in this legend-steeped town. Rest well in ancient Axum, heart of old Ethiopia.

Today you delve deeper into the wonders and legends of Axum. You visit the chapel that Ethiopian tradition holds to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, guarded by a single appointed monk and glimpsed by no one else, beside the old and new churches of Saint Mary of Zion. You explore underground royal tombs, the ruins of a palace linked by legend to the Queen of Sheba, and her reputed bath, a great reservoir still used by the town. At the archaeological museum you see ancient coins, inscriptions and artefacts that testify to Axum's power and to its early adoption of Christianity in the fourth century, among the oldest in the world. The layers of history and faith here are profound. Rest well in Axum, steeped in empire and legend.

This morning you fly south to Lalibela, the spiritual heart of Ethiopia and the highlight of the entire journey, perched high in the rugged Lasta mountains. On arrival you settle into your hotel, many of which enjoy sweeping views over the surrounding peaks and valleys. In the afternoon you begin to explore the astonishing rock-hewn churches, starting perhaps with the northern cluster, where great monolithic sanctuaries have been carved downward out of the solid red volcanic rock. You walk through trenches and tunnels linking the churches as white-robed pilgrims and chanting priests move through the shadows, incense scenting the cool air. Nothing quite prepares you for the scale and artistry of these eight-hundred-year-old wonders, still very much alive with daily worship. Rest well in Lalibela, King Lalibela's New Jerusalem carved from living stone.

You devote a full day to the wonders of Lalibela, exploring the remaining rock-hewn churches at a contemplative pace. You visit the southern cluster of sanctuaries, connected by shadowy passageways and courtyards, their interiors adorned with carved crosses, arches and ancient religious art. The climax is Bete Giyorgis, the Church of Saint George, carved in the perfect shape of a Greek cross and sunk into a deep pit, widely regarded as the finest of them all and one of the most photographed sights in Africa. Time permitting, you may take an excursion to a dramatically sited outlying church such as Asheton Maryam high above the town, or the beautiful cave church of Yemrehanna Krestos. If your timing aligns with a service, the chanting and devotion are unforgettable. Rest well amid the sacred stone of Lalibela.

After a final Ethiopian breakfast and, perhaps, a last quiet visit to a favourite church or a stop at a local coffee roaster, you bid farewell to Lalibela and transfer to the airport for your flight back to Addis Ababa, where you connect with your onward international departure. You leave having journeyed through the very best of Ethiopia's historic north: the lakeside serenity of Bahir Dar and Lake Tana, the thundering Blue Nile Falls, the fairy-tale castles of Gondar, the ancient stelae and legends of Axum, and above all the incomparable rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, all wrapped in the warmth of Ethiopian hospitality and the aroma of freshly roasted coffee. These images of ancient faith, stone and highland beauty stay with you long after you fly home. Depart already dreaming of a return to Ethiopia.