Addis Ababa Lodge
Lodge
Day 1
Ethiopia: Northern Circuit - 7 Days (Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Blue Nile Falls, Gondar & Simien)
Seven days from Lake Tana to Lalibela. Seven days with all domestic flights, licensed guides at every site and a lodge inside the Simien park.
Meridian Overland
Runs this trip
Walking / cultural tour
Seven days from Lake Tana to Lalibela
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
National MuseumThe National Museum holds Lucy — a 3. Lake TanaThe Lake Tana monasteries are round churches painted inside floor to ceiling, some of them fourteenth-century, and several admit only men. Fasil GhebbiGondar was the imperial capital from 1636 and the castle compound looks more European than African, which has been argued about for…
Itinerary
The National Museum holds Lucy — a 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus skeleton — in a basement room with very little ceremony.
Addis AbabaHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer into the city
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationAddis Ababa Lodge
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
- National Museum entry
LANDMARKS National Museum Lucy Merkato Holy Trinity Cathedral Start point Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport (ADD), Ethiopia 00:00 - 23:59The Lake Tana monasteries are round churches painted inside floor to ceiling, some of them fourteenth-century, and several admit only men.
Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Blue Nile FallsHow the day runs
- 1 hrs8:00 AM — north-west to the lake
- 3 hrs11:00 AM — out to the Zege peninsula monasteries
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationBahir Dar Retreat
Included Activities
- Domestic flight
- Monastery boat and entries
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Lake Tana Ura Kidane Mehret Blue Nile Falls Gondar was the imperial capital from 1636 and the castle compound looks more European than African, which has been argued about for centuries.
Bahir Dar, GondarHow the day runs
- 3 hrs9:00 AM — north around the lake
- 1:30 PM — the Fasil Ghebbi compound and Debre Berhan Selassie
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationGondar Residency
Included Activities
- Castle compound and church entries
- Hotel night at Gondar
LANDMARKS Fasil Ghebbi Fasilides bath Debre Berhan Selassie Geladas are the only grass-eating primates and they live in troops of hundreds on the escarpment, entirely unbothered by people.
Gondar, SimienHow the day runs
- 3 hrs7:00 AM — north-east up to the park
- 5 hrs11:00 AM — the escarpment walk with a scout
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- AccommodationSimien Retreat
Included Activities
- Park fees, compulsory scout and guide
- Lodge night in the park
LANDMARKS Simien Mountains Gelada baboons Sankaber escarpment Walia ibex Lalibela sits at 2,500 m and the churches are cut down into the rock rather than built up from it.
Simien, Gondar, LalibelaHow the day runs
- 3 hrs8:00 AM — back to Gondar
- 1 hrs2:00 PM — the short hop east
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationLalibela House
Included Activities
- Domestic flight
- Hotel night at Lalibela
LANDMARKS Lalibela Highland plateau Bete Giyorgis is a cross-shaped church cut thirty metres down into solid rock, and it is one continuous piece of stone. They are still in daily use.
LalibelaHow the day runs
- 5 hrs7:00 AM — the northern and eastern groups, then Bete Giyorgis
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationLalibela House
Included Activities
- Lalibela site pass and a licensed guide
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Bete Medhane Alem Bete Giyorgis Tunnels and trenches Ethiopian Airlines gives a substantial domestic discount if you flew in with them, which is worth arranging when booking.
Lalibela, Addis AbabaHow the day runs
- 2 hrsMorning flight back to the capital
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Domestic flight
- Airport transfer
- A day room in Addis
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 1National Museum entry
- Day 2Domestic flight
- Day 2Monastery boat and entries
- Day 3Castle compound and church entries
- Day 3Hotel night at Gondar
- Day 4Park fees, compulsory scout and guide
- Day 4Lodge night in the park
- Day 5Hotel night at Lalibela
- Day 6Lalibela site pass and a licensed guide
- Day 7A day room in Addis
- Day 1 · 1 nightAddis Ababa Lodge
- Day 2 · 1 nightBahir Dar Retreat
- Day 3 · 1 nightGondar Residency
- Day 4 · 1 nightSimien Retreat
- Day 5 · 2 nightsLalibela House
- Day 1Addis Ababa to Addis AbabaTransfer into the city
- Day 2Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar8:00 AM — north-west to the lake
- Day 3Bahir Dar to Gondar9:00 AM — north around the lake
- Day 4Gondar to Simien7:00 AM — north-east up to the park
- Day 5Simien to Gondar8:00 AM — back to Gondar
- Day 5Gondar to Lalibela2:00 PM — the short hop east
- Day 7Lalibela to Addis AbabaMorning flight back to the capital
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Bahir Dar Retreat
Hotel
Day 2
Gondar Residency
Hotel
Day 3
Simien Retreat
Hotel
Day 4
Lalibela House
Hotel
Days 5, 6
What you'll eat
6 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 6 dinners across 7 days, at the lodges you sleep in. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.
- DinnerServed on days 1–6
- BreakfastServed on days 2–7
- LunchServed on day 4
13 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.6/5
Based on 10 reviews
Review summary
Food4.3/5
Guide4.4/5
Itinerary4.4/5
Transport4.1/5
Accommodation4.4/5
Tour operator4.4/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
M
Manav Sethi – Ahmedabad2026-03-08 · Verified booking
Northern circuit done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Simple food, well made, and enough of it. Recommended.
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5
V
Vikram Bose – Hyderabad2026-03-08 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. Rooms were basic in the best way — dry, warm, and right where we needed them. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Solid operator.
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4
F
Farah Qureshi – Mumbai2026-03-08 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Worth every rupee.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
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5
S
Sameer Khan – Kolkata2026-03-08 · Verified booking
Well paced over 7 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy.
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5
A
Aditi Rao – Hyderabad2026-03-08 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. Rooms were basic in the best way — dry, warm, and right where we needed them. Crew were professional without being stiff about it. Would send friends their way.
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5
J
James Whelan – Zurich2026-02-08 · Verified booking
Northern circuit done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Every night's lodge was a step up from what I'd braced for. Recommended.
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5
A
Aditi Rao – Hyderabad2026-02-08 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. The teahouses were warm and the beds were fine after eight hours walking. Good value for what's included.
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3
D
Daniel Okafor – Berlin2026-02-08 · Verified booking
Too much time on the coach and not enough at the places we'd come for. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.
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Questions people ask
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