Danakil Adventure: Ethiopia's Enchanting Desert Landscapes

Day 1: Arrival and Domestic Flight to Semera

Upon Arrival at Bole international Airport, you will be directly connected to your domestic flight (ET 110, 07:10-08:30) to Semera. Then, you will be picked up by our representative and start your trip to the Afar region to visit the famous volcano with bubbling lava and have the possibility of experiencing the nomadic Afar tribe living in the desert. The drive will be on a paved road, with a few stops for coffee with the locals and lunch prepared by your cook. The landscape will become drier and deserted. On the way you will see the salt miners, the local Afar people. Lunch will be served in Dodom village. Here you have to show permission to climb Erta Ale ('the smoking mountain'), get the needed camels for transporting the goods and more scouts. Dodom is approximately 8.5km away from Erta Ale and this stretch will take about 3 hours to walk. Camels transport all the camping materials and some food to the rim of the volcano, where you will spend the night watching the dramatic actions of the boiling lava.

Camping at Erta Ale.

Day 2: Dallol

After a delicious early breakfast, you will drive to Dallol ('a colorful place') via Asebo ('the salt desert'), where the Afar people mine salt, cut it into rectangular pieces and load it onto camels. The caravans start from here. Dallol Depression is officially listed as the hottest place on earth, with an average temperature of 34-35 °C. Much of this vast and practically unpopulated region lies below sea level, dipping to a frazzled nadir of -116m at Dallol, near Lake Asale, the lowest spot on the African continent and one of the driest and most tectonically active areas on the planet. Continue driving ahead to Dallol and stroll through the different landscapes formed by volcanic activity. This is a yellow moon-like kingdom of spectacular creations. 

Camping at Dallol.

Day 3: Fly back to Addis Ababa

After breakfast, you will start driving to Semera. En route admire the volcanic rock and scenery of the  desert. Then transfer to Airport and take a flight to Addis Ababa, where the tour ends.

***End of the itinerary***