Ethiopia 2026 | Ark of the Covenant Expedition & Timket Festival | Dr. Yohannes Zeleke & Rhonda Sand

Guests depart Washington-Dulles airport at 11:00AM if taking our international air. If not taking our group air, please meet us in Addis Ababa on January 13 for our domestic flight that departs Addis at 10:30AM on January 13.

Arrive in Addis in the early morning and transfer to our domestic flight to Mek’ele. We’ll arrive at the Jupiter Hotel in Mek’ele and have a nice dinner out on the patio. The weather will be a beautiful 78 to 85 degrees during our stay and the hotel is air conditioned.

After breakfast this morning, we will load up in our 4WD vehicles and visit the enthralling markets for the camel caravans of Danakil. You will be moved by the colorful scenes in this marketplace, where people from afar come to trade salt for goods. Some of these caravans only come into the trading center once a year. You will be so blessed to see this trade in action! We drive out of the city and visit the mysterious monastery at Wukro. This monastery is a training center for youth who are committed to God from birth, and the Christian and Jewish faith of these people has been practiced here for thousands of years. We will drive the majestic road into Adigrat and beyond into the mysterious, conical-shaped rock formations. Our luxury lodge is hidden inside those mountains. This is known as the “Grand Canyon” of the African continent. Along the way, we will also stop at the monastery of Abraha Atsbeha, where they have had church services since the 16th century. Arrive at our hotel for the next two nights, Gheralta Lodge (or similar). Dinner on the patio amidst the stunning rock formations

Today will be a day we will treasure for a lifetime! We will climb to the ancient rock churches of Tigray. These churches are known to have hidden many of our most treasured Biblical manuscripts and history. We will see ancient paintings of Christ, the angels Gabriel and Michael, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, and the Apostles. While there, we will meet with monks who have been isolated all their lives to worship in this remote place. We will have much to discuss as to why God would choose to hide the Book of Enoch and other books in this place. Tonight, we will enjoy a sumptuous Italian dinner while we discuss our huge day!

Those wanting to rest may enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning and have some quiet time. For those who have the energy, there is time this morning to see a church said to be built by the hands of angels. The colorful gospel message was painted on the walls and is given to the worshippers, on an almost daily basis, by the priest of the church. This wonderful man has lived in this church on the mountain all of his adult life. The mountaintop church has 20 to 50 elderly worshippers who visit it daily. What an amazing site to see their weathered bare feet walk the heavily-trodden rock path. Once inside the church, you will see a thousand-year-old, 25-foot painting of the archangel Gabriel. We take a rest at our luxury lodge and then head out in our 4WD vehicles to see the mines of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon as discovered by archeologist Louise Schofield and to see a new discovery called “Sleeping Beauty.” This is an ancient burial site that will knock your socks off! Dinner tonight will be spent with the lodge owner on the terrace.

Later in the morning, we retrace our steps over the spectacular scenery! We make a stop at Debre Damo. You will be one of only a few guests that have visited this treasure. The top of this mysterious monastery is accessible only by leather ropes. Women are not allowed at the top, but we will have plenty of opportunities while we wait. Dr. Zeleke will share the reason for the male-only segregation, as it is also iconic. Time permitting, both men and women, (or women only, if the men are still entering Debre Damo) will visit the world-renowned small church of Garima. Garima came into the world’s limelight 9 years ago when the world’s oldest Biblical manuscript with paintings was discovered in their treasury. The monastery also has the Book of Enoch and other treasures. Next, while we are near Garima, we will visit the Temple at Yeha. Yeha is thought to be a Jewish building from the time of the Queen of Sheba – it has a mikveh and incense burners with many Sabean writings from the time of King Solomon and Sheba. The Temple is one of Ethiopia’s greatest treasures. We arrive back in Axum tonight with dinner at our favorite hotel, overlooking the ceremonial grounds. You will meet the group arriving for the main tour today at the hotel.

Guests depart Washington-Dulles airport at 11:00AM if taking our international air.

Arrive in Addis in the early morning and arrive in Axum today at 4:00PM. We will be met by our drivers and transferred to our strategically located hotel for lunch and a short rest before the adventure begins. The legends narrated in the Kebra Nagast “Book of Kings” recount how the city of Axum, as early as the 10th century B.C., was the city in which the Queen of Sheba resided. It is recounted that the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant to Axum and it remains there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary. Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires, and represented a crucial connecting point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. We will visit the steles, granite monoliths dating from pre-Christian times and decorated with symbolic engravings, and the church of Mary of Zion, which contains many implements used in service to the Ark along with many other treasures. Tonight after dinner, we will gather around a fire overlooking the ceremonial grounds that are being prepared below. You will feel that something is about to happen to you spiritually in the coming days.

In the morning, you will attend the Timket festival. We will also visit the tomb of Bazen – a new discovery now known as the tomb of one of the wise men who visited Christ after his birth. We will visit the frankincense trees, the rock inscription of the Lion of Judah, various tombs, and witness colorful mass baptisms taking place in the Queen of Sheba pool while hundreds of participants cover the hills draped in white gauze dresses, singing the Psalms of David. Your spirit will be lifted by the sweetness of it all! We break for lunch together on the terrace of our hotel. Late afternoon, we will arrange for you to visit the church of St. Mary (said to house the Ark of the Covenant) and see the grounds where their kings (in the lineage of David) were all crowned. Afterward, we’ll pay a visit to the spice and antiques markets, then return to our hotel terrace above the ceremonial grounds to listen to the sweet voices below while we enjoy our dinner.

Waking this morning, we will hear the sweet and melodious singing from the churches below. Grab a cup of hot coffee or tea and sit and admire stele fields and beautiful vistas from our deck. Today, we are going to visit the camel market, the spice markets, and more. We will engage in the community and have an opportunity to visit a mysterious mountaintop rock-hewn church that holds many ancient Biblical manuscripts. We will also be able to ride a camel and visit some of the schools that were created by our friends. Dinner again overlooking the stele field.

Time to visit the ancient monasteries nearby and the outdoor marketplace. Make our way via Addis onto our next city of Lalibela with an overnight at the Addis airport.

We fly late morning to Lalibela. This city of Christian pilgrimage, for our Africa-based brothers and sisters, is located at an altitude of 2,600 meters above sea level. In this ancient city, 11 monolithic churches were built in the twelfth century and are carved out of pink granite rock; they have been classified as one of the wonders of the world. Each church has a unique architectural style. All are superbly carved and most of them are decorated with well-preserved paintings. The entire city may be described as a sculpture, dedicated to the glory of God. The day is devoted to visiting both groups of churches and the city itself. We have an overnight stay at the Mountain View Hotel.

After breakfast, we will drive through the beautiful countryside to an incredible, hidden monastery and church called Yemrehanna Kristos. The church is built inside a cave, deep inside the rock wall. The local dead have been brought to this place for centuries and it is considered one of their most Holy sites. You will be able to see their Biblical manuscript treasury and learn of the worship that has been passed on from King David’s time to the children of the Book. You will hear the lovely singing and chanting that is directly taken from our treasured Psalms. Tonight, we return to the Mountain View Hotel, where the view is indescribable. We will have a fantastic dinner prepared by our Jamaican chef.

We board our flight to Bahir Dar, the jewel resort city on Lake Tana, the source of the Nile. Bahir Dar is known as the wedding capital of Africa: there are more honeymoons and weddings here in this setting than in any other place in Africa. Upon arrival, we visit the waterfalls of the Blue Nile: 100 meters wide, the water plunges 45 meters, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. Those who wish to do so may descend to the base of the falls, climb back up the other side, and cross the Nile in a papyrus boat (traditionally known as “Tankwas”) to return to the point of departure – which will be a walk of about 60 minutes. You will enjoy the monkeys jumping from tree to tree overhead, joining us on our walk. Our overnight stay is at the Kuriftu Resort. This hotel has a spa and a fantastic lakeside restaurant that will be our home away from home!

Today we have a full-day boat trip across the lake. This island was most recently highlighted on the TV series “Expedition Unknown.” Our destination (as was theirs) is the mysterious Tana Kirkos. It is here that you will see the treasury implements that were used when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Ethiopia for safekeeping. The men will have a unique experience with Dr. Yohannes, where he will take them to the place where the Tabernacle poles fit into the rock, and they will receive a teaching from him that will melt their hearts. Ladies will take part in examining the treasures hidden in the treasury and will be able to visit the monastery where these precious keepers farm for their existence. We will have lunch and plenty of storytime!

Today, we will relax and enjoy a fishing trip on the Nile. Bring your favorite pole or use one of ours. We will also have a crocodile and hippopotamus safari! Not only will you be able to see these amazing animals in the wild, but you will see plenty of the world’s most exotic birds and monkeys and even a couple of wild boar. What a glorious day of rest! We depart the hotel around 6:00PM tonight for our overnight flight back to the US.

Arrive back at Washington-Dulles airport today at 7:30AM.