Volcano Adventure Danakil Depression and Erta Ale Lava Lake – 2/5 Days

Day 1: Mekele – Erta Ale

Morning start of the 4X4 drive into the Danakil to the base camp of Erta Ale, first on asphalted road but last part off road over old lava flows. In the evening you will walk to mount Erta Ale to see the active Volcano. Accommodation: camping on the caldera rim of Erta Ale (B, L, D)

Day 2: Full day on Erta Ale

We have full extra days and nights on the shield volcano´s summit area to explore its caldera and observe/photograph the ongoing and ever changing volcanic activity. Accommodation: camp on Erta Ale (B, L, D)

Day 3: Descend from Erta Ale to base camp, drive to Hamed Ela

Early morning descend from Erta Ale back down to base camp, breakfast, 4X4 drive to return to the main road and continue our journey to the Afar village of Hamed Ela. Acc.: camping in the Afar village of Hamed Ela (B, L, D)

Day 4: Full Day to Explore Dallol and surroundings

Morning Drive to Asebo the place where the localities are mining salt. Look the activity of workers breaking salts from the ground, cutting in to rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the difference landscape formed by volcanic activity, Dallol + Lake Assal + camel caravans. Excursion to Dallol (116 meter below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, Drive back to Hamedela Acc.: camping in the Afar village of Hamed Ela (B, L, D)

Day 5: Dallol – Mekele

After breakfast we break up our camp in Hamed Ela and make our way back to Mekele.

Day 1: Drive to Afdera

Visit the salt lake and the salines and excursion to the working area at the salines. Lake Afdera, a highly saline body of water and lies at an altitude of 103 meters below sea level and listed as the lowest lying in the world. Here you will visit the salt extraction of the Afar people from the lake overnight near the lake

Day 2: Afdera – Ertale 

From Afedera drives to Dodome, Drive 65 Km to get in Dodome Village. In the late Afternoon walk up to Ertalle active volcanic mountain. At night visit the colorful active volcano and spend the night camping.

Day 3: Ertale – Dodome

In the morning from Ertalle walk back to Dodome where you meet by your car and after breakfast drive to Hamedi Ela. overnight camping.

Day 4: Danakil to Mekele

Morning Drive to Asebo the place where the localities are mining salt. Look the activity of workers breaking salts from the ground, cutting in to rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the difference landscape formed by volcanic activity, Dallol +Lake Assal + camel caravans. Excursion to Dallol (116 meter below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow up camel caravans and walk with the Afar people. Drive back to Hamedela and proceed to Mekele.

Day 1

We start our day by driving to Erta Ale (which means smoky mountain in Afar language). 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. It 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.

We drive to Dodom the base of Erta Ale.  First on asphalted road but last part off road over old lava flows.  After passing several small hamlets scattered here and there in this deserted land, you will arrive to Dodom camping site, located about 17km from Erta Ale.
After a short break, trek up to Ertale at 30:00 hours. Camels will be transporting all the camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light mattresses and mat and water) to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. You will spend the night on top of the mountain, at the rim of the Volcano.

Day 2: Descend from Erta Ale to base camp, drive to Hamed Ela

Early morning descend from Erta Ale back down to base camp, breakfast, 4X4 drive to return to the main road and continue our journey to the Afar village of Hamed Ela.

Day 3: Explore Dallol and surroundings

Morning Drive to Asebo the place where the localities are mining salt. Look the activity of workers breaking salts from the ground, cutting in to rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the difference landscape formed by volcanic activity, Dallol + Lake Assal + camel caravans. Excursion to Dallol (116 meter below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, Drive back to Hamedela and proceed to Mekele.

Our service ends with transfer to the airport or another nearby destination. 
You could also start an additional tour from Mekele (e.g. Highland tour,  Tigray Churches, Lalibela, Axum, Simien National Park, etc.).
This is an expedition to a remote area, where there are not accommodations available; therefore Covenant Ethiopia Tours organizes a high quality camping material including both desert’s and mountain’s tents, shower tent, camping kitchen. Our cooks are highly professional.
Price depend on the number of the group you will join.