2 Days in the Danakil Depression

At Mekele, you’ll meet the rest of your tour group and pile into the Toyota Landcruisers that will take you into the Danakil in convoy. You’ll begin the drive into the Danakil at around 9AM. The roads leading out of Mekele are smooth and asphalted, and as you drive further out of town there are some wonderful views of the Tigrayan landscape.

As you drive further towards the Afar region, the roads get rougher until you reach the Danakil Depression. Here, the roads are a maze of solidified lava, rock and sand with an occasional palm lined oasis.

Drive towards the small hamlet of Hamed Ela via Berhale. The Danakil Depression is said to ‘begin’ here. En route, you’ll likely see long camel caravans going in and out of the Danakil as they are loaded with salt, the main export of this region.

Note: The Journey into the Danakil Depression tour starts and ends in Mekele. The region is easily accessible via domestic flight from Addis Ababa, or along the historic circuit. Depending on your wider travel plans, we can make the necessary arrangements to get you to and from Mekele.

Overnight: Camping at Hamed Ela

After breakfast at Hamed Ela, you’ll drive to Ragad (Asebo) and watch the local Afar people mining the salt from the ground and loading on to the camel caravans.

Drive to Dallol, one of the most stunning geological phenomena on the planet. The kaleidoscopic landscape of greens, reds, and yellows formed by acidic springs and salt mounds create an alien landscape.

Visit Lake Asale, one of the two hyper-saline lakes of the Danakil Depression and one of the most visually striking lakes anywhere in the world. The sun set over Lake Asale is extraordinary.

Begin the drive back to Mekele to line up with a return flight to Addis Ababa or continue your onwards journey with us.