Best of Eritrea Budget Tour

DESCRIPTION

So you want to go to Eritrea and want to experience the most exciting experiences there but don’t want to spend a lot or stay there for a long time? Well, my friend, this is just the tour for you. In this tour, YPT reinvents travelling to Eritrea by packing all of the good and incredible stuff the country has, in a short time and at an unbeatable price!

Some of the activities that can be done in Eritrea are simply world-class and shouldn’t be missed but, if you’re on your own, things like chartering a boat or a train do cost a lot so we’ve decided to do what we do best and allow groups of like-minded travellers to pool up and experience these activities at a fraction of the price and without having to spend a long time following a group.

On this tour, you’ll do the best. We’ll hit the ground running and feel like we’ve jumped back in time as we walk through the streets of Asmara, which haven’t changed much since the Italians left after the World War! Speaking of the Italians, the next day we’ll be chartering the last steam train of Eritrea for a trip through winding tracks and stone tunnels. We’ll even let you blow the horn (if you’re nice). Eritrea is a land of incredible beauty so we have to jump on a boat to explore the Dahlac Archipelago, with ruins of ancient civilizations and gorgeous wildlife, right on the red sea. The tour then takes us back to Asmara, where it finishes.

This tour comes with full visa support (very helpful for this tricky country) for our group members but no one says you have to leave right when the tour is finished! If you’d like to explore more, you can use this tour as a launching pad, do the unaffordable stuff at a bargain price and let us arrange private excursions to the rest of the country!

This trip comes right before our October tour of Socotra and they can be combined, visiting both Eritrea and Yemen in one go!

ITINERARY

Friday 9th October – Asmara

Meet up in Addis Ababa international airport at 7:00 am.
We catch our flight to Asmara, ET312, arriving just before noon and go through immigration procedure (The flight is not included in the price of the tour but we can book it for you, +€250)
Driving from the airport, we’ll stop by the airplane-shaped Fiat Tagliero building, our first taste of Art Deco architecture.
After quickly dropping our bags by our hotel, hotel Top-Five and we have lunch there as well as a short pre-tour meeting. Our local team will assist us with getting the necessary permits for the rest of the trip while we :
Start our walking tour of Asmara, we’ll check out the main street, Harnett street and its impressive buildings.
Amongst the most famous buildings we will see are the Post office built 1916, Albergo Italia built in 1899, the presidential palace built in 1907, and the Hotel Hamasien built in 1916. Great photo opportunities!
Dinner at Hamassien Restaurant, where you can try both Eritrean dishes and great Italian food, a testimony to Eritrea’s mixed culture.
Head to the incredible bowling alley for a step back in time, with games and drinks!
Those who want to carry-on after will find Eritrea’s nightlife to be thriving!
Overnight at our hotel, hotel Top 5.

Saturday 10th October – Massawa

Early start and some breakfast as we have an exciting day. Today we will board a 100-year-old train and ride all the way to Arbaroba or the end of the maintained track.
Along the way, we will go through tunnels and winding roads. This is definitely a trip highlight!
On board the train we will be offered a traditional coffee ceremony.
Since it is not currently possible to take the train all the way to Massawa as it used to be due to the state of the track, our transportation will be waiting for us at the station as we hit the road for the 3 hour drive to Massawa
On arrival, we’ll check in at our seaside hotel
We’ll visit Gurgusum Beach, where we can swim and relax with local people.
Walking tour to take in the unique mixture of Turkish and Italian architectural design.
Dinner at the “Salam Restaurant”. Fresh fish prepared in traditional oven. This is a real local experience.
After dinner, we explore the nightlife of Massawa and find some bars.
Overnight in Massawa at Luna Hotel

Sunday 11th October – Massawa

After breakfast, we visit a local school in Massawa to learn about Eritrea’s education system and meet with the children.
Take a boat to Dahlac Marine National Park, the Red Sea’s largest archipelago of which just four islands are inhabited. It is a site of incredible beauty, which would be filled with tourists in any more open country!
We visit ruins from the early Arabic/Islamic settlers of the 8th century, and also some local Tigranyan villages.
Those who have a diving license can experience a dive in the Red Sea! (additional cost for diving). Don’t dive? No problem – snorkelling equipment is also available.
In the late afternoon/early evening, we will make our way back to Massawa.
Dinner at Almaz Bar & Restaurant, YPT’s favourite meal in Massawa. There, we can try Ja-Ja fish, an incredible stir-fry made up of thick pieces of fish
Drinks and overnight in Massawa

Monday 12th October – Asmara

This morning, we drive back to Asmara before noon.
Before getting back into the city, we’ll stop by the famous tank graveyard of Asmara. In this junkyard on steroids, you’ll find everything from Ethiopian tanks to Italian Ice Cream trucks from the 30s!
Heading back to Asmara around lunch
Lunch at one of the local restaurants along Harnett street
This afternoon, we have the possibility of exploring more of Asmara, such as the Cinema Roma and the National Museum of Eritrea and more!
We give the country a proper send-off by having dinner at Bistro Alba before heading out to get some more of that Asmara nightlife!
Overnight in Top Five Hotel

Tuesday 13th October