Thursday 3^rd October – Asmara, Eritrea

• Arrival at your convenience to Asmara – the capital city of Eritrea which has flights between Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, Khartoum, and Istanbul.
• Be greeted at the airport by our driver and dropped off to our hotel – Crystal Hotel
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 5:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Head out for dinner and drinks at Harnassien Restaurant.
• Overnight in Asmara

Friday 4^th October – Asmara – Massawa

Morning

• After breakfast, we will begin our morning walking tour of Asmara. You will see the spectacular art deco of Asmara built by the Italians at the turn of the last century, such as the Fiat Tagliero building, Cinema Roma, the former Opera house of Asmara, the old railway station of Asmara, Cinema Impero, the Post Office built 1916, Albergo Italia built in 1899, the presidential palace built in 1907, the Hotel Hamasien built in 1916, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and many other sites along the way!

Afternoon

• We’ll have lunch in town and begin our 120km journey to Massawa – a colourful port town mixed with Italian, Egyptian and Ottoman architecture built along Africa’s Red Sea coastline. On the way we’ll stop for scenic photos of the forgotten railway connecting Asmara to Massawa constructed between 1887 and 1932 during the Italian Eritrea colony. Sadly, this line is no longer in operation. We’ll also stop to explore the abandoned sparkling water factory and railway stations.
• Once arriving in Massawa we’ll visit the 3 Tanks Monument – a memorial of three tanks (Tiger, Jaguar, Commander) that were instrumental in Operation Fenkil which led to the liberation of Massawa after a brutal Ethiopian occupation.
• Dinner on arrival at Almaz Bar & Restaurant, YPT’s favourite meal in Massawa. There, you can try Ja-Ja fish, an incredible stir-fry made up of thick pieces of fish.
• Overnight in Massawa at a hotel reminiscent of the era of the Italians, the Grand Dahlak Hotel with a giant swimming pool and bar serving Eritrean gin and cognac.

Saturday 5^th October – Massawa – Asmara

Morning

• Breakfast at our hotel and make a visit a local school to learn about Eritrea’s education system and meet with the children. Impromptu English classes are always welcomed by the students.
• Visit the Northern Red Sea Regional Museum – artifacts from 800BCE all the way to the struggle of the independence war is displayed and explained by a local English speaking museum guide.
• We’ll go on a walking tour to take in the unique mixture of Turkish and Italian architectural designs stopping at all sites of interest – Massawa was the capital of the Italian Colony of Eritrea until the seat of the colonial government was moved to Asmara in 1897. Decades of war during Eritrea’s struggle for independence, which it won in 1991, have taken their toll on Massawa’s buildings, many of which are now on the brink of collapse.
• Explore the former winter residence of Emperor Haile Selassie which was originally constructed in 1872 by the Ottomans.

Afternoon

• Lunch at the “Salam Restaurant”. Fresh fish prepared in traditional oven. This is a real local experience.
• We’ll then board a boat and set sail to Green Island located 5km off Massawa – one of our favourite beaches in all of Africa. The white sand beach and crystal blue waters offers a fantastic spot to unwind and enjoy a swim. Snorkelling equipment is available to rent.
• Journey back to Asmara, on the way stopping for photos of the abandoned sparkle water bottling plant, and stunning views of the old Eritrean railway line that ran along the highway.
• Dinner on arrival at a popular joint along the main avenue.
• Overnight at Crystal Hotel.

Sunday 6^th October – Asmara

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel
• We’ll begin our morning by exploring the largest tank graveyard YPT has ever discovered. APCs, Soviet tanks, aircrafts, vintage cars.. this place has it all! Most are leftovers from the war with Ethiopia.
• Visit the Italian Cemetery which is still funded and looked after by the Italian embassy in Asmara.
• Stop by the Alfa Romeo building – it has now been converted into residential apartments but is still considered a masterpiece of Art Deco modernist architecture in Asmara.
• Visit the only synagogue in Eritrea – built in 1906 by Yemenite Jewish immigrants from Aden. Back in the day the congregants were Italian Jews and refugees from Nazi Europe. Only one Rabbi remains, a native Eritrean, who’ll tell us about his background and his upbringing in Eritrea.

Afternoon

• Lunch at our favourite spot in Asmara that serves the best Kitcha fit-fit – a staple dish of Eritrean cuisine.
• Stroll along Harnett Street – the busiest street in Asmara. We’ll pass shops to buy Eritrean souvenirs such as shirts, caps, and magnets. We’ll also pop into a local bar for coffee or the famous Eritrean beer in unmarked bottles.
• Stop by the Eritrean bowling alley for a game – a 70-year-old relic of the 20th century and first used by the US military servicemen during their stay at Kagnew station in Asmara. There have been no upgrades or changes to the bowling alley, and visiting it is like stepping back in time.
• Dinner and drinks at a traditional restaurant, Hed Mona, where you can sample injera and local alcohol.
• Overnight at the hotel in Crystal Hotel.

Monday 7^th October – Asmara

• Breakfast at hotel and tour concludes with airport transfers.
• For those interested to join us onwards to Mogadishu, Somalia please contact us for more details.

Read More