1. Semien Mountains

The Semien Mountains, in northern Ethiopia, north east of Gondar in Amhara region, are part of the Ethiopian Highlands. They are a World Heritage Site and include the Simien Mountains National Park. The mountains consist of plateaus separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles.

2. Lalibela Rock Hewn Churches

Lalibela is a town in the Amhara region. It's known for its distinctive rock-cut churches dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, which are pilgrimage sites for Coptic Christians. Carved out of rock, the subterranean monoliths include huge Bete Medhane Alem, and cross-shaped Bete Giyorgis. Many are joined by tunnels and trenches, and some have carved bas-reliefs and colored frescoes inside.

3. Harar Holy City

Harar is a city in eastern Ethiopia. It’s surrounded by a centuries-old defensive wall that has several large gates, including Duke's Gate. The city is known for its mazelike alleys and traditional houses decorated inside with flat hanging baskets. A replica house features at the Harar Community Centre Museum. A holy Islamic city, Harar has many mosques, including the Grand Jami Mosque with its tall white minarets.

4. Gondar

Gondar, or Gonder, is known for the walled Fasil Ghebbi fortress and palace compound, once the seat of Ethiopian emperors. Dominating it is the immense 17th-century castle of Emperor Fasilides, which combines Portuguese, Indian and local architectural styles. Outside the complex is Debre Berhan Selassie church, with an interior of elaborate murals, including a ceiling of faces.

5. Blue Nile Falls

The Blue Nile Falls is a waterfall on the Blue Nile river. It is known as Tis Abay in Amharic, meaning "great smoke". It is situated on the upper course of the river, about 30 km downstream from the town of Bahir Dar and Lake Tana. The falls are one of Ethiopia's best known tourist attractions.

6. Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s sprawling capital in the highlands bordering the Great Rift Valley, is the country’s commercial and cultural hub. Its National Museum exhibits Ethiopian art, traditional crafts and prehistoric fossils, including replicas of the famous early hominid, "Lucy." The burial place of the 20th-century emperor Haile Selassie, copper-domed Holy Trinity Cathedral, is a neo-baroque architectural landmark.

7. Aksum

The city of Aksum known for its tall, carved obelisks, relics of the ancient Kingdom of Aksum. Most are in the northern Stelae Park, including a huge fallen pillar, now in pieces. Centuries-old St. Mary of Zion is a Christian church and pilgrimage site believed to have housed the biblical Ark of the Covenant. The neighboring Chapel of the Tablet is said to contain the Ark today.

8. Arba Minch

Arba Minch is a city and separate woreda in southern Ethiopia; the first common name for this city was Ganta Garo. Located in the Gamo Gofa Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region about 500 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, at an elevation of 1285 meters above sea level.

9. Danakil Depression

The Danakil Depression is the northern part of the Afar Triangle or Afar Depression in Ethiopia, a geological depression that has resulted from the divergence of three tectonic plates in the Horn of Africa.

10. Omo

If you want a cultural experience that you will never forget, then plan a trip to the Lower Omo Valley. Here you can connect with one of more than a dozen indigenous peoples that live in the region.

The valley is dependent on the Omo River to live as it feeds the dry savannah that supports the local communities. Each of the villages has their own customs and language and have lived basically the same lifestyle for centuries.

11. Bale Mountains National Park

This upcoming park is a good choice for wildlife and trekking enthusiasts. This wild landscape is home to endemic Ethiopian wolves.

The high altitude, Sanetti Plateau rises to over 4,000m . This undulating plateau is surrounded by higher volcanic ridges and peaks and features deep gorges, glacial lakes, several waterfalls, lava flows and swamps. We recommend to explore with local guides.

12. Lake Tana

Lake Tana is the largest body of water in Ethiopia and is renowned for its wildlife. Colobus monkeys on the islands hippos in the water. The birdlife is spectacular with chances to see pelicans, kingfishers and fish eagles. Churches and monasteries punctuate the shorelines.