4 Days Danakil Depression

Day 01: Mekele → Lake Afdera (Danakil Depression Begins)

Your adventure into the Danakil Depression and Erta Ale the world-famous active volcano with its rare bubbling lava lake begins today. This region is home to the Afar people, a resilient nomadic tribe living in one of the hottest and lowest places on Earth. Depart Mekele in the morning for a 4-hour (220 km) drive on asphalt roads toward Lake Afdera. Along the way, enjoy short stops for coffee with locals and lunch prepared by our cook. As you drive deeper into the Depression, the landscape becomes increasingly dry, remote, and sparsely inhabited.

Arrive in the village of Afdera around 4:30 PM for a short visit, refreshments, and time to meet the local community. Afterward, continue to nearby Lake Afdera, where you will set up camp for the night. Enjoy a relaxing sunset swim in the salt lake and soak in the nearby hot springs. Dinner will be followed by a campfire underneath an incredibly bright, star-filled sky. Accommodation: Camping at Lake Afdera

Day 02: Lake Afdera → Dodom → Trek to Erta Ale Volcano

After breakfast at 10:00 AM, begin the 70 km off-road drive toward Dodom, the base camp of Erta Ale. The route crosses sandy desert plains and ancient lava fields. Along the way, visit local Afar salt miners who pump saltwater onto the ground and let it evaporate to form thick salt crusts.

Lunch will be served in Dodom village, where you will also present the required permits, hire camels for transporting gear, and meet additional scouts. Dinner is served early (around 5:00 PM) to prepare for the evening ascent.

Around 6:00–7:00 PM, begin the 8.5 km trek to the summit of Erta Ale, which takes about 3 hours. Camels will carry food and camping equipment. At the top, you will experience the extraordinary spectacle of the active lava lake the longest existing lava lake on Earth. Erta Ale (613 m) features two craters; the active southern one emits the glowing magma.

Your camp will be set slightly away from the rim to avoid volcanic gases. Spend the night watching the mesmerizing volcanic activity under a brilliantly clear desert sky.

Accommodation: Camping near the crater rim

Day 03: Erta Ale → Dodom → Hamed Ela

Descend from the volcano in the early morning and reach Dodom after about 2 hours. Breakfast will be served followed by a brief rest. Then drive 100 km (approximately 7 hours) toward Hamed Ela, passing through vast desert landscapes.

Lunch will be served en route. Arrive in Hamed Ela around 4:30 PM a larger settlement with about 500 residents. In the evening, walk to nearby Lake Asale, a massive salt flat, to enjoy the reflective salt formations with a drink at sunset. Accommodation: Camping in Hamed Ela

Day 04: Hamed Ela → Dallol → Mekele

Enjoy an early breakfast at 6:00 AM and depart around 7:00 AM for Dallol via Asebo (the salt desert), where large-scale salt extraction takes place. Here you can observe Afar workers cutting rectangular salt blocks and loading them onto camels the starting point of the famous salt caravans. This area also includes the lowest point of the Danakil Depression at –116 meters below sea level.

Continue to Dallol, meaning “a colorful place,” to explore its surreal landscapes created by volcanic activity: bright sulfur formations, mineral pools, salt canyons, and otherworldly formations resembling the surface of another planet.

After exploring Dallol, start the 180 km (approx. 4-hour) drive back to Mekele, climbing from the low desert to the mountain highlands (Mekele sits at 2,100 m). Arrive back in the city around 5:00 PM.