Best of Eritrea Tour

Saturday 3rd October – Asmara, Eritrea

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

Sunday 4th October – Asmara – Keren

• Breakfast at hotel
• For those that missed the pre-tour meeting due to a late arrival your guide will go over it again briefly with you
• 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 Post Office built 1916, Albergo Italia built in 1899, the Hotel Hamasien built in 1916, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, the metal recycling market, the central fish market, and many other sites along the way!
• Visit the City Hall to see various photo displays in commemoration of the thirty-years bitter struggle and the post-independence progress. The City Hall was established by the Italians in 1890 and is one of the oldest institutions in Africa.

Afternoon

• Lunch at our favourite spot in Asmara that serves the best Kitcha fit-fit – a staple dish of Eritrean cuisine and classic Italian dishes
• Begin our 100km northwest journey to Keren – the second largest city in Eritrea. Keren is the junction between the highlands and lowlands.
• We’ll arrange several stops at points of interests along the way
• Check-in to our hotel to freshen up and head out for dinner
• Overnight in Keren

Monday 5th October – Keren – Massawa

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel, and head to the Keren market. This market is complete with vendors selling livestock such as camels, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
• Visit the Italian and Commonwealth War Cemetery – Keren holds a historical significance as it was the site of one of the most intense battles between the Commonwealth and Italian forces in 1941. The capture of Keren by the advancing Commonwealth military marked the end of Italian occupation in Eritrea.
• Explore the locally famous Mariam Dearit temple – this small Catholic shrine to the Virgin Mary is built into a baobab tree said to be 500 years old or more.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Keren and continue 200km towards 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, a tank and an abandoned railway station.
• Check into our hotel reminiscent of the era of the Italians, the Grand Dahlak Hotel.
• 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
• Explore the nightlife of Massawa and find some bars to mingle.
• Overnight in Massawa

Tuesday 6th October – Massawa – Asmara

Morning

• Breakfast at our hotel and begin our 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.
• 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 then board a boat and set to Green Island located 5km off Massawa – one of our favourite beaches in all of Africa. The white sandy beach and crystal blue waters offers a fantastic spot to unwind and enjoy a swim. Snorkelling is also available.

Afternoon

• Lunch at our hotel, this will also give a chance to shower and refreshen up before returning back to Asmara
• On the way we’ll stop at 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.
• On arrival into Asmara we’ll explore 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.
• Walk along Harnett Street which is usually busy in the evening with locals
• Dinner and drinks at a traditional restaurant, Hed Mona, where you can sample injera and local alcohol.
• 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 overnight in Asmara

Wednesday 7^th October – Asmara

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and tour concludes with airport transfers.