Eritrea Tours and Travel

Day 1 – Asmara

• Arrival at your convenience to Asmara – the capital city of Eritrea which has flights between Addis Ababa, Dubai, Cairo, Istanbul, or Jeddah.
• Be greeted at the airport by our driver and dropped off to your hotel –Expo Hotel to check in.
• Dinner and overnight in Asmara

Day 2 – Asmara – Keren

Morning

• After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll will begin your 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 in Asmara and then begin your 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
• Dinner and overnight in Keren

Day 3 – Keren – Massawa

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel, and head to the Keren market. This bustling 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.
• Once arriving in Massawa 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 a local restaurant for 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.

Day 4 – Massawa – Asmara

• 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.
• 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.
• Begin the drive back to Asmara

Afternoon

• Lunch at our favourite spot in Asmara that serves the best Kitcha fit-fit – a staple dish of Eritrean cuisine.
• Visit 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.
• Stroll along Harnett Street – the busiest street in Asmara. We’ll pass shops to buy Eritrean souvenirs and pop into a local bar for coffee or the famous Eritrean beer in an unmarked bottle.
• 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 Expo Hotel.

Day 5 – Asmara

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and anything missed on previous days can be done on this morning.
• Transfer to the airport for departure.