What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Amazing!

  Sightsee63296099308,Mar 27, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Unforgettable 3 day tour around Danakil Depression. Got everything we asked for and more! Great food, scenic views and amazing staff. Extra thanks to Aman who was very knowledgeable and super fun to be around!

• Unbelievable views and good service

  Road00674739575,Mar 12, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I heard it was the toughest tour in the world and decided to join it. The bottom line was that the service was so perfect that I didn't feel the slightest harshness. And I was able to see some of the most incredible things I've ever seen in my life that are definitely in the top five. ※Details will be spoiled, so please refrain I thought the tour would start after I got off the domestic flight, but I'm surprised that they even offered free transportation from the inn in Addis Ababa to the airport. I have no complaints about this tour company, so I would recommend it with confidence.

• I recommend the activity but requires preparation for sleeping conditions

  M9444PYsoniav,Feb 23, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  We traveled to see the volcano Erta Ale and in addition to not being able to see the lava, we were caught by surprise because we did not know that we would sleep in the mattress on the floor (in the site this described that would be camping and has pictures of camping tents), on the second night also but in a bed on the side of the road, we felt a lack of fresh drinks was not available, anyway we recommend the activity without a doubt we saw unique and unhappy places. But it would be quite interesting and recommended to prepare people for sleeping conditions. On the last day we had an excellent experience by the capital museums, merkato, with the best guide ever super recommend the name è: Yeab.

• Abandoned in a Conflict Zone, Lied to About Erta Ale, and Scammed Out of a 3-Day Expedition (Jan 24–26)

  freedomofexploration,Feb 4, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  1.00

  If I could give ZERO stars, I would. What happened to us with Ethiopian Tourism & Travel (ETT) was dangerous, deceptive, and entirely preventable. This was sold to us (in writing) as a 3-day / 2-night Danakil Depression expedition including Erta Ale volcano, Dallol, Lake Afrera, Afar village camp, security, and flights via Mekele. We paid $450 per person. We received less than 24 hours of activities! What actually happened: ETT never disclosed that Erta Ale’s lava lake is NOT visible due to eruptions in Nov 2025 and Jan 2026 (confirmed later by guides). VISIBILITY MAY NOT RETURN FOR YEARS!! Demeke (ETT coordinator) unilaterally changed our flights from Mekele to Semera the day before our international departure after I merely asked if an earlier flight was possible. This destroyed the itinerary! Our refund request—made within ETT’s own 24-hour full-refund policy—was ignored. Day 1: Lied to about Erta Ale weather and Abandoned in a conflict zone by Akilulu We were flown into Semera, a tense, high-risk area we were never supposed to enter, and dumped for ~19 hours in barracks-style motels with: No security (other tour groups had armed escorts at erta ale) No guide No explanations No itinerary sites visited We were falsely told Erta Ale was inaccessible due to “weather.” The TRUTH: While stranded, we learned other ETT groups WERE at Erta Ale that same night. The volcano had been overbooked. We were simply sacrificed and lied to without an option to go back to Addis to enjoy what little vacation time we had. The experience: Overcrowded “chicken bus” vans with 10 tourists + 3 ETT workers (didn't speak English) packed in like sardines (despite promises of private land cruisers), luggage crushed or placed on the roof in extreme heat with luggage on our laps for 4+ hours due to overcrowding. Exhausted drivers driving aggressively, unsafely with loud music blasting to keep them awake. Armed Afar locals surrounding us at off-itinerary sites that we didn't pay to go to Repeated unsafe, unhygienic, nutritionally inadequate food (lots of spaghetti with a dollop of sauce, no protein). Hotel staff asking us to pay again for prepaid hotels due to ETT’s failures Only reason this trip wasn’t a total loss Amman (Ammanuel – guide) and Misganaw (driver) stepped in to save our trip when Akilulu and Demeke gaslit us, refused to do anything or refund us. Amman and Misganaw apologized (ETT never did), woke up at 2 AM despite fatigue, rerouted the trip, got our flights changed back to Mekele, and gave us one truly exceptional day at Dallol. They acted with integrity and care! Thank you to them and their entire crew that salvaged one day for us! Refund deception & Vivian After a week of written correspondence, ETT management (Daniel) put in writing that we were owed a 50% refund due to their operational failures. Instead of delivering the refund to our hotel as Daniel had promised in writing and scheduled, Demeke sent Vivian, a new coordinator (6 months out of college), to our hotel without the refund and without context, clearly setting her up to fail. Demeke needs to be fired! Vivian handled an impossible situation with professionalism, asked intelligent questions, and spent 1.5 hours fixing ETT’s mess until other staff finally brought the refund money. She never lost her composure. She deserves Demeke’s and Daniel's job!! W had already heard tourists praise their experience with her while at Erta Ale (none of her tourists were dumped and stranded in war zones... only Demeke's). Vivian is far more competent, educated, speaks much better English, understands customer service and what the customer wants. She is overqualified for her job and should have both Demeke and Daniel's job! She was the only efficient critical thinking problem solver at ETT surrounded by a bunch of ego driven, incompetent men who don't speak the language most tourists speak... English! Final warning!!! This was not bad luck. ETT has a pattern of: Withholding critical safety information Last-minute itinerary sabotage Ignoring cancellation rights Dumping tourists in unstable regions Gaslighting when confronted Oh! And ETT won't tell you this, but on Jan 27, 2026 3 of the major airports in the region were shut down by the government due to escalating war conflict. Tons of tourists were stranded. This information is difficult to find on western news!! Avoid ETT and don't pay for anything in cash or wire transfer in advance!!! If you insist on traveling to the region, seek out independent assistance directly: Coordinator: Vivian (excellent and over qualified), Guides: Amman & Samuel, Driver: Misganaw (he should be a guide). Read the negative reviews. Believe them!

• Unreal everyday experiences

  yutaf2026,Feb 1, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  It was such a great tour. They contacted us in Watts-Up in advance to get us a flight. It was an unrealistic experience. The half-day Addis Ababa tour was fun because the guides were very interesting. In January, I was able to travel without any mosquitoes. I would like to use it if I have another chance.

• It was a very valuable experience.

  daikik2026,Jan 31, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  It was a tour full of trouble. I got help from the tour company each time. We are very grateful for your free hotel and meals. Thank you very much.

• Danakil Depression and Erta Ale Tour

  Tam2678,Jan 24, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  1.00

  I recently completed the Danakil Depression and Erta Ale portion of my Ethiopian trip with ETT, and the experience was extremely disappointing and unsafe. Although we were promised a dedicated guide for the entire tour, we were informed on arrival that our guide had been reassigned. As a result, we were left without a guide and effectively unsupervised, including at high-risk locations such as the Dallol acid lakes and during a night trek to the Erta Ale volcano crater, with no professional guidance present. Logistics were poorly managed throughout. Five passengers were squeezed into a single, overcrowded SUV, and the driver admitted he was exhausted from consecutive camping trips, raising serious safety concerns. On the final day, ETT altered our itinerary to suit other clients, adding unnecessary driving time and causing us to arrive in Mekelle 2.5 hours late. When we questioned the unapproved changes to the itinerary, the campsite host became passive-aggressive, telling us we “had no choice” but to follow his instructions. The replacement vehicle was not suitable for the terrain and failed on a steep incline, forcing us to walk up a dangerous hill alongside heavy lorries. The campsite itself was in very poor condition, with significant plastic waste and rubbish. There were no designated toilet areas, forcing guests to relieve themselves close to where others were sleeping. Overall, this was a poorly organised and unsafe experience. ETT appeared more focused on maximising profit than delivering the service promised or ensuring guest safety. I would not recommend this company for travel in such a remote and high-risk region.

• Expected more

  Spilaki,Jan 10, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  2.00

  Too many people in the tour , at points more than 50 people joined . Due to high number of participation s delays in preparation of dinners and lunches. Room for improvement with regards to organization. Not any information provided by the tour guide during the excursion, he was just escorting the group. Food was very good .

• Excellent 3 day Danakil tour

  rachelsB9458RW,Oct 8, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Excellent tour. The guide and driver were excellent, very informative, hard working, very attentive and good company. The food was well above what we expected - considering how remote the tour is. The staff work hard to make it an enjoyable experience for all their guests. The overall organisation was good, although expect to sometimes have delays in receiving information - for us this was not a problem. Thank you ETT for a great trip. We will use you again and recommend you.

• i really like this tour package

  Voyager62803927822,Sep 1, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  i feel the tour is very nice,the best guide and agency,and thanks to the boss of agency,they are very kind.And also the view is excellent,i have never seen these beautiful view.

  

  

  
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