ERITREA AND THE DAHLAK ISLANDS

DAY 1: departure from Italy on a flight with a stopover to Asmara

DAY 2: arrival in Asmara, entry formalities and hotel check-in. Located at over 2000 meters above sea level, it is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a planned colonial city. In the 1930s, together with many new settlers from the homeland, some of the most visionary Italian architects of the time arrived in the Eritrean capital, where—unlike in Italy—they had the opportunity to bring their boldest and most unconventional ideas to life. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, Asmara is an incredible blend of the era’s avant-garde architectural styles, such as Futurism, Modernism, and Rationalism, where many Italian-influenced habits have remained intact. First explorations of the city and tasting of local cuisine. Overnight in Asmara

Morning and afternoon: a day dedicated to discovering Asmara’s fascinating Modernist and Art Déco architecture. Visit of the capital’s most emblematic buildings, testimonies of the urban planning project developed in the 1930s, when Asmara was known as “Little Rome”. Along tree-lined avenues, cinemas, gas stations, and cafés in perfect Rationalist style, the city tells a story of great architectural and cultural ferment. Continue towards the Church of Mariam Dearit, an important Coptic place of worship of great spiritual significance, and Asmara Cathedral, one of the best examples of African neo-Romanesque architecture

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Asmara

Morning: morning departure along the road heading north through a landscape influenced by neighboring Sudan! We will pass coffee plantations and orange groves before approaching the destination, Keren

Afternoon: arrival in Keren in the early afternoon, hotel check-in and visit of one of the most fascinating cities in the country, characterized by a beautiful mix of heterogeneous architectural elements, such as churches, mosques, and colonial buildings from the Italian colonial period. We will wander through its markets, the most colorful and folkloric in Eritrea, and discover the story of the Baobab Madonna. Optional visit to the Keren War Cemetery

Evening: dinner and evening in Keren

Morning: morning dedicated to visiting Keren’s livestock and camel markets, a meeting point for the nomadic and rural populations of the surrounding villages. Among the colors of traditional clothing and the lively coming and going of merchants, it will be possible to closely observe the customs and exchanges that mark everyday life in inland Eritrea. In this authentic setting, four of the country’s nine ethnic groups – Afar, Bilen, Tigrinya, and Tigre – meet for weekly trading, offering a unique insight into Eritrea’s rich cultural diversity

Afternoon: walk among the stalls of the riverside market, the heart of city life, where scents, sounds, and everyday scenes fully reflect the authenticity of local culture. Afterwards, return to Asmara

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in the Eritrean capital

Morning: breakfast at the hotel and departure from Asmara towards Massawa along the spectacular “Road of the Italians”, an extraordinary engineering work connecting the country’s two main cities. The route offers breathtaking scenery with bridges, tunnels, and valleys, until reaching the town of Nefasit, where it is possible to see the remains of the ancient railway line built during the Italian colonial period

Afternoon: stop for lunch and continuation of the journey with a stop in Dogali, a symbolic place in Eritrean history, before arriving in Massawa, overlooking the Red Sea. Visit of the city and the Massawa Museum to gain insight into the events that shaped its past. The influence of the foreign powers that ruled in succession—Ottoman, Egyptian, and Italian—is still visible in the city’s architectural style, which also bears the scars of the war of independence

We then meet the Rashaida nomadic tribes, who fled from the Hejaz region in Saudi Arabia and arrived in Eritrea in the first half of the 19th century. The Rashaida have proudly preserved their traditions, tied to the Sunni faith, and live in camps made of goat-hair tents, isolated from the rest of the population. Rashaida women, with veiled faces, are famous for their traditional clothing featuring red and black geometric patterns

Evening: arrival at the hotel, check-in, dinner and overnight stay in Massawa

DAY 7: transfer to the port and departure towards the Dahlak Islands. Set in the Red Sea, this is one of the few still untouched corners of the earth and one of Africa’s most beautiful and least known tropical paradises. Among its low, arid, and barren islands, we will discover sensational beaches of fine white sand, washed by the transparent waters of the Red Sea. It is an ideal place for snorkeling and diving, offering the chance to observe the vast marine biodiversity at these latitudes. We reach the island of Dissie, where we will spend the night in tents

DAY 8: relax on the beach in this dreamlike setting. Boat trip among the islands and to Madote Island, with unmissable swims in its stunning waters. Boat back to Massawa and return to Asmara, via the scenic road through the Fil-Fil forest, known as “Eritrea’s Garden of Eden”! In its lush vegetation we may encounter monkeys, baboons, gazelles, antelopes, and many bird species. Arrival in Asmara and overnight stay in the capital

Morning: over the next two days we will explore the green region south of Asmara, rich in evidence of the country’s important historical heritage. First stop is the town of Dekhamerè, which preserves interesting examples of Italian colonial architecture. In the background, the lush vegetation of this part of the country and a stop at the Sycamore Valley, the symbol tree of the country.

Afternoon: continuation of the journey through the green hills of the Southern Region and arrival in the afternoon in the town of Adi Keyh, an important commercial center during the Italian occupation. One of the main attractions of Adi Keyh is its lively and colorful market, where it is possible to buy a variety of local products, crafts, and traditional Eritrean items, as well as try local street food

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in a hotel in Adi Keyh