Most people wouldn’t consider Asmara like a city trip destination, and that’s because most people travel to Africa to go on safari or go on big cultural and historical tours. There aren’t too many cities out there which are ideal for a nice city trip because most of the African capitals are noisy, hectic and don’t have much to offer. Asmara is one of those exceptions: it’s an architectural wonderland where time stood still with friendly locals, excellent food, great coffee scene and furthermore the city center is clean, safe and calm. Asmara is ideal for anyone in the region looking for a nice weekend escape or for people looking for a stop in their trip throughout the continent or Eritrea itself. We go even as far as saying that Asmara is one of the top destinations in Eritrea actually and deserves a few days to fully explore and enjoy as there is plenty to see and do.

First timers are blown away from the peaceful, friendly atmosphere, the clean streets, perfectly conserved buildings, amazing Italian architecture, the great food and the best coffee there is. Coming to Africa’s ‘Little Rome’ as it was called by the Italian occupiers back in the day, will make you feel like you’re on a film set. Don’t forget to bring your camera, because you’re going to have tons of photo opportunities!

The main attraction in Asmara is of course the World Heritage listed colonial Italian architecture which can be found all over the city. When the Italians were still around, they got obsessed with constructing buildings and building a little Italy in Africa. The city was well-planned and has palm-lined streets and beautiful examples of modernist, fascist and art deco architecture. The center is full of cafés, bars, shops and old cinemas with plenty of photographic opportunities. 

Itinerary:

Day 1: On your first day you’ll be awaited at the airport and brought to your hotel. We’ll tell you where you can go for dinner and you can enjoy a free evening.

Day 2: You will meet up with our local English/Italian speaking guide who will show you around in the city center telling you more about its history and with a strong focus on the architecture and Italian remainders. We’ll also have a stop to have a perfect macchiato and show you our favorite gelato and pizza places! Included in our day is also a visit to the national museum where we’ll inform you all about local culture, history and traditions. In the evening we’ll take you out to our wooden bowling alley to show you how we bowl the Eritrean way! 

Day 3: Today is all about food. Eritrea has great local cuisine with injera, a sort of flatbread made of teffe, being the staple and eaten with meat, sea food or vegan alternatives. Because of the heavy Italian presence during colonial times, we can also find excellent Italian food such as pasta, pizza, desserts and perfect macchiatos and cappuccinos everywhere in town. We hope you’re very hungry today and that you like coffee, because you’re going to eat a lot!

We will start our tour in our favorite coffee bar where we’ll have one of the best macchiatos on the planet. Think we exaggerate? Just try for yourself. We are coffee fanatics who’ve had coffee in the world’s best coffee destinations such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Italy, Colombia and more and nothing beats a nice macchiato from this place, period. After our shot of caffeine we’ll bring you somewhere to show you how injera is made. To make injera the traditional way, is quite time-consuming and labour-intense. We’ll tell you all about the process and you’ll have the chance to take some unique pictures.

After the introduction to injera, we’ll have a nice traditional coffee ceremony with incense and three coffee rounds. We’ll provide a few snacks which are traditionally eaten during the ceremony such as popcorn and local peanuts. Afterwards we’ll head out for a traditional lunch/dinner (depending on the time our tour begins) where you’ll be able to try a whole variety of local specialities. After an excellent meal, we’ll go to visit the tank graveyard where we can find tanks, army vehicles and machinery which were dumped after the independence-war. We’ll also go to the highest point of the city so you can have the perfect view of Asmara and take the perfect pictures.
On our fourth day we’ll go to the village of Ghinda and the town of Dekemhare, starting with our first stop in Ghinda, which lies in the middle between Asmara and Massawa. Ghinda is a small village in the middle of a green, fertile valley which has a microclimate with more rainfall than the areas outside the surrounding mountains.
Along the river and hills we find many terraced fields on the hills where vegetables and fruits are grown. We’ll have a stop to show you around, see the market and give you a chance to have a bite or a drink.

Afterwards we’ll continue our way to Dekemhare, south of Asmara, called the Golden City. It was originally meant to be an industrial center and a transportation hub, but got largely destroyed during the independence war. We still find remnants of this period such as old factories which just like everything the Italians built in Eritrea, all have a unique style. Because of the gentle climate the town was favoured by the Italians where they had their vineyards to produce wine next to cultivating other fruits and vegetables. Downtown we find markets, shops, cafés and several interesting pieces of Italian architecture worth visiting. 
Our final stop is the town of Segeneiti, where we’ll have a look around in the small town center with its charming church and we’ll then have a hike in the area to find the giant sicomoro tree.  After our hike, it’s time to go back to Asmara!

Day 5: Today is our last day and we’ll get you to the airport or assist you to your next destination in Eritrea.

End of tour

Includes:
– Professional local guide: English or Italian speaking
– Airport transfers: both ways
– Hotel for three nights
– On day 3: coffee ceremony, two coffees at two bars, one traditional meal, one gelato
– Entrance fees to all places
– Transport: public transport, taxi or private car depending on location

Doesn’t include:
– All meals and drinks besides those on day 3 as described
– Personal insurance
– Flights