For people only having a limited time in Eritrea there are several options. We have put together a few packages in which we try to focus on the most essential destinations and activities such as this 6 day itinerary focusing on Asmara, Keren and Massawa.

First timers always start their trip in Asmara and are blown away by 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. 

Day 4: Today we’ll head out to Massawa, a port city on the Red Sea, with about 38,000 inhabitants and used to be the country’s capital until 1897. It once was one of the most important ports around the Red Sea.  The city is located about 2 meters above sea level on two islands (Massawa and Taulud) off the coast and on the mainland. The historic center of Massawa is located on the outermost of these two islands. Massawa is one of the hottest cities on the planet, so it’s important to plan your visit well and avoid the hottest period. It’s best to book between November and April. 

Because of the different colonisers the city has known, we find Portuguese, Arab, British, Italian and Turkish remnants in the City of Islands. The city used to be a cultural hub which drew artists and intellectuals and was once the most important city under the Italian rulers who connected Massawa to Asmara by railroad. We still find a lot of Ottoman influences in the city, especially on the architecture as well as several buildings and structures which were developed by their successors, the Egyptians and finally a lot of beautiful Italian houses.

Day 5: Today we’ll drive to Keren (Cheren), the second largest city in Eritrea after Asmara. It is located around 91 kilometers north of the capital and is situated 1.390 meters above sea-level, surrounded by mountains. It is home to the Bilen, Tigre and Tigrinya people. Once an important commercial hub it suffered a lot of damage during World War II and the Eritrean-Ethiopian war. There are many points of interest in the city such as the Tigu Fort built in the 19th century by the Egyptians, the St Maryam chapel located in a baobab, the old Italian and British army cemeteries, the old mosque, the old train station and much more.

We’ll cover as much of the city as possible so you’ll see the most important places and get a good feel of what this city is all about We’ll have a look at the market as well and on Mondays there is a live stock market with sheep, cows, camels, donkeys and chickens being sold. At noon we’ll make sure you’ll have a good local meal as well. 

Day 6: After breakfast we’ll get back to Asmara. End of tour.

Includes: 
– Accommodation for five nights
– Transport to all sites: public, taxi or private car
– Professional local guide: English or Italian
– All activities as described and entrance fees

Doesn’t include: 
– Meals and drinks