Volcanological tour to the volcanoes of Danakil dessert

This Ethiopia volcano tour takes you into one of the most extreme and fascinating landscapes on Earth: the Danakil Desert. Here, Africa is literally tearing apart and new crust is being created. You travel in a small group to three of Ethiopia’s most impressive volcano areas: Dofan, Erta Ale and Dallol.

Discover volcanic activity
At Dofan volcano, you explore new hydrothermal fields, steaming fumaroles and bright sulfur deposits that show how active this rift zone still is. Further north, the legendary Erta Ale awaits you with its glowing lava lake – a true highlight for anyone interested in volcanoes, geology and night photography. Finally, you visit Dallol, a surreal acid volcano with colorful hot springs, salt terraces and bizarre formations that look like a different planet.

Experience geology & adventure
Your Ethiopia volcano tour combines scientific interest with real adventure. You travel with an experienced local team and a volcanology-oriented tour guide, stay close to the active areas and have enough time for photography, observation and quiet moments in the desert. If you are looking for an authentic volcano expedition in Ethiopia, far away from mass tourism, this journey into the Danakil Depression will be one of the most intense travel experiences of your life.

After arriving at the airport, we meet our tour guide Enku Mulugeta and his team outside the terminal. The journey leads south of the Ethiopian capital toward the east. Along this scenic route, we pass the crater lakes of Debre Zeyit and numerous cinder cones from historic eruptions. By evening, we reach our simple accommodation – one of the hotels in Awash.

We drive through the Awash region into the territory of the Afar people. Our destination is the Dofan volcanic complex, where increased hot water and steam eruptions have been observed since 2024. Could this be a sign that volcanic eruptions may soon return to the area? Numerous earthquakes remind us that Africa is slowly breaking apart and magma is rising from below. In some places, we can even see the fissures opening in the landscape.

We will spend the night in a beautiful lakeside resort with its own hot springs – the perfect place to relax after the long journey and to recharge before our Ethiopia volcano tour into the Danakil Desert.

The Dofan (or Dofen) Volcano lies in the northern sector of Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, near the Awash plain. This broad rhyolitic shield volcano is marked by numerous cinder cones aligned along a 10-km-long north–south fissure system. Persistent fumaroles and sulfur deposits indicate ongoing hydrothermal activity beneath the surface.

The exciting new activity at Dofan volcano
In late 2024 and early 2025, Dofan suddenly drew the attention of volcanologists: a sequence of earthquake swarms shook the Afar region, signaling renewed unrest. On January 3, 2025, a new steam and mud vent opened on the southern flank, accompanied by increased gas emissions and ground fracturing.
This phreatic (steam-driven) activity, caused by rising magma heating groundwater, illustrates the dynamic processes typical of active rift volcanoes.

For geologists and volcano enthusiasts, Dofan offers an exceptional natural laboratory. The site lies near the Afar Triple Junction, where three tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart and new crust is forming. Visitors on the Ethiopia volcano tour can study fumaroles, sulfur crusts, hot springs, and young rhyolite domes — a vivid example of Earth’s crust in the making!

This stage of the journey leads from Doho Lodge to Semera, following the course of the Awash River through increasingly desert-like rift landscapes. Numerous small and larger cinder cones line the route – visible traces of the East African Rift. In the evening, we arrive at our hotel in Semera or Logia and relax after the long drive.

Volcanic activity can be observed in many places throughout the Afar region. Particularly impressive are the extremely hot springs and geysers, located about an hour’s drive from Semera. The deep blue lakes are among the most beautiful sights in the area – yet no animal dares to enter them. Later we may visit also the Loma crater north of Semera town.
Final overnight stay in a hotel.

When looking at a satellite image of the East African region, one can clearly see long lines indicating faults and fracture zones. These are the areas where the African continent is slowly breaking apart. Eventually, the eastern part will become a large new island. Along these rifts, magma can rise and volcanoes erupt. In the Danakil Desert, there are hundreds of such formations.

The Loma craters were formed when magma came into contact with groundwater, causing explosive eruptions that created these craters. We will visit both craters with their green and red lakes – perfect photo opportunities, even if you don’t have a drone.

We will spend the night in a hotel in Semera.

We leave the main road and head north by 4x4 vehicles into the Danakil Desert. The track leads through a rugged, moon-like landscape of volcanic fissures, faults, and young lava flows. After about four hours, we reach the flat, salt-filled Danakil Depression, and by afternoon, we arrive at Lake Afdera. There, we visit the saltworks, where the region’s “white gold” is extracted.

Our camp is set near a hot spring, and the lake itself offers a chance for a refreshing swim. We spend the night camping under the stars – our last contact with civilization before the true desert expedition begins.

Early in the morning, we watch the salt workers harvesting salt. After breakfast, we take along two Afar policemen and an Afar guide, then drive across the flat salt desert. We reach the base camp of Erta Ale and set up our tents at the foot of the volcano. Those who wish may already join the tour guide for an evening ascent to the crater of Erta Ale.
Overnight: tent camp under the open starry sky (B, L, D)

Since its discovery in 1906, the lava lake of Erta Ale has been considered one of the most persistent on Earth. Until the 1960s, the area was extremely remote and difficult to access; only in the past 10–15 years has it cautiously opened up to expedition and photography travelers. With improved tracks and a more secure local infrastructure, the number of visitors has been increasing – so we won’t have the volcano entirely to ourselves.

Our extended stay at the summit is ideal for calmly observing the volcanic activity and capturing the best photographic moments – during the day for the landscape, crater rim, and geological structures, and at night for the glowing lava and starry sky. Safety is ensured by accompanying Afar scouts and police officers.

After breakfast, we drive back into the desert, where we can wash at simple wells near the seasonal Afar village of Hamed Ela. Depending on the situation, we may set up our camp directly in the village or in one of the salt canyons near the Dallol volcano.
Overnight: simple tent camp under the open sky (B, L, D)

At the morning we will meet the salt caravans on their way to the salt mining area. After a few kilometres we will arrive at one of the most strange areas on our planet, the Dallol acid volcano. There are hot and acid solutions coming up and create colourful pools. Later we will take also photos of a canyon in huge salt mountains and of two other pools with acidic salt water. The last night at our open air "hotel" in Ahmadela or in the salt valley of Dallol.
Accommodation as before (Ahmed Ela or Dallol) (B, L, D)

We drive along an adventurous desert track back to Afrera, where we will spend another night camping. Along the way, we travel partly on the new roads built by the Chinese, which now cut across sections of the desert. Had the civil war of 2019–2022 not intervened, there would already be a continuous road network reaching all the way to Erta Ale.

During the journey, we see numerous volcanoes on the horizon and cross vast lava fields, a striking reminder of the region’s powerful geological forces.

After leaving the campsite by the salt lake, we drive back through the volcanic highlands to Semera, where we can look forward to our first night back in civilization. At the hotel, showers and cold drinks await — a welcome comfort after the days in the desert.

In the morning, our jeep takes us to Semera Airport, and after about 45 minutes we fly back to the Ethiopian capital. Depending on the departure time of our connecting flight home (usually late in the evening), a joint excursion to the city center of Addis Ababa may still be possible. An additional overnight stay can also be arranged upon request.

• Transfer from the airport Addis Abeba to the hotel
• Transfers & excursions
• Local, englishspeaking guide & geologist
• Entrances in museums & national parks
• Accommodation in hotels, camping and simple huts
• Half board all over the days
• Domestic flights with Ethiopian Air

• We can support you with your flights to Addis Abeba
• Longer duration or earlier arrival
• Individual tours & private tours

• Visit of the NEW activity of Dofan-Volcano
• A lot of time to watch the active lava lake of Erta Ale
• Discover the hydrothermal active field of Dallol volcano
• Spicy and fres Ethiopian and international food
• Scenic Landscapes
• Adventure desert Danakil
• Small groups from 4 - maximum 8 people

3950,00 Euro
Minimal participants: 4 people
Maximum participants: 8 people

Bigger or private groups on request! If you fly to Ethiopia with Ethiopian Airlines a discount of approximately 100 USD is possible! Please tell us in time at your booking!

• 09.01.2026 - 23.01.2026
• 22.01.2026 - 04.02.2026 (VolcanoDiscovery!)
• 30.01.2026 - 13.02.2026
• 06.11.2026 - 20.11.2026
• 27.11.2026 - 11.12.2026

Our journey is accompanied by Enku Mulugeta, an experienced Ethiopian geologist who has guided numerous scientific and adventure expeditions — including the 2012 pilot tour with Tobias Schorr for the mineral expedition, as well as several volcanological group trips.

Enku speaks excellent English and has previously worked as a prospector, among others for Saudi Arabia. He possesses an outstanding knowledge of Ethiopia’s geology, culture, and landscapes.

Thanks to his connections, he opens doors that are normally closed to travelers, creating authentic encounters with local people and offering first-hand geological insight right in the field. In recent years, he has been deeply involved in developing geotourism in Ethiopia and contributes to the planning of future UNESCO Geoparks across the country.