Day 2 - Begin organized trip to Afar Region / Danakil Depression. You have to go with an organized tour group but it is very much worth it! Know that you can haggle tour group prices (even if listed on website). In the first day, you will likely have lunch in the Afar region somewhere, and stop along the way to see sights. In the evening, you climb Erta Ale, the most active volcanic lake in the world. You can get insanely close to it!
Day 3 - More touristing in Danakil. It's an insane landscape! I believe on the 2nd day we saw the salt flats, and it had just rained as it was the rainy season -- would totally recommend Danakil in the rainy season for this reason! The salt flats are reflective. Me and some of the people that I met (who were Ethiopian) left Danakil and went into Mek'ele in the evening, staying in a hotel (we were a bit to bougie for another night of camping) and eating at a local restaurant.
Day 4 - Even more Danakil touristing! This time we went deeper into Danakil so did not have time to go back and stay in the hotel.
Day 5 - I believe this was my final full day in Danakil, and they saved the best for last -- Dallol, the crazy Martian landscape. The whole reason I went to Danakil!
Day 6 - Drive back to Addis, through Afar. Again, we stopped at beautiful sites along the way. That evening, I went out with the guys I had met on the tour to some great restaurants. Would definitely recommend befriending locals and to get them to give you restaurant recs!
It sounds great. I am still waiting for my 2nd vaccine but after that, I will be on the road again. I would be afraid otherwise to be a spreader or burden to the countries. How was the situation in Ethopia?