Omo Valley Tour10 Days
Arrival Bole International Airport
Trek Ethiopia Eco Tours meets all guests arriving at the airport regardless of arrival time. For morning flight arrivals you may begin your tour after checking into your hotel. For afternoon or evening arrivals, you may begin your tour the following day.
Day
01
Addis Ababa
Visit the Emperor Haile Selassie’s final resting place, Trinity Cathedral. Explore the Ethnographic Museum for a fantastic overview of Ethiopian history and culture. Visit Maryam Church and take a quick drive to the Entoto Hills to see the city. Stop at Sheromeda’s traditional cloth market while traveling. Visit one of Addis Abeba’s two main markets, the Mercato or the Sholla Market.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Addis Ababa - Arba Minch
Travel Hoseana to Arba Minch. While traveling, stop at Adadi Mariam, a 12th-century rock-hewn church, and Tiya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its enigmatic 12th-century stelae, which are believed to be grave markers.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Lunch, Dinner)
Day
Day
02
Day
03
Arba Minch - Jinka
View some of the biggest crocodiles in the world lounging on the lake’s banks by taking a boat ride on Lake Chamo. Birdlife and hippos are also plentiful. Travel to Jinka and visit different ethnic groups, including the Derashe and Gamo. If it’s a Thursday, visit Key Afar’s weekly market and stroll among the many tribes, including the Ari and Benna, who have gathered to trade goods.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Mago National Park Excursion
Travel early in the morning to see the Mursi people in the Mago National Park. The clay plates that the Mursi women place inside their lower lips are well-known. If you have time, go to Jinka’s Omo Valley Museum.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day
Day
04
Day
05
Jinka - Turmi
Travel to Turmi to visit the Hamer people, who are renowned for their body scarring, hairstyles sculpted by clay, and a special ritual known as “bull-jumping” that every young man must perform before getting married. Visit the people of Ari and Benna on your way to Turmi.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Omorate Excursion
Tour to Omorate from Turmi. Using a traditional canoe to cross the Omo River (a newly constructed bridge now allows for an optional tour vehicle crossing). See the Dassanech, one of the more numerous tribes in the Omo with a population of roughly 70,000. They are a semi-nomadic people. The Dassanech are a highly egalitarian society made up of clan lineages and age groups. They are mainly “agro-pastoralists,” raising cattle and sheep in addition to growing sorghum, maize, and beans. The Dassanech men go nighttime crocodile hunting and fishing in addition to tending to their cattle and crops.
Head back to Turmi for the night.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day
Day
06
Day
07
Murele and Kangatan Excursion
Visit a Nyangatom village by driving to Kangatan. The Nyangatom, who are divided into about 20 clans based on patrilineal descent, cultivate tobacco, maize, beans, and sorghum. The Nyangatom are renowned for their songs and “oratory” gifts. Proceed to Murele and pay a visit to the Karo people, who are renowned for their intricate body painting, which is done by both men and women. Karo women will also use a knife or razor to cut elaborate patterns of scars onto their bodies. A man’s chest scars signify that he has killed a dangerous animal or enemy. The Karo tribe is a small one, with an estimated 6,000–9,000 members.
Head back to Turmi for the night.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Turmi - Konso
Travel to Konso, which was just named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Konso are a highland people who are well-known for their well-planned villages, which are surrounded by old and elaborate terraces.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day
Day
08
Day
09
Konso - Hawassa
Travel to Hawassa, a town by the lake. Visit a Dorze Village in the Guge Mountains en route. The tall bamboo homes of the Dorze are well-known for resembling beehives. The entire house can be lifted and relocated if the base gets infested with termites.
Overnight Hotel
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Hawassa - Addis Ababa
Make a stop at the Rift Valley Lakes, which are well-known for their indigenous birdlife, on your way to Addis Ababa. If you have time, you should definitely go souvenir shopping when you get to Addis Ababa. Savor a farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant with musicians and dancers from a variety of the nation’s ethnic groups. Transfer to the airport in preparation for a late-night departure or, upon request, a second night at the hotel.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
End of Tour: (Awaze Tours will arrange additional hotel nights in Addis Ababa upon request.)
Day
Day
10
Day