Omo Valley
fromOur itinerary takes visitors to the south of Ethiopia to meet a fascinating range of distinct tribal groups in the Omo Valley.
We journey first to Arba Minch for a relaxing cruise along Lake Charno with a chance to spot wildlife, and a visit to the Dorze village to explore their tall beehive-shaped huts.
From here we travel further southto the tribal lands of the Omo Valley, to visit some of Africa’s most traditional tribes. Our trip takes us as far south as the Kenyan border and the town of Omorate. We visit Turmi the home to many of the Hamer people, the Mursi, who wear huge clay plates in their bottom lips, and the Karo who decorate their bodies with elaborate markings.
We return to Addis Ababa via Lake Ziway one of the freshwater Rift Valley lakes of Ethiopia, for some wildlife spotting.
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Vacation Style Holiday Type
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Activity Level Challenging
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Highlights
• Mingle with the tribes of the Omo Valley
• Wildlife watching
Airport transfer
Arrival and departure transfers are included, whether you book flights yourself, or we book them for you.
Accommodation
Accommodation as listed in the itinerary. Should we need to change hotels, but we will endeavour to keep the same standard. However, hotel standards may not be the same as you’re used to elsewhere.
Guides
You will be escorted throughout by an English-speaking guide. You will also have local English-speaking guides.
Meals
As listed within the itinerary (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner).
Entrance Fees
All entrance fees
Water
A bottle of mineral water every day
Visa’s
Guests are responsible for arranging their own visa. We would recommend that you obtain your visa in advance of your trip using the evisa service.
International flights
We don’t include international flights in the cost of our tours
Insurance
It is important that you have insurance in place prior to arriving in country.
Tips
Guide and porterage tips, also local payments for photography
- Day 1 - Addis Ababa L/D On arrival at Bole International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After lunch a city tour will take you to the National Archaeological Museum, to view the 3.6 million-year-old remains of “Lucy”, discovered in 1974, Ethnological Museum at Addis Ababa University and Holy Trinity Cathedral. Drive to the top of Mount Entoto, which rises to an altitude of 10,500 feet for a panoramic view of the metropolis before making your way back to your hotel. Overnight at Swiss Inn Nexus Hotel or similar.
- Day 2 - Arba Minch B/L/D Travel to the city ofArba Minch (literally 40 springs). Enroute visit Tiya Stelae Field, a UNESCO world heritage site and Malka Kuntera archeological site. Overnight in Paradise Lodge or similar.
- Day 3 - Arba Minch B/L/D Morning boat trip on Lake Chamo, the largest of the Ethiopian rift valley lakes, to visit hippos and Nile Crocodiles at Azo (Crocodile) market on the lake. Afternoon drive to Chencha village to visit the Dorze tribe who live in the highland areas, surrounded by bamboo forest and are well known for their traditional weaving and towering huts. Overnight Paradise Lodge or similar
- Day 4 - Turmi B/L/D After breakfast drive to Turmi to visit the hammer tribes, stopping on the way to visit the Cushitic Erbore Tribe with their untouched culture. Turmi is our new base as we explore the region and meet the different tribes who share this valley but live a life uniquely their own. The two main tribes who live here are the Karo and the Hamer, both of whom practice scarification and have elaborate hairstyles. Overnight Buska Lodge or similar
- Day 5 - Omorate B/L/D Afterbreakfast drive to Omorate. Cross the Omo River by traditional boat, to visit Dasenech tribes, blood relations of the Masai tribe in Kenya, Return to Turmi, in the afternoon, if you are lucky, you will visit a bull jumping ceremony (the right of passage to manhood for hammer and Bena tribes) and in the evening visit the hammer people with their Evangadi night dancing. Overnight Buska Lodge or similar
- Day 6 - Jinka B/L/D Morning, drive to Jinka via the colourful markets of KayAfer (if it Thursday), Alduba and Dimeka (if it is Tuesday or Saturday). On these beautiful markets you will visit Bena, Hamer, Tsemay and Ari tribes. Overnight Eco Omo Lodge or similar
- Day 7 - Mursi B/L/D Travelto the Mursi village through the Mago National Park to visit the Mursi tribe. The Mursi people are famous for their women putting lip plate on their lower lip and men for their stick fighting (Donga), after visit drive back to Jinka and Overnight Eco Omo Lodge or similar
- Day 8 - Yabelo B/L/D After breakfast drive to Yabelo and on the way visit Konso people. The Konso people are the hard-working people and well known for their specially land management. The Konso landscape is one of the world heritage sites in Ethiopia registered by UNESCO. Overnight XXX Hotel or similar
- Day 9 - Yirgalem B/L/D Morning drive to Yirgalem. Enroute visit the Yabelo sanctuary and Tutu Fella Stelae site around Dilla. Overnight XXX hotel or similar
- Day 10 - Addis Ababa B/L/D After breakfast, drive back to Addis Ababa. Stopping on the way to visit rift valley lakes of Lake Ziway where you explore lots of species of birds like Marabou stork, hammer cop, pelican, sacred ibis and heron. Arrive in Addis Ababa for dinner and music dinner at a traditional restaurant. Transfer to airport to the airport in Addis Ababa for your flight back home.