Embark on an 11-Day Omo Valley Tour through the Omo Valley, immersing yourself in the diverse and vibrant cultures of Ethiopia.
This journey offers a unique opportunity to interact with various tribes, each with distinct traditions and lifestyles.
Experience a profound cultural exchange, from witnessing traditional ceremonies to learning about unique ways of life.
Ideal for those seeking an in-depth understanding of Ethiopia’s cultural richness.
11-Day Omo Valley Tour Highlights
- Day 1. Arrival to Addis Ababa Ethiopia
- Day 2. Flight to Arbaminch
- Day 3. Drive to Jinka
- Day 4. Jinka – Mago National Park
- Day 5. Drive to Turmi
- Day 6. Omorate Excursion
- Day 7. Turmi to Konso (UNESCO world Heritage site)
- Day 8. Konso – Hawassa
- Day 9. Drive to Bale Mountains (UNESCO world Heritage site)
- Day 10. Full Day Bale Mountains
- Day 11. Drive back to Addis Ababa
Detailed 11-Day Omo Valley Tour Itinerary
Day 1. Arrival to Addis Ababa Ethiopia
You will be met by your guide who will transfer you to your accommodation and also brief you about the Ethiopia tour.
You can take a city tour thereafter. You can start with the National Museum which is famous for the remains of Lucy the hominid that lived over 3 million years ago.
The remains were discovered in the year 1974.
The palace of the former Emperor Haile Selassie is another attraction to look out for.
Overnight Hotel Lobelia.
Day 2. Flight to Arbaminch
We shall have our breakfast and then head to the airport and then fly to Arbaminch.
This area is located in the Southern part of Ethiopia.
This area is filled with many cultural groups.
when you arrive the driver will take you to your hotel and you check in.
Later in the afternoon we shall head to visit the Dorze people who live in the Guge mountains.
This group of people are known for how good they are with weaving cotton.
They also build beehive like houses made of organic material.
The fun cat about these houses is that they can be moved in case of anything like for example a termite infestation.
Overnight Mora Heights Hotel.
Day 3. Drive to Jinka
We shall be driving to Jinka after breakfast.
Here we shall see the beautiful open air market.
This market brings together all the Omo tribes as they trade in one place.
Enroute to this place we shall first make a brief stop at the village of the Ari people.
These live in a very beautiful lush neighbourhood in Jinka.
They are majorly coffee growers as well as fruits for domestic consumption.
They grow fruits like Avocado, Mangos and bananas.
Overnight NASA Hotel.
Day 4. Jinka – Mago National Park
We shall drive to the Mago National Park after our breakfast today morning.
We shall make a stopover in the Villages of the Mursi people.
They are famous for their ladies who elongate their lips with adding clay disks to their lips.
The men have stick fights as one of rituals and it is called Donga.
They among the few tribes in Africa that still have these Practices.
We shall later in the afternoon drive back to Jinka and then later head back to Arbaminch for dinner and overnight.
Overnight Nasa Hotel.
Day 5. Drive to Turmi
We shall be driving to one of the small towns here after our breakfast.
This Turmi is a town that brings together all the Omo Valley tribes.
The first group of people we shall see are the Konso.
They are known for their terraced lands since they are farmers and yet they live in the mountains.
Their village is surrounded by a stone wall.
We shall have lunch and then drive to the Villages of the Hammer people.
These are known for their love for pottery.
The woman also used clay to style their hair.
This is part of the signs of wealth an pride here for all husbands.
Overnight Emerald Lodge.
Day 6. Omorate Excursion
We shall be traveling to 75 kilometres to Omorate to visit the Dassenech people.
These live on the banks of River Omo. T
his river is on the border with Kenya.
The Omo tribe has clans in Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan.
They are basically cultivators and fishermen.
We shall drive back to Turmi for our lunch and then after lunch we shall head to Kara people.
They are famous for the body and face paintings.
They use minerals, soils, plants, chalk and charcoal.
The painting are usually for the special occasions.
Overnight Emerald Lodge.
Day 7. Turmi to Konso (UNESCO world Heritage site)
Drive to Konso, a recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
They are highland people, for its terraced hillsides and intricately carved totems, which locals use to decorate graves.
This destination is a spectacular example of living cultural tradition that stretches back over 400 years.
Overnight Korebta Lodge.
Day 8. Konso – Hawassa
We shall drive to the township of Hawassa which is located on the shore of a lake.
There are resorts in the area and it’s a great place to rest and relax to break away from the monotony of wildlife viewing.
You can watch some bird here as the sun sets over the beautiful lake.
Overnight Lake View Hotel.
Day 9. Drive to Bale Mountains (UNESCO world Heritage site)
On arrival the destination will be the Bale Mountains.
On arrival at the Bale Mountains National Park, we shall go to the park headquarters where we shall be briefed and also cleared for activities in the park.
Overnight Tokuma Hotel.
Day 10. Full Day Bale Mountains
We shall take a drive around the park where we expect to see the Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck, and Bohor Reedbuck all of which are Endemic to Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian and Abyssinian an endemic bird has also been recorded here.
The Mountain is located within the altitude of about 9500 feet and 14360 feet above sea level.
The mountains houses the largest Moorland forest in Africa.
The forest is also untouched and so natural.
There are many special animals you will see here including the mountain Nyala which is also endemic to this country.
There are special rocks here and very many small lakes.
The Mountain Tullu Dimtu is the tallest mountain in Ethiopian at 4,377 meters above sea level.
Overnight Tokuma Hotel.
Day 11. Drive back to Addis Ababa
We shall leave the Bale Mountains after breakfast and head back to Addis Ababa.
We shall make several stops along the way.
We shall have a farewell dinner were we shall have typical Ethiopian cuisine.
We shall entertainment from the local dancers.
We shall then head for our flight back home.
End of the tour.
