14-Day Southern Ethiopia Tour from Addis Ababa with Omo Valley Tribes

• Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, you will be greeted with traditional Ethiopian hospitality at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, we can arrange an afternoon or after-hours city tour.

• Travel to the south of Ethiopia, a region noted for its enormous variety of peoples and cultures. Along the route, visit the archaeological site of Melkaquntre, the site of the ageless stele at Tiya, and the Gurage villages. Taste false banana, the staple food of the Gurage.

Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel in Hosaena.

• Cross soft rolling hills with dark red soil that allows plentiful crops. The Dorze people, famous for their textiles, inhabit this territory, and their bamboo houses are surrounded by small gardens.

• Moving on, meet the Konso people, excellent farmers who erect totem poles on the tombs of their dead. Southeast of the Konso village are the Borena, who are semi-nomadic shepherds.

Overnight stay and dinner in Jinka, a large town on the edge of the southern savannah.

• Explore the region inhabited by the Guragie people, who were once nomads but are now farmers. A long section of the road offers magnificent views of Lake Abaya, surrounded by mountains. The lake has volcanic origins and is almost pink in colour.

Overnight stay at Bekele Mola Hotel, with a panoramic view of lakes Abaya and Chamo, where excellent fish from the lake is served.

• Drive to Mago - 33 km. Mago National Park is located on the east bank of the Omo River and ranges from 450 to 2,528 metres.

• After a 2-hour drive, arrive at the camp where we will spend the night. The campsite is in a beautiful clearing among towering trees that provide shade, near the Neri River.

• Later, visit the Mursi village, whose women have the custom of expanding their lower lips using disks that gradually grow larger and larger. These are people who live in almost complete isolation from the rest of the world.

Overnight and dinner at the camp.

• Early in the morning, drive to Murile - 50 km. Travel through the savannah in a typically African landscape, frequently encountering herds of oryx and gazelle.

• Arrive at Muriel Lodge, with bungalows and a campsite right on the Omo River and surrounded by huge trees. This is the land of the Karo tribe, and it is possible to meet them along the river.

Spend the night in Murile in a tent.

• Set out early in the morning for Turmi through the savannah, following tracks that are barely visible and passing through vast meadowland with shrubs and acacia trees. Pass through the village of Omorate on the Omo River, seeing the Galeb people.

• Later, arrive at Turmi and camp to see the Hamer people.

Dinner and overnight stay in camp.

• Early on Monday morning, visit the spectacular Hamer market in Turmi. The Hamer are one of the most beautiful and dignified people of the Omo basin. The women colour their hair with red earth and butter and wear elegant leather skirts festooned with tiny pearls.

• Head into the savannah, running alongside the mountains of Men, then rise to the Karkerte Mountains - providing splendid panoramic views - until reaching the terraced hills of Konso.

Camp for the night in Konso, sleeping in tents.

• Early in the morning, start north towards Arba Minch and the lakes of the Rift Valley. The Rift Valley is a deep fissure that extends for over 6,000 km from the Middle East to Mozambique. It contains a marvellous series of lakes that are teeming with fish and provide a habitat for hundreds of species of birds.

• Travel along the side of Lake Chamo and arrive at Arba Minch towards lunchtime.

• In the afternoon, visit Nech Sar Park, located between lakes Chamo and Abaya.

Dinner and stay in Arba Minch at Bekel Mola Hotel.

• In the morning, take a boat trip on Lake Chamo, populated by crocodiles and hippos.

• Get on the road back to Awassa, crossing fertile land planted with bananas, cereals, and tobacco. These plains are inhabited first by the Oromo people and then by the Sidamo. All kinds of fruit are sold along the roadside.

• Reach Lake Awassa, which is surrounded by mountains and populated by countless species of birds.

Overnight stay in a hotel and dinner in the pleasant town of Awassa.

• Cross very fertile areas cultivated with all kinds of tropical fruits and arrive after 30 km at the hot springs of Wondo Genet, where there is also a charming swimming pool. The site is an ancient and inactive crater, surrounded by fine woodland populated by baboons.

• After a long stay in Wondo Genet, drive to Langano and arrive there by evening.

Overnight and dinner in a hotel with bungalows on the lake.

• Explore this holiday resort with a splendid beach dotted with acacia trees and pinkish volcanic water ideal for swimming.

• Later in the day, visit the nearby park around lakes Abyata and Shala. The park provides beautiful vistas over the two lakes and the valley covered in acacia trees. Numerous birds live on the shores, including the pink flamingo.

The afternoon is free to explore Addis Ababa.

Stay overnight in the same hotel as before and have dinner in one of the capital's many restaurants.

• After an early breakfast, visit the National Museum, a multi-collection representing Ethiopia's past and present image. Among the famous exhibits, the 3.5 million-year-old skeleton of

• After an early breakfast, visit the National Museum, a multi-collection representing Ethiopia's past and present image. Among the famous exhibits, the 3.5 million-year-old skeleton of 'Lucy' is worth seeing. Also visit the Ethiopian Studies Institute Ethnological Museum for its extraordinary collection reflecting the country's priceless and varied ethnic medley.

• Then continue driving up to Mount Entoto, at over 3,000 metres, the first seat of Emperor Menelik II before he established Addis Ababa as the capital of Ethiopia in 1886. Visitors will also have the opportunity to visit Trinity Cathedral and Merkato. See avenues, squares, obelisks, and many places of interest and shopping along the way.

• In the early evening, enjoy a coffee ceremony with the guides as they share their appreciation for touring with you.

• Late at night, transfer to Bole International Airport and depart for home.