10-Day Tribal Culture Tour in Ethiopia with Omo Valley and Tiya

• Depart south from Addis Ababa via Butajira. On the way, visit the archaeological sites of Tiya, an ancient stelae field and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Adadi Maryam, a rock-hewn church similar to those in Lalibela, and Melka Kunture, a pre-historic tool-making site.

• Your final destination for the day is Awassa.

• Overnight at Lake View Resort in Awassa.

• In the morning, after breakfast, visit the fish market on the shores of Lake Hawassa and then continue driving to Dorze, set in the highlands above Arba Minch. The Dorze people are known for their tall beehive-like houses and their fine cotton weaving.

• Visit the village and learn about the daily lives of these industrious people.

• Overnight at Arbaminch Tourist Hotel in Arba Minch.

In the morning, visit the 'Arba Minch', meaning forty springs, after which the town is named.

• In the afternoon, take a boat trip on Lake Chamo to visit the 'crocodile market' and see the local hippos.

• Overnight at Arbaminch Tourist Hotel in Arba Minch.

• After breakfast, depart from Arba Minch to Turmi. On the way, pass through the village of Weyto, where market day is Saturday, home to the Tsemai tribe.

• Continue to Erbore, where you will have a brief visit to a local Erbore village. Market day here is also Saturday.

• Finally, proceed to Turmi, home of the Hamer tribe. At night, you can see the traditional night dancing of the Hamer tribe, known as evangadi.

• Overnight at Kizo Lodge in Turmi.

• In the morning, take a day trip to Omorate to visit the Dassenech tribe. Here, you will cross the Omo River and enter a Dassenech village.

• Afterwards, return to Turmi, where Monday is market day, for a visit to a local Hamer village.

• Overnight at Kizo Lodge in Turmi.

• Depart for Jinka via Dimeka and Key Afar. Tuesdays and Saturdays are market days in Dimeka, one of the most colourful markets in the area, visited by many tribes including the Hamer, Benna, and Karo.

• Afterwards, continue to Jinka.

• Overnight at Nasa Pension in Jinka.

• In the morning, drive through Mago National Park to a local village of the Mursi tribe. The Mursi are known for their lower lip and earlobe plates.

• In the afternoon, after returning to Jinka, you can visit the South Omo Museum & Research Center to learn more about the local tribes. Alternatively, take a hike in the surrounding hills to visit a local Ari village.

• Overnight at Nasa Pension in Jinka.

• After breakfast, depart from Jinka to Konso via Key Afar. Thursday is market day in Key Afar, where you will see the Benna and Tsemai tribes trading goods. This is another very popular market in the region. After the visit, proceed to Konso, where market days are Mondays and Thursdays. The Konso people are known for their wooden statues, called wakas, which are erected in honour of dead heroes, as well as for their innovative agricultural terracing.

• Today, you will have the opportunity to visit a local village and the cultural museum displaying many waka statues. If time permits, you can also visit the 'natural New York Village', named after the tall sand formations resembling skyscrapers.

• Overnight at Kanta Lodge in Konso.

• After breakfast, depart from Konso to Lake Langano.

• On the way, visit the Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary, which was established to protect the endemic Swayne's Hartebeest.

• Continue to Lake Langano for an overnight stay at Savanah Lodge.

1. After a morning swim in the lake, depart north to Addis Ababa.

2. On the way, you may visit the Abiatta-Shala National Park. Lake Shala, with its deep blue waters, is the deepest lake in Ethiopia at 236 m.

3. Lake Abiatta is a soda lake where thousands of flamingos can be seen at various times of the year.

4. End of the trip.