8-Day Omo Valley Cultural Tour from Addis Ababa with Tribal Visits

08:00 AM: Meet at your hotel.

• Drive to Arba Minch, one of the main towns in Southern Ethiopia.
• On the way, visit a Dorze village in the Guge Mountains. The Dorze are known for their tall, beehive-shaped bamboo houses. If the base becomes infested with termites, the entire house can be lifted and moved to another location.

09:30 AM:

• Take a boat trip on Lake Chamo and view some of the largest crocodiles in the world sunning themselves on the banks of the lake. Hippopotami and birdlife are also abundant.
• Drive to Jinka and visit various peoples such as the Gamo and Derashe.
• Stop at Key Afar's weekly market, if it is Thursday, and wander among the various tribes, such as the Benna and Ari, who have gathered to barter their goods.

07:00 AM:

• Early morning drive to Mago National Park to visit the Mursi people. The Mursi women are known for the clay plates they insert into their lower lips.
• Time permitting, visit the Omo Valley Museum in Jinka.

09:00 AM:

• Drive to Turmi to visit the Hamer people, who are well known for the scarring of their bodies, using clay to shape their hairstyles, and the unique practice of bull-jumping, which every young man must accomplish prior to marriage.
• En route to Turmi, visit the Benna and Ari people.

09:00 AM

• Excursion from Turmi to Omorate.
• Cross the Omo River via a traditional canoe. A recently built bridge now also allows for optional crossing by tour vehicle.
• Visit the Dassanech, a semi-nomadic people who are one of the more numerous tribes in the Omo, with a population of about 70,000. A highly egalitarian society involving age sets and clan lineages, the Dassanech are primarily agro-pastoralists who cultivate sorghum, maize, and beans, and raise livestock such as cattle and sheep. To supplement their crops and livestock, Dassanech men also fish and hunt crocodiles at night.
• Return to Turmi for the evening.

10:00 AM:

• Drive to Konso, recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. A highland people, the Konso are known for the ancient and intricate terraces that encircle their well-planned villages.

9:00 AM

• Drive to Hawassa via the Shenkele game reserve. This park is the last pocket of the original Ethiopian savannah.
• You will have a chance to spot the endemic antelope called Swayne's hartebeast, one of Africa's rarest and most elegant animals.
• Continue to Hawassa and relax at a lakeside resort.

09:00 AM:

• Drive to Addis Ababa, stopping at the Rift Valley Lakes, renowned for their endemic birdlife.
• Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, optional souvenir shopping is available if time permits.
• Enjoy a farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant featuring dancers and musicians representing many ethnic groups in the country.
• Transfer to the airport for a late-night departure, or for an additional hotel night booked upon request.

Ending point: At your hotel.