7 Days Lower Omo Valley Tour From Arba Minch

Introduction

A domestic flight to the adjacent airport town of Arba Minch is the best way to get to the Lower Omo Valley.

From here, you’ll take a ride and head into the lower Omo Valley, stopping in several small towns for overnight stays while you explore the area.

The Lower Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia is without a doubt one of the world’s most distinctive areas.

At least 30 separate ethnolinguistic tribes dwell within this narrow geographic area, their lifestyles remaining virtually unchanged from those of their ancestors until recently. Ornate body painting, scarification, ladies with clay lip plates, and elaborate clay and feather headdresses help identify one tribe from another.

This region of Ethiopia, which stretches into northern Kenya, is remarkable for both its cultural richness and the long-standing isolation of its residents.

Trip Highlight:

Travel to Addis Ababa, the nation’s capital.
You will see the lovely traditional huts in Dorze Village.
Boat trip on Lake Chamo to see the largest African crocodiles.
We’ll also go to Konso, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Take pictures of the body art and lip plates created by the Mursi Tribe.
Learn about the Hamer and Karo tribes’ intriguing cultures.
The clay body ornamentation of the Hamer people is well known.
Crossing by local boat across the Omo River.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa; City Tour in Addis Ababa

Our team will meet you at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa when you arrive and take you to the hotel.
Enjoy your free time this morning.
Visit historical sights after lunch, such as the National Archaeological Museum, to see “Lucy’s” 3.6 million-year-old remains, which were found in 1974.
Visit the Addis Ababa University Ethnological Museum next; it provides a fascinating insight into Ethiopia’s numerous diverse peoples and their unique traditions.
We will complete the day with a journey to the summit of Mount Entoto, which climbs to a height of 10,500 feet and provides a panoramic view of the city, after visiting Holy Trinity Cathedral.

In a hotel for the night.

Day 2: Fly from Addis Ababa to Arba Minch, and then go to the Dorze and visit their village.

Early in the morning, be transferred to the airport in Bole for your trip to Arba Minch.
When you arrive in Arba Minch, check into your hotel and get ready for your excursion to Chencha Dorze Village. You will visit Dorze Village in the afternoon.
The Gamo Highlands in southern Ethiopia is home to the Dorze people. Their huts are renowned for having a shape like both an elephant’s face and a beehive. Three huts make up the typical Dorze family compound: the main hut in the middle, and two smaller cottages on either side.
Dorze houses are made entirely of natural materials such as wood, bamboo, and enset leaves. A garden surrounds the huts, where coffee and cotton are farmed. There are also many enset, or false banana plants.

Spend the night in a hotel, lodge, or resort.

Day 3: Arba Minch, Lake Chamo boat ride – drive to Konso, visit Konso people – overnight in Jinka

You will take a short boat ride on Lake Chamo after breakfast.
Lake Chamo is famous for its big Nile crocodile and hippo population, which draws a lot of tourists.
A boat ride on Lake Chamo is ideal for viewing and watching the attractions.
Then proceed to Konso. You will have lunch in Konso and tour the Konso village.
The Konso dwells in a remote location in the basalt hills of the Lower Omo Valley in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations province. The terrain is characterized by steep rocky hills. A stone wall that serves as a defensive barrier can be built around a Konso settlement. Their settlement is built on a mountaintop and is divided into communities, each with its own main hut.
In 2011, the Konso Cultural Landscape was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Finally, proceed to Jinka for the night.

Overnight hotel/lodge/resort

Day 4: Drive to Mago National Park from Jinka and see the Mursi tribes. Then go back and continue to Turmi.

In the morning, you will drive 55 kilometers one way to Mursi village to meet them.
The Mursi tribe lives in an inaccessible location between the Mago and Omo rivers. The Mursi are well-known in the outside world for their body paintings and lip plates. The lip plate represents feminine social adulthood. Mud lip plates are customarily worn by brides and child-bearing women.
You will return to Jinka for lunch after experiencing the Mursi Tribe.
Continue traveling for another 130 kilometers to Turmi, the home of the Hamar tribes.

Overnight hotel/lodge/resort

Day 5: Travel to Murulle, and visit Karo Villages before returning to Turmi.

Drive from Turmi to the Karo tribe for an authentic cultural experience. They are well-known for their beautiful body and face painting.
If today is a market day in the lower Omo Valley of Ethiopia, you will visit a tribal market in the afternoon (Saturday at Dimeka or Monday in Turmi).
After that, go to the Hamer tribes. The Hamer tribes are one of the most beautiful and biggest tribal groups in the Lower Omo Valley. The Hamer farms millet, vegetables, tobacco, and cotton, as well as animals and goats. They are well-known for their beautiful pottery and exceptional hairstyle.
The ladies wear beaded necklaces, iron coils around their arms, and cowry shells to embellish their skin. These ornaments represent a woman’s husband’s wealth and status.

Overnight hotel/lodge/resort in Turmi

Day 6: Turmi-Boat crossing the Omo River to Omo Rate, Dassenech tribal visit-Night in Jinka

A morning trip to Omo Rate, 70 kilometers south of Turmi, is the last border town with Kenya. The Dassenech, or Dassanach, tribe lives near Omo Rate. Dassenech means “people of the delta” in the native language.
After witnessing authentic Dassenech culture, you will return to Turmi for lunch. If it is a market day, you will also visit a tribal market on your way back to Jinka (Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday).

Overnight hotel/lodge/resort

Day 7: Jinka, then visiting the Jinka Museum before flying to Addis Abeba – Evening Departure.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the Jinka museum and the Ari village located near Jinka.
After an early lunch, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Addis Ababa.

—The 7-days Lower Omo Valley Tour has come to an end—

If you would like to have a 9 Days Lower Omo Valley Tour Please kindly see the detailed itinerary from the link above.