Omo Valley Tour 8 Days

Introduction

Ethiopia is not just one of the continent’s most fascinating countries, but it is also culturally and geographically varied. This breathtaking trip south from the capital takes you across the Great Rift Valley and deep into the Omo Valley Tribes, home to some of the country’s most colorful and unique tribal groups.
This trip takes you to the lower Omo Valley tour in southern Ethiopia, home to unique tribes like the Mursi, whose women wear clay plates on their lower lips; the Hamer, famed for their “bull jumping” ceremonies; and the Konso, who have complex funeral traditions.

Tour Highlights:

Sightseeing trip to Addis Ababa
A boat tour of Lake Chamo
Visit Dorze village, known for its bamboo-shaped huts.
Visit the Konso people and their beautiful region (UNESCO world heritage site).
Experiencing the untouched southern Omo Valley cultural tribes.
Witnessing the colorful weekly markets in the southern Omo Valle.
Exploring the Mago National Park, home to the Mursi and their distinctive lip plates.
Visit the Karo people, who are famed for their gorgeous body painting.
Learn about the Hamer people and their rituals and the legendary bull-jumping ceremony.

Itinerary – Omo valley photography tour

Arrival in Ethiopia

The Omo Valley Tours team will meet you at the airport if you arrive the day before your tour.
We can arrange a hotel night for you if you advise us in advance. If you come early in the morning on the first day of the tour, you can start the trip right away from the airport.
The order of the Omo sites visited may vary according to lodge availability and weekly market days.

Day 1: Drive from Addis Ababa to Arba Minch, stopping to visit Tiya and Adadi Mariam along the way.

Drive south to Arba Minch in the morning. On the route, stop by the Tiya stelae field (a UNESCO world heritage site) and Adadi Mariam, the world’s southernmost rock-hewn church. Lunch will be in one of the Hossaena restaurants.
En route, you will meet the Gurage and Oromo people, and visiting their villages is also an option.

A night in a hotel, lodge, or resort

Day 2: Arba Minch, Lake Chamo Boat Trip – Drive to Jinka

Take a boat ride on Lake Chamo to see some of the world’s largest crocodiles sunning on the lake’s banks. There are also a lot of hippos and birds.
Drive to Jinka via areas inhabited by different peoples, including the Konso, Tseme, Benna, and Ari. Once at Jinka, go to an Ari village nearby.

A Night in a Hotel, Lodge, or Resort

Day 3: Explore Mago National Park, the Mursi People, and the Jinka Museum.

Drive to Mago national park early in the morning to meet the Mursi Tribe.
Their women are known for wearing lip plates, and their men for fighting with sticks in rituals.
Explore their villages.
After that, you will be back in Jinka. If time allows, visit the Omo Valley Museum in Jinka.

Nights in a hotel, lodge, or resort

Day 4: Drive to Turmi and then, if it’s a Saturday, to Dimkeka Market. Visit Turmi, the Hamer people’s heartland.

In the meantime, if today is Saturday, you will go to Dimeka Market. Dimeka is the greatest village to meet the Hamar, a group of Omo valley residents.
Traveling between Turmi and Junka on a Saturday, the busiest market day is the best option.
The Hamers are notable for their body ornaments as well as the clay and ochre used to make their distinctive haircuts. Turmi is a little town, and we visit a nearby Hamer village and meet some of the residents.

The night will be at the hotel, lodge, or resort.

Day 5: Omorate Excursion, Boat Crossing the Omo River, and a Visit to the Dassench People-Back to Turmi and a Visit to Hamers

A trip from Turmi to Omorate. Traditional canoe crossing on the Omo River.
Visit a settlement of another Omo tribe, the Dasanech, a semi-nomadic people who are one of the larger (about 30,000 people) Omo tribes.
In the afternoon, return to Turmi. Meet the Hamer tribes in Turmi, tour their villages, and participate in the “EVANGADY” tribal dance and/or bull jumping rite (occasional and optional).

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

Day 6: Travel from Turmi to Konso and visit the Konso People (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Drive to Konso, which has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Konso are famous for their elaborate terraces that encircle their well-planned villages. Every Konso settlement starts on a hilltop. A new “ring” of dwellings is created around the mountaintop as the population expands. When the final “ring” reaches the bottom of the hill, a new village must be established on a different hill. Locate the “generation pole” in each community. Every 18 years, a new pole is added to the others, making it possible to calculate the village’s age.

A Night in a Hotel, Lodge, or Resort

Day 7: Drive Konso to Hawassa via Senkele National Park

Drive through the Senkele wildlife reserve to Hawassa. This park preserves the final remnants of the old Ethiopian Savannah.
You will have the opportunity to see the unique antelope known as the Swayne’s hartebeest, which is one of Africa’s rarest and most elegant animals. Continue on to Hawassa, where you can relax at a lakeside resort.

A Night in a Hotel, Lodge, or Resort

Day 8: Return to Addis Ababa from Hawassa Goodbye Dinner – Departure

Drive to Addis Ababa, stopping along the way at Rift Valley lakes known for their endemic birdlife. If time allows, optional souvenir shopping is permitted upon arrival in Addis Ababa. Enjoy a farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant, complete with dancers and musicians from the country’s various ethnic groups. Transfer to the airport in time for a late-night flight.