15-Day Ethiopia Tour the Historic North and Omo Vally

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Visit Addis Ababa Trinity Cathedral

Addis Ababa
You will visit Trinity Cathedral, the resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie. You'll tour the Ethnographic Museum, a great introduction to Ethiopian culture and history. You will make a short drive to the Entoto Hills for a view of the city and visit Maryam Church. En route, you will stop at Sheromeda traditional cloth market. You'll visit the Mercato or the Sholla Market, two of Addis Ababa's main markets.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Mado Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Bahir Dar

Addis Ababa - Bahar Dar
You'll take a boat tour of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, and tour ancient monasteries on the Zege Peninsula. You will visit two of the following monasteries: Ura Kidane Mehiret, Azwa Maryam, Mehal Zege Giorgis, and Bete Maryam. You will end the day with a sunset visit to Bezawit Hills overlooking the Nile River.

Main Destination:

Bahir Dar (City)

Accommodation:

Jacaranda Hotel Nairobi

• Mid-range hotel located in Nairobi (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Bahar Dar - Gondar

Bahar Dar - Gondar
You will drive through the countryside to Gondar. You'll tour the Royal Enclosure, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring five castles built by a succession of Ethiopian kings beginning in the early 17th century. Having survived several wars, including air raids during World War 2, the castles are a testament to the resilience of this once mighty empire. You will visit the church of Debre Birhan Selassie, famous for its religious art and especially its iconic ceiling depicting angels.
You'll have an overnight stay in Jacaranda Hotel (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Gondar (City)

Accommodation:

Jacaranda Hotel Nairobi

• Mid-range hotel located in Nairobi (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Simien Mountains

You will drive to Sankabar the gateway to the Simien Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will take an easy hike (2 - 3 hours) to take in the spectacular scenery and spot wildlife such as the endemic Gelada Baboons. You will return to Gondar by evening.

Your overnight stay will be in Goha Hotel (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Gondar (City)

Accommodation:

Goha Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Gondar (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Lalibela

You will tour the magnificent rock-hewn churches, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This group of eleven monolithic churches was carved directly into the stone mountainside at least 800 years ago. This complex boasts the largest monolithic church in the world, a maze of passageways and tunnels, intricately carved reliefs, and fabulous examples of icon paintings. In the late afternoon, you will enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony and learn the process of baking injera (a staple food for much of Ethiopia.)

Your overnight stay will be at Mountain View Hotel (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Mountain View Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Lalibela

This morning you have two choices: Take a morning hike with mules to Mount Asheton, with its 13th-century rock-hewn monastery and great views of the town; - OR - Drive to Yemrehanna Kristos, a beautiful church situated in a shallow cave that predates the churches of Lalibela. The drive to Yemrehanna will also allow you to view the rural countryside and villages of the Ethiopian highlands. Following either option above, you will continue with a tour of Lalibela’s churches in the afternoon.

Your overnight stay will be in Mountain View Hotel (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Mountain View Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Visit Langano for Lake Swimming

You will fly to Addis Ababa and then drive to the Rift Valley Lake Langano. You will relax at the Sabana Lodge. Lake Langano is safe for swimming. You will enjoy swimming on Lake Langano —one of the best recreational centers in the country.

Your overnight stay will be at Sabana Beach Resort.

Main Destination:

Lake Langano

Accommodation:

Sabana Beach Resort

• Mid-range resort located at Lake Langano

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Arba Minch

You will drive to Arba Minch (“Forty Springs”) located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. En route, you will 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.

Your overnight stay will be at Haile Resort Arba Minch (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Arba Minch (City)

Accommodation:

Haile Resort Arba Minch

• Mid-range hotel located in Arba Minch (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Jinka

You will take a boat trip on Lake Chamo and view some of the largest crocodiles in the world sunning on the banks of the lake. Hippopotami and birdlife are also abundant. You will drive to Jinka to visit various people such as the Gamo and Derashe. You will stop at Key Afar's weekly market (if on a Thursday) and wander among the various tribes such as the Benna and Ari that have gathered to barter their goods.

Your overnight stay will be at Eco Omo Lodge (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Jinka (Lower Omo Valley)

Accommodation:

Eco Omo Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Jinka (Lower Omo Valley)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Mago National Park

You will enjoy an early morning drive to the 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, you will visit the Omo Valley Museum in Jinka.

Your overnight stay will be at Eco Omo Lodge (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Jinka (Lower Omo Valley)

Accommodation:

Eco Omo Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Jinka (Lower Omo Valley)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Turmi

You will 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 before marriage. En route to Turmi, you will visit the Benna and Ari people.

Your overnight stay will be at Buska Lodge (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Accommodation:

Buska Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Turmi Vilage

You'll have an excursion to Omorate to visit the Dassanech people, known for their elaborate body painting. You will cross the famous Omo River by canoe close to the Kenyan border. Here, you will visit their villages and photograph daily life. This is an arid area with very fine silt soils deposited by the Omo River in the past. After your visit to the Dassanech, you will go to the Dimeka market. In the late afternoon, you will proceed back to Turmi, perhaps stopping at a Hamar village to get the best of the light in the golden hour. You'll return to Turmi for your overnight stay at Buska Lodge.

Main Destination:

Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Accommodation:

Buska Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Konso Village

You will 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. You will depart early to visit the Konso tribe via the Key Afer market. Their stone-walled village fencings with narrow alleyways, iconic thatched huts, colorful skirts of their women, etc. In July 2011 the Konso Community was named the 9th UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ethiopia for its nine-clan community structure, terraced fields, and unique farming skills.

Your overnight stay will be at Kanta Lodge (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Konso (Cultural Village)

Accommodation:

Kanta Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Konso (Cultural Village)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Awasa

You will 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 the rarest and most elegant animals in all of Africa. You will continue to Hawassa and relax at a lakeside resort.

Your overnight stay will be at Haile Resort Hawassa (B, L, D).

Main Destination:

Awasa (City)

Accommodation:

Haile Resort Hawassa

• Mid-range resort located in Awasa (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Addis Ababa

You will drive to Addis Ababa stopping at Rift Valley Lakes which are renowned for their endemic birdlife. Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, you'll have an optional souvenir shopping if time permits. You will enjoy a farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant featuring dancers and musicians representing some of the country's many ethnic groups. You will transfer to the airport for late-night departure or additional hotel nights booked upon request.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.