5-Day South Omo Valley Tribes Cultural Tour

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

Drive to Arba Minch

In the morning after breakfast, meet with the FTSE staff (driver and guide) at your preferred departure point and time. Start driving southward to the Rift Valley region, passing the Rift Valley lakes. We will also drive through the Wolayta farmlands with views of the lush green hills and valleys. If time permits, we visit the Dorze tribe and their village, famed for their beehive-shaped houses and their weaving skills. Weaving is a primary profession for many Dorze. They are also farmers who prevent soil erosion by the ingenious terracing of the mountainsides. Around their huts, they have their own little garden with vegetables, spices, tobacco, and enset (false-banana or musa ensete).

You arrive late in the afternoon at Arba Minch - meaning "forty springs" in Amharic. Arba Minch takes its name from the bubbling streams that cover the groundwater forest occupying the flats of the town. Head to your hotel for overnight.

Main Destination:

Arba Minch (City)

Accommodation:

Paradise Lodge

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

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Turmi, visit Konso village and Demeka Market

Early in the morning after breakfast, you will drive to Turmi. On the way, stop at Konso to have lunch and visit the Konso tribe with their king. It is a UNESCO-registered site for its extensive terracing and practice of making wooden graves marked for their hero and kings. You then drive further to the Hamer Tribal Market in Demeka, one of the best markets in the Omo Valley. At least four different tribes attend these weekly markets. On arrival in the small town, a local guide will escort you around the market and explore different sections of the market including animals, vegetables, cereals, and much more.

Later, you will continue your drive to Turmi, arriving in the late afternoon. Go on a late afternoon walk from the lodge to the village to visit the Hamer tribe. Experience their unique way of life and interact with them.

Main Destination:

Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Accommodation:

Emerald Lodge Turmi

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

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Dassanach, Turmi, Karo and back to Turmi

After an early breakfast at 7 am, drive 73km west to visit the Dassench and Geleb people who inhabit the banks of the Omo River. We cross the Omo River by a locally-made boat to see the village. You will drive back to Turmi for a lunch break. After lunch, you will drive for an excursion to Murulle to visit the Karo tribe, famous for their body painting. They prepare the ink for the painting from locally-available materials like flowers, soil, and animal blood. We will also admire the scenery of the Omo River from the edge of the village. After the visit, you will drive to Turmi for an overnight stay.

Main Destination:

Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Accommodation:

Emerald Lodge Turmi

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

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Arba Minch

After breakfast, leave Turmi early in the morning and drive to Arba Minch to visit and appreciate the attractive culture of the landscape of the Rift Valley. We then drive to Key Afer Tribal Market, one of the best markets in the Omo Valley. At least four different tribes attend these weekly markets. On arrival in the small town, a local guide will escort you around the market and explore different sections of the market including animals, vegetables, cereals, and much more.

If you missed them on the first day, you will visit the Dorze tribe and their village. They are famous for their beehive-shaped houses and their weaving skills. Weaving is a primary profession for many Dorze. We then continue to drive back to Arba Minch.

Main Destination:

Arba Minch (City)

Accommodation:

Paradise Lodge

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

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Drive to Addis Ababa

After breakfast, you start driving up north through the Wolayta farmlands with views of the lush green hills and valleys. The drive will then take you along the scenic farmlands of the Gurage people. Stop at the UNESCO-listed stelae field to visit the 12th-century monastery. Continue to drive back to Addis Ababa through the Great Rift Valley with a lunch break on the way, arriving in Addis Ababa in the late afternoon. You will be transferred to your accommodation for your departure.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

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