Day 1 – Arrival – Addis Ababa City Tour
Our team will meet you at Bole International Airport, upon your arrival. Transfer to your hotel. Get some rest.
Today we will take you on a guided city tour of Addis Ababa. It gives an introduction to Ethiopia and Addis Ababa by Visiting different Attractions and learn about the culture.
The tour has a visit to the National Museum. Where you will see Lucy, the famous human ancestral fossil estimated to be 3.2 million years old. the you will go up on the top of Mount Entoto, where you will have a panoramic view of the city. The Holy Trinity Cathedral houses the tomb of Emperor Haile Silase, the last emperor of Ethiopia. We will walk through the Merkato market, the largest open air market in Africa.
Overnight Addis Ababa in Hotel
Day 2 Addis Ababa – Arbaminch
Fly from Addis Ababa to Arbaminch checking in to your hotel.
Day Trip to Dorze Village, Dorze people are found on Chencha highlands. They are much known for as the finest wavers. Their village is one of the most densely populated areas in the country. As the land, they inhabit becoming smaller and smaller because of population growth. They are able to manage life very well by using their small mixed agriculture. They have a distinctive Traditional Cottage that resemble with Elephant. We will walk in Dorze Village Before driving to Arbaminch.
Overnight Hotel Hotel Arbaminch
Day 3 Arbaminch – Turmi
Morning Visit Crocodile Market, It is actually not a real Market but it is where Hundreds of crocodile take a sun bath together, they lay on the ground and simply opening their big mouth to allow the regulation of their temperature. Some are more than 6 m long. Hippos, fish eagles and water birds are also common.
We leave Arbaminch to the Omo Valley Crossing the Derashe people Villages. We will stop by at Konso to visit the defensive walled Village of Konso. The Knoso people are well known as a hard Working people and their land Management system recorded by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Drive to Turmi via key afer and dimeke. If it is Thursday We will stop at the Key After Market to see the Bena and steamy People who are very similar to Hamer People . If it is Saturday we can visit Dimkea colorful tribal Market where Hamer and Bena tribes come to the market for selling and buying.
Overnight in a lodge . Turmi
Overnight Turmi loadeg
Day 4 Turmi to Karo to
After breakfast in Turmi, we will drive to see the Kara tribes/people. Who is most famous for their colorful body paintings and most beautiful in Omo Valley. They use different colors of clay.
Our visit is to Kolocho Village, which lies on top of the hills of the Omo river. Geographically they are triangulated by Dasench, Hamer, and Mursi Tribes, and more tribes are found by their side.. The Karo’s who were rich ones with hundreds of cattle’s, now live on the valleys of Omo river, a sedentary farming life since they lost most their cattle due to a devastating outbreak of Animal disease that whips them all out. Inhabited the valleys of Omo river,
After the visit of the Karo Village we will drive back to Turmi where we look for a Bull Jumping in the Afternoon or the next day.
Drive back over night Turmi
Overnight Camping with the tribes or Lodge
Day 5 Excursion to Omorate, Monday Market day in Turmi
Drive from Turmi to Omorate where dasench people have a daily Market. The Village of Dasehnch people is just found over the opposite banks of Omo river . We will take local traditional Boat that is Craved out of a single wood to reach the Village.
The Daench have a more elaborated Beadles on their body and used to have a nomadic life style till they settled at their present area. We might be invited to a drink or Dance with them in their tribal Dance and Music.
Drive to Jinka Via Turmi
Over Night in Lodge, Jinka
Day 6 Jinka – Addis Ababa
We will drive in to the Mago National park to reach the Mursi villages. On the road we will encounter many Mursi people standing or walking on the road.
Mursi’s are most famous by their more recognized Lip plates on their women’s and the different body decorations using anything from plants and flowers to anything that can be used. Children’s and men’s paint their body with different colorful clay and lime stone.
The Mursi’s are mixed Farmer but wrongly are considered as Nomads and as people who do frequently Move from place to place but the
Mursi’s have quit subsistence life. Mursi’s go to the omo river bank to farm Corn when the omo river over flow. They Follow the river side to plant their crop when it rain and Omo river become full they get back to their grazing land.
After having lunch in Jinka fly to Addis Ababa.
Day 7 Fly to Mekele – Drive to Gheralta mountain
In the morning fly to Mekelle then drive directly to Gheralta. A beautiful mountain and one of the most beautiful landscape in Ethiopia.
Visit Abune Yemata Ghu chucrh: this is the most inaccessible church and famed as a church on the sky by BBC. The church is dated back to the 6th c. and it is very small chapel, but with wonderful wall Paintings.
To reach the magnificent rock churches of Abune Yemata Ghu, you have to climb an 8 meter long rock face. The climb to the church is very scary, but the view from the top is worth it. It is not only about the church, it is about the rock climbing experience, the Adrenaline it requires, and the Stunning view it has. It is a lifetime experience and one of the highlights of our tours.
Overnight Hotel or Lodge in Hawzen
Day 08: Gheralta – Mekelle
In the morning after breakfast we go to The Gheralta mountain Massive. Where we will look for another beautiful churches hidden in the most inaccessible part of the mountain. These churches are on a vertical cliff. It may need climbing and trekking to reach. Based on your strength, we can cover the most beautiful and accessible to you.
We can trek to Mariam Korkur and Daniel Korkur Churches, which are on Top of the Gheralta Mountain Massive. It takes 1:30 hrs. Long trekking. The church is one of the biggest and beautiful in the Gheralta region. It has a striking view of the surrounding area and mountains.
Overnight Hotel in Mekelle
Day 9 – Mekle–Dodom-Ertale
Pick up from the hotel or airport in Mekele . Meet the group and begin the journey to Dodom, the base camp to reach the Ertale volcano. Late afternoon, 3 hours walk to the top of the mountain where you see the volcano, spend the night observing the beautiful view of the glowing volcano eruption! Observe the volcanic activity, structure and phenomena of the surrounding caldera and Lava Lake.
Volcanoes to see with lava lakes are very rare in the world. Ertale volcano is one and the most active volcano in the world. Ertale has been a continuously active volcano for the past 100 years. Lava constantly erupts from the surface. An incredible experience of a lifetime. At dawn, you will descend from the volcano and return to Dodom Base Camp.
Note – the volcano erupted in 2018, so you may not see the same photos of the volcano as those on websites.
Accommodation. Ertale Volcano Rime Camping or Hamedal Village
Day 10 Ertale – Hamedla
After enjoying the volcano early in the morning before sunrise, trek to base camp. Eat your breakfast before returning to Hamedla. Hamedla is a small rustic village where salt miners stop before crossing between the high and low lands of the Danakil depression. You will walk through the Afar village and see their life, watch the camel caravan. Salt was once very valuable and salt ingots were used as currency in Ethiopia. This tradition of the camel caravan carrying salt bars has thousands of years of history.
Camping in Hamedla
Day 11 – Hamedla – Dalol
Drive from Hamedla to Dallol. Dallo is formed by the drift of three tectonic plates. It is found 130 meters below sea level in the geological depression. On the way, you will see the lake of Assale, where salt is extracted, and the camel caravans that bring the rock salt to the plateau. Drive and walk on the flat salt field, see the hot spring pools, etc. In general, Dallol is like a Mars-cape full of yellow, green, blue, and orange colors. This all comes from the sulfur, potassium, iron, and other various minerals that form at the top of the hot spring bubble. Drive to Mekele.
Fly to Addis Ababa to catch your flight home.