10-Days Lower Omo Valley and Historic Route
Starting from Addis Ababa through Bahir Dar–Gondar–Simien Mountains–Lalibela to Addis Ababa a trip that will give you the chance to experience the true nature and cultures of Northern Ethiopia
Overview
Group Size : Three
Destinations : Lower Omo Valley and Historic Route
Tour Duration : 10 Days / 26th Nov – 5th Dec 2019 /
Monday 25th Nov : Mombasa – Addis Ababa
*Flight ET-325 ETD 12:25 – ETA 14:40
**Flight ET-323 ETD 18:55 – ETA 21:15
Arriving from Mombasa with either ET-325 / ET-323, you will be picked up from Bole Int’l Airport and transferred to Addissinia Hotel for overnight stay.
Day One
Tue 26th Nov : Addis Ababa
Starting off at 8:00am, you will have a city tour of Addis Ababa – visit the Ethnographic Museum for an all-round insight into the various tourist attractions in Ethiopia, the Entoto Hills for a panoramic view of Addis Ababa and the vibrant Sholla market where you will see locals interacting in daily marketing activities. End of the day, you will spend overnight at Addissinia Hotel.
Day Two
Wed 27th Nov : Addis Ababa – Arbaminch (Flight ET-135) – Konso
Starting off at 10:00am, you will be transferred to the airport to check in for your flight at 11:40am. Arriving Arbaminch at 12:45pm, you will proceed to Konso. Arriving Konso mid-afternoon, you will be spending the rest of the afternoon visiting a Konso tribe village, their terraced farm fields, wooden totems (aka Waka) and nine-clan community structure. FYI, the Konso Community has been registered as the 9th UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ethiopia back in 2011G.C. for having kept their community values intact. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Kanta Lodge.
Day Three
Gondar – Simien Mountains – Debark
At 6:30AM, you will be heading to Debark, gateway town to the Simien Mountains. Arriving Debark and into the National Park mid-morning, you will be able to see the endemic Gelada baboons, appealing surrounding landscape and a bit of birdlife as well. Starting at noon, you will have the opportunity to do a 4 hours / 12kms trekking from the 22nd kilometer mark to Sankaber Campsite (36kms mark). End of the day, you will returning to Debark where you will be spending overnight at Simien Park Hotel.
Day Four
Thu 28th Nov : Konso – Key Afer – Turmi (*MARKET VISIT)
Starting off at 7:30am, you will be heading to Turmi. Driving into the Omo Valley roughly 40kms past Konso, you will be able to see the scenic Weito lowlands that extend South West of the Buska Mountain chain and further into the lowlands of North Kenya. Enroute, you will be visiting the weekly Bena tribe market at Key Afer where you will be able to see the Hamer, Tsemai, Ari tribes joining in the market.
Day Five
Fri 29th Nov : Turmi – Korcho – Jinka
Starting off at 7:00am, you will be proceeding to Korcho, one of the Kara-tribe village settlements on the Omo River. The Kara tribe is best known for their body paintings that resemble that of a Guinea Fowls and lower lip piercing of the women for decoration purpose with insertion of feathers, etc. Furthermore, this particular village location will allow you to have a panoramic high–ground view of the Omo River flowing down south into Lake Turkana of South Ethiopia/North Kenya.
Returning back to Turmi at noon, you will be visiting a Hamer tribe village in the surroundings of Turmi. At 4:30pm, you will be proceeding to Jinka and spending overnight at Eco-Lodge Lodge
Day Six
Sat 30th Nov : Jinka – Mago National Park – Jinka – Addis Ababa (Flight ET-170)
At 7:00am, you will be heading into Mago National Park where you will be visiting a Mursi tribe village, their day to day life style. Returning back to Jinka at noon, at 12:00pm, you will be proceeding to the airport to check-in for your flight to Addis Ababa. Arriving Addis Ababa at 2:35pm, you will be ending your 5-days-tour of the Lower Omo Valley of South-West Ethiopia.
Day Seven
Mon 02nd Dec : Lalibela
Starting off at 7:30am, you will be proceeding to Yimrihana Kristos and Bilbala Giorgis Churches, located 35-40kms East of Lalibela. After your visits, you will be returning back to Lalibela where through the afternoon, you will be able to visit the 2nd group of Churches. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Pa
Day Eight
Lalibela
Starting off at 8:00AM, you will be visiting the rock-hewn Cluster Churches of Lalibela through the day, a total of 10 Churches through the day, divided into three groups. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Roha Hotel / Mount View Hotel / Panoramic View Hotel / Cliff Edge Hotel / Seven Olives Hotel / Alief Paradise Hotel.
Day Nine
Tue 03rd Dec : Lalibela – Gondar (Flight ET-123)
Starting off at 8:00am, you will be visiting Bete Ghiorgis Church. Then you will be proceeding to the airport for your flight to Gondar. En route, you will be visiting the cave-Monastery of Neakuto Leab. Proceeding further and checking in for your flight to Gondar at 12:00pm, you will be arriving Gondar at 1:50pm. Through the rest of the afternoon, you will be visiting Emperor Fasiledes’ Castle Complex and spiritual Bathing Pool where Timkat and Epiphany festivals take place yearly. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Goha Hotel.
Day Ten
Thu 05th Dec : Bahir Dar – Addis Ababa (Flight ET-143 / ET-728)
Starting off at 8:00am, you will have a boat trip on Tana Lake where you will be able to visit two Monasteries, to be recommended are Ura Kidane Mihret and Azoa Mariam on the Island of Zeghe, best known for their collection of religious icons and paintings from the 16th to 18th centuries A.D. Returning back to Bahir Dar at noon, you will be transferred to the airport at 1:45pm, checking in for your flight to Addis Ababa at 2:00pm. Arriving Addis Ababa at 4:30pm, you will be transferred to Addissinia Hotel to freshen up. At 7:00pm, you will have a complementary farewell dinner at 2000Abesha Restaurant where you will be able to taste the best of spicy Ethiopian cuisine while watching live traditional music and dance performance from various ends of Ethiopia. At 10:30pm, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Manchester with check-in at 11:00pm and flight departure at 12:45am, thereby ending your 10 days’ tour of the South’s Lower Omo Valley and North’s Historic Route.
Friday 06th Dec : Addis Ababa – Manchester (ET-728 ETD 00:45 – ETA 07:35)
Departure from Addis Ababa at 12:45am and arrival Manchester at 07:35am on morning of 7th December 2019.
