Private Tour

6-Day Omo Valley Cultural Private Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

144 hours

Mobile ticket

The Lower Omo is home to a remarkable mix of small, contrasting ethnic groups. Join us on a fascinating tour to the south Omo valley, where a mosaic of indigenous tribes, intriguing cultural value, beautiful landscape and diversified tribes with their own unique village settlements for a century.

This trip is carefully designed to offer you the best of Omo valley with the exceptional experience of the local villagers’ interaction with visiting one of the tribe’s family houses as a guest. Lifestyles are as varied as the tribes themselves. Lacking any material, culture and artifacts common to other cultures, these tribes find unique ways in which to express their artistic impulses.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

What‘s Included

Governmental TAX

Accommodation

Car with driver,

Entrance

bottle of water during the tours

guide

Lunch and dinner

laundry service

What To Expect

Day 1

Day 1: Addis to Arba Minch

Accommodations

overnight : hotel

Fly to Arba Minch. Upon your arrival, you will picked up from Arba Minch Airport (AMH) and check-in to the hotel. After check-in, take a boat trip on Lake Chamo and on the way you will see local hippos. Cross over lake Chamo to Nech Sar National Park. Here you will drive inside the park to see the local wildlife, such as zebras, and later on drive back to Arba Minch. You will stay for the night at Paradise Lodge.

3 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Day 2

Day 2: Drive to Turmi

Accommodations

Overnight lodge

Turmi

In the morning, depart to for afterwards, depart from Arba Minch to Turmi. On the way you will pass through the village of Weyto (market day Saturday), which is home to the Tsemai tribe. Continue through the Weyto Valley to Erbore, where you will have a brief visit to a local Erbore village (market day is Saturday). Finally, proceed to Turmi, home of the Hamer tribe. At night, you can see the traditional night dancing of the Hamer tribe, known as evangadi. You will stay for the night at Turmi Lodge.

5 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Day 3

Day 3: Visit Hamer village

Accommodations

Overnight: hotel

Turmi

This day you will travel out to the Karo people at Kolcho village on the banks of the Omo river. The Karo people excel in traditional body painting. In the evening you will visit a Hamer village near to the accommodation. The Hamer are fine looking people taking great pride in their appearance - the women, with their red dyed plaited hair wear leather skirts decorated with shells, are beautiful. Each Hamer village is amazingly still free from western influences and non-organic materials. Their homes are constructed entirely of local materials, mud, wood, and thatch. Each village consists of a single extended family unit of approximately 10-15 huts in close proximity around which daily life rotates. You will stay for the night at Turmi Lodge.

7 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Day 4

Day 4: Drive to Jinka

Accommodations

Overnight: hotel

Jinka

Driving across dry sandy plains to Key Afar then into more fertile rolling hills to the small town of Jinka. You will visit a small museum which gives valuable insight into some tribal customs, then take an optional walk down to the town meeting the people on the way, before driving out to Kanta Lodge in Konso for overnight.

6 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Day 5

Day 5: Visit the Konso Village and drive back to Arba Minch

Accommodations

Overnight: lodge

After breakfast, depart from Jinka to Arba Minch via Key Afar and Konso. Thursday is market day in Key Afar, where you will see the Benna and Tsemai tribes trading goods. This is another very popular market in the region. After the visit, proceed to Konso (market days are Mondays and Thursdays). The Konso people are known for their wooden statues, known as wakas, which are erected in honor of dead heroes as well as their innovative agricultural terracing. Today you will have a brief opportunity to visit a local village and the cultural museum displaying many waka statues. After the visit, you will stay for the night at Kanta Lodge in Konso.

7 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Day 6

Day 6: Dorze Village visit and fly back to Addis

Addis Ababa

Early start today as you drive from the fertile soils, across the dry plains until reaching Abra Minch, known for its Ensete (false) bananas Arba Minch, meaning Forty Springs. It is a fertile fruit producing valley. Drive into the Chencha mountains to visit a Dorze village, noted for their fine weaving in wool and cot-ton (great shopping). After Dorze village visit you will be transferred to the airport and fly back to Addis

3 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Options