Coffee pots for sale at the Axum Market

Ethiopian Holiday (B): The Historic North and Omo Valley;
14 Days / 13 Nights

Tour Itinerary CO13b

Arrival Bole International Airport
Awaze Tours will meet all clients arriving at the airport regardless of arrival time. For morning flight arrivals you may begin your tour after checking into your hotel. For afternoon or evening arrivals, you may begin your tour the following day.

Day 01 Addis Ababa
Visit the Ethnographic Museum, a great introduction to Ethiopian culture and history. Tour the Mercato, one of Africa's largest outdoor markets, and Trinity Cathedral, resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 02 Addis Ababa - Bahar Dar
Fly to Bahar Dar on Ethiopian Airlines. Visit the marketplace in Bahar Dar. Take a boat tour on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile and tour ancient island monasteries.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Inside Gondar's Royal Enclosure.

Day 03 Bahar Dar - Gondar
Drive through the countryside to Gondar. 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. Visit the church of Debre Birhan Selassie, famous for its religious art and especially its iconic ceiling depicting angels.
Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Window in one of Lalibela's rock churches.

Day 04 Gondar - Lalibela
Fly to Lalibela on Ethiopian Airlines. Tour the magnificent rock-hewn churches, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This group of eleven monolithic churches were 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.
Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 05 Lalibela - Axum
Fly to Axum on Ethiopian Airlines. Tour the ancient stelae fields, standing for 2000 years. Visit the new and impressive Archeological Museum. Visit other tombs and archeological sites as time permits.
Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 06 Axum - Addis Ababa - Lake Langano
Fly to Addis Ababa and then drive to the Rift Valley Lake Langano. Relax at the Sabana Lodge. Lake Langano is safe for swimming.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Fishing on Lake Chamo

Day 07 Lake Langano - Arba Minch
Drive to Arba Minch via Melka Kunture, a stone-age archeological site; Adadi Mariam, a 12th century rock-hewn church; and Tiya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its mysterious stelae, thought to be grave markers, dating from the 12th century. Also 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.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Gourd containers for sale at Omo Valley market.

Day 08 Arba Minch - Jinka
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. Drive to Jinka visiting various peoples such as the Gamo and Derashe. 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.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Day 09 Mago National Park Excursion
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, visit the Omo Valley Museum in Jinka.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Young woman of the Hamer tribe.

Day 10 Jinka - Turmi
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 prior to marriage. En route to Turmi, visit the Benna and Ari people.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Boys of the Dassanech tribe walking on "stilts."

Day 11 Omorate Excursion
Excursion to Omorate to visit the Dassanech people, known for their elaborate body-painting. Cross the famous Omo River by canoe. Return to Turmi for the evening.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Day 12 Turmi - Konso
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.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Day 13 Konso - Hawassa
Drive to the lakeside town of Hawassa. Relax and recover from your journey at one of Hawassa's fine resorts.
Overnight Resort (B, L, D)

Day 14 Hawassa - Addis Ababa
Drive to Addis Ababa. Optional souvenir shopping if time permits. Enjoy a Farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant featuring dancers and musicians representing some of the country's many ethnic groups. Transfer to airport for late night departure or additional hotel night booked upon request.
(B, L, D)

End of Tour
(Awaze Tours will arrange additional hotel nights in Addis Ababa upon request.)

For Information and Pricing: CO13b