Day-by-day itinerary

• Day

  01

  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  Welcome

  Arrive in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, with a warm welcome from our staff members who will provide personal transfer to your hotel.
  
  After checking in, you will be warmly greeted by your Ethiopian private guide. They will take you on a private tour of the city that translates to "new flower" in English.
  
  More than 80 nationalities and languages coexist in the city. Visit sites and locations such as the Church of San Jorge, the famous Merkato, the Ethnographic Museum, and the National Museum, which house the fossil remains of "Lucy" - the grandmother of humanity.
  
  Back to your hotel for dinner and a good night's sleep. More adventure begins in the morning.

  Dinner
• Day

  02

  Lake Langano

  Great Rift Valley

  After breakfast driver to Langano, which is located in the Great Rift Valley to the east of Lake Abijata.
  
  En route, visit Lake Ziway, the largest of the upper Rift Valley lakes. Its shores are lined with reeds and water lilies, sheltering a variety of water birds.
  
  From there, proceed towards Lake Langano. Lake Langano, popular for swimming, water sports, horse riding, forest walking, and mountain biking, also has a variety of wildlife, including hippos, monkeys, baboons, warthogs, and a huge variety of birds.

  DRIVE TIME: 4 Hours

  Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day

  03

  Arba Minch

  Dorze Village

  After an early breakfast, your guide will drive you the Abijatta-Shalla National Park for a gorgeous view over hot springs and flamingos. Then drive to the town of Arba Minch (meaning "forty springs"). Arba Minch is set high in the hills of the Gamo Zone and commands incomparable views over the twin lakes of Chamo and Abaya.
  
  Travel with your guide along the scenic route to the mountain village of Chencha, home of the Dorze people, renowned for their cotton weaving (shammas) and their distinctive houses - towering beehive-shaped structures made from woven thatch. You will see how they weave their huts, textiles, and the cultivation and production of the false banana tree from which the Dorze make their traditional bread (kotcho).

  DRIVE TIME: Full day, with stops

  Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day

  04

  Konso

  Crocodile Market

  After breakfast, enjoy a boat ride on Lake Chamo to AzoGebeya, the so-called “crocodile market,” which is not a market at all but a gathering place for crocodile and pelican and is one of the best features of the park.
  
  In the afternoon, drive with your guide to Konso. You will get the pleasure of visiting a Konso village with their particular culture. Also visit "Konso New York City," an eroding plateau composed of fabulous hoodoos, very similar to Bryce Canyon in the USA.

  DRIVE TIME: 5 Hours, with touring

  Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day

  05

  Konso - Omorate - Turmi

  The Dassanech Tribe

  This morning, travel south along the banks of the Omo River, which ultimately flows into Lake Turkana in Kenya. The Dassanech (or Galeb) live here, a tribe of about 40,000 individuals, divided into 8 groups, and mainly dedicated to agriculture that they practice after the river floods. The authority falls on a group of 30 elders called ara (bulls).
  
  The Dasanetch continue to live as their tradition dictates, isolated from the outside world, in one of the most inaccessible areas of Africa. Nothing seems to interest them in modern civilization.
  
  Then head to Turmi for the evening.

  DRIVE TIME: 3 Hours, with visits

  Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day

  06

  Turmi

  Korcho Village

  Today, you will spend your day in Korcho Village to see the Karo ethnic group, experts in body painting, using clays and locally available vegetable pigments to trace fantastic patterns on each other’s faces, chests, arms, and legs. Karo men are also famous for their unique hairstyle. Visit their village and drive back to Turmi for the remainder of the day.

  DRIVE TIME: 3 Hours

  Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day

  07

  Turmi - Jinka

  Mursi village

  Get up very early this morning and travel to Mago National Park to visit a Mursi village.
  
  The insertion of wooden and terra cotta discs into the ear lobes is a widespread custom and Mursi women also progressively split and stretch their lower lips to make room for similar discs there, too. Though these lip plates may appear bizarre to outsiders, the Mursi regard them as signs of beauty. They farm the land, breed livestock, and live in almost complete isolation from the rest of the world. Then on to Jinka for the night.

  DRIVE TIME: 3.5 Hours

  Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day

  08

  Jinka - Addis Ababa

  Your Journey Onwards

  Fly back to Addis today, where you'll be met by your city guide. In the evening, attend a folkloric dinner where you will have a chance to taste several national dishes while watching dances of the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia. A traditional coffee ceremony will also be served.
  
  Later you will be transferred to Bole International Airport for your journey onwards.
  
  "Ciao" (Italian for "Goodbye") is often used in Ethiopia.

  TRAVEL TIME: Full day in transit

  Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner