11 days Historic Ethiopia and Omo Valley Tours
Duration: 10 nights/11 days
Transportation: on air and surface
Hotel: the best available accommodation
Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa and then city tour
Þ On arrival in Addis Ababa meet and greet, are assisted for a transfer to your hotel.
Þ Then preparation for a sightseeing of Addis Ababa that includes; the National Museum, famous for hosting the Humanoid fossil “LUCY”, Ethnographic Museums, Trinity cathedral and Mercato, the largest open air market in Africa and if the time allows drive some 11 kms to Entoto to visit Menilik II palace and Entoto museum.
Þ Then back to Addis on the way testing Ethiopian real coffee Tomocca restaurant. hotel
Day 2- Fly Addis to Gondar –attend Timket festivals Eve
Þ On arrival in Gondar, you will have a short sightseeing until the eve ceremony started.
Þ Sightseeing in Gonder includes; the 16th century Royal enclosure famous for its 17th C castles known as the “African Camelot” and one of the old churches Debre Birhan Selassie.
Þ Attend timket eve; then have a city tour in Gondar. hotel
Day 3: Attend Timket Festival in Gondar- Evening drive to Bahirdar for overnight.
Þ Morning you will attend the final day celebration of Timket at Fasil Bath. The Holy Ark immersed in the water by the priests then blessed the water body and sprinkles it to the devotees.
Þ In Gondar, the celebration of Timket is also to commemorate the re-baptizing of thousands of peoples from Catholicism to Orthodox Christian.
Þ Thereafter, the Holy Ark carried back to its church amidst lots of chanting, music and dancing.
Þ Early evening, you will drive over land by minivan to Bahirdar, which is some 180kms. hotel
Day 4: Full day sightseeing in Bahirdar – (Visit Blue Nile fall and Lake Tana Monasteries)
Þ Am breakfast then preparation for the excursion
Þ Excursion to visit the Blue Nile Falls that takes you out of the city for a drive on a gravel road through the farmlands and small villages of the Amhara People.
Þ Meet local people on their everyday activities especially in the mill house where mostly women gather to get their grains grinded. Retrace the same way back to your hotel for late lunch.
Þ Afternoon, boat trip on Lake Tana to visit Monasteries on the islands of Lake Tana. You will visit the monastery churches of Ura Kidane Mihret that is the most famous monastery and has an important collection of religious icons from the 16th to 18th centuries. Ura Kidane Mihret known for its paintings and small museum. Ura Kidane Mihret, are decorated from floor to ceiling with incredibly vivid images from Christian traditions. hotel
Day 5: Early morning drive Bahirdar to Lalibela (~310 kms) via Woreta; with a detour to Awera Amba Village – On arrival you will visit the first group of Lalibela Churches.
Þ Morning after breakfast drive to Lalibela; en-route you will have a short visit to the Awera Amba Village.
Awera Amba village those become famous for advanced rural living style that has first started due to a philosophy of an individual in the village that has dared to change some age-old tradition like role division among different genders, many other local taboos.
– Then proceed to Lalibela, On arrival you will have a visit to the first group of Lalibela Churches Bete Me3dhanialem, Bete Mariam, Bete Meskela, Bete Denagel and Bete Golegotha Michael).hotel
Day 6: Morning Visit the 2nd group of Lalibela Churches – Then fly back to Addis – Proceed to Langano 195 kms.
Þ Early morning after breakfast, you will visit the second group rock hewn churches of Lalibela (Bete Emanuel, Bete Kidus Merqorios, Bete Aba Libanose , Bete Gebriel and Raphael, and Betelehem )rated as the eighth wonder of the world by many authors.
Þ On arrival in Addis, Lunch then proceed to Lake Langano. Late Afternoon you will have a free time to enjoy on the lake with a beautiful sunset. hotel
Day 7: Drive to Arba Minch via the town of Awassa
Þ Morning drive to Awassa to see the fish market.
Þ On your way to Arba Minch you will visit the dorza people and their traditional tukul villages; well known on their traditional weaving system. Overnight in paradise lodge the most beautiful lodge with traditional tukul villages. hotel
Day 8- Morning boat trip on Lake Chamo – Then Proceed to Turmi.
Þ After Breakfast, you will have a boat trip on Lake Chamo to Azeo Gebeya (The biggest crocodile farm in Africa) to see hippos and crocodiles.
Þ Then Proceed to Turmi; on the way will meet the available tribes Tsemay and Ari tribes with visiting their villages.
Þ Evening you will attend Tribal dance or Bull Jumping rite, occasional and optional. Lodges/hotel
Day 9- Visit the Hamers people and then drive to Jinka for an excursion trip to Mago national park.
Þ Morning you will meet the colorful Hamer people and short visit of their villages.
Þ Then ride to Jinka for an excursion trip to Mago National Park to meet the Mursi Tribes, their women are famous for Lip plates and men for ritual fighting with stick.
Þ Then retrace back to Jinka for overnight. hotel/ lodge
Day 10- Drive to Arba Minch via the town of Konso – attend Thursday market at Key afer
Þ Morning after Breakfast in the hotel you will drive to Arba Minch.
Þ On the way attend Thursday market at Key afer; market attracts tribes like Banna, Tsemay, Hamer and Bashida.
Þ You will also visit the Konso peoples and their ancient villages. Overnight in Arba Minch.lodge/hotel
Day 11- Morning fly back Arba Minch to Addis wit Arba Minch – PM free shopping time- Then Departure
Þ On arrival in Addis – Lunch time with tasting very Ethiopian coffee at Tommoca.
Þ The rest of the day dedicated for free shopping time in Mercato, the biggest open-air market in Africa.
Þ Moreover, in the evening you will be our guest for a farewell dinner in one of Ethiopian traditional restaurants with folkloric dance.
Evening, get transferred to the airport for your Departure flight back to your home.
—End of the historic Ethiopia and Omo Valley Tours arrangement —-
