Historic Route and Omo valley tour 16 Days

Day 1: Arrival Addis Ababa and City Tour
On arrival Addis Ababa GLT representative will meet you at Bole international Airport and you will visit the diplomatic capital of Africa, headquarters of the Africa union starting from National museum (home of Lucy hominid skeleton dating back to 3.2 million years).
In the afternoon after lunch drive 11 km outside of Addis to Yaya village Surrounded by lush green forest and mountains with ideal temperatures.
Then return to the hotel & enjoy the swimming pool & other facilities.
Overnight Skylight hotel or Similar
Meal plan: Lunch & dinner

Day 2: Ari, Jinka
Fly to Jinka & meet your vehicle.
Visit one Ari people village or the Jinka museum (optional one of these).
ON Jinka ecoOmo or Resort hotel
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 3: Mursi, Hammer
Early morning drive to visit the Mursi people. Here for beauty women put plates into their lips. Visits their culture, traditions, way of life and villages.
Later back to Jinka & proceed then for the Hamer people & to Turmi.
The Hamar (or Hamer) tribe are agro pastoralists, this means that they grow crops and keep livestock, but they place particularly high value on cattle.
They are an extraordinary people with a unique expression and culture.
If time permits visit also the very colorful Hamer, Karo and Dassanech market at Dimeka village, on the way driving from Jinka to Turmi.
ON Emerald lodge Turmi www.emeraldresortandlodge.com
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 4: Monday, Hammer village & Hammer, Dassanech & Karo people market
Visit a Hamer villages and understand their way of life and culture.
With luck we’ll try to participate to ceremonies as the bull jumping and the Evangadi dances.
The Hamer are known for their unique custom of “bull jumping” which initiates a boy into manhood. First, female relatives dance and invite whipping from men who have recently been initiated; this shows their support of the initiate, and their scars give them a right to demand his help in time of need. The boy must jump back and forth twice across the backs of a row of bulls or castrated steers, and is ridiculed if he fails.
Then following the villages persons going to the market, walk with them to the weekly the very colorful market of the Hamer, Karo and Tsemay people at Turmi village.
Enjoy this vibrant market, meet different people and see how they merchandise.
Relax around Emerald lodge then.
ON Emerald lodge Turmi www.emeraldresortandlodge.com
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 5: Alduba market of Hamer, Tsemay & Erbore people- Konso people
Drive to visit the Erbore people and a village. Or optional (to choose one of the two) drive to Alduba village to visit the weekly Hamer, Tsemay and Erbore people market.
Then continue to the Weyto valley and the Konso villages.
Visit their culture, lifestyle, way of counting the age of the village, the community works and much more. This is a UNESCO heritage site! Have spectacular view over the hills too.
Continue finally your drive to Arbaminch, to reach the Emerald Resort Arbaminch.
Emerald Resort is a beautiful Resort with a spectacular view over the Rift Valley lakes of Chamo and Abaya which are divided by a mountain called in Amharic “Yezghier dildi” which means “Bridge of Heaven” and the Netch Sar National park, in Amharic meaning “white grass”.
ON Emerald Resort Arbaminch www.emeraldresortandlodge.com
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 6: Dorze people
Ascend into the Gughe Mountains to visit the Dorze people, who are known for their tall beehive-like houses and their fine cotton weaving. Visit market in Dorze (Market days in Dorze village are Mondays and Thursdays and in Chencha on Tuesdays and Saturdays).Late in the afternoon Enjoy the indoor and outdoor games, swimming pool, spa…. Finish the day with the sunset over the Netch sar national park and two lakes in the Rift Valley basin (Chamo and Abaya) from the Emerald resort.
Overnight Emerald resort www.emeraldresortandlodge.com
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 7: Crocodile Market
Morning you will enjoy the panoramic view of Netch sar national park and two lakes in the Rift Valley basin (Chamo and Abaya) from the Emerald resort and you will enjoy with indoor and outdoor games, the swimming pool and more.
In the afternoon take a boat trip on Lake Chamo to the “Crocodiles Market”, where large numbers of Crocodile (some up to 6 meters long) gathers to sunbath and the Hippos pool. Overnight Emerald Resort www.emeraldresortandlodge.com
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 8: Awassa
In the morning, we drive to Awassa and relax at your hotel, swimming pool, games & hours riding. Overnight Haile resort or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 9: Awassa-Bahir Dar
Morning take a boat trip on the lake to visit the hippos and also to see a variety of beautiful birds, continue visiting the local fish market on the shores of Lake Awassa. Afterwards transfer to the airport flight to Bahir Dar via Addis Ababa.
Overnight Blue Nile Resort lodge or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 10: Bahir Dar
Morning after breakfast take a boat trip on Lake Tana to visit a selection of the monasteries hidden on the islands and shores of this sacred lake. Visit the Zege Peninsula and the monasteries of Azuwa Maryam and Ura Kidane Mehret.
In the afternoon drive out to the Blue Nile falls for a short hike in the area and back to hotel for the most enjoyable sunset view with its shine over the lake.
Overnight Blue Nile Resort lodge or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 11: Bahir Dar-Awramba-Gondar
After breakfast continue north to Gondar. The drive will take you through rural villages, offering wonderful insight into the Amhara culture. En-route we will stop at Awramba. This community has been founded by Zumra Nuru in 1972 with aims to live together peacefully, working collaboratively, sympathetically and cheerfully. They treat each other as brothers and sisters. Gender equality and care for the elderly is also a major subject. After visit continue to Gondar.
Overnight Goha hotel or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 12: Drive to Gondar and City Tour
Morning after breakfast visit the city classified as a World Heritage site. Gondar was the capital of the kingdom of Abyssinia under the reign of Emperor Fasil (Fasiledes) who built castles, churches and medieval style bathrooms in the 17th c. For 200 years it was the imperial residence and met both the relative greatness of the early emperors as the decline of their past. In the mid-nineteenth century the emperor Teodoros burned the city in retaliation for its people could not forgive that did not have royal blood. You will never again be the capital. You will visit to the Royal Castles & the Bath of Emperor Fasiledes (the bath is filled with water for the important Timkat (epiphany) ceremony once a year. You can also visit to Debre Birhan Selassie Church (Trinity at the Mount of Light).
Overnight Goha hotel or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 13: Gondar-Lalibela
Fly to Lalibela. Transfer hotel.
Afternoon visit the rock-hewn churches, defined as the 8th wonder in the world.
Dinner & ON hotel

Day 14: Lalibela
Morning visit the Asheten Mariam church, with walk and a fantastic view.
Afternoon take part of the coffee ceremony (the coffee ceremony in an important part of Ethiopian culture). And walk in Lalibela
Dinner & ON hotel

Day 15: Lalibela-Addis Ababa
In the morning after having breakfast transfer to the airport flight back to Addis, and visit Mercato, one of Africa’s largest outdoor markets and enjoy shopping in the city. in the afternoon enjoy shopping. Evening you will have fare well dinner in one of the Ethiopian restaurant for cultural dances from the different ethnic groups. Overnight Skylight or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 16: Addis Ababa/Departure
Enjoy around Addis. Evening transfer to the airport flight back home
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner