Tour Combined Historical/Classical And Cultural/Omo Valley Trip T

Meals

17 Breakfasts

Others

Bottle of Water; Hotel Pickup and Drop Off; All Entrance Fees; Boat Transfers on Lake Tana and Lake Chamo; Service Charge and Tax;

Guide

Professional English Speaking cultural Guide; Applicable Local Guides at each destination.

Transport

Private Land Transport by an air-conditioned Vehicle; From and To Airport Transfers;

Accommodation

17 Nights Accommodation in a shared room. $259.00pp for Single Room Supplement

Not included:

Flights

International flights

Others

Accommodation the last day; Gratitude, tips and porter fees; Alcoholic expense; All lunches and dinners; what is NOT included on the “Included” List.

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Day 1 Day 1: Arrivals At Addis Ababa Airport, Met By Our Staff Transfer To Hotel
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Arrivals At Addis Ababa Airport, Met By Our Staff Transfer To Hotel

After breakfast, drive to visit the National Museum, where you see the famous fossil Lucy, who is 3.2 million years old; visit the Ethnographic Museum, visit Entoto St. Mary Museum, St.Trinity Cathedral church, and Merkato market, the largest open-air market in Africa.

Overnight Stay at Nexus Hotel or Similar, Addis Ababa.
Day 2 Day 2: Drive To Bahir Dar
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Drive To Bahir Dar

Early in the morning drive to Bahir Dar, en-route visit Blue-Nile Gorge and Debre Libanos monastery. If you think Grand Canyon is impressive, compare it to its African cousin – the Blue Nile Gorge. Situated 210km north of Addis Ababa and is about one mile wide and deep, the Blue Nile Gorge is one of the most spectacular gorges in the world. After 100 km drive on the waylays the renowned monastery of Debre Libanos, founded in the 13th century in a magnificent 700m-deep canyon.

Overnight Stay at Jacaranda Hotel or Similar, Bahir Dar.
Day 3 Day 3: Bahir Dar Boat Trip And Drive To Blue Nile Falls
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Bahir Dar Boat Trip And Drive To Blue Nile Falls

On Lake Tana, There are 37 islands and 32 of them have churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. We visit the monastery church of Ura Kidane Mihret, which is the best known of the monasteries and has an important collection of religious icons from the 16th to 18th centuries A.D. In the afternoon drive to the Blue Nile Falls, this is known locally as Tissisat (smoking waterfall): 100 m (328 ft) wide, the water plunges for 45m, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. Early in the afternoon drive back to Bahir Dar and finish the day with a lovely sunset over Lake Tana.

Overnight Stay at Jacaranda Hotel or Similar, Bahir Dar.
Day 4 Day 4: Drive To Gondar
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Drive To Gondar

After lunch we will visit Gondar, the first capital city with the reign of Fasilides. In Gonder, there are a dozen castles built by various emperors over the course of 236 years. The city seems more of European than African origin. In the afternoon, we visit Fasiladas’s Palace, probably the most impressive of all the castles found in the area and the oldest one! We continue going to the Church of Debre Berham Selassie (Light of the Trinity). The interior is decorated with beautiful frescos, cherubs, and paintings. Debre Berham Selassie is rumored to once have been the proposed final resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant of the Ethiopian Empire which began in 1632 .

Overnight stay at Goha Hotel or similar, Gondar.
Day 5 Day 5: Drive To Simien Mountains National Park
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Drive To Simien Mountains National Park

After breakfast drive to Simien Mountain National Park. Debark is a small market town at an altitude of 2700 meters close to the boundary of the Simien Mountains National Park. Corrugated–iron-roofed buildings surround the colorful and busy market area. Before entering the park, you have to register at the park headquarters just outside town. Here, armed scout – one of the park regulations, joins you. Then drive to Sankaber for the best view. En route, pass through pretty country, the foothills of the Semen Mountains, with a carefully tended field, open pasture with grazing horses, stands of trees and distant rocky peaks. At the high point of the road, there are superb views across the weirdly eroded foothills of the range and you may also be lucky enough to spot you first Lammergeiers and Gelada Baboons of the trip.

Overnight stay at Ras Dejen Hotel or similar, Debark.
Day 6 Day 6: Drive To Axum
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Drive To Axum

Here you will enjoy driving across Simien Mountain National Park and the fascinating river basin of Tekeze, one of the biggest rivers in Ethiopia.

Overnight stay at Sabean International Hotel or similar, Axum.
Day 7 Day 7: Axum City Tour And Proceed Driving To Mekele
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Axum City Tour And Proceed Driving To Mekele

After breakfast in Axum, you will have a city tour in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Legends narrate in the Kebre Nagast (Book of Kings) how the city of Axum as early as the 10th century B.C. was already the city where the Queen of Sheba resided. It is told that the son of Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, Menelik, brought the Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem to Axum and it remained there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary. Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires and represented a crucial trade connecting-point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. Visit the Granite stone Stele of Axum, the Tombs of King Kaleb and his son King G/Meskel, the Ezana’s stone inscriptions, Queen of Sheba’s palace and Swimming pool, and the Church of Zion, the final resting place of the True Ark of Covenant. Proceed driving to Mekele for overnight.

Overnight stay at Planet Hotel or similar, Mekele.
Day 8 Day 8: Drive To Lalibela
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Drive To Lalibela

A long but beautiful drive takes us to the highlight of your visit to Ethiopia. Some small towns on the way.

Overnight at Panoramic View Hotel or Similar, Lalibela.
Day 9 Day 9: Exploring Lalibela
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Exploring Lalibela

The Rock-Hewn Ethiopian orthodox Christian churches of Lalibela, are one of the eight wonders of the world. The connecting walls are full of religious symbols. The city contains 11 monolithic churches that were built in the 12th century. Some are beautifully painted inside. Visit the first and the third group of churches, they include seven rock churches. After lunch visits the second group of four rock churches. After dinner, you will visit cultural houses and be entertained with Ethiopian traditional music and you can taste Ethiopian honey vine.

Overnight at Panoramic View Hotel or Similar, Lalibela.
Day 10 Day 10: Drive To Dessie
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Drive To Dessie

After a relaxed breakfast, you will drive to Kombolcha. On the way, you will see small towns of South Wollo and Lake Hyke and its island monastery.

Overnight stay at Golden Gate Hotel or similar, Dessie.
Day 11 Day 11: Drive Back To Addis Ababa
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Drive Back To Addis Ababa

Today return drive to the capital city departs in the morning after breakfast. On the way, you will visit towns known for fruit production. You will be arriving late afternoon in Addis Ababa.

Overnight stay at Nexus Hotel or Similar, Addis Ababa.
Day 12 Day 12: Drive To Arba Minch
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Drive To Arba Minch

En route, you will visit the Great Rift Valley lakes and Alaba Village.

Overnight stay at Haile Resort or similar, Arba Minch.
Day 13 Day 13: Trip To Dorze Village Then To Jinka
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: Trip To Dorze Village Then To Jinka

Morning, drive to the Dorze people who live on the Guge Mountain; they are famous for their beehive bamboo houses and weaving skills. In their society, only the women do the spinning of the cotton, while only the men are allowed to weave the traditional cloth. Afternoon, drive to Weyto via the town of Key Afer. On the way visit the Konso village, where the people wear colorful costumes, and use their steep land through impressive terracing; through annual wooden grave marks, they express their status. Their three-story community house called Mora is impressive; all the young boys above 12 years old stay there every night inside till they marry. - Have lunch in Weyto and continue driving to the town of Jinka.

Overnight stay at Nasa Penision or similar, Jinka.
Day 14 Day 14: Excursion To Mago Park To Visit The Mursi Tribe
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 14: Excursion To Mago Park To Visit The Mursi Tribe

Drive to Mago National Park to visit the Mursi people in their village. The Mursi are well known for the large clay discs their women wear inserted in their lower split lip. The Mursi women start cutting their lips between the age of 12 and 16 and thereafter, they put small wooden plugs into the hole and change it every night with the bigger one to stretch the lips till it can hold a 6 inch (15cm) round clay disc. The Mursi men wear very little, although a cotton wrap is becoming more common now. After lunch drive to Turmi via Dimeka. If the day is Saturday or Tuesday, you will have a chance to see the colorful weekly market at Dimeka.

Overnight stay at Nasa Penision or similar, Jinka.
Day 15 Day 15: Drive To Turmi
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 15: Drive To Turmi

Drive to Turmi, on the way visit Bena tribes and possibly local market Just like most of the indigenous tribes in the Lower Omo Valley, the Bena practice ritual dancing and singing. The men often have their hair dressed up with a colorful clay cap that is decorated with feathers. Both the men and women wear long garments and paint their bodies with white chalk. Women of the tribe wear beads in their hair that is held together with butter.

Overnight stay at Paradise Lodge or similar, Turmi.
Day 16 Day 16: Excursion To Omorate,
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 16: Excursion To Omorate,

Cross Omo River to visit Dassanech tribe, afternoon Hammer village the First time, in the Omo Valley, travelers witness Ethiopia’s many ethnicities and cultural traditions. The Southern Cultural Route takes travelers to the heart of the most remote tribes, whose animist beliefs strike a chord with the true African experience. In the afternoon drive to Hammer people who have a bull jumping ceremony; This ceremony is a transformation for young boys from young to adulthood; During the ceremony, you see the real Hamer traditional dance called Evangadi; and also the women from the jumper’s family are being beaten by his friends to show their love to the Jumper and that he is ready for adulthood.

Overnight stay at Paradise Lodge or similar, Turmi.
Day 17 Day 17: Drive Back To Arba Minch
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 17: Drive Back To Arba Minch

After breakfast, your return drive to Arba Minch starts. Based on your arrival in the town, you will have a short boat trip on Lake Chamo for catching the hippos.

Overnight stay at Haile Resort or similar, Arba Minch.
Day 18 Day 18: Drive Back To Addis Ababa And Departure
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 18: Drive Back To Addis Ababa And Departure

you will arrive in the afternoon at Addis Ababa. Depending on your interest and time availability visit the local gift and traditional cloth shops. The tour ends with a transfer to Bole International Airport.

END OF THE TOUR

+15

18 days tour

Combined Historical/Classical And Cultural/Omo Valley Trip T

This tour includes:

Not included:

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Itinerary of your trip Combined Historical/Classical And Cultural/Omo Valley Trip T

Day 1: Arrivals At Addis Ababa Airport, Met By Our Staff Transfer To Hotel

Day 2: Drive To Bahir Dar

Day 3: Bahir Dar Boat Trip And Drive To Blue Nile Falls

Day 4: Drive To Gondar

Day 5: Drive To Simien Mountains National Park

Day 6: Drive To Axum

Day 7: Axum City Tour And Proceed Driving To Mekele

Day 8: Drive To Lalibela

Day 9: Exploring Lalibela

Day 10: Drive To Dessie

Day 11: Drive Back To Addis Ababa

Day 12: Drive To Arba Minch

Day 13: Trip To Dorze Village Then To Jinka

Day 14: Excursion To Mago Park To Visit The Mursi Tribe

Day 15: Drive To Turmi

Day 16: Excursion To Omorate,

Day 17: Drive Back To Arba Minch

Day 18: Drive Back To Addis Ababa And Departure

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