8-Day Lalibela & Omo Valley Tour from Addis Ababa

Tour highlights

• Lalibela’s UNESCO-listed rock-hewn churches
• Living Ethiopian Orthodox religious traditions
• Asheton Maryam Monastery
• Dorze weaving and traditional houses
• Dorze weaving and traditional houses
• Lake Chamo and its crocodiles and hippos
• Konso cultural landscape
• Arbore community
• Hamar cultural experiences
• Karo community and Korcho Village
• Dassanech community
• Omo River crossing by traditional canoe
• Local markets where the calendar permits

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1: Day 1

   Flight: Addis Ababa → Lalibela The Lalibela section begins with your domestic flight from Addis Ababa to Lalibela. Departure: 11:45 AM Arrival: 1:05 PM Upon arrival at Lalibela Airport, your guide will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel by private vehicle. After checking in, begin exploring the remarkable rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. The first sightseeing program focuses on the northwestern group, including: Bete Medhane Alem Bete Mariam Bete Meskel Bete Denaghel Bete Mikael Bete Golgotha Bete Golgotha is an important religious site and, according to local church regulations, women are not permitted to enter. Depending on the time available and religious activities taking place at the churches, Bete Giorgis may also be visited today or included on the following day. Living Religious Heritage Lalibela is not simply an archaeological destination. It remains an active center of Ethiopian Orthodox Christian worship. During your visits, you may see priests, worshippers and religious activities taking place around the ancient churches. Where shoes must be removed, a local shoe attendant who keeps your shoes while you visit the churches is included in the tour cost. The order of sightseeing may be changed according to church services, local conditions and the preferences of the travelers. Overnight: Sora Lodge, Lalibela – Rock-Hewn Room

2. 2

   Day 2: Day 2.

   Lalibela – Second Group Churches → Addis Ababa After breakfast, continue your Lalibela experience with exploring the remaining rock-hewn churches: Bete Gabriel-Rufael Bete Merkorios Bete Emmanuel Bete Abba Libanos Complete the visit to Bete Giorgis if it was not possible to see it on Day 1. Saturday Lalibela Market If your visit coincides with Saturday, your guide can take you to Lalibela’s local market during its busiest period, provided the timing fits with the day’s activities. Church Services Depending on your travel dates, you may also encounter active religious services. The daily dawn service generally takes place around 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM. Sunday morning services are particularly active, with hundreds of local worshippers dressed in white robes gathering to pray and sing. On Ethiopian Orthodox saint days, special commemorations may take place at the church associated with that saint. These occasions can include special services, chanting and extended or night-long prayers. Such experiences depend on the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar and the local church schedule and cannot be guaranteed. Flight: Lalibela → Addis Ababa After completing the Lalibela program, transfer to Lalibela Airport for your return flight. Departure: 1:35 PM Arrival in Addis Ababa: 2:50 PM Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, the Lalibela portion of the tour concludes for the day. Important: Accommodation in Addis Ababa on this night is not included. You are free to select and book your preferred hotel according to your budget and personal preference.

3. 3

   Day 3: Day 3.

   Addis Ababa → Arba Minch – Dorze Village After your overnight stay in Addis Ababa, make your own way to Bole International Airport for your domestic flight to Arba Minch. You may choose whichever of the scheduled Ethiopian Airlines flights is most convenient for you. Addis Ababa → Arba Minch Flight Options Morning: 8:05 AM → 9:15 AM Midday: 12:00 PM → 1:10 PM Afternoon: 3:10 PM → 4:20 PM These flight schedules are based on the Ethiopian Airlines timetable beginning October 25, 2026 and may be subject to airline schedule changes. Upon arrival at Arba Minch Airport, meet your Southern Ethiopia guide and driver. Dorze Highlands Begin the journey into the Dorze highlands, where the landscape rises dramatically above the Rift Valley. The Dorze are particularly known for their traditional weaving. Traditionally, men undertake much of the weaving while women are involved in spinning cotton. Learn about traditional weaving techniques, materials and patterns and discover how weaving remains part of local community life. You will also see the distinctive tall bamboo houses for which the Dorze are famous. Enset and Traditional Food Learn about enset, commonly known as false banana, and its importance to the traditional agricultural system. Where appropriate, you may learn about local food preparation and, when food is offered and you wish to try it, taste traditional Dorze dishes. The visit is intended as a cultural encounter rather than simply a sightseeing stop. When welcomed by a local family, you may enter a traditional home, meet family members and learn about everyday life. After the visit, return to Arba Minch. Overnight: Arba Minch

4. 4

   Day 4: Day 4.

   Arba Minch → Lake Chamo → Konso After breakfast, visit Lake Chamo before continuing toward Konso. Lake Chamo Boat Excursion Take a boat excursion on Lake Chamo, where you can look for: Nile crocodiles Hippos Waterbirds Rift Valley scenery One of the best-known areas of the lake is popularly called the Crocodile Market, referring to the concentration of crocodiles along parts of the shoreline rather than a market where crocodiles are traded. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed, but Lake Chamo is well known for its crocodile and hippo populations. Konso Cultural Landscape Continue toward Konso and begin exploring its remarkable cultural landscape. The Konso are renowned for their extensive stone terraces, traditional fortified settlements and distinctive social organization. Learn how generations of farmers have developed sophisticated systems for conserving soil and water and cultivating difficult terrain. Explore traditional settlements and learn about communal spaces, cultural practices and the significance of Waka memorials. Where local arrangements permit, the program can also include a visit to the King of the Kartita clan of Konso. You can learn about historical Konso funerary traditions, including the mummification of important ritual leaders, within their specific cultural and historical context. If your visit coincides with a Konso market day — Monday, Thursday or Saturday — the itinerary can be adjusted to include the market. Overnight: Kanta Lodge, Konso

5. 5

   Day 5: Day 5.

   Konso → Arbore → Turmi After breakfast, leave the Konso highlands and travel south toward the Lower Omo Valley. As you descend, the landscape gradually changes from the cooler highlands to the hotter and drier lowlands. Visit an Arbore community and learn about its distinctive traditions, clothing, ornaments and social practices. Spend time meeting community members and learning about their everyday lives. When welcomed, you may enter a traditional home, meet a family and share a traditional coffee ceremony. If a local market or cultural event coincides with your visit, the itinerary may be adjusted to include it where practical. Continue toward Turmi. After arriving, settle into your lodge and relax. Overnight: Buska Lodge, Turmi

6. 6

   Day 6: Day 6.

   Turmi → Karo / Korcho → Turmi Today you travel west toward the Omo River and Korcho Village, home to the Karo people. The Karo are particularly renowned for their distinctive face and body painting, which forms an important part of their cultural expression. Spend time in the village learning about Karo traditions, social life and their relationship with the Omo River environment. The aim is to provide meaningful interaction with community members rather than simply making a short photographic stop. Where available and welcomed, you may participate in a traditional Karo coffee ceremony. You may also have an opportunity to enter a traditional home, meet a family and learn about everyday life. Return toward Turmi. Depending on the day and local circumstances, the afternoon may allow time for a Hamar village visit or local market. Overnight: Buska Lodge, Turmi

7. 7

   Day 7: Day 7.

   Turmi → Omorate → Dassanech → Turmi After breakfast, travel south toward Omorate, close to the Kenyan border. The landscape becomes increasingly dry as you approach the lower Omo River. At Omorate, cross the Omo River by traditional dugout canoe, where local river conditions permit. Continue to a Dassanech community. Learn about the Dassanech way of life, including their social organization, clothing, ornaments, homes and adaptation to the exceptionally dry environment of the lower Omo. Their livelihoods are closely connected to livestock, agriculture and the Omo River. Many Dassanech men leave early with livestock, so the people present in a village may include more women and children. When welcomed, you may enter a traditional home, meet a family and participate in a coffee ceremony. There may also be an opportunity to taste local food when it is offered and you would like to try it. After the community visit, cross the Omo River again and return to Turmi. Depending on the day and local circumstances, the afternoon may allow time for a Hamar local market and/or bull jumping ceremony. Overnight: Buska Lodge, Turmi

8. 8

   Day 8: Day 8.

   Turmi → Mursi - Jinka – Final Southern Ethiopia Journey After breakfast, begin the journey north from Turmi toward Jinka stopping in Keyafer to visit the Mursi community. The route provides a final opportunity to appreciate the changing scenery of the Lower Omo Valley and the rural communities of southern Ethiopia. Depending on your travel date and the local calendar, an appropriate cultural or market stop may be incorporated along the route. Market visits and community encounters depend on local activity and therefore cannot be guaranteed. Continue to Jinka and transfer to Jinka Airport, where the Southern Ethiopia portion of your journey concludes. End of the 8-Day Lalibela & Omo Valley Tour at Jinka Airport.

What is included

Where this tour goes