After breakfast we leave Addis Ababa and begin our journey south along the scenic Great Rift Valley highway. The drive passes through fertile farmland, small villages, and several of Ethiopia’s famous Rift Valley lakes. 

We stop for lunch near Lake Ziway, where we often see local fishermen bringing in their daily catch and numerous bird species such as pelicans, storks, and cormorants along the lakeshore. 

In the afternoon we continue through the Sidama region, known for its lush green landscapes and coffee cultivation, before reaching Yirga Alem. The area is famous for its forests and wildlife. 

Accommodation:  Aregash Lodge 

Driving: 320 Km 

Meal plan: B L D 

We start the morning with a guided nature walk in the forest surrounding our lodge. This peaceful walk gives us the chance to see monkeys, bushbucks, and a wide variety of birds that inhabit this area. 

After breakfast we continue our drive south with a packed lunch. As we travel deeper into southern Ethiopia, the landscape gradually changes from forested highlands to open savannah dotted with acacia trees. 

By afternoon we reach Yabello, the capital of the Borana community. They are pastoralist and are mainly engaged in livestock farming. In their lands, water is a very scarce commodity, and to obtain it, they dig wells in the earth to which they descend forming human chains with which they extract the water. When they carry out this task, they sing and form the so-called “singing wells”.  They are spread all the way to North Kenya and Somalia. We arrive in time for lunch and visit a Borana Homestead in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight will be at the Yabelo Motel 

Accommodation:  Yabelo Motel 

Driving: 290 Km 

Activities: Borana Homestead 

Meal plan: B L D 

El Sod, the House of Salt, is a village located 90 km away from Yabelo. It is a spectacular geological formation.  The crater was by a collapse of a volcanic explosion. In the center of the carter is a black lake from where salt is harvested, brought up the steep carter walls with donkeys – a spectacular site. For centuries, men dive into the lake to collect the salt and sell it across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. We can opt to descend the steep walls which takes about 1 hour. The return is quite strenuous and take 2 hours. We also can simply watch the spectacle from the rim.  We return for lunch to Yabelo and drive in the afternoon for lunch and relaxation. 

Accommodation: Yabelo Motel 

Driving: 330 Km 

Activities: Salt harvesting at El Sod 

Mealplan: B L D 

Today we drive further south to banks of the Omo River. We leave the highlands and drive to the plains around Mago and Omo National Park. The Omo River provides water for various wildlife species and various ethnic groups who have kept their traditional way of life for centuries.  We stop at Konso before proceeding to Jinka for dinner and overnight at Omo Eco Resort. 

Accommodation:  Omo Eco Resort 

Driving: 300 Km 

Activities: Market visit  

Mealplan: B L D 

This day is dedicated visit the Mursi an ethnic group who count not more than 4000 members. We shall be accompanied by a local English Speaking Guide. The Mursi are basically herdsmen but farm after the rains along the river banks. The unusual jewelry for the women are huge clay plates in the split lower lips. With the help of the local guide we are able to negotiate for photographs. We may spot Olive baboon and Guenther’s dik-dik. Other wildlife you might spot includes defassa waterbuck, gerenuk, bushbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, lesser kudu and patas monkey. For lunch we return to Jinka town and drive in the afternoon to Turmi, the Tourist Hub in the southern Omo Valley. 

Accommodation:  Buska Lodge  

Driving: 180 Km 

Activities: Mago National Park / Mursi cultural experience 

Mealplan: B L D. 

After breakfast we venture out to visit the Hamer people and the Karo tribe. A local English speaking guide takes us on a walk through the villages and the market. With some luck we can watch their rituals like a traditional wedding or the passage from boyhood to adulthood where the young man has to run across the backs of 30 heads of cattle lined up next to one another. At the market we try to mix with the locals to get a few photographs from this colorful tribe. It is clear that we have to negotiate for permission and pay for the shots. Our guide will assist us in this. After lunch we drive to the banks of the Omo River to visit another ethnic group – the Karo people. They are a Nilotic group which is famous for their body painting. They are a very small tribe of about 1000peole and are closely related to their neighbors, the Hamer and Banna people.  

Accommodation:  Buska Lodge  

Driving: 50 Km 

Activities:  Hamer & Karo Cultural encounters 

Mealplan: B L D. 

After breakfast we drive up to the Konso Highlands. We arrive there for lunch and pay the Konso King and visit a village where we get to learn about their rich culture and their agrarian lifestyle. The Konso Cultural Landscape which is a designated world heritage site since 2011, is an arid area of stone walled terraces and fortified settlements which constitute a spectacular example of a living cultural tradition stretching back centuries.  Dinner and overnight will be at the Kanta Lodge. 

Accommodation:  Kanta Lodge 

Driving: 240 Km 

Activities: Konso King & Village 

Mealplan: B L D 

Today we drive to Chencha and climb up the mountains to visit the Dorze people. They are always delighted to be visited, as the children display their unique Dorze dance. Their houses are tall structures, resembling a beehive. Inside the hut, a section is partitioned off for the family’s animals (cows and goats) to sleep inside during the cold rainy season. The Dorze people are very skilled weavers, providing a vast majority of the country’s traditional cotton and other uniquely Ethiopian clothing. After lunch we continue to Arba Minch where we take a boat excursion on Lake Chamo. The lake is known for large Nile crocodiles, hippos, and abundant birdlife. 

Accommodation:  Paradise Lodge 

Driving: 140 Km 

Activities: Dorze Village, Boat on Lake Chamo 

Mealplan: B L D 

We drive north through the Rift Valley once again, stopping for lunch along the way before arriving at Lake Langano. 

Lake Langano is one of the few lakes in Ethiopia where swimming is possible due to the absence of bilharzia. We spend the afternoon relaxing by the lakeshore or enjoying the peaceful surroundings. 

Accommodation: Sabana Beach Resort 

Driving: 360 Km 

Activities: Dorze Village, Boat on Lake Chamo 

Mealplan: B L D 

We continue toward Addis Ababa with cultural stops along the way. First we visit the remarkable rock-hewn Adadi Mariam Church, believed to date back to the 12th century. 

We then stop at Tiya, famous for its mysterious carved stelae stones that mark ancient burial grounds. 

After lunch we complete the drive back to Addis Ababa.  

Accommodation:  Saro Maria Hotel 

Driving: 220 Km 

Activities: Adadi Mariam Church, Stellae fields 

Mealplan: B L D 

This day is reserved for a sight-seeing tour of Addis Ababa city. After breakfast we drive to the Entoto mountain, the first residence of the King Menelik when he moved in 1881 the capital of Shewa from Ankober to Entoto. This visit is followed by a visit Orthodox church. Depending on our onward international travel arrangements we may opt for a day room and dinner before transfer to airport for departure.