Tour Name: Omo Valley Tribes And Danakil Depression Tours 10 Days

Tour Code : ATT13

No Of day/night: -10Days

Mode of transportation: – Car & Flight

Day 1: Fly to Mekelle-Drive to Dodom-Volcano

This day on arrival at Addis Ababa Bole Int airport you will couch your flight to Mekelle then We drive from Mekele to – Dodom. We start early drive to Dodom (at the base of Erta Ale). Leave after an early breakfast, possible at 07:30. This is may be one of the worst roads in the world. The 70 km distance may take about 5 hrs passing through changing landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and occasional palm lined oasis. After you pass several small hamlets scattered here and there in this desert land, Dodom is about 9.5km from Erta Ale and it takes about 3 hrs trekking. Early dinner around 17:00 and trek up to Ertale at 20:00 hours.

Camels transport all the camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light mattresses and mat and water) to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. Erta Ale ranks one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and 1km square caldera at its summit. Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake. Overnight on the top of the mountain. Erta Ale is 613 meters, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century.

O/n camping on the mountain

Day 2: Dodem –Hammedele,

Descend from Erta Ale around 9 am Dodom – Hamd Ela. Leave back to Dodom after an early breakfast, if possible at 07:00. You will reach latest at 10:30 am at the camp, time to relax. After drive to reach Hamad Ela, better village with a total population about 500 people. O/n Hamedela( camping)

Day 3:　Hamedela-Mekele-Addis Ababa

Morning tour Drive to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the localities are mining salt. Look the activity of breaking the salt from the ground, cutting in to rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the difference landscape formed by volcanic activity, Dallol + Lake Assal + camel caravans. Excursion to Dallol (116 meter below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow up camel caravans and walk with the Afar people. Drive back to Hamedela and proceed to Mekele airport for your flight to Addis Ababa and on arrival in Addis we will pick you from the airport then you will be transferring to your hotel

Day 04: Drive Addis Ababa – Chencha – Arba Minch

Morning, drive to the town of Arba Minch visiting en route the Doreze village who are expert in weaving called Shammas. The shape of their house looks Elephant, in order to remember the existence of these animals around the area many years ago. Enset “fake banana” is the stable food for these peoples.

Day 05:  Drive Arba Minch – Konso – Jinka

After having your breakfast you will take a boat cruise on the Lake Chamo, the third biggest Lake in Ethiopia. On the Lake you may have a chance to see the Nile crocodiles, hippos and different types of birds. The men often have their hair dressed up with a colorful clay cap that is decorated with feathers. Drive to the Ari people, the largest population in the lower omo valley. The women wear skirts from the banana like tree, called Enset are expert in pottery.

 Day 06: Drive Jinka – Mago – Jinka – Turmi

Take a day excursion to Mago National Park to visit the Mursi village. The Mursi are one of the exotic ethnic groups in Ethiopia. They live in very low huts made of straw leaves. The women like to wear terra cotta on their enormously stretched lower lips and ear lobes. Drive back to Jinka for lunch. Then proceed to the Turmi where the Hamer people lives

Day 07: Excursion to Omorate -Konso

After having your breakfast, you will have an excursion to Omorate to visit the Dassanech people ‘people of the Delta’, who lives on the northern shore of Lake Turkana. Visit and drive back to Turmi..

Day 08: Drive Konso – Arba Minch-Welayta Sodo

This day after you will Visit the Konso village, one of the UNESCO site in Ethiopia know by their terracing. One of the best types of coffee for the country is also from this village then we will be driving to Welayta Sodo or Butajira.

Day 09: Drive Butajira – Addis

You will be driving back to Addis Ababa on the way you will see the UNESCO sites of Tiya then in Addis at the evening attend a folkloric dinner where you will have a chance to taste several national dishes and watch dances of the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia. The traditional coffee ceremony will also be served.  Later you will be transferred to the airport for your departure.

Day 10: Addis Ababa

This day after breakfast we will be driving back to Addis Ababa and on arrival in Addis Refresh and begin your sightseeing of Addis with a drive up to mount Entoto for a panoramic view of Addis. Descend down and drive to National museum where you will have a chance to spot the oldest hominids of ‘Lucy’ fossil.. then  Visit and proceed to the Holy Trinity built during the WWII.

Then proceed to Ethnographic museum, which use to be the palace of Emperor Hailesellase. To wrap up you drive to merkato, the biggest market in East Africa.  In the evening attend a folkloric dinner where you will have a chance to taste several national dishes and watch dances of the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia finally we will transfer to the airport