Our years of experience and extensive network of local partners can help you build your dream trip from the endless possibilities of Ethiopia. We’ll talk through your ideas, give you some suggestions, set it all up and advise on travel, kit and preparation, so that you get the Ethiopian adventure you’ve always wanted.
Omo valley Photography and Ethiopian Eastern in lalibela 2025
Transportation
Drive and flight
Duration
15 Days/ 14 Nights
Fixed departure from April 06-20/2025
Accommodation
Hotels, Lodges and camping
Price information
From: $4,800
Extension Trips
Enhance your journey with a pre- or post-trip to the Danakil Depression’s surreal landscapes or the majestic Simien Mountains!
Ethiopia, a land of ancient kingdoms and rich cultural heritage, stands apart as the only African nation with an unbroken history of independence. Home to one of the world’s oldest alphabets and the stunning landscapes of the Rift Valley, Ethiopia offers a unique blend of history, nature, and vibrant traditions.
Your journey begins and ends in Addis Ababa, the dynamic capital of Africa. Explore Lalibela’s awe-inspiring rock-hewn churches, often called the 8th wonder of the world, and experience the unforgettable Ethiopian Easter celebrations.
Travel south to the Omo Valley, a cultural treasure trove where you’ll meet diverse ethnic groups like the Surma, Nyangatom, Dassenech,Hamer, Karo, Arbore, each with unique traditions—from bull-jumping ceremonies to intricate body painting. Witness breathtaking landscapes, bustling markets, and the colorful tapestry of Ethiopia’s indigenous heritage.
This tour offers an immersive experience into Ethiopia’s timeless beauty and captivating culture.
Detail Itinerary
Day 1.
Arrival in Addis Ababa and Transferred to Hotel (April 06.2025)
Welcome to Ethiopia! Arrive at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Here you will be greeted by your tour guide or driver from Ethiopian Expedition. Then you will be transferred to a hotel for check in. If your arrival is early morning, after a leisurely morning rest and relaxation you will spend the afternoon sightseeing in Addis Ababa. Established by Emperor Menelik II in 1887 Addis Abeba or ‘New Flower’ in Amharic, is a relatively young city full of contrasts. This city tour includes The National Museum which houses the country’s historic treasures & the famous ‘Lucy” " the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church Ethiopian main cathedral and home to the remains of the last emperor: Drive up to Mount Entoto to have a panoramic view of the city. You will visit the newly established Entoto Park. Finally, you will visit the Largest open-air Market in Africa, Mercato. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: The Grand Palace, Hotel in Addis Ababa
Day 2.
Addis and connect to Jimma (April 07.2025)
After breakfast, transfer to Bole International Airport. Then, you will continue to your domestic flight to Jimma. Then, we will drive to Mizan for overnight, the drive will be through a rainforest and coffee plantation. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Salayish Hotel in Mizan
Day 3.
Mizan to Kibbish (April 08.2025)
After breakfast, you will be driving to Kibish. On the way visit the Bebeka coffee plantation, where they cultivate organic coffee trees, tea, spice as well as rubber trees—short break to visit the coffee farm from nursery to the coffee processing techniques. You will have lunch at Dima. Then proceed to Kibish and you will arrive late in the afternoon, you will stay at Kibish campsite for an overnight stay. You will have dinner and stay the night camping.
Meal Plan: BLD
Accommodation: Camping in Kibish
Day 4.
Day trip around Surma Village (April 09.2025)
Immediately after breakfast, an early morning trekking will take you to Surma Village around Kibish. The Suri are agro-pastoralist people and are part of the Nilo-Saharan language. They have lived in the Ethio-Sudan border area for many generations, successfully surviving through a combination of livestock herding (cattle, goats and sheep), some hunting and gathering, rain-fed cultivation of a variety of field crops like millet, corn, and sorghum, and the garden cultivation of legumes, spice plants, peas and beans. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Camping in kibish
Day 5.
Surma Village (April 10.2025)
Today, you will have a full day of photographic exploration around Surma village. We will drive in a radius of 40-60 km to the photography of the Surma, Suri, Menit, etc. We are staying in the heart of Surma land, and many will hang out in our campground. When you can spend this kind of quality time with a tribe you have fantastic opportunities to create stunning and compelling imagery. We will also be able to do sunset photography around our camp. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Camping in Kibish
Day 6.
Full day drive to Kangate (April 11.2025)
A full day Drive to kangate which is the get way for accessing the habitation of the Bume from the east of Omo River and contains groups with a particular culture and way of life. You will shoot with Nyangatom also known as Donyaro and pejoratively as Bumé, Which are Nilotic agro-pastoralists inhabiting the border of southwestern Ethiopia. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Camping in Kangate
Day 7.
Drive to Karo (April 12.2025)
After breakfast, start driving to Karo, a Nilotic ethnic group in Ethiopia famous for their body painting. They are also one of the smallest tribes in the region. They are closely related to their neighbors, Hammer and Banana, with a lexical similarity of 81% They live along the east banks of the Omo River in southern Ethiopia and survive on agriculture and natural annual flooding. The Karo excel in face and body painting that is practiced especially during their dances and ceremonies. They pulverize locally found white chalk, yellow mineral rock, red iron ore and black charcoal to decorate their bodies often mimicking the spotted plumage of a Guinea Fowl. The men create highly decorated clay hair buns which can take several days to complete. The specific designs drawn on their bodies can change daily and vary in content, ranging from simple stars or lines to animal motifs, such as guinea fowl plumage, or to the most popular – a myriad of handprints covering the torso and legs. Both the Karo and the Hamar men use clay to construct elaborate hairstyles and headdresses for themselves, signifying status, beauty, and bravery. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Camping in Karo/Dus
Day 8.
Drive to Turmi (April 13.2025)
After breakfast, you will start driving to Turmi, a small town and center to visit the Omo valley tribes. Then you will go to see the Hammer population to attend the bull jumping ceremony (if celebrated on this day, the rituals follow the calendar of the village and not that of tourists). This ritual is a passing ceremony for young people entering adulthood. During the ceremony, we will see the true traditional dance of the Hammers called Evangadi, The cattle are lined up in noisy dances with rattles hanging from the legs of the women, the young will have to skip this row of bulls naked, the ritual may seem a little bloody for the danger to which the boys are exposed and also by the women of the jumper family who are symbolically whipped by the others to show their love for their family component that is ready for adulthood. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Buska Lodge, in Turmi
Day 9
Leave early for Omorate to visit Dassanech people (April 14.2025)
After having your early breakfast, you will drive to the people of Dassanech, who speak the Oriental Cushit languages, live in Ethiopia and Kenya on the north shore of Lake Turkana and further north along the river Omo. you will have a full day of photographic exploration around Dassenech. Their main homeland is in the Debub Omo Zone, Ethiopia and around the North end of Lake Turkana. The name Dassanech means "People of the Delta". The Dassanech tribe is not strictly defined by ethnic origin. Anyone, man or woman, will be admitted as long as they decide to be circumcised. The Power is in the hands of a group of about 30 elders called 'tori', each clan has its own identity and responsibilities towards the rest of the tribe is linked to a particular territory. The Dassanech were originally nomads and today they are predominantly agro-shepherds. They breed sheep, donkeys and in some parts, camels. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Buska Lodge, in Turmi
Day 10
Drive to Arbore village (April 15.2025)
After breakfast we will start driving to the Arbore Tribe. You will have a photographic exploration around The Arbore, also known as Erbore or Ulde, is an ethnic group living in southern Ethiopia, near Lake Chew Bahir. They are from the Omotic language family and have ancestral links to the Konso People. With a total population of 6850, the Arbores’ are settled in four villages. They live in hot and flat areas and are mainly cattlemen. Like for the majority of other tribes of the Omo Valley, cows, goats and sheep are the main source of existence and value for Arbore. Woyto River, which is a natural border of the tribal areas, helps in agriculture and is the main source of water. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Camping in Arbore
Day 11.
Drive to Arba Minch (April 16.2025)
Morning spent with Arbore, In the Afternoon, start driving to the town of Arba Minch, situated in a beautiful setting at the foothills of the Rift Valley escarpment and overlooking Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo. On the way visit the Konso people and its scenic view and are renowned for their cotton-weaving techniques and beehive shaped houses constructed entirely from organic materials. observe their exceptional cotton weaving skills and learn about their life and traditions. Continue driving to Arba Minch. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Haile Resort, in Arbaminch
Day 12.
Fly back to Addis Ababa (April 17.2025)
Morning, embark on a boat trip on Lake Chamo, a lake that supports a large population of crocodiles, hippos and fish. First you will cross the lake and head to the east bank and climb the plateau to the NechiSar national park. Return to the boat trip & visit the famous Crocodile Market which is not a market but a place to see a large concentration of giant Nile Crocodiles and hippos. The lake is about 32 kms long and provides a lush wetland habitat for many flora and fauna. Then you will be transferred to Airport and take a flight to Addis Ababa. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: The Grand palace, in Addis Ababa
Day 13.
Fly to Lalibela (April 18.2025)
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Bole airport and take a flight to Lalibela, home of the rock-hewn churches and a World Heritage Site. The 11 rock churches of Lalibela are believed to be built 900 years ago by Saint King Lalibela. These elaborate edifices are each carved by hand entirely out of a single block of living granite rock and considered as ‘8th Wonders of the World’, ‘Jerusalem of Africa’ and ‘Petra of Africa’. It is a deeply spiritual place and UNESCO world heritage site. These churches are divided into groups. The first group of churches symbolizes Earthly Jerusalem while the second represents Heavenly Jerusalem. You will start your visit of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela from visiting the Northwestern Cluster of churches - Bet Medhane Alem, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel, Bet Mikael & Bet Golgotha (entry not permitted for women, and the Southeastern Cluster of churches – Bet Gabriel-Rafael, Bet Merkorios, Bet Amanuel, and Bet Abba Libanos. Late in the afternoon, we will attend the Good Friday Procession. This is the end of Holy Week, the week leading to Easter. On Thursday evening many will have taken their ‘last supper’ and drink before they break their fast on Easter Sunday. This sombre procession goes around the churches of Lalibela. Dressed in white cotton shawls the church followers come to church on Friday to pray and listen to the chanting of priests and deacons with the beat of the big kebero (drums), and the chinking of the sistra. During the day there is a solemn procession to mark Jesus’ walk to his crucifixion. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Sora Lodge, in Lalibela
Day 14
The Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela (April 19.2025)
In the morning, Embark on an exciting excursion outside of Lalibela to explore one of the captivating rock churches in the vicinity. Begin your morning with a hearty breakfast and head towards Yemrhane Kristos cave church, a true architectural wonder crafted in the Aksumite style using a unique blend of wood and stone. This church is famous for its breathtaking interior, boasting a roof adorned with intricate geometric designs, and a dome ceiling over the sanctuary that flaunts exquisite carvings and paintings. The church was built in honor of Saint King Yemrhane Kristos, who came before Saint King Lalibela. Once you have explored the depths of this masterpiece, return to Lalibela for a scrumptious lunch before immersing yourself in the Second Group of 11 Rock Churches, also built by the legendary King Lalibela. After dinner, immerse yourself in the spiritual ambiance of Lalibela’s iconic rock-hewn churches. As the night deepens, more worshippers, draped in traditional white cotton shawls (gabis), gather on the volcanic rock surrounding these 800-year-old sacred sites to mark the culmination of their 55-day fast. The heart of the Tinsaye (Easter) celebration is Bete Mariam, where worshippers light candles, filling the air with a warm, flickering glow. The ceremony is accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of drums and sistra, as priests and deacons lead the congregation in ritualized chants and hymns. By 4 a.m., the church ceremonies draw to a close, and worshippers return home to break their fast. Families and friends come together to celebrate, sharing meals and rejoicing in this deeply meaningful occasion. This unique experience offers a profound glimpse into Ethiopia’s rich spiritual traditions. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: sora Lodge, in Lalibela
Day 15.
Fly back to Addis Ababa (April 20.2025)
After being late in bed – get up for a later breakfast. After having a delicious Ethiopian doro wot for breakfast, you will be transferred to the Airport and take a flight back to Addis Ababa. Have a farewell dinner at a well-known local Ethiopian restaurant with cultural dance and transfer to Bole International Airport for your return flight back home. Meal Plan: BLD Accommodation: Day Use/Departure ( The Grand Palace)
