1 week Tour to Omo Valley in South Ethiopia

✹ One week cultural trip to visit the Lower Omo Valley tribes in South Ethiopia

✹ 7 days/6 nights tailor-made guided culture-themed tour to Omo Valley

✹ Adaptable Omo Valley tour from Addis Ababa with a local tour guide

✹ 1-week private culture tour to Omo Valley tribes

🤔 Did you know that Ethiopia boasts over 80 distinct ethnic groups?

🤔 Are you interested in immersing yourself in the diverse tribal cultures of Ethiopia by visiting various tribes?

🤔 Do you know that the Lower Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia is home to more than ten tribal people? And that all the tribes have distinctive languages, costume, and cultures?

🤔 Are you pondering how to organize an exceptional tour to encounter the various ethnic groups of the Omo Valley?

🤔 Are you planning to book a week-long private tour of the Omo Valley?

🤔 Ready to experience the Unique Culture of the Omo Valley Tribes in Ethiopia with our memorable one-week private tour?

We, at Merit Ethiopian Experience Tours, are reputable local tourism professionals. Our specialization and best quality is providing personalized tours within Ethiopia.

We designed our One Week Omo Valley Tour to showcase the unique cultures of the tribes in the region. You can start this Omo Valley Tours from Jinka or Arba Minch or Addis Ababa.

Our team of local tourism professionals ensures that you have an unforgettable experience with the tribes of the Omo Valley.

Our tour of Omo is seven-day itinerary. However, we are open to adjusting it to fit your needs. Work with us to customize it to more or less days than what is listed.

Drop us a line on WhatsApp if you need quick support.

See the summary of this one-week Omo Valley tour below. Find the detailed itinerary farther below. And, contact us to amend and fit it to your personal preferences.

TIP → To get indepth information about the Omo Tribes, read this useful article about the Lower Omo Valley Tribes of South Ethiopia.

One-Week Omo Valley Tour – Daily Route (Day-by-day Itinerary)

Daily route of this 7 days/6 nights cultural trip to meet the Ethiopian tribes in the Omo Valley

Day ⓵ – Mon – FLY Addis Ababa to Arba Minch

Day ⓶ – Tue – Drive from Arba Minch to Turmi via Dimeka (Market)

Day ⓷ – Wed – Excursion from Turmi to Murulle and Omo Rate

Day ⓸ – Thu – Drive from Turmi to Jinka via Key Afer (Market)

Day ⓹ – Fri – Half-day trip from Jinka to visit Mursi Tribe and drive to Konso

Day ⓺ – Sat – Drive from Konso to Awassa via Arba Minch

Day ⓻ – Sun – Drive from Awassa to Addis Ababa via Ziway and Bishoftu

NOTE – To visit the weekly held cultural markets in Omo Valley, we set the tour days. You can create your private tour to fit with how long you have. You are free to start the tour at any day of the week you wish.

Read the detailed itinerary of this 7-day tour to the Omo Valley

Why should you take this private tour to Omo Valley NOW?

✔️ Meet the indigenous people of the Omo Valley. Witness the challenging living circumstances they endure, which, in a way, help you appreciate yours.

✔️ Learn their unique culture, customs, and lifestyles. These exotic tribes are confined only to the Omo Valley. You can never see/experience this specific culture in another part of the world.

✔️ On this journey to the Omo Valley, you’re also supporting the locals’ economy. You support the local communities in different ways. You do this by providing employment opportunities, using their products, and buying souvenirs.

✔️ Cultural Tourism brings together people from different backgrounds, cultures, and traditions. With direct interactions with the tribal members, the locals can also gain knowledge from your way of life and experience.

Recently, these exotic people of the Omo Valley are more exposed to a different culture and changes. It is because of recent developments in the area.

New sugar factories and large-scale agricultures are underway in the Omo. Huge hydroelectric dams and modern roads are some of the other changes in the Omo Valley.

Taking a tour to the Omo Valley sooner is better. Experience it before they lose their cultural values and assimilate into the rest of the ‘modern’ world.

How we can assist you in discovering the unique tribes in the Valley of the Omo River, Ethiopia?

• We create tailored customer experiences depending on how long you have for the tour. We take your interests and personal requirements into account when planning the tour to the Omo Valley.
• We plan personalized tours to Omo Valley which includes exploring the various native cultures. Eating ethnic foods, shopping at weekly cultural markets, and fitting rare rituals are part of your Omo Valley tour itinerary.
• You’ll enjoy an authentic travel experience with locals in Omo Valley respecting the local traditions and cultures
• You’ll get help from an experienced tour guide in arranging the best photography scenes
• We organize a private tour to Omo Valley depending on your budget.

If a private tour is still out of your budget, we can help in arranging a group tour to Omo Valley. Contact us for details!

TIP → Read how to plan Omo Valley Tours in budget, if you want to organize your trip to the Omo yourself.

What you’ll do/experience/learn during this Omo Valley tour from Addis Ababa?

Highlights of things to do and places to visit in Omo Valley

⭐ Learn why the bamboo huts of the Dorze tribe get shorter in height gradually. See why locals have to cut (trim) the gates of their huts.

⭐ Enjoy a private boat ride of 1 hour on Lake Chamo. See big African crocodiles and families of hippos at the Rift Valley Lake of Chamo near Arba Minch

⭐ Meet locals from Hamer and Benna tribes at Dimeka cultural weekly Tuesday Market

⭐ Visit villages of the Hamer tribe. Learn about the unique traditional ritual of the ‘Bull Jumping’ Ceremony

⭐ Cross the Omo River with traditional boats made of trees to visit the Dasenech tribe

⭐ Learn how important body paintings are for the Karo tribe members who live by the banks of the Omo River

⭐ Know how the women from the Mursi tribe started piercing their lower lips for inserting clay plates

⭐ Visit the most colorful multi-cultural weekly market in the Omo Valley at Key Afer town

⭐ Visit Jinka – South Omo Museum and Research Center. Get detailed information about all the Lower Omo Valley tribes.

⭐ See how the Ari tribe members decorate the outside of their grass huts with beautiful paintings

⭐ Test your photography skills by taking shots of gorgeous women from the Hamer tribe. The Hamer women are famous for their unique hair dressings.

⭐ Look at the huge stone-walled villages of the Konso tribe. Learn why UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site

⭐ See many birds and feed Gureza (Colobus Monkeys) at the Fish Market at Lake Awassa

⭐ Be stunned by the magnificent natural beauty of the Crater Lakes of Bishoftu (Debre Zeit)

⭐ Extend your tribal experience in Omo Valley by including prehistoric sites in the Lower Valley of the Omo (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Detailed Itinerary – Omo Valley 1-week private trip

Day 1 – Mon – FLY Addis Ababa to Arba Minch

Take the morning flight from Addis Ababa south to Arba Minch. Meet your driver and head to your hotel in Arba Minch. Drive 42 km out of Arba Minch to Chencha to visit the villages of the Dorze people. The Dorze are typically famous for thier huge bamboo huts.

In the afternoon, take a private boat excursion on Lake Chamo. See enormous crocodiles at a spot known as ‘Crocodile Market’.

Spot various water birds. Check out families of hippos. O/N – Haile Resort, Paradise Lodge, or hotel based on visitors’ choice

Read more about Dorze People

Day 2 – Tue – Drive from Arba Minch to Turmi via Dimeka (Market)

After breakfast, head south to Turmi. Enjoy a unique drive on roads filled with cattle on their commute to grazing land.

Cross the beautiful Konso Highlands and the Weito River Valley to the Lower Omo Valley. After lunch at Konso, continue driving farther south to Turmi with a break at Dimeka.

At Dimeka, visit a local colorful Tuesday Market of the tribal people of Hamer and Benna at Dimeka town. Near Turmi, meet locals from the Hamer tribe in their villages. O/N – Turmi Lodge, Buska Lodge, Emerald Lodge, or Camping

What are the weekly cultural markets in the Omo Valley? Why are these markets so important for the Omo tribes besides their economic value?

Know more about cultural markets in the Omo Valley

Day 3 – Wed – Excursion from Turmi to Murulle and Omo Rate

Make an excursion to Murulle to see the Karo people. The Karo are famous for their body paintings. The Karo are the fewest in number among the Omo Valley tribal people. It is because their women are married to the neighboring tribes of Benna and Hamer.

Then, continue to Omo Rate. Crossing the Omo River with traditional boats made of tree trunks, visit the Dasenech tribe. The Dasenech are notable for their body skin scarification. O/N – Turmi Lodge, Buska Lodge, Emerald Lodge, or Camping

Read this interesting post about body paintings

Day 4 – Thu – Drive from Turmi to Jinka via Key Afer (Market)

In the morning, visit one of the villages of the Hamer people. See how they prepare coffee from the coffee covers and leaves, not the beans. The women from the Hamer tribe are notable for their beautiful hairdressing. They decorate their hair using animal fat and special red chalk.

The Hamer ethnic group has also an interesting rite known as “The Bull Jumping” Ceremony. This is a ritual in which a young Hamer boy shows in public his transitions to full adulthood. The boy has to jump (rather running over the backs) of rows of bulls.

On the way to Jinka, stop at Key Afer town. At Key Afer, you will visit the most colorful multicultural weekly market in the Lower Omo Valley.

The tribal groups of Ari, Benna, and Tsemai attend the weekly market at Key Afer. It is a great experience to see people of different cultures trade at a common market. Then, head to Jinka overnight. O/N – Jinka Resort Hotel, NASA Pension or Orit Hotel

Find a few facts about the Bull Jumping Ceremony of the Hamer Tribe

Day 5 – Fri – Half-day trip from Jinka to visit Mursi Tribe and drive to Konso

In the morning, make an excursion crossing the Mago National Park to the villages of the Mursi tribe. At Mago Park, you will see Dik-Diks, Kudus, and if lucky families of wild dogs.

Visit the villages of the Mursi people - the most famous tribe in the Omo Valley. They are notable for the women's clay plates which are inserted in their lower lips. According to anthropologists, they started this practice to look ugly in the eyes of the slave traders.

Next, drive north to Konso enjoying the beautiful rock terraces and Konso landscapes (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

O/N – Kanta Lodge, Konso Edget Hotel, or Konso Korebta Lodge

Know more about Konso Cultural Landscapes (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Day 6 – Sat – Drive from Konso to Awassa via Arba Minch

After breakfast, drive to a cultural village of the Konso tribe near Karat Konso. Visit beautiful huge stone-walled villages and rock terracing. Konso villages are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

With a lunch stop at Arba Minch, drive to Awassa. At Awassa, enjoy one of the best sunsets of the tour. O/N – Haile Resort or a hotel of your choice

Day 7 – Sun – Drive from Awassa to Addis Ababa via Ziway and Bishoftu

After breakfast head to Amora Gedel, found by the shores of Lake Awassa. It is where locals come to have breakfast of fresh catch Tilapia fish. Here, learn of different birds gathered looking for leftover fish. Here you will see the rare Colobus Monkey (Black and White Monkey).

With a stop at Shashemene town to visit the Jamaican Rastafarian Community, head back to Addis Ababa. Rastafarians regard Emperor Haile Selassie I as their God or the Black Messiah.

Next is visiting the Abiyatta Shalla Lakes National Park with a walking guide tour. At Abiyatta Shalla Lakes National Park, walk for half an hour. See Ostriches, Gazelles, Warthogs, and different lowland bird species.

Lake Shalla is the deepest lake in Ethiopia and it is a breeding ground for the seasonal flamingoes.

Stop for lunch at the Rift Valley Lake of Langano. Then, drive back to Addis Ababa via the crater lakes of Bishoftu.

Want to customize this 7-days tour to the Omo Valley of South Ethiopia?

Contact us and create your itinerary to explore the Omo Valley tribes.

Frequently Asked Questions with Answers

What to know about Dorze Tribe near Arba Minch?

The Dorze tribes live on Guge Hill (Guge Mountains) the mountains. The Dorze are famous for making huge bamboo huts and weaving colorful cotton clothes by hand. The Dorze also cultivate Enset or False Banana Tree whose roots they use to make porridge and bread.

The initial height of the Dorze bamboo huts is approximately 12 meters. But due to termite infestations, the base is often consumed. This makes the huts diminish in height to as little as 2 meters. As a result, the locals must continuously modify the entrances.

Why are weekly held cultural markets in the Omo Valley important?

In the Omo Valley, you can visit vibrant cultural markets held once or twice a week at a specific location. These weekly cultural markets hold immense cultural significance for the indigenous Omo people.

The Omo tribes primarily live as farmers or cattle keepers, they live sparsely. Thus, the weekly markets serve as a social gathering for the locals of the Omo Valley. Families and acquaintances reunite at these markets. Important news is shared at such cultural markets.

Local weekly markets also provide a platform for young individuals to meet potential life partners.

If you are planning your tour to the Omo Valley, consider the following information. See market towns, market days, and tribes you meet at the markets held once or twice a week.

Omo Valley Market Days of the week, market towns, and tribes meet at the markets

What is the Bull Jumping Ceremony of the Hamer Tribe of the Omo Valley?

The ritual of Bull Jumping (known as “Ukuli Bula” in Hamer) of the Hamer people is an initiation ceremony. It is a ceremony where a young Hamer man (Ukuli) shows in public that he attains adulthood.

He demonstrates it by jumping over a row of bulls. This ritual validates his eligibility to wed and have a family and property of his own.

The bull jumping ceremony of the Hamer tribe takes 3 to 5 hours. The actual leaping over the back of the bulls is the last activity of the ceremony. The Bull Jumping Ceremony also involves lots of dancing, horn-blowing, blessings from the elderly, and singing.

And, women blood relatives of the jumper are whipped – yes, they ask for it. The Hamer women ask the bride grooms to be whipped and present the stick for the whipping themselves.

For the Hamer women, being whipped to bleed and getting scars is considered a gift (present) for the bull jumper. The Hamer is one of the friendliest, proud, and most beautiful tribes in the Omo Valley.

If you're looking for a unique and immersive cultural experience, then you should consider a private 1-week tour to the Omo Valley tribes in Ethiopia. This tour will take you to visit different ethnic groups including the Mursi, Karo, and Hamer tribes, allowing you to learn about their traditional lifestyles and customs.

GET THE SOLUTION WITH US TO HAVE IT YOUR WAY!

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Plan your one week tour to Omo Valley with Merit Ethiopian Experience Tours