Tribes of the Omo Valley and Spectacular Festivals
Lost Worlds of Ethiopia
Overview
From its Orthodox Christian heritage in the mountain highlands to the animistic tribes in the Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia holds a fascinating mix of cultures. In the highlands, we explore Axum—Ethiopia's holy city—and World Heritage-listed Lalibela, with its 12th century subterranean churches. A different side of Ethiopia thrives in the far south, where we visit the tribal cultures of the remote Omo Valley. Each trip is timed for a festival—January trips attend Timkat, the exuberant Epiphany celebration; in September, we'll witness Meskel, with its flickering bonfires and carpets of yellow daisies.
Arrive: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Depart: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Highlights
- Spectacular festival on each trip: Timkat (January) or Meskel (September)
- The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the medieval castles of Gondar
- Tribal villages of the Karo, known for their body painting, and the Bume and Mursi tribes
- Small group size—maximum 8—for greater flexibility and more authentic cultural encounters
Itinerary
After a tour of Addis, we fly to the Rift Valley's remote Omo region, a scenic wonderland and a tribal kaleidoscope of semi-nomadic tribes, from the Bume and Karo to the Bena and Hamar. Their body adornments, such as scarification, face painting, and lip plates, hold rich cultural symbolism. Our itinerary in the Omo region is flexible and we make daily excursions to visit villages and meet a wide variety of tribal peoples.
We fly back to Addis and on to Bahar Dar in the highlands, where we boat out to an island-monastery in Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile. Heading up to the craggy Simien Mountains, we'll look for the park's unique wildlife, including gelada baboon. We'll explore mountain-ringed Gondar, called the Camelot of Africa because of its castles and battlements. It was the home of the Falasha, the “black Jews” of Ethiopia, most of whom left for Israel in 1991.
In the highland city of Axum, we visit the Church of St. Mary of Zion, a revered Christian pilgrimage site. We'll spend a memorable day in World Heritage-listed Lalibela to explore extraordinary 12th century churches hand-carved out of the pink volcanic bedrock—and still in good condition a thousand years later. Their architectural styles vary from Grecian pillars to Egyptian-style motifs.
Flying back to Addis, we experience Timkat, with its processions of Orthodox priests and parishioners in traditional dress (January), or the dancing and celebratory bonfires of Meskel (September). Both festivals offer superb cultural encounters. Depart on Day 16 via Addis Ababa.
What the Trip is Like
The trip is Level 2+, Moderate, according to our trip grading system. This is a rugged trip in a very remote region. Participants should be fit, healthy, and have no mobility restrictions. Medical facilities on the trip will be far away and often non-existent. Some mornings, we have departures as early as 5:30 am! Trip members must be prepared for some walking and some long days of rugged vehicle travel.
Review Trip Level Details
Our trip is designed so that anyone in good physical condition can participate. We encourage you to make an effort to get in good physical condition with exercise beyond your normal routine.
The highlands have a temperate climate and an elevation ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 feet. It can be cool at night. The southern part of Ethiopia is dry and hot. Ethiopia's rainy season is March through September, with drier weather in January. However, rain can occur at any time of the year, making the roads muddy and sometimes impassable.
Accommodations at the Sheraton in Addis are excellent, as is the food at that international-standard hotel. Outside of Addis, we stay in "best available" hotels. Although there are private bathrooms in the rooms, you must expect only cold-water showers! Outside of Addis, our meals will be simple and lack variety because there are limited resources in the countryside. Ethiopia has some good beers, but the local wines are not distinguished. You may want to bring your favorite alcoholic beverage from a duty-free shop. Electricity in hotels in rural areas can be intermittent and sometimes generators are operated only during certain hours of the day.
Road travel in rural Ethiopia is very challenging. Our vehicles may break down or get flat tires on occasion, and that can delay the trip. We use vans for the trip, but they may not compare favorably with the vehicles you may be familiar with from safari countries such as Botswana and Kenya. While we are on our rural road journeys, there are no organized toilet facilities available. We will make "pit stops" from time to time so trip members can get out of the vehicle and find a private spot behind a bush.
In Ethiopia, air schedules can often be altered and new government regulations are implemented suddenly. We ask that you bring flexibility and a spirit of adventure to this unique journey, and take pleasure in the knowledge that you will be visiting a fascinating country.
Client Testimonials
"This was an awesome trip. The native tribes in the south were so interesting. The rock hewn churches of the north were a fascination."
Barbara B.
Sammamish, WA
"This trip was fantastic! It is in my top tier of trips I have taken, and I have loved them all."
Diane M.
Elm Grove, WI
"This trip was extraordinarily well planned, making each day value-packed in order to fit in the breadth of exposure to Ethiopia's historical and cultural heritage. Reflecting on all we were able to see, I am amazed."
Elsie M.
Providence, RI
"The group size, the leadership, and the itinerary make this the best way to experience Ethiopia."
Jeff P.
Paradise Valley, AZ
"Great itinerary with a wonderful combination of cities and tribal cultures."
Julia D.
San Carlos, CA
"This was my third trip with WT and it certainly won’t be my last. The itinerary was fascinating, our Trip Leader delightful, and the WT office wonderfully responsive."
Sandra C.
New York, NY
"This was a spectacular trip to an amazing country, led by a fantastic guide!"
Teresa B.
Bethesda, MD
"The highlight of the trip by far was being in Lalibala over Christmas—thousands of pilgrims in a magnificent setting, singing, ululating, oozing spirituality. A photography paradise."
William N.
Long Beach, CA
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.