Grand tour of Éthiopie: From the tribal territories of the Omo Valley to the ancient kingdoms of the Abyssinian highlands

Route following the Great Rift Valley, a major tectonic fault that cuts through East Africa.

Superb panoramas over the valley dotted with numerous lakes.

Visit to the Abijatta National Park: Hiking around the crater lakes frequented by colonies of pink flamingos.

Arrival in Awassa, capital of the Sidamo region, famous for its coffee.

Stroll along the lakeside frequented by marabous and in Amor Gedel park and its many monkeys

We continue descending along the Rift Valley.

Road to the Guge Mountains, at 2700 m altitude to reach the villages of the Dorze. Once formidable warriors, they have converted to weaving and the cultivation of ensète (or false banana) which they use for multiple purposes, from food to housing.

Discovery and visit of a village with its surprising traditional hive-shaped huts standing about ten metres high.

Panorama over two of the largest lakes in the Rift Valley of Éthiopie: the Chamo and Abaya lakes which are separated by a strip of land called the "Bridge of God".

Arrival at Arba Minch, bordered by lush mountains, which means forty springs

Road to the hills of the Konso country.

Discovery of the Konso ethnic group, sedentary farmers who have sculpted numerous terraces on hillsides for their crops (millet, sorghum, cotton, corn, papaya…) with an ingenious irrigation system optimizing rainwater (landscape classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site).

The Konso are divided into nine clans, each possessing their own wagas (or wooden carved funeral totems).

Visit of The Konso villages, structured in neighborhoods, with real basalt enclosure walls protecting them from wild animals and mud flows.

Road through the scrubland savanna towards the small town of Jinka.

Visit to the weekly market of Key Afer, a meeting point of many ethnic groups, including the Banna, Ari, Tsemay and Hamer, who often walk for several days to reach the market to exchange food, spices, butter, goats,…

Encounters with the ethnic group Mursi.

Agro-pastoralists with shaved heads, pierced ears, scarified arms and thorax, the men are warriors reputed to be very impressive. The women, for their part, wear a clay plate inserted in the lower lip, as well as ear plates (the size of the lip plate being proportional to the dowry required by the family).

Route towards the small town of Turmi.

Stronghold of the Hamer, semi-nomadic herders, living from livestock breeding and cultivation of sorghum, millet, tobacco and cotton.

Drive through the savanna (hiking opportunity) where you will have the chance to observe giant termite mounds, many birds including African guinea fowl and also mini baobabs.

Discovery of the Karo ethnic group on the banks of the Omo River.

The Karo are famous for their body paintings in colored ochre, in white chalk, in yellow mineral rock or any other natural resource. The hairstyle of Karo men is very elaborate and each element has a meaning.

Road through the brushy savanna towards the small town of Jinka.

The Ari benefit here from a green and fertile region that allows them to grow cereals, coffee and fruits.

Route to Omorate and crossing of the Omo River by canoe to reach the Dassanetch country.

Close to the Kenyan border, this tribe far from the world takes advantage of the fertile and silty lands of the delta of the Omo River to cultivate sorghum.

This lower valley of the Omo is a major prehistoric site (classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco), where numerous hominid fossils of essential importance for the study of human evolution have been discovered.

Walk along the East bank of the Omo, discovery of a traditional village composed of small huts made of branches, sheet metal and animal hides. The hairstyle of the Dassenech is very sophisticated.

Return to Turmi.

Visit to the great market of Turmi, where Hamer women sell vegetables, spices, butter, milk as well as traditional items such as carved gourds, stools, bracelets and goat skins, decorated with beads and shells.

Road to Arba Minch

Boat excursion on the Lake Chamo to observe an incredible variety of birds as well as Africa's largest crocodiles (which can reach up to 6 m long) that coexist with hippopotamuses, pelicans and fish eagles.

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Bahir Dar via Addis Abeba.

Arrival at bahirdar airport: pickup and transfer to your hotel

Bahir Dar is considered the Éthiopie riviera. With its palm-lined avenues and its immense lake, it is also the capital of the Amhara region.

Visit to the Bahir Dar market towards which all the farmers of the region converge.

Boat excursion on Lake Tana, home to around thirty islands and as many churches and monasteries. Observation of numerous birds, hippopotamuses, and fishermen on their tankwas (traditional papyrus boats).

Visit to the Ura Kidane Meret monastery, a remarkable example of Éthiopie religious architecture and painting and its museum housing a collection of crosses dating back to the 14th century.

Stroll among the coffee trees and mango trees to the Azoua Mariam church

Return by boat to Bahir Dar.

Road to the village of Tiss Abay.

After crossing the Blue Nile by an old Portuguese bridge from the 16th century, walk along a path to a superb viewpoint overlooking the Blue Nile Falls(400 m long and 45 m high) then reach the foot of the waterfall after crossing a lovely suspended bridge.

Climb back up another path and return to the other bank by boat.

Visit of the village and coffee ceremony in a house in the village.

In the evening, head to an azmari bet, a local music and dance club where the azmari, like the medieval minstrel, improvises in verse about local life.

Departure for Gondar by a lovely road along the eastern shore of Lake Tana.

Arrival in Gondar, capital of Éthiopie from the 17th to 19th centuries which holds a rich architectural heritage.

Visit of the imperial city which groups within an enclosure of 900 m, palaces, churches, monasteries, public and private buildings of a very particular style. The decoration is marked by Indian and Arab influences, and transformed by the baroque aesthetics transmitted by Jesuit missionaries.

Visit of the Debre Birhan Selassie Church, an ancient and very famous church whose ceiling and walls are entirely painted with superb hundreds of faces of angels.

Road to Débark and Registration with the authorities of the Simien National Parkand transfer to Sankaber

Observation of Gelada baboon colonies, great apes of the Ethiopian highlands.

These baboons are vegetarian and live in groups of 200-300 with a dominant male. They spend their time grazing and grooming each other. Females have a red chest.

HIKING : Sankaber (3250m) – Jinbar ; hiking hours : approx. 1h 30

Walk on the ridge line trail among afro-alpine vegetation with magnificent views over the vertiginous canyons and surrounding peaks until the great Jinbar waterfall.

Subject to advance notice, possibility of doing a longer hike (approximately 4h)

Camp setup and evening around the campfire.

Upgrade option : Accommodation at Simien lodge

Massive erosion over the years has formed on the Éthiopie plateau one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world with peaks, valleys and cliffs reaching up to 1500m in depth.

Transfer to Ambaras

Trek: Ambaras (3700m) – Inatye (4020m) – Ambaras (3700m) Walking time: approx. 4h

Gradual ascent over the vast plateau through afro-alpine grassland and giant lobelias to the summit of Inatye, splendid viewpoint offering an exceptional view over the plunging cliffs, deep valleys and small plateaus below.

Wildlife observation: walia ibex, colonies of gelada baboons, Lammergeyer vultures, or the Abyssinian wolf.

Vehicle pickup at Ambaras.

Vehicle pickup at Ambaras and return to Gondar.

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Lalibela

Arrival at the airport: pickup and transfer to your hotel

Arrival in Lalibela, holy city of Christians in Éthiopie, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Standing at 2,500 meters altitude, the small town of Lalibela is the most important pilgrimage site in the country.

Discovery of the first part of the archaeological site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By creating the city towards the end of the 12th century, King Lalibela harbored the ambition of making it a faithful replica of Jerusalem, hence its name "Black Jerusalem".

It is an extraordinary gathering of buildings and underground galleries. The churches are built around a rigorous urban plan, separated by a stream that recalls the Jordan River. The interiors are decorated with paintings illustrating scenes from the Old and New Testament.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Addis Ababa.

Airport arrival: pickup

Shopping and/or visit to a craftsmen's workshop and/or market

Transfer to the airport for your return flight.