ITINERARY OF OMO RIVER ROUTE

The Grad Tour of the Omo River is a 14 day tour which includes the visit to the Muslim city of Harar, 500 km away from the capital.
The National Parks Omo and Mago are the most amazing  richest and visited parks in Ethiopia.
The Mago National Park is an endless area, with  an unlimited horizon.It is rich with plants and endemic animals With no or little human settlements, the Omo Valley is the “Cradle of Mankind”. In the Omo Valley scientists discovered human remains dating back to nearly 4 million years ago.
Mursi, Galeb, Bumi, Hamer, Banna are just some of the amazing and interesting ethnic groups  living in the the Omo Valley.
A visit to these populations  and their surroundings  will be an unforgettable experience for the tourist.

Attention : this travel can be considered a single travel or can follow the tour of the historical cities.

For further information about the price of this trip look the prices page and. Click here

AFTER MIDNIGHT FROM ROME TO ADDIS ABABA, THE CAPITAL OF ETHIOPIA, WITH ETHIOPIAN AIR LINES

Early morning arrival at the Addis Abeba Airport, welcome by the Rocky Valley Safari Staff, transfer to the hotel. Lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, visit  the city, the Railway station, Churchill Road, the Piazza shopping area, St. George’s Cathedral, the Trinity Cathedral (also called Selassiè Church) where  representations of the life of Jesus are preserved.
At the end of the day, visit to the National Museum, where a copy of the hominid who lived three and a half million years ago is exhibited. This museum permanently  displays the ceremonial clothes worn by the queens and  kings that reigned in this country during several centuries. Addis Ababa became the capital of the Empire in 1889; it is located on a 2.500 m. height  surrounded by a vast forest of huge eucalyptus. Despite this, the climate is favourable all through the year.
Welcome dinner in a tradictional restaurant with local music and dances

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport  and departure to Dire Dawa. 1-hour flight, meeting with the guide, transfer to the city of  Harar. It is a city surrounded by medieval walls and, because of its 90 mosques, it is considered by the Muslim world the fourth sacred site in order of importance. In the past it was a famous cultural and teaching centre as well as the emporium for exotic goods; nowaday it hosts the weekly market , which confirms its role as a major business city reached by visitors from very remote places. The city is surrounded by century-old walls  with 7 doors; in the city-centre there is a  round square from where the roads leading to the doors branch off. Visit  the market, the orthodox church of Mediane Alem and  a typical Harary home. In the evening, enjoy the hyenas -meal show.
Dinner and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Drive to the city of Awash by four-wheel drive cars on a 300 km- tarmac road. Visit the Park. After lunch,drive to Nazreth and overnight at  Nazreth town

Breakfast at the hotel.
Drive to Arba Minch in the afternoon visit  the town.
Lunch at the restaurant “Da Rosa” where you can eat good fish, night  at the Bekele Molla Hotel, situated on one of the  hills dominating the lakes  Abaya and Chamo.

Breakfast  at the hotel .
Arba Minch; a  trip by a boat on  Lake of Chamo and visit  the Netchsar Park. Here you can taste good lake fish.Drive to Chencha,the Dorze village locatedin a gorgeous highland plateaux covered with false Banana plantation.The unique fantastically built huts are worth exploring Back to Arbaminch and overnight.
Lunch and night at the hotel

Breakfast at the hotel .
Drive to Konso. Konso villages consist of meandering passages and courtyards with large open spaces for community life and citadelles. Visit the Konso market and trip to Newyork village, ( hills have become grandeous, natural architectures through the action of atmospheric erosion; they set to the sky like Manhattan skyscrapers).
Lunch and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel .
Transfer to Jinka, the big town in  the south savannah.
Visit the local  market and museum.
Night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel .
Transfer to  Mago National Park. Departure To Mago  across the villages of the Tsemay Paople. The Park is on the banks of the Omo River, with heights ranging from 450 to 2.500 m. The night is spent in a camp after a 2-hour drive on a bumpy road. The tent-camp is located in a glade surrounded by very high and shady trees quite close to the River Neri. Meeting with the Mursi People, where women traditionally wear lip-plates. Picnic lunch.
Night in tents in the Mago Park.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Early-morning departure to Turmi, across the Karo villages. Visit the  Dimeka and   the Hamer people and also visit Dassanech and Karo market. The Hamer live in Karo, a particularly dignitied population from the Omo Basin. Their beautiful women dress their hair with red earth and butter and wear elegant leather skirts with pearl embellishments.
Night at the permanent camp.

Breakfast .
Visit theOmorate (Kaleb) market. The trip continues to Murl and Duss, the villages inhabited by the Erbore and  Karo people,  famous for their colourful body-paintings. In the afternoon, watch the bull-jump ceremony.
Night at the permanent camp .

Breakfast
Departure to Konso and visit the local weekly market. The Konso, a pagan, peasant population, build totems which they then place on the tombs of their dead and  stone terraces for cropping purposes. The Waga, wood statues, are quite attractive. The trip continues to Arbaminch.
Dinner and night at the hotel

Breakfast at the hotel .
Transfer to Shashemene. After lunch, drive to Awasa and visit  the fishmarket .
Dinner and night at the hotel .

Breakfast at the hotel .
Drive to Wondo Genet, the summer residence of former Emperor Haile Sillasie, which has been transformed into a hotel with a small thermal pool.  In the afternoon, visit the Abyata, Shalla, Langano and Ziwai Lakes . In the afternoon, arrival at Addis Ababa. Dinner and night at the Gion Hotel.

Morning breakfast at the Hotel , trasfer to the airport and departure to Rome

We suggest Ethiopian Airlines, the national carrier, RVS will assist the group leader in this regard.