Book this 10-Day Bale Mountains and Omo Valley Tour to trek Ethiopia’s highlands, then meet its famous tribes.
The journey begins with a drive from Addis Ababa to the Bale Mountains, where you hike through the park, spotting Menelik’s bushbuck, mountain nyala, and various birds. You trek through Web Valley, Wasema, and Rafu, passing waterfalls and volcanic land while looking for the Ethiopian wolf.
After exploring the Sanetti Plateau, you drive to Arbaminch for a boat ride on Lake Chamo and a visit to the Dorze people. The trip continues to Turmi, where you meet the Konso, Hamer, and Dassenech tribes.
Finally, you visit the Mursi people in Mago National Park before flying back to Addis Ababa.
Detailed 10-Day Bale Mountains and Omo Valley Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Bale Mountains
Leave Addis Ababa for the Bale Mountains. On arrival, check in at the park headquarters for clearance and instructions.
Begin your hike, with a chance to see the rare Menelik’s bushbuck and mountain nyala, found only in this area. Other wildlife includes warthogs, reedbucks, grey duikers, and baboons. Birds here include the black-headed siskin, wattled ibis, and Abyssinian catbird, common in the woodland part of the park.
Day 2: Trek from Dinsho to Sodota Campsite
After breakfast, hike 18km to Sodota, with stunning views along the way. See the Web Valley and the Fincha Habera Waterfall, where the Web and Wolla Rivers meet. This is also a great place to look for the rare Ethiopian wolf and the endemic blue-winged goose.
Day 3: Trek from Sodota to Wasema
Hike to Wasema, an area with breathtaking land. The trek passes through the Mararo Valley, known for its lammergeier and Verreaux’s eagles, which nest here. The Ethiopian wolf is also commonly spotted in this area. The hike takes about 7 hours.
Day 4: Trek from Wasema to Rafu
Hike through the wilderness for better views of the Massif Mountains, shaped by volcanic activity, with many signs of this history along the way. The hike takes about 6 hours.
Day 5: Trek to Sanetti Plateau
Hike from Rafu to the Sanetti Plateau. Wildlife here includes falcons, raptors, and possibly the Ethiopian wolf. The high mountain plants offer great views, and you will also explore the lakes on the plateau.
Day 6: Bale Mountains to Arbaminch
Drive south from the Bale Mountains to Arbaminch, with stops along the way. On arrival, check into your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Visit the Dorze Tribe
In the morning, take a boat ride on Lake Chamo to look for some of the largest crocodiles in Africa. Arbaminch sits between Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo, with stunning scenery and green hills.
After the boat ride, visit the Dorze people, known for their beehive-shaped houses made from bamboo, which can be moved if termites become a problem.
Day 8: Drive to Turmi, Visit Konso and Hamer Tribes
After breakfast, drive to the small town of Turmi, the cultural center of the Omo tribes. Stop in the Konso region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for terraced farming and wooden totems built to honor the dead.
After lunch, continue to Turmi, passing through the land of the Hamer people, known for their pottery, body decoration, and hairstyles made with clay.
Day 9: Drive to Omorate, Visit Dassenech Tribe, Continue to Jinka
Drive 75km to visit the Dassenech people, who live along the Omo River near the Kenyan border. They are nomadic herders with clans spread across Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia, known for their traditional hair buns.
Return to Turmi for lunch, then continue to Jinka to visit the Ari people, known for growing coffee, bananas, avocados, and mangoes. Their markets bring together many Omo Valley tribes.
Day 10: Discover the Mursi Tribe, Fly Back to Addis Ababa
Early in the morning, drive to Mago National Park, home to the Mursi people, known for the women’s large clay lower lip plates, a tradition still practiced by few tribes in Africa today.
After visiting the Mursi villages, return to Jinka and fly back to Addis Ababa.
Book this 10-Day Bale Mountains and Omo Valley Tour today and trek wolf country, then meet Ethiopia’s most famous tribes.
