9-Day Best of Ethiopia Lalibela, Danakil & Omo Valley

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrival in Addis Ababa

Welcome to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Your guide will meet you and help you settle in at your hotel. Today is a relaxed day to rest after your flight and get used to the altitude. You can visit the National Museum, home of the famous fossil called Lucy, or simply rest and enjoy the mild highland weather. Your guide will explain the full journey ahead, which covers three very different parts of Ethiopia over the coming days.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Capital Hotel & Spa

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

+6 Photos

+5 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Lalibela Rock-Hewn Churches

Take a morning flight to Lalibela, Ethiopia's most celebrated pilgrimage site. Spend the day exploring the extraordinary rock-hewn churches, carved directly into volcanic rock in the 12th and 13th centuries. Visit both the northern and southern clusters, including Bete Medhane Alem, the largest monolithic church in the world, and the famous Bete Giyorgis, carved in the shape of a cross. Your guide will explain the legends and construction techniques behind these UNESCO World Heritage churches, still active places of worship today.

Main Destination:

Lalibela (Town)

Accommodation:

Sora Lodge Lalibela

• Mid-range hotel located in Lalibela (Town)

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Fly to Mekele & Enter the Danakil

Fly from Lalibela to Mekele, a city in the north of Ethiopia. From there, drive into the Danakil Depression, one of the lowest and hottest places on Earth, with parts of the land sitting more than 100 meters below sea level. The road passes small villages and wide, open desert before reaching the area near Hamedela, close to the edge of the depression. Sleep outdoors under the stars on a simple mattress, as most travelers do in this remote and unusual part of the country.

Main Destination:

Danakil Depression (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Dallol Sulfur Springs & Salt Flats

Visit Dallol, a strange and colorful landscape of sulfur springs, salt towers, and small acid pools in yellow, green, and orange colors. Then drive to the great salt flats of Lake Karum, where local workers still cut and shape salt blocks by hand, the same way people have done here for hundreds of years. Watch camel caravans load salt for the long trip to the highlands. Overnight camping again near Hamedela.

Main Destination:

Danakil Depression (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Erta Ale Night Trek to the Lava Lake

Drive to the base of Erta Ale, an active volcano known as the "gateway to hell" by local people. In the late afternoon, walk up the volcano with your guide and local escort, mostly at night when it is cooler and easier to walk. At the top, look down into the crater and see the glowing lava lake below, one of only a few permanent lava lakes in the world. Sleep in a simple shelter near the summit before walking back down early the next morning.

Main Destination:

Erta Ale Volcano (Danakil Depression)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Fly to Addis Ababa, Connect to Arba Minch

Fly from Mekele back to Addis Ababa, then connect onward to Arba Minch, gateway to the South Omo Valley in the far south of Ethiopia. It is a long day of travel between two very different landscapes, from the desert lowlands of the Danakil to the green hills and Rift Valley lakes of the south. Overnight in Arba Minch, with time to rest and settle in after a busy few days on the road.

Main Destination:

Arba Minch (City)

Accommodation:

Paradise Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Arba Minch (City)

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Lake Chamo Boat Trip & Konso Villages

In the morning, take a boat trip on Lake Chamo, home to some of the largest Nile crocodiles in Africa and a resident hippo population, with the Nechisar mountains rising in the background. Then drive to the Konso Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its terraced hillsides, fortified villages, and carved wooden grave markers. Walk through a traditional Konso village before continuing toward Turmi, home base for visiting the Hamer people over the next two days.

Main Destination:

Konso (Cultural Village)

Accommodation:

Buska Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Hamer Village & Omorate Dasanech Crossing

Spend the day among the Hamer people, visiting a local village and learning about their traditions and daily life. In the afternoon, drive to Omorate on the Omo River to meet the Dasanech people and, where water levels allow, cross the river by dugout canoe to visit a riverside village. Return to Turmi in the evening, reflecting on the many different cultures met over the course of the trip.

Main Destination:

Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Accommodation:

Buska Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Turmi (Lower Omo Valley)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Fly to Addis Ababa for Farewell Dinner & Departure

Fly from Arba Minch back to Addis Ababa. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner hosted by Origin Abyssinia at a local restaurant in the capital, celebrating the ancient churches, active volcano, and living cultures experienced over this nine-day journey through three very different parts of Ethiopia. Depending on your international flight time, your guide will transfer you to Bole International Airport for your departure flight.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.