for those who wish, it will be possible to attend Sunday mass inside the Medhane Alem church, which begins at 06:00 and lasts until approximately 08:30.

Pilgrims and residents of Lalibela attend this mass, and it is probably the best opportunity of the trip to experience the fervor of the Ethiopian faithful. Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, a visit to the rock church of Yemrehene Christos is scheduled, (40 km, 1½ by car), built by the king of the same name before the reign of King Lalibela. The church is built inside a cave, with alternating levels of wood and stone. Return to Lalibela and lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon we will visit the second group of churches in Lalibela, located south of the Jordan River, which includes the churches of Bete Emanuel, Bete Mercurios, Bete Abba Libanos and Bet Gabriel-Rufa´e.

In the late afternoon, transfer to a village house to witness the traditional coffee-making ceremony.

Dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

after breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Arba Minch, via Addis Ababa.

Arrival in Arba Minch and transfer to the hotel for check-in and lunch at the lodge. After lunch, departure to the village of Chencha, home of the Dorze tribe. In this mountain area there are at least twenty villages in which it is possible to visit, in addition to walking along the paths that connect one village to another, and visiting some of the cooperatives in which men spin and weave garments of cotton, which are reputed to be the best in all of Ethiopia.

Very striking are also its curious “elephant houses”, made of wood and leaves from “enset”, the false banana plant. These houses are very tall and offer a lot of interior space, and are one of the most distinctive traditional structures in Africa.

After the visit, return to Arba Minch. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen lodge.

breakfast at the lodge and departure to the south, towards Turmi.

The first stop will be made in the small town of Karat-Konso, which serves as the administrative center for the 27 “Konso” villages that are distributed around it. The Konso are known for their intricate cultivation terraces sculpted on the hills of the surrounding mountains, for their fine fabrics and the carved wooden totems with which they decorate their tombs. In 2011 UNESCO declared 11 of these villages as Cultural Heritage of the Humanity, including in this denomination everything related to its culture; villages, cultivation terraces, rituals, language, etc. Visit one of the Konso villages.

Traditionally these consist of hilltop settlements surrounded by stone walls measuring up to 2 meters in height, which can only be accessed via a limited number of steep trails. Picnic lunch or at a local hotel. Further on, the altitude of the northern and central Ethiopian plateau is definitely left behind, falling into a semi-desert plain, a savannah, dominated by the presence of acacia trees.

On the way, visit a village of the Tsemay tribe, a semi-nomadic minority tribe, whose villages are very small. The Tsemay are survival farmers and herders. Further on, there is the town of Arbore, and around it a dozen villages of this tribe, of which one will be visited. Arbore women adorn themselves with rich metal ornaments and necklaces and bracelets made from plastic beads, which they also use to adorn their leather skirts.

In fact, the beads are one of the main distinguishing features of Arbore and it is easy to distinguish them from other tribes. In addition, single girls shave their heads completely, which are covered with a black cloth to protect it from the sun. Arbore’s married women grow their hair out, which they braid into tight, short braids.

From Arbore to Turmi it is 75 km of a dirt road, which crosses the Hamer mountains, offering spectacular views.

Dinner and accommodation at the chosen lodge.

after breakfast at the lodge, departure towards the town of Omorate, about 70 kilometers from Turmi, where we will cross the Omo river by canoe to visit the Dasenech villages, belonging to to the Galeb tribe.

These tribes are the southernmost in the country, and are known for their skin scarification. After the visit, return to Turmi and lunch at the hotel.

In the afternoon, transfer to the town of Muruelle, from where we visit the Korcho and Duss villages of the Karo tribe (only around 1,500 members), the smallest group in the Omo Valley. They are related to the Hamers and, like them, are specialists in the art of body painting for special celebrations.

They use chalk, mostly white, and then they paint on their face and body, and they use some white feathers as headdresses, and they wear scarifications all over their bodies.

From the Korcho village you can also enjoy a spectacular view over the Omo River. Finally, I return to Turmi.

Dinner and accommodation at the chosen lodge.

After breakfast at the lodge, departure towards the town of Omorate, about 70 kilometers from Turmi, where we will cross the Omo river by canoe to visit the Dasenech villages, belonging to to the Galeb tribe.

These tribes are the southernmost in the country, and are known for their skin scarification. After the visit, return to Turmi and lunch at the hotel.

In the afternoon, transfer to the town of Muruelle, from where we visit the Korcho and Duss villages of the Karo tribe (only around 1,500 members), the smallest group in the Omo Valley. They are related to the Hamers and, like them, are specialists in the art of body painting for special celebrations.

They use chalk, mostly white, and then they paint on their face and body, and they use some white feathers as headdresses, and they wear scarifications all over their bodies.

From the Korcho village you can also enjoy a spectacular view over the Omo River. Finally, I return to Turmi.

Dinner and accommodation at the chosen lodge.

Very early in the morning, departure to Mago National Park (40 km, 1 hour), where it is possible to observe animals such as push-back, dik dik, baboons and colobus monkeys.

Continue to the Mursi tribe (60 km, 1½ hours) known for its body scarification and the use of lip plates among its women. The Mursi of are one of the most eccentric and original branches of the original peoples of Ethiopia, known as Nara Surma. They are transhumant herders of the Nilotic language group, who raise cattle on the high plateaus of the Omo River. The lip plate is inserted in the lip of the woman between 15-20 years.

The process begins 6 months before the wedding with the piercing of the lower lip. Successive stretching is achieved by placing larger and larger plates on the pierced lip. After 6 months of stretching, the lip is so elastic that a plaque can move in and out without difficulty. The plates should always be worn in front of men and can only be removed at private meals, when sleeping or in the presence of other women.

Return to Jinka, lunch at a local restaurant, and transfer to the airport to catch the flight back to Addis Ababa. After check-in at the hotel, visit the Mercato, the largest open market in East Africa. In it it is possible to find articles as diverse as spices and jewels. There is nothing that cannot be found in this huge and vibrant market.

Dinner and accommodation at the chosen hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel, and start of the visit to Addis Ababa, the third highest capital in the world.

The visit includes the Entoto Hills, the place from which King Menelik, the founder of Addis Ababa, descended to the plains. In Entoto, from where there is a wonderful panoramic view of the city, there are two churches built by Menelik, who was crowned in one of them. Near this site is the ancient Menelik Palace, still intact and open to visitors. Inside it is possible to see some royal clothing, war artifacts, furniture and old books.

The city tour also includes the National Museum, one of the most important museums in sub-Saharan Africa. Here is the skeleton of Selam, found in December 2000 in Dikika, Afar region, in northern Ethiopia. Like Lucy, Selam is an Australopithecus Aphaeresis.

However, there is an important difference between the two, since Selam lived more than 150,000 years before Lucy! Lunch in a restaurant in the city.

Free afternoon to rest at the hotel (the car and the guide will be available to make a purchase or last visit). Starting at 7:30 p.m., farewell dinner in a traditional restaurant, and later transfer to the airport to take the return flight.

Day use of the room at the hotel.