13 Days Gondar,Simien Mountains ,Lalibela and Omo Valley Tours

You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your central hotel. After a rest and refresh at the hotel your guide will take you around the highlights of Addis, you’ll get a chance to drink some of the best coffee in the world in the Piazza (old town), explore the National Museum and Archaeological Museum (home to the 3.5million-year-old remains of Lucy) and explore the largest open-air market in Africa.

You’ll be picked up early from your hotel and transferred to the airport for the internal flight to Gonder. Once you have arrived, your guide will take you to explore the fascinating medieval history of Gondar. Your tour will include visiting the Royal Enclosure set in its beautiful gardens, Fasilidas Bath, and the fascinating Debre Berhan Selassie Church, renowned for its vivid and striking interior art and arguably one of the finest church interiors in the country.

You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Gondar around 7.30 am for the drive to Debark. At Debark you will sign in at the park headquarters, pick up your guide and scout and head up into the mountains. The road continues all the way to the first camp at Sankaber, but you’ll be dropped off on the way for a leisurely three hour acclimatisation hike. The stunning views hit you as soon as you get out of the vehicle as you walk along the ridge. There will be time to stop for a picnic lunch and after a short but demanding climb (at this altitude) to Sankaber you’ll be met as every day on this trek with a tray of fresh coffee, tea and snacks. 7km 2/3 hours walking(3200m)

After a hearty breakfast, after breakfast, you will start the foothills 800m below. For the first two hours, the trail passes through the low bush of Giant Heather, soda apple, Abyssinian Rose, St John’s Wort, and Globe Thistle. The highlight of the trek from Sankaber to Geech is Genbar Falls, an incredible 500m sheer drop. From the viewpoint opposite, you can watch the falcons, augur buzzard and lammergeyer bearded vulture soar on the thermals below. From the Genbar Falls, the trail passes arable fields, broken by lunch at a somewhat less intimidating and more peaceful waterfall. Klipspringer and bushbuck may be seen in the steep rocky and wooded slopes, whilst troops of Gelada Baboons roam the fields for roots. Just before you reach the Geech campsite, there is a wonderful opportunity to visit one of the traditional village houses for home-roasted coffee and injurra (ask your guide). Geech Camp itself is set on a grassy plateau with stunning sunset views. Walking 7-8hrs / 15km

After breakfast, you’ll trek for 2 hours along the grass plateau past countless bizarre outsized Giant Lobelia plants. The destination is Imet Gogo, an incredible rocky promontory that grants 360-degree views over the Simien Range. At an altitude of 3,926m, you can see West back along the ridge towards Sankaber and Geech and South East across a deep gully towards tomorrow’s ridge walk to Inatye and Chennek Camp. The views here are arguably the best in the Simien Mountains and the drop is terrifying. From Imet Gogo, you’ll return to camp via the Siha Gorge for lunch. Afternoon at leisure before heading out for a short optional sunset trek to KedaDit (3760m). Overnight at Geech Camp again. Walking 5-6 hrs / 13km

Today is the longest and arguably most spectacular passing close to the ridge most of its length. After breakfast, you will head back on the path towards Imet Gogo before detouring SE towards Inatye. The path drops into a forest of Giant Hazel before following the ridge on open grassland. The climb to Inatye (4,070m) rewards stunning views. Inatye roughly translates as “mamma mia” and the terrifying vertical drop here justly warrants the name! After a picnic lunch, the path follows mostly downhill through open grassland and giant lobelia towards Chenek with a number of stunning viewpoints along the way. Chenek camp is superb for wildlife with both Gelada Baboons and Wallia Ibex common here. Walking 7 hours / 15km

After breakfast, you will begin the journey back to Gondar getting back in the early afternoon. Those feeling brave can opt to tackle Buahit before leaving camp. You'll need to be up early for the 3-4 hour round trip to this spectacular summit at 4430m.

Today is an early start for your morning transfer to Gondar Airport. Once you have landed, you will be picked up at Lalibela Airport and transferred to your central hotel. Lalibela is world famous for its monolithic rock-hewn churches. Carved by hand out of solid rock in the 12th and 13th Centuries and filled with the evocative sound of chanting of monks, this is a deeply spiritual place and quite rightly a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will visit most of the Central churches that Lalibela is so famous for including the Northern Group (containing the Lalibela Cross), The Western Group (Bete Giyorgis), and the Eastern Group.

Today is an opportunity to take it a little slower. you can choose to walk or ride a rented mule (small extra cost for the mule) up to Asheton Maryam Church, situated at about 3100 meters. Here you will be rewarded with spectacular views of Lalibela town and the surrounding valleys.

Your guide will meet you at Jinka (Baco) Airport and continue a 130 km (2:30 hours) drive to Turmi town via Jinka, Keyafer, Aldubba, and Dimeka towns where you may see a tribal market in one of the towns on market days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday). The Journey takes you to a different range of altitudes with stunning topographies. In the late afternoon, you will visit a Hamar tribe village and get a genuine experience with the Hamar people. You may also see the bull jumping ceremony or other ceremonies by the Banna or Hamar tribe

Drive 75km (1 hour) south to Omo Rate town on an asphalt road to visit the Dassanech tribe who live by the Omo River. The Dassanech people are among the Cushitic-speaking tribes of the Omo Valley. They live at the Kenya border. After having a genuine interaction with the Dassanech tribe, return to Turmi for lunch. You may visit the Hamar tribal market on market days (Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. You may also attend the Hamar Bull Jumping Ceremony (optional) or Evangadi Dancing Ceremony (optional).

After breakfast, drive 65 km (1 hour) to Korcho village of the Kara (Karo) tribe driving 65km west from Turmi. You will meet with the Kara people in their village on the shore of the Omo River. The Kara or Karo is the least populous ethnic group, in the Omo Valley region. They are famous for elaborate facial and body paintings. You can get your face painted in Karo style. Return to Turmi for lunch, you may also attend the Hamar Bull Jumping Ceremony (optional) or Evangadi Dancing Ceremony (optional). Finally, proceed to Jinka town.

Depart early on a 50 km (1-hour) drive one way to visit the Mursi tribe whose women wear a lip plate. The Mursi tribe is a nomadic agro-pastoral community that moves from place to place within their territory in search of fresh pasture and farming grounds. You will genuinely interact with the Mursi people and head back to Jinka. Continue to Jinka Airport and fly to Addis Ababa.