Duration
4-Day
Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
A UNESCO world heritage site that is home to one of the largest mountain ranges in Africa. Often compared for its scenic beauty to the Grand Canyon, the Simien Mountains National Park is one of the major highlands of Africa. The park is rich with wildlife totally unique to the region, including the Scarlet-chested Gelada Baboon, the Walia Ibex, and Ethiopian Wolf. The mountains are also home to diverse plant life and numerous birdlife that can be seen throughout your trip.
Plan snapshot
Duration
4-Day
Route
Addis Ababa to Addis Ababa
Via Simien Mountains NP
Country & park
Ethiopia / Simien Mountains National Park
Style
Shared safari
Group size
1-12 travelers
Starts
Any day if available
Minimum age
10 years
Activities
Getting around: minivan, normal 4x4 vehicle & air transfer
Accommodation
Budget camping Inside Simien Mountains NP – All Meals Included - Inside Simien Mountains NP – All Meals Included
Meals
All Meals Included
Pickup
Airport transfer included
Booking
Request quote
Currency
USD
Solo travelers
Can join this group tour
Rates
USD
Before booking
Quote flow
This is a budget camping tour.
On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. Max 10 people per group.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
The contents of this tour cannot be changed.
Single travelers can join this group tour, but it requires a minimum of 2 people to run.
The minimum age for this tour is 10 years.
Day 1-3
Inside Simien Mountains NP – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 4
(No accommodation)
All Meals Included
Tour step
You'll be collected from the airport. Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1
Transfer to the airport of Addis and fly to the medieval town of Gondar. We pick you up at Gondar Airport or your hotel, drive along a good paved road from Gondar to the park headquarters in Debark. The 100 km journey will take around two hours. At the headquarters, we will arrange our permits to the park and pick up our scout. After that, we will drive for another hour before we start our first-day introductory walk. This first hike is an easy one along the northern edge of the escarpment with nice viewpoints over the foothills and plains of northern Ethiopia. You will a chance to encounter Gelada baboon along this hike. Your overnight will be at Sankaber. Inside Simien Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 2
We follow the northern escarpment eastward before we descend a little into the Kaba Valley. After that, we climb up before we reach Gich Abyss and continue over a narrow ridge to a cliff where we have a spectacular view of the abyss towards the Simien foothills. We also find a large waterfall here, where the Jinbar River plunges 500 m into the abyss. We proceed for about two hours and have lunch at the Jinbar River. After lunch, we walk through fields of barley before we arrive at the idyllic village of Gich. Here we can enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony in one of the huts and learn more about local farm life. From Gich village, it is a short walk to Gich camp which is a good area to look for lammergeyer and thick-billed raven. After a relaxing afternoon, we will take a short hike up to Kedadit to enjoy sunset plus the gorgeous shaded landscapes down to the cliffside towards the eastern direction and return to the camp. Inside Simien Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 3
From Gich camp, we stroll through endless fields of Giant Lobelia before we reach the towering cliffs of Imet-Gogo (3926 m). Here we will spend some time absorbing the superb views over the mountain valleys below and strange-shaped domes in the distance, which we will see from up close at the end of the trip. After that, we descend into the Jinbahir River Valley. In this way, we get a very different perspective of Imet-Gogo and the volcanic landscape, where it looks like big chunks of mountains have been blown away. The trail follows the edge of the escarpment, which is completely vertical here for several hundred meters. We climb to a summit of 4070 m where we will have lunch. After lunch, we descend to Chennek for about two hours along a steep trail. From Chennek camp there are spectacular views in all directions. Sit down on a bench at the escarpment and try to spot Walia Ibex in the late afternoon or early morning. Sometimes Walia Ibex visit the edges of the campsite. Inside Simien Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 4
Enjoy a morning climb from Chennek camp to the second highest peak in the Simien Mountains, Buwahit (4430m). During the climb to the summit, we will spot a variety of animals including Walia ibex and, if we are lucky, a rare sighting of another mammal endemic to Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Wolf. You'll be rewarded by scenic views into the verdant valley extending westwards beyond Chennek camp. We return to Chennek camp for early lunch, and the afternoon will begin with a scenic drive through the National Park back to Gondar. On arrival at Gondar, you will take a flight to Addis. All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Tour step
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost. You'll be dropped off at the airport.
Porterage
Rescue fee
Climbing gear
Park fees (For non-residents)
All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
Camping equipment
A professional driver/guide
All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
All flights during the tour
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinking water (On all days)
Sleeping bag
Bath towels
International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Offered by
Armaye Ethiopia Tours is an expert Ethiopian private tour operator based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is run by a highly professional team comprising experienced tour organizers and fully licensed tour guides.
Office In
Ethiopia
Size
5-10 employees (Founded in 2015)
Tour Types
Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
Destinations
Ethiopia
Traveler feedback
Overall
5.0/5Communication
5.0/5Accuracy
5.0/5Value
5.0/5Safety clarity
5.0/5Cultural value
5.0/5I am a naturalist with an appetite to photograph endemic and vulnerable species. Armaye worked with me, awesome communication skills btw, to provide me with the appropriate destinations for the time I had available. Even with the challenges of the changing political climate during the trip, Armaye had the flexibility to make changes to lodgings, flights, destinations, etc. that still offered me the photo opportunities for which I had hoped and remain in budget. My travel plans placed me in Ethiopia during off-season for tourism, but I was rewarded with a unique insight into the natural world of that region during the rainy season. I am delighted by the many babies, juveniles, and family units that nature revealed to me, glimpsing some of the more elusive animals. The trade-off was that the trip did not coincide with migrations of birds, but the abundant numbers and varieties of resident species filled camera memory cards with animals I had never encountered. This was my first trip to the Horn of Africa. I was immersed in rural Ethiopia, but my professional guide and driver took good care to keep me safe. Of note, I do not have a palate for spicy food (I feel that cayenne pepper and curry is too spicy) so that was a challenge for me personally, but I planned for that inevitability and brought nuts, raisins, and crackers to sustain me.
Marcia · United States
Perfect organization, the hotels were very good and clean, and the drivers very professional. Armaye organized the tour only for 2 people and we visited very interesting places in the North and in the south of the country. Ethiopia has been a very nice discovery.
Nadia · Italy
It was an amazing trip! Easy to talk with, the tour operator! Our guides & drivers are punctual, really friendly and very kind to us. They were not only guide us to the place, but also taught us many cultural things. Really appereciated!
Hana · Japan
Armaye was so responsive to our request for a very last minute request for a trip to Ethiopia. He answered quickly, responded to questions quickly and designed our tour to our preferences. I was a bit nervous about travelling to Ethiopia where we knew we would be "off grid" but it was very safe and the people we met were very friendly. Armaye was our guide too - very informative and answered all my husband's inquisitive questions about culture, traditions, food. Aman was our driver and also comes highly recommended. Aman is an expert driver both on major roads and offroad. WE saw many animals specific to Ethiopia that we hadn't seen before, including lots of Ethiopian golden wolves. The 3-day tour in Afar was excellent value.
Christina · Botswana
Practical answers
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
This tour is offered in US dollars (USD).
This tour accepts children who are 10 years and older.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
The contents of this tour cannot be changed.
Budget camping Inside Simien Mountains NP – All Meals Included - Inside Simien Mountains NP – All Meals Included. Meals: All Meals Included
This tour starts and ends in Addis Ababa
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Operator policy
This tour is offered by Armaye Ethiopia Tours, not SafariBookings.
This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
Rates include a fixed budget for flights during this tour. If flights cost more, your quote will reflect this.
This group tour requires a minimum of 2 people to run.
The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
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