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Simien Mountains Private Trekking Tour 4 days

  • Shared tour
  • Small group
  • Solo friendly
  • Family friendly
  • Book now pay later*

This spectacular UNESCO protected site will not fail to take your breath away, especially from the top of Ras Dashen, Ethiopia's, highest point at 4543m above sea level. Be awestruck in the landscape's every direction, from the deep valleys to the jagged mountain peaks. Once again, wildlife lovers will get a thrill from Ethiopia's animal range: over 20 large mammal species and over 130 bird species reside in the park. Amongst these, you can spot the gelada baboon, the carcal (large cat), and the three metre wing-spanned lammergeier (bearded vulture). Endangered species can also be found, including the Ethiopian wolf and the Walia Ibex, a wild goat found nowhere else in the world. Some say the Simien Mountains are the rival of Colorado's Grand Canyon; the only way to find out is to see them for yourself.

3 days itinerary

See 3-day itinerary

 

4 days itinerary

Day 1 Gondar/ Debark - Sankaber, 3-4 hours

Pick you 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 a nice view points over the foothills and plains of northern Ethiopia. You will encounter gelada baboon along this hike and over night at Sankaber (3250m).

Day 2 Sankaber – Gich, 5-6 hours

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 (3600m) 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 cliff side towards to the eastern direction and return to the camp for dinner.

Day 3 Gich – Chennek, 7-8 hrs

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 to absorb 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 (3600m) 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 late afternoon or early morning. Sometimes Walia Ibex visit the edges of the camp site.

Day 4 Chenek – Buwahit, 5-6 hrs

Climb the second highest peak in the Simien mountains Buwahit (4430m) rewarding with one of the endemic wild animals in Ethiopia particularly in the Simien mountains called Walia Ibex (a goat family), in addition to the scenic views of surroundings including the chance to see the highest mountain peak in Ethiopia Ras-Dejen (4543m) and back down to chenek camp where the car waiting us to pick and drive back to Gondar for about 4 hrs.

 

5 days itinerary

See 5-day itinerary

What's included

* Please check prices for full list of inclusions and exclusions


Inclusions

  • Arrival and departure airport/ hotel transfers (depending on the time of your arrival/departure the price may increase)
  • Transportation according to the chosen level
  • Petrol
  • English speaking driver/ guide
  • Park/ museum entrance fees
  • Accommodation according to the chosen level
  • Meals

Exclusions

  • Cold drinks
  • Tribal village entry fees
  • Optional excursions
  • Travel & personal accident insurance
  • Tips & personal expenses such as telephone calls etc
  • Photographing fees
  • International flights and taxes
  • Internal (domestic) flights (other than included in the itinerary)
  • Visas

Details

Available in

English
(Other languages possible on request)


Available for

Children, Students, Adults, Seniors



Departure & Return

Start city: Gondar , Ethiopia

Pick up times available: 9:00

Pick up location: Your hotel in Gondar

Ends at: Your hotel in Gondar

Nearest airport: Gonder Airport (GDQ)



Eco Features:

  • Interaction with locals or nature
    The major part of the tour is spent on interacting with local communities, their representative(s) (other than guides) or observing the nature or animals without disturbing their natural habitat and environment Interaction with locals or nature
    The major part of the tour is spent on interacting with local communities, their representative(s) (other than guides) or observing the nature or animals without disturbing their natural habitat and environment
  • Licensed tour guide
  • Local or indigenous tour guide(s)

Cancellation policy

0% cancellation fee - 11 days or more before the travel date
50% cancellation fee - between 3-10 days before the travel date
100% cancellation fee - between 0-2 days before the travel date

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