5-Day Ethiopia Trek to Simien Mountains and Gondar

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

Arrival in Addis Ababa & Gondar Royal Heritage

Welcome to Ethiopia. After you land in Addis Ababa, you’ll quickly connect on a domestic flight to Gondar, where your guide meets you at the airport and helps you settle in before heading out to explore.

Your first stop is Debre Berhan Selassie Church—a humble, heavy stone exterior that gives nothing away… until you step inside. The atmosphere shifts immediately, as the interior bursts with striking, colourful artwork and beautifully detailed frescoes.

Next, you’ll visit Fasil Gebbi—the Royal Enclosureand one of Gondar’s most iconic historic sites. Often compared to Camelot of Africa, this grand complex was originally laid out in 1636under Emperor Fasilides and later reshaped by successive rulers. Today, the royal grounds cover around 70,000 square metres and include palaces, libraries, ceremonial spaces, lion houses, royal baths, and even a women’s vocational school established by Mentewab, the Empress of Ethiopia.

As you wander through the enclosure.

Main Destination:

Gondar (City)

Accommodation:

Goha Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Gondar (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Simien Mountains National Park Ridge Views & Ginbar Falls

Today marks the start of your real adventure. You’ll drive from Gondar to Debark, the gateway to the Simien Mountains National Park. After breakfast, it’s time to hit the trail—stepping out onto the ridge with awe-inspiring views across the foothills, roughly 800 metres below.

The Simien Mountains are renowned for biodiversity, and your guide will help you spot the details: standout plants, wildlife sightings, and the dramatic scenery that makes this landscape so famous. Watch for moments of wildlife along the way, including gelada monkeys, klipspringer, and Walia ibex, while birds soar beneath you on rising thermals.

The big highlight today is Ginbar Falls—a powerful waterfall dropping more than 500 metres into the Gich Abyss, a huge canyon carved into the escarpment wall. After lunch, you continue toward Gich, a remote village with traditional, thatched-roof homes.

At Geech camp, you’ll end the day in perfect style: settle in as the sun lowers over the range. Overnight gich.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Best Time To Visit September to December (Beautiful scenery)

High Season October to April (Lodges are busy)

Best Weather October to April

Wildlife in Simien Mountains NP

Gelada Monkey Abundant

Walia Ibex Occasional

Ethiopian Wolf Rare

Klipspringer Rare

Bushbuck Rare

Show more

Golden Jackal Rare

Hyena Rare

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Simien Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Imet Gogo 360 degree Panorama Day to Chenek

Get ready for one of the most breathtaking viewpoints in the Simien highlands. Today you head toward Imet Gogo, a dramatic headland close to 4,000 metres—where the views genuinely feel endless. Expect unbelievable 360-degree panoramas across rugged peaks, deep gorges, and the vast, untamed wilderness all around you.

From here you’ll be able to take in the direction of Sankaber and Geech to the west, while south-east you’ll look along the gorge toward Inyate—your next destination. The trail winds through giant erica woodlands before rising onto moorland terrain.

As you approach Inatye (one of the highest points in the park’s western region), you’ll feel how remote and elevated this journey truly is. Then you’ll descend toward Chenek camp, where the lower valleys open up beneath you.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Simien Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Mount Buahit & Limalimo Lodge Peak Edge Adventure

Today you’ll chase the excitement of altitude and scenery as you work your way toward Mount Buahit—Ethiopia’s third-highest peak, rising to around 4,430 metres.

Your route follows welcoming footpaths that track alongside a stream, gradually building elevation through a steep, rewarding walk. It’s not just a trek—it’s a series of “stop, look, and take it in” moments, with frequent opportunities to pause at standout viewpoints as the landscape stretches wider with every climb.

This is also one of your strongest chances of spotting Walia ibex. Keep your eyes on the rocky edges and cliffside lines—these graceful animals love to appear exactly when the scenery gets most dramatic.

After an exhilarating day on the mountain trail, you’ll celebrate with a truly unforgettable end: a night at the stunning Limalimo Lodge, where the setting is as memorable as the journey itself.

Overnight:Limalimo Lodge.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Limalimo Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Simien Mountains NP

+4 Photos

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Gondar to Addis Final Views & Farewell Dinner

After breakfast, you’ll take a slow moment to enjoy your last views and soak up the atmosphere from the lodge. Then, after an early lunch, it’s time to head back down toward Gondar.

From Gondar, you’ll transfer to the airport to fly to Addis Ababa. Your guide will meet you on arrival and organize a warm farewell dinner—an ideal closing moment before you continue to the airport for your international flight home.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

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.