8-Day Peaks & Fire Simien Trek to Erta Ale Volcano

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

Arrival in Addis Ababa

Welcome to Addis Ababa, sitting high at 2,355 meters above sea level, one of the highest capital cities in the world. Your guide meets you at Bole International Airport and takes you to your hotel. Today is a relaxed day to rest and adjust to the altitude before an adventure of extremes: freezing mountain nights followed, just days later, by one of the hottest places on the planet. If you have energy, visit the National Museum to see Lucy, the famous 3.2 million year old fossil. Your guide will go through your kit list carefully today, since this trip needs warm layers for the mountains and light, breathable clothing for the desert, plus sturdy trekking boots for both.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Hotel Lobelia

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Fly to Gondar, Trek to Sankaber Campsite

Fly north to Gondar, about a 45 minute flight, then drive roughly two hours to Debark, the entrance town for Simien Mountains National Park at around 2,850 meters. Meet your required park scout and mule team here; the scout, usually armed as a park rule, is there to protect both visitors and wildlife, not because of any danger to travelers. Begin trekking toward Sankaber campsite at about 3,250 meters, a walk of roughly three hours through farmland turning to open grassland, with your first sweeping views over the escarpment. Gelada monkeys, found only in Ethiopia, are often grazing right beside the trail here, remarkably calm around walkers. Overnight camping at Sankaber, with dinner prepared by your trek crew and a sky full of stars above.

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)

Escarpment Trek to Geech & Jinbar Waterfall

Trek from Sankaber to Geech, a walk of about six to seven hours covering roughly 15 kilometers, following the dramatic edge of the escarpment with drop-offs of over a thousand meters on one side. Detour to see Jinbar Waterfall, which plunges straight off the escarpment edge into the valley far below, one of the most photographed spots in the park. Along the way, watch for more gelada troops, lammergeyer vultures riding the thermals, and, if you are fortunate, a distant Simien fox. Arrive at Geech campsite, around 3,600 meters, where the air is noticeably thinner and nights are cold; warm sleeping bags and layers are essential. Overnight camping at Geech.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Simien Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Imet Gogo Viewpoint, Chennek & Flight to Addis Ababa

This is the highest and most rewarding day of the trek. Walk from Geech toward Chennek, at around 3,620 meters, passing close to Imet Gogo viewpoint, widely considered the single best panorama in the park, with views stretching across layered mountain ridges in every direction. This is prime territory for spotting the rare Walia ibex, a wild goat found nowhere else on Earth, often seen on the steep cliffs near Chennek. In the afternoon, descend by vehicle back to Debark and continue driving to Gondar, then fly back to Addis Ababa, where you'll spend the night before continuing on to the Danakil Depression tomorrow.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Hotel Lobelia

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

Meals & Drinks:

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

Fly to Mekele & Transfer into the Danakil

Take a morning flight to Mekele, gateway to the Danakil Depression, one of the lowest and hottest places on Earth. Drive from Mekele down into the desert toward Hamedela, close to the edge of the depression, passing small villages and wide, open desert along the way. Sleep outdoors under the stars near Hamedela, as most travelers do in this remote and unusual part of the country, ready for a full day exploring Dallol tomorrow.

Main Destination:

Danakil Depression (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

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

Dallol Sulfur Springs & Salt Flats

Visit Dallol, an otherworldly landscape of sulfur springs, salt towers, and small acid pools glowing in yellow, green, and orange. Continue to the vast salt flats of Lake Karum, where local workers still cut salt blocks by hand using methods unchanged for centuries, and camel caravans load up for the long trek to the highland markets. Overnight camping again near Hamedela, sleeping outdoors under an exceptionally clear desert sky.

Main Destination:

Danakil Depression (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

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

Erta Ale Night Trek to the Lava Lake

Drive to the base of Erta Ale, a still-active volcano known locally as the "gateway to hell". In the late afternoon, begin the walk up the volcano with your guide and local escort, timed mostly for after dark when temperatures drop and the climb becomes far more comfortable. After a few hours of steady walking across dark volcanic rock, reach the crater rim and look down onto one of the very few permanent lava lakes on the planet, a churning, glowing pool of molten rock. Sleep in a simple shelter near the summit, close enough to the crater to hear it. In the early morning, take a final look at the glow before descending back to your vehicle and driving to Mekele.

Main Destination:

Erta Ale Volcano (Danakil Depression)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

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

Fly to Addis Ababa for Farewell Dinner & Departure

Fly from Mekele back to Addis Ababa. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner hosted by Origin Abyssinia at a local restaurant in the capital, a well-earned celebration after a trip that took you from the coldest nights on the roof of Africa to the hottest days in one of its lowest points. Share photos and stories with your guide over a relaxed meal. Depending on your international flight time, your guide will transfer you to Bole International Airport for your departure, bringing this journey of extremes to a close.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

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.