Hike through the unknown and remote part of the Simiens

This is a 10-days trek in the lowland part of the Simien Mountains which is not discovered yet and through which people hardly hike.

This unique trekking tour brings you to one of the remotest places where you will be enjoying beautiful scenery and landscapes and watching different types of bird species. In this remote corner of the Simiens it’s quiet and peaceful. The topography is different from the highland part of the park. SimienEcoTours is the first and the only tour operator to arrange trekking in this part of the national park.

Even if it’s a challenging area, we will offer our usual service. When we arrive at our campsites every day some fresh tea, coffee, and snacks will be ready and waiting for us on the table

Tour code: CU51

Operator: SimienEcoTours

Gallery

ITINERARY & IN/EXCLUSIONS

Day 1

Discover the capital Addis Ababa

After your arrival & immigration you will meet with your guide at the airport and you will be transferred to your hotel/lodge for some refreshment. Depending on your arrival time your guide will go on a city tour through Ethiopia’s vibrant and lively capital. In the National Museum you can discover the cradle of mankind where the skeleton of “Lucy” is kept. Entoto Mountain with its Eucalyptus forest is a nice short escape out of town to see Mariyam Church and Menelik Palace the place where the Emperors resided. Others might enjoy one of the city’s weekly markets. You can choose your itinerary with your guide.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Monarch Parkview Hotel or similar, Addis Ababa

Day 1

Discover the capital Addis Ababa

After your arrival & immigration you will meet with your guide at the airport and you will be transferred to your hotel/lodge for some refreshment. Depending on your arrival time your guide will go on a city tour through Ethiopia’s vibrant and lively capital. In the National Museum you can discover the cradle of mankind where the skeleton of “Lucy” is kept. Entoto Mountain with its Eucalyptus forest is a nice short escape out of town to see Mariyam Church and Menelik Palace the place where the Emperors resided. Others might enjoy one of the city’s weekly markets. You can choose your itinerary with your guide.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Monarch Parkview Hotel or similar, Addis Ababa

Day 1

Discover the capital Addis Ababa

After your arrival & immigration you will meet with your guide at the airport and you will be transferred to your hotel/lodge for some refreshment. Depending on your arrival time your guide will go on a city tour through Ethiopia’s vibrant and lively capital. In the National Museum you can discover the cradle of mankind where the skeleton of “Lucy” is kept. Entoto Mountain with its Eucalyptus forest is a nice short escape out of town to see Mariyam Church and Menelik Palace the place where the Emperors resided. Others might enjoy one of the city’s weekly markets. You can choose your itinerary with your guide.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Monarch Parkview Hotel or similar, Addis Ababa

Day 2

Flight to Gondar and city tour

Travel time; 1-hour flight 

Travel distance;  10 km

Take a morning flight from Addis Ababa to Gondar. Your guide will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel. After taking a break, you will start your sightseeing by visiting the Royal Castle (enclosure), the beautiful Debre Birhan Selassie church, and King Fasildas' swimming pool, then get back to your hotel. Overnight in Gondar

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Goha Hotel or similar, Gondar

Day 3

Drive from Gondar to the Simien Mountains N.P.

Travel time; 2 hours drive and 2 hours walk

Hiking distance; 6 km

On this day you will be leaving Gondar after breakfast and driving to Debark, a town where the headquarters of Simien Mountains National Park (SNMP) is located. We will spend some time there to arrange all the necessary stuff for our hiking and keep driving towards Limalimo where we start the hike. Limalimo is one the famous roads in Ethiopia, it is a steep and zigzag road with beautiful scenery. We will be walking to Sug Sug village at 2.000m altitude where we spend the first night.

 Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Sugsug Camp

Day 4

Hike from Sug Sug to Kerneja

Travel time; 7-8 hours

Hiking distance; 15km

We will be walking to Kerneja, passing through villages, crossing rivers and gorges. We will also be watching different bird species such as Turacos, eagles, and bee-eaters. storks and so forth. We will stop at a beautiful, small stream where we will be having lunch. After lunch, we will be climbing up a short uphill and heading to our campsite which is located somewhere in the middle of the village. overnight at Kerneja at 2.200m. 

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Kerneja Camp

Day 5

Trek from Kerneja to Cheena

Travel time; 7-8 hours

Hiking distance; 18 km

The walk from Kerneja to Cheena is another wonderful day. We will be walking via farmlands, small bushes, rivers, and gorges. We will stop at a lovely river where we will be having lunch and a shower. The water comes from the highland part of the national park and it is so clean. After having lunch we will climb up a short uphill and head towards our campsite. Cheena is a beautiful campsite with stunning views. Overnight at Cheena at 1,900m.


 Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Cheena Camp

Day 6

Long walk from Cheena to Seragudela

Travel time; 8-9 hours

Hiking distance; 20 km

This day is a tough but interesting one. Just after half an hour, we left Cheena we will start climbing down till we cross Enzo River and after crossing the river we will be heading to a small river called Dira where we will stop for lunch and shower. Then we start climbing up May Felfil for about 2 hours until we reach the Kabena plateau. Having taken some break on the plateau we keep walking towards Seragudela where we will spend 2 nights camping the view from Seragudela and its surrounding is splendid. overnight at Seragudela, 2,100m.


 Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Seragudela Camp

Day 7

Full day in and around Seragudela

Travel time; 3h

Hiking distance; 3km

This is one of the easiest days during our trip on which we will be relaxing and visiting the local farmers, have a coffee ceremony with them, see their way of life, ask them about their different walks of life and share some ideas and experiences.2,100 m

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Seragudela Camp

Day 8

Hike from Seragudela to Teta

Travel time; 5h

Hiking distance;10km

Walking from Seragudela to Teta is also another easy day on which we will be walking gently and slowly enjoying the views around. We will stop for lunch under a big fig tree with beautiful shadows and after lunch, it takes us about 1 hour to the camp. The view from Teta towards Mulit is so breathtaking. Overnight at Teta campsite agt 2,000m

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Teta Camp

Day 9

Hiking from Teta mountains to Mekarebya village

Travel time; 6-7h

Hiking time;15km

Today is longer than the other two days, we will be climbing down till we cross Buya River and climb up again for 1 hour. We will stop for lunch at a small stream near a big fig tree. Then after lunch, we will be walking round ways towards our camp for another 2 hours. Mekarebya is a campsite surrounded by mountains. Overnight at Mekarebya at 2,200m.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Mekarebya Camp

Day 10

Cross the Ensya valley to reach the table mountains around Mulit

Travel time; 6-7 hours

Hiking time; 12 km 

Leaving Mekarebya early in the morning right after having an early breakfast and climbing down to the Ensya River. We will cross the river several times and walk round ways until we start climbing up the Hawaza hill and reach the village where we will stop for lunch for 1 hour after the village of Hawaza to Mulit takes us about 45 minutes. Mulit, where we will spend our last night camping, is so stunning with its uniquely formed rocks. This is also the day on which we will express our compliment to our crew (cooks, guide, ranger, mule man) for what they have been doing during our trip and give them some tips as a mark of your appreciation.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Mulit Camp

Day 11

End of the trek in Adi Arkay and return to Gondar

Travel time; 2:30h,120km

Hiking distance; 6km

Adi Arkay is a small town on the roadside when someone is driving from Gondar to Axum. So, our car will be waiting for us there and get collected to drive to Gondar. We will stop in Debark to see our crew off and refresh until we unload our stuff(equipment), keep driving to Gondar and arrive there late in the afternoon. Overnight in Gondar.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Goha Hotel or similar, Gondar

Day 12

Flight back to Addis Ababa and departure

After a relaxed breakfast in the hotel, the driver will transfer you to the airport in the late morning for the flight to Addis Ababa. If there is enough time before your departure, you will visit a market or shops in Addis Ababa to buy souvenirs. Finally, there is a traditional Ethiopian dinner with music and dance performances. End of the trip and departure depending on flight times

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: -

Included

Our services include:
  • all  domestic flights in Ethiopia with Ethiopian Airlines, Note: If the international flight is with a carrier other than Ethiopian Airlines, there will be a supplement of € 230 for the domestic flights;
  • all accommodations in double rooms with private toilet/shower in hotels or lodges (mid-range), exception during the trekking: the nights in mountain huts with compost toilets & bucket shower for and tents for 2 persons;
  • all transfers and travels in Ethiopia with private car (minivan & 4x4);
  • full board (1 drink per meal included, alcoholic drinks excluded);
  • all entrance fees and permissions at tourist attractions, churches, museums and national parks;
  • for the trekking: entrance and camping fees, guide, scouts and rangers, mules/dromedaries and mulemen, cook, cooking assistant, cooking and camping equipment (it's recommended to bring your own sleeping bag);
  • all persons for safety and security (when prescribed);
  • all tips for meals;
  • all (mandatory) local guides in the single destinations;
  • all taxes and administrative fees;
  • 24/7 emergency assistance;
  • experienced SimienEcoTours Mountain Guide (fluently English & Amharic speaking), other language guide on request with surcharge.

Excluded

Our services do not include:
  • international flights;
  • travel insurance;
  • visa for Ethiopia (currently US$ 82);
  • alcoholic beverages;
  • tipping;
  • photo and video fees;
  • all extras and personal expenses.