Trekking and Elephant sightings in Northern Ethiopia

This is the day on which you will be arriving and exploring Addis Ababa, the third diplomatic city and the third highest capital city in the world in terms of altitude (avg. 2400m). You will have dinner at one of the city's well-known traditional restaurants. After you have done the city tour and a little shopping, you will have one of the staple Ethiopian dishes called assorted Ethiopian food (Beyaynetu in Amharic) with different spices and sauces made of lentils, beans, peas, and vegetables.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Monarch Parkview Hotel or similar, Addis Abeba

Travel time; 1h 

Gondar was the capital of Ethiopia from 1632 to 1855, and it has the remains of castles and palaces constructed by a series of emperors from Fasilides (reigned 1632–67) to Iyasu II (1730–55). The ruins of these structures stand within a walled imperial enclosure.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Goha Hotel or similar, Gondar

Travel: 3-4h;130 km,

Hiking: 2h, 7-8 km(difficulty: moderate, altitude difference: ↑400m, ↓250m)

In the morning at about 7:30 the vehicle picks us up at the hotel in Gondar and takes us 100 km north on the Ethiopian highland to Debark, a small town of about 35,000 inhabitants at the border to the famous Simien National Park.

After a quick stop for the formalities at the headquarter offices of the national park and for collecting cook and scouts we drive out on a rough road to the Sankaber area at about 3,100 m sea level from where we take a short walk of 2-3 hours to assist the acclimatization process.

We get a first impressive view over the dramatic mountain range and see some typical plants of that area such as big Heather Trees (erica arborea), St. John swort (hypericum revolutum) or the Abyssinian Wild Rose (rosa abyssinica). This is also the area in which the largest number of Gelada Baboons (theropithecus gelada) can be found. First night in the tents at the Sankaber camp at 3,250m sea level.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Sankaber Campsite, Simien Mountains National Park

Hiking: 6-7h, 13 km (difficulty: medium/difficult, altitude difference: ↑1.000m, ↓720m)

At Sankaber we organize and arrange mulemen and mules which carry our heavy camping and cooking equipment for the next few days. So the hikers need to carry only a light daypack with some water, the photo camera, a light jacket and a few personal things that they might need for the hike during the day.

After breakfast (bread, eggs, porridge, coffee, tea,…) we leave the camp at around 8:30 and we traverse along the Northern escarpment before dropping down to get impressive views, for example of the beautiful Jinbar Waterfall. In the large gorge of the waterfall there are many huge circling birds, especially vultures such as the Griffon (Gyps fulvus), Lappet-faced or Nubian Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) and Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) and other smaller birds as buzzards and ibises. Hopefully we also encounter the endemic Abyssinian Catbird (Parophasma galinieri). Among the mammals Klipspringers (oreotragus oreotragus) and Menelik's Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) can be observed between Sankaber and Geech.

After a short distance (20 min) on the rough road, crossing the Jinbar river where we have the lunch break, we ascend through terraced farmland to our camp at 3,600m. In the evening we have the possibility to walk up (30 min) to the mountain Kedadit (3,760m) and to witness an unforgettable sunset.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Gich Campsite, Simien Mountains National Park

Hiking: 7-8h, 15 km (difficulty: difficult, altitude difference: ↑900m, ↓900m)

After breakfast we walk for about 2 hours to the summit of Imet Gogo (3,926m), which is one of the most spectacular viewpoints with 360 degrees and from where we can see Ras Dashen, the highest peak of the country.

After a photo break we trek along the whole escarpment, cross a small valley and climb the peak Inatye (4,070m) where we will take our lunch stop and have a rest. From there we will have a nice view more than 1,000m down to the green fields of the mountain villages Dihwara, Tiya, Amiwalka and Truwata. During the whole day we walk through vast fields of Giant Lobelia (lobelia rhynchopetalum) and sometimes Heather Trees (erica arborea) or Red Hot Poker (kniphofia foliosa).

After the break we descend and reach our camp Chennek in the afternoon (3,620m). Chennek, sometimes called wildlife corridor, is the best place to see the Gelada Baboons (theropithecus gelada), the Walia Ibex (capra ibex) and the Ethiopian Wolf (canis simensis). These animals are best observed around Chennek camp. At the campsite we have the possibility to wash ourselves at the river or pipe water.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Chennek Campsite, Simien Mountains National Park

Travel: 3-4h; 170 km,

Hiking: 5-6h, 12 km (difficulty: medium/difficult, altitude difference: ↑500/830m, ↓0/200m)

In the early morning we leave from our last camp Chennek, where we meet again Walia Ibexes (capra ibex), and first climb up about 600m to the Pass Bwahit (about 4,200m). This is the pass that hikers have to traverse if they want to climb Ras Dashen, but reaching this summit takes at least 2 days more.

If the physical condition allows it, we continue from the pass our climb up to the peak of Ras Bwahit (4,430m), one of the highest in the whole area. Then we descend to Chennek and the car brings us back first to Debark on a 58 km long rough road and from there on the new asphalt road to Gondar, where we will arrive in the afternoon at about 5:00 PM.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Goha Hotel or similar, Gondar

Travel time;5h 

Travel distance;300km 

You will leave Gondar in the morning and drive to  Humera, a famous town very near the border of Eritrea and Tekeze River which is one of the tributaries of the Nile River and called Atbara in Sudan. Once we finish paying the entrance fee and doing other formalities we keep driving into Kafta Sheraro National Park where we will be searching and visiting elephants.

The park is home to a transboundary African elephant population of about 500 individuals, which it shares with Eritrea's Gash-Setit, and which constitutes the northernmost elephant population in Eastern Africa. The Elephant population in Kafta migrates seasonally between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Camping at Kafta National Park

Travel time;5h 

Travel distance;300km 

You will leave Gondar in the morning and drive to  Humera, a famous town very near the border of Eritrea and Tekeze River which is one of the tributaries of the Nile River and called Atbara in Sudan. Once we finish paying the entrance fee and doing other formalities we keep driving into Kafta Sheraro National Park where we will be searching and visiting elephants.

The park is home to a transboundary African elephant population of about 500 individuals, which it shares with Eritrea's Gash-Setit, and which constitutes the northernmost elephant population in Eastern Africa. The Elephant population in Kafta migrates seasonally between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Camping at Kafta National Park

On our second day at the national park, we will be walking through the forest searching for not only elephants but also other wildlife. Major wildlife conserved includes ostriches, aardvark, elephants, greater kudu, roan antelope, red-fronted gazelle, and caracal, with less possibility of seeing leopards and lions. The reserve is important for the conservation of elephants. It is one of nine sites in Ethiopia that conserve elephants.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: Camping at Kafta National Park

Travel time: 5h driving and 1 h flight

Travel distance: 300 km

After finishing our visit in Kafta Sheraro National Park, we will be heading back to Gondar via Humera with some coffee stops in between. We will spend a few hours in Gondar, you will be taking the flight to Addis in the afternoon and just before departure, you will do some shopping and have a farewell dinner.

Meals: B/L/D

Accommodation: -

• all (2) domestic flights in Ethiopia with Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa-Lalibela, Lalibela-Gondar, Gondar-Addis Ababa), Note: If the international flight is with a carrier other than Ethiopian Airlines, there will be a supplement of US$ 180 for the domestic flights;
• all accommodations in double rooms with private toilet/shower in hotels or lodges (5x mid-range), exception during the trekking: the nights in 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 Tour Guide (fluently English & Amharic speaking), other language guide on request with surcharge.

• international flights;
• travel insurance;
• visa for Ethiopia (currently US$ 82);
• alcoholic beverages;
• tips;
• photo and video fees (if applicable);
• all extras and personal expenses.