$2,800
Multi-Region Grand
14 days / 13 nights · Moderate
From the Roof of Africa to every corner of Ethiopia.
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UNESCO World Heritage
From the Simien escarpment to Lalibela, Axum and Harar, we plan every route around site rules and the wellbeing of the places we visit.
Small, intimate groups
We keep groups small so journeys stay flexible, personal and quiet in the landscape — wherever the route leads.
Local, home-grown guides
Our team grew up in the places we travel and knows every ridge, waterfall, church road and market by name.
Responsible travel
We follow park and site regulations, carry out what we carry in, and keep encounters with wildlife and communities respectful.
Popular packages
View all toursTours across Ethiopia & beyond
From short wildlife escapes on the escarpment to grand journeys spanning the country — and safaris across East Africa.
$1,600
Cultural & Historical
8 days / 7 nights · Easy
Gondar · Axum · Lalibela · Bahir Dar
Northern Ethiopia Historical Route — 8 DaysPrivate or small group
$800
Desert & Expedition
4 days / 3 nights · Moderate
$2,000
Trekking & Cultural
10 days / 9 nights · Moderate
$800
Trekking & Camping
4 days / 3 nights · Moderate
$1,400
Culture & Communities
7 days / 6 nights · Easy
$1,800
Safari & Wildlife
9 days / 8 nights · Easy
Nairobi · Masai Mara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro
Kenya & Tanzania Great Rift Safari — 9 DaysPrivate or small group
$1,200
Trekking & Camping
6 days / 5 nights · Challenging
Popular picks from one trusted local team — all 40 tours have full itineraries
100%
Local, home-grown guides
Who we are
Born in the Simien, now across all of Ethiopia & East Africa
Outstanding Simien Mountains Tours is a local, guide-led tour company rooted in the Ethiopian highlands. Born in the Simien, we now design journeys across all of Ethiopia — treks, history, volcanoes and cultures — and into East Africa's great safari grounds, always led by guides who grew up on these trails and know every ridge, river and market by name.
- Local by designOur guides and support crew are from the places we travel. With us, your money supports the communities along the trail.
- Safety firstAltitude, weather and terrain are respected. We plan routes carefully, carry sensible equipment, and adapt the pace to you.
- Small groupsWe keep groups intimate so the experience stays flexible, personal and respectful to the landscapes and wildlife we visit.
- Responsible travelWe follow park rules, carry out what we carry in, and introduce you to the region's cultures and wildlife without disturbing them.
Planning your trek
Find your perfect trip in three steps
Whether you have three days or three weeks, a few practical decisions unlock the right route across Ethiopia.
01
Choose your pace
Easy day walks and lodge treks for flexible sightseers; moderate and challenging routes for confident walkers; and a demanding summit trek for experienced high-altitude hikers. Every pace is guided.
Browse tours by difficulty02
Choose your time
The dry season from October to March offers the most reliable trekking window. Shoulder months are quieter, and the green season brings lush, dramatic highlands.
Read the season guide03
Tell us your plans
Dates, group size, interests — however flexible you are, we'll shape a route and quote around you. Most trips can be rearranged right up to your arrival.
Start planningYour guides
Travel with people who call these places home
From the Simien escarpment to Lalibela, the Danakil and the Omo Valley, our guides, drivers and camp chef grew up along the routes we travel. They know every ridge, waterfall, church road and market by name — and they're genuinely proud to share it.
Meet the full teamMMeleseFounder & CEO
YYonasHead of Technology & Marketing
SSahlieTrekking Guide
GGebreTrekking Guide
AAmanDriver
HHabtieChef
Where we travel
From the highlands to the savanna
Ethiopia's great mountains and historic towns, its volcanic extremes and living cultures — and East Africa's wildlife grounds.
UNESCO World Heritage2,300m – 4,530m01 / 06
Simien Mountains
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the crown of the Ethiopian highlands — the 'Roof of Africa' — where sheer escarpments fall thousands of metres.
Ways to experience
All experiencesTravel the way you love
Trekking, wildlife, culture and some of Africa's most spectacular scenery — however you love to travel.
012–5 daysModerate
Walk the high trails
Guided multi-day treks across Ethiopia's great highlands — from the Simien escarpment and Ras Dashen to the Bale Mountains — fully supported with local guides.
Explore Trekking
02Meet the endemics
Ethiopia's remarkable endemic wildlife — giant troops of gelada baboons, the rare wallia ibex, the endangered Ethiopian wolf — plus the birds and big game of the lowlands.
Explore Wildlife
03Chase the mountain light
Photographing and absorbing some of Africa's most dramatic scenery — vast escarpments, deep valleys, deserts, great lakes and endless savanna horizons.
Explore Scenic Landscapes
04Follow the northern circuit
The astonishing history of Ethiopia — the rock churches of Lalibela, castles of Gondar, stelae of Axum, monasteries of Lake Tana and the walled city of Harar.
Explore Cultural Heritage
05Raptors & highland birds
Ethiopia is a world birding destination — highland endemics and the majestic lammergeier in the Simien and Bale, and rift valley lakes alive with herons and flamingos.
Explore Birding in the Highlands06At the best light
Purpose-built itineraries for capturing Ethiopia at its best light — gold-hour starts, dramatic escarpment and savanna compositions, and a local team that knows the locations.
Explore Highland PhotographyOur services
All servicesOne team for the whole journey
Trekking, cultural journeys, safaris, transfers, lodges and full travel preparation — plan, book and travel with a single guide-led team.
01
Guided Trekking & Hiking
Multi-day guided treks across the great ranges of Ethiopia and East Africa — from the Simien escarpment to the Bale highlands and the foothills of Kilimanjaro.
- Licensed English-speaking guides
- Mule and porter support on highland routes
- Tents, sleeping kit and cooking crew provided
- Pacing matched to your fitness and experience
02
Cultural & Heritage Tours
Walk the ancient kingdoms of the north — rock-hewn churches, stele fields, royal castles — and the living cultures of the Omo Valley and Harar.
- Lalibela and the rock churches of Tigray
- Axum stele field and archaeological sites
- Omo Valley community encounters
- Local hosts, translators and cultural guides
03
Wildlife & Birding Safaris
Look for endemic wildlife — gelada, Walia ibex, Ethiopian wolf — and East Africa's savanna giants, with expert spotters and field guides.
- Gelada, Walia ibex and Ethiopian wolf hideouts
- Great Rift Valley lakes and bird-watching
- Masai Mara, Serengeti and Lake Nakuru safaris
- Quality spotting scopes and binoculars on tour
04
Photography Expeditions
Small-group itineraries timed for the best light and wildlife movement, built for photographers who want more than a holiday snapshot.
- Golden-hour planning on every route
- Highland landscapes and endemic wildlife
- Minimal-group departures for serious shooting
- Local knowledge of seasonal conditions
05
Custom Itineraries & Private Planning
Tell us what you dream of doing — we design a private itinerary around your dates, interests, budget and pace, anywhere we operate.
- Personal trip designer assigned from enquiry
- Private departures for families and couples
- Flexible start dates and durations
- Clear, itemised pricing before you commit
06
Airport Transfers & Ground Logistics
Reliable vehicles, drivers and 4x4s across our operating regions, with transfers arranged to match every flight.
- Airport pickup and drop-off (Addis Ababa and regionals)
- Well-maintained 4x4s with experienced drivers
- Driving crews for multi-day national routes
- Coordination across domestic legs and permits
When to go
The highlands, season by season
General guidance on the dry, shoulder and green seasons — and the trips that suit each window. Weather is never guaranteed in the mountains, so exact dates are confirmed when you enquire.
October – March
The classic travel window
Expect settled, sunny weather across most of Ethiopia — crisp mountain mornings in the Simien and Bale highlands, dependable roads on the historical circuit, and drier conditions in the Omo Valley. The Danakil is at its least punishing in these months. In East Africa this window suits Kilimanjaro climbs and Zanzibar's beach season.
Best for: trekking, history, the Danakil & coast
One country, every kind of Africa
Ethiopia holds the full sweep of a continent
The Roof of Africa's escarpments, rock-hewn churches carved eight centuries ago, the lowest point on the continent in the Danakil, and lakes and savannas that stretch along the Great Rift — all in one country, with one trusted local team.
- Guided tours to choose from
- 40
- Local, home-grown guides
- 100%
- Routes reaching the roof of Africa
- 4000m+
- Destinations across Ethiopia & East Africa
- 18
Highlands and holy rock churches
- 01
Arrive Gondar / Debark
Arrive in the northern highlands, meet your guide, and transfer to the park gateway at Debark for a briefing.
- 02
Simien trek — Sankaber
~3 hrs walking · camp at Sankaber
Begin the trek through the western arm of the park. The walk eases you into high altitude along the edge of the escarpment, with early views across the deep valleys below, ending at the Sankaber meadow camp.
- 03
Simien trek — Gich
~6 hrs walking
A full traverse day along the northern escarpment, passing the Jinbar waterfall viewpoint and climbing through giant heather moorland to the Gich campsite on the shoulder of Imet Gogo.
- 04
Simien trek — Imet Gogo
~5 hrs walking · drive to Gondar
Rise early for sunrise at the Imet Gogo viewpoint — a panorama of chasms and pinnacles dropping thousands of metres. After the viewpoint, descend from the park and transfer to Gondar for the night.
- 05
Gondar
city touring
Explore the Royal Enclosure and Fasil Ghebbi, the walled citadel of 17th-century emperors, at a relaxed pace. The afternoon is free to wander the town and its markets.
- ···
+5 more days — see the full itinerary
Plan smart
Everything you need to prepare
How booking works with us, plus the practical essentials for travelling anywhere across Ethiopia and East Africa — so you can plan with confidence.
How planning works
- 01
Tell us about your dream trip
Start with a message through our contact page, WhatsApp, email or a call. Share when you'd like to travel, how long you have, your group size and anything you're especially keen to see.
- 02
We propose your itinerary
Within a day or two we reply with a tailored itinerary — routes, durations, accommodation style, what's included, and a clear idea of cost. We'll also flag the best season and any logistics to think about.
- 03
Refine until it feels right
Adjust pace, add or drop a destination, or shift dates. This is a conversation, not a form. You decide what fits your fitness, budget and style of travel.
- 04
Confirm the details
Once you're happy, we confirm your booking, arrange permits, guides, accommodation and transfers, and send a full packing list and pre-departure briefing.
Practical essentials
Best Time to Visit
Season by season, what to expect across Ethiopia.
Weather & Climate
Climate, temperature swings and what to wear.
Park Permits & Guides
What you need to enter Simien Mountains National Park.
Packing for the Highlands
A practical packing list for trekking and travel.
Gallery
View full galleryEthiopia in pictures
Escarpments, rock churches, lava lakes and savanna — straight from our guides' journeys.
Travel journal
View all articlesThe latest from the guides
Planning tips and stories from the routes we run every season — written by the people who lead them.
Planning
August 25, 20266 min read
Best Time to Visit Ethiopia: A Month-by-Month GuideEthiopia rewards travellers year-round, but each season paints the country differently. Here's what to expect every month, from dry-season treks to green-season lakes.
Trekking
July 30, 20268 min read
The Simien Mountains Trekking Guide: Routes, Altitude and What to ExpectEthiopia's grandest trekking region — pick a route, learn the altitude game and know exactly what a day on the escarpment feels like.
Destinations
June 18, 20267 min read
Lalibela and the Northern Historical Circuit: Churches, Castles and LakesFrom monolithic churches carved out of the rock to the castles of Gondar and the island monasteries of Lake Tana — the northern circuit done properly.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
The essentials — season, difficulty, altitude and what makes our guiding local — answered before you have to ask.
Our guides and support crew are local to the regions we travel — the Ethiopian highlands and beyond. They grew up beside these trails, know the wildlife, weather and customs from the inside, and are licensed through the relevant park authorities and national agencies.
Both. Many travellers prefer a private tour, and many join our open small-group departures. We keep group sizes small so the experience stays personal and flexible.
It depends on the route. Easy day walks and two-day nature tours suit most travellers; intermediate treks involve 4–8 hours of walking a day at altitude. Our extensive five-day traverse is the most demanding. We'll match a route to your fitness.
Our treks reach between 2,000 and 4,500 metres across Ethiopia's highland routes. Altitude affects everyone differently; we ascend gradually, schedule acclimatisation, and can advise on a rest day. Travellers with heart or respiratory conditions should consult a doctor first.
Kind words
Travellers after their journeys
A few reflections from guests who walked, drove and sailed with our guides.
“The three days we spent crossing the Simien escarpment were the highlight of our entire trip to Ethiopia. Every viewpoint felt like the best yet — and the gelada baboons were unforgettable.”
HannahUnited Kingdom
Simien Mountains Classic Trek — 3 Days“Our guide grew up in these mountains and it showed — patient, knowledgeable and full of stories. Camping above the cloud layer was pure magic.”
MarcoGermany
Simien Mountains Trekking — 4 Days“Seamless from start to finish. The mix of highland trekking and the rock churches of Lalibela in one trip was exactly what we hoped for.”
Sofia & DanielSpain
Simien & Lalibela — 10 Days“As a solo traveller I was a little nervous about altitude, but the careful pacing and encouragement made all the difference. I'd recommend them to any traveller.”
AveryUnited States
Simien Mountains Trekking — 4 Days“A short but perfectly formed trip. The waterfall hike and the wallia ibex sightings exceeded every expectation, and the lodge was comfortable after a day on the trail.”
“We covered the historical north at a relaxed pace — Gondar's castles, Axum's stelae and Lake Tana's monasteries. Great guiding and a genuinely fascinating journey.”
Camille & LouisFrance
Northern Ethiopia Historical Route — 8 DaysNewsletter
Highlands, seasons & new routes
Your journey starts here
Ready to discover the whole of Ethiopia?
Tell us when you'd like to travel and what you're dreaming of — from the Roof of Africa's escarpments to the Danakil, Lalibela and the Omo. We'll build the right itinerary and organise every detail.