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🌎  Ethiopia 🇪🇹

⭐  

4.5
(287)

📍  Simien Mountains National Park

✈️  Gondar Airport (GDQ)

🚗  125.0 KM

⏱️  3 hours, 28 minutes

Simien Mountains National Park in Ethiopia offers a world-class trekking experience amidst dramatic volcanic landscapes and unique wildlife. This UNESCO World Heritage site requires all visitors to be accompanied by a mandatory scout and often a local guide, making solo unguided visits impossible. Access typically involves a 4x4 vehicle from Debark due to rough, mountainous roads, and while generally accessible, heavy rains from June to September can severely limit travel and visibility, with the dry season (October-May) being ideal. Treks usually range from 2-3 days for shorter explorations to 5-10 days for more extensive routes, with 3-5 days being common to appreciate the diverse scenery and wildlife. Costs are significant, encompassing daily park fees, scout/guide fees, mule hire, and transportation, easily totaling several hundred to over a thousand USD per person for a multi-day trip. Visitors should be prepared for high altitudes, cold nights, and primarily camping accommodation, bringing appropriate gear for varied weather. The park is renowned for endemic species like the Gelada baboon and Walia ibex.