The core of this trip is an eight-day trek through the magnificent mountains of the UNESCO World Heritage Natural Site of the Simien Mountains with a summit ascent to Ras Dashen. We’ll hike through the Afro-Alpine landscape, observe endemic mountain animals and enjoy fantastic views. Visits to impressive historical sites of the ancient Abyssinian empire take place before and after the hikes giving you the chance to experience the country’s rich history and unique culture. A perfect combination of culture and nature!
Your itinerary:
Day1: Morning flight Addis Ababa – Bahir Dar: Lake Tana monastries
Day 2: Bahir Dar: Blue Nile Falls– the imperial city of Gonder
Day 3: Gonder: Royal Enclosure, the Church of Debre Birhan Selassie, Fasilidas’ Pool – Debark in the Simien Mountains
Day 4: Debark – Sankaber in the Simien Mountains National Park, hike to Gich Camp
Day 5: Gich Camp, hike to Chennek Camp
Day 6: Chennek Camp, hike to Ambiko Camp
Day 7: Ambiko Camp – summit ascent to Ras Dashen – Ambiko Camp
Day 8: Ambiko Camp, hike to Arkawazie Camp
Day 9: Arkawazie Camp, hike to Makarabia Camp
Day 10: Makarabia Camp, hike to Mulit Camp
Day 11: Mulit Camp, hike to Adi Arkay, pickup at Adi Arkay – drive to Axum
Day 12: Axum: stelae fields, royal burial chambers, excavation site of Dongar Palace and the Cathedral of Tsion Maryam
Day 13: Morning flight Axum – Lalibela: rock-hewn churches
Day 14: Lalibela: cave monastry Yemrehanna Kristos, hiking tour to the Asheton Maryam monastry on Mount Abuna Yoseph
Day 15: Morning flight Lalibela – Addis Ababa: city tour, farewell dinner
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Sounds interesting? Simply book your tour referring to the name of the tour here: Contact Awura Tours
Download the Detailed Itinerary: Culture_Hiking_15 Days
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Difficulty of the Hike: For the most part, the hiking tour is technically simple. Only the last portion of the hike up to Ras Dashen requires some climbing skills. With good health, fitness and stamina the tour should be relatively easy to manage. Because of the increase in altitude, however, some sections can be quite challenging. Therefore, some travellers may chose to skip the ascent to Ras Dashen and instead take a pause for a day in the campsite of Ambiko.
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