Welcome to the SMNP visitors guide. Here you will find general information on tourism activities, attractions of SMNP, tourism infrastructural services and fees.
The best of Semen Mountains National Park:-
- Trekking along a 60km long escarpment is the most peculiar experience of SMNP.
- Standing on top of the steep escarpment, one can easily feel the joy of viewing up to hundred km wide valleys and canyon-style gorges of Semen.
- With miles of trails you will easily find the perfect mountain hiking in SMNP.
- Spectacular sites and miles of trails await your boots. Soak those aches away in the cold waterfalls of Jinbar and many other small streams.
- Peace and tranquility are the added advantages to the awe inspiring views of SMNP
- Standing at the age of the extreme escarpment, you will suddenly find yourself in the midst of hundreds of primates. You will admire the life of the endemic Gelada Baboon – a social animal next to human beings.
Getting to the national park
The Ethiopian Airlines offer daily services from Addis to Gondar; while commercial buses serve from Gondar to Debark town. There is no public transportation to the park. Most tourists use private/rented cars or rented mules to enter to the park; while some enter the park on foot.
Where to stay
There are two hotels in the center of Debark town. Hotel Simen Park, with hot showers and souvenirs shop, provides some extra luxury. The other is Simen Fox Hotel. Incase all the rooms in this hotel are booked; several additional small pensions exist in the town.
Planning and Organizing Your Trip
General: There are many ways to experience Simen Mountain National Park. Availability of time, individual interests, and the weather influence a visit. Trekking is the dominant tourism activity in SMNP. Trekking to the nearest camp site /Sankaber/ and back to Debark takes 3 – 4 days. Hiking further to the different destinations in Simen requires 10-15 days. Therefore, staying a day in Debark town to plan and organize the trip is essential. Experts working at the visitors’ center of the park office and also the local guides can facilitate planning and organization of the tour in SMNP. Good health and physical ability to adapt to heights between 2000-4500masl are prerequisites for all. If you have respiratory or cardiac problems, you may find more than 3000 meters elevation a challenge. Plan your activities to match your ability.
Guides: Though tourists can arrange a private guide individually or in group, it is highly recommended to contract a local guide through park office, as they are resourceful and knowledgeable about the physical and social environment of Simen.
Mules /horses and Drovers: Horses for riding and/or packing the camping gears, food staff… etc, as well as accompanying drovers can be organized through park office and official guides
Equipments: In addition to camping equipments, such as; tents, sleeping bags, mattresses, cooking gears, it is absolutely necessary to bring warm cloths and water proof gear. In order to enhance observation of wild animals, binoculars are essential tools. Most of the camping equipments can be rented in Debark town.
Food and Water: Simen Lodge, a modern private lodge located near the park, caters Dinning services for tourists. Hikers however, should be adequately equipped with food staff which can be easily available from Debark. Food items like local chicken and eggs can be supplied from the communities living inside and outside the park through purchase. Though all camp sites have water sources, tourists should bring disinfectants to rid contamination.
Operating hours and seasons
The park is open 12 hours a day, 365 days a year. In the park, services like camping, lodging, guiding … etc are available daily 12 hrs a day. Services at the visitors’ center are available from 8:30am to 12:30am and from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. However, a visit to SMNP may not be good during the rainy seasons which last from June-mid September. Winter conditions on the highlands above 3500meters elevation can be extreme. Be prepared for the extreme cold weather. Viewing wide expanse may be obscured by fog. Entrance fees are not refunded because of weather conditions. Months between October and March are ideal for tourists.
Fees and reservations
The park office uses its own tariff rate for the various services it offers; such as: entrance, guiding (contracted local guides) and camping (in camping grounds established by the park office). Entrance fee is 30 birr/adult /48hrs for resident foreigner, 50 birr /adult /48hrs for non resident foreigner, 10 birr/foreign resident child, 25 birr/foreign non resident child, 10-20 birr/vehicle /48hrs. Camping fees are in addition to entrance and are charged per night. List of tariffs for most tourism-related services (such as: mule rent, hiring cooks, renting cooking utensils and camping instruments… etc) are available at the visitor’s center. Simien lodge, however, uses its own tariff rate for the services it caters.
