Simien Mountains National Park weather by month

The best time to visit Simien Mountains National Park is December to February — 96/100 in December, 21°C and 2 rainy days. The best season is winter, December to February (94/100 on average).

The worst month is August at 65/100 — nice, soaked, clean air. See August →

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit Ethiopia →

Simien Mountains National Park🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Horn of Africa · National park96
  1. 95Jan
  2. 92Feb
  3. 89Mar
  4. 86Apr
  5. 82May
  6. 80Jun
  7. 69Jul
  8. 65Aug
  9. 67Sep
  10. 83Oct
  11. 91Nov
  12. 96Dec

Best season: December to February (94/100 on average) · worst August (65/100)

Days
21°C
Nights
10°C
Wet days
2
Sun
10.9 h
Humidity
52%
Daylight
11 h
Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
Photo: Hulivili · CC BY 2.0

Simien Mountains National Park, month by month

Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Simien Mountains National Park is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.

MonthScoreTierHighRainSunCrowdsOn
Jan95S22°C2 d11 hBusy
Feb92S23°C2 d11 hBusy
Mar89A25°C0 d11 hShoulder
Apr86A25°C4 d11 hShoulder
May82A24°C10 d11 hShoulder
Jun80A21°C20 d11 hShoulder
Jul69C18°C31 d9 hQuiet
Aug65C18°C31 d9 hQuiet
Sep67C19°C29 d11 hQuiet
Oct83A20°C17 d11 hShoulder
Nov91S21°C9 d11 hShoulder
Dec96S21°C2 d11 hBusy

Crowds in Simien Mountains National Park in December

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Busyschool holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Traveller notes on Simien Mountains National Park

What people who have been say about the place — the year-round notes first, then month by month.

Simien Mountains-forum threads on a January visit describe a classic four-day trek as the real standard itinerary, posters naming the Gondar to Bauit-Ras to Sankaber to Geech to Chenke route as how most independent trekkers structure the trip. Regulars call January genuinely within the recommended window, several posters naming mid-September through January as when landscapes look best after the wetter months clear. Posters call this stretch real high season, several regulars warning trails and campsites can feel busier than shoulder months. Regulars call daytime conditions genuinely comfortable for hiking, several threads naming clear skies and minimal rainfall as reasons January works well for multi-day treks. Posters recommend booking a guide and mules through Gondar, several regulars calling this standard given park requirements for independent trekkers. The record: 21.8C days, 9.9C nights, effectively no measurable precipitation and 47 percent humidity.
SimienMountainsJanuaryRegular · January · 4 days ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Simien Mountains-forum threads on a March visit describe the landscape as genuinely parched by this point, posters naming five rainless months as the reason grasses have browned compared with the lush look later in the year. Regulars call the greenest stretch genuinely May through September, several posters naming peak lushness running September through January, well before a March visit. Posters call bushes and trees genuinely still green year-round despite browner grasses, several regulars naming this a real distinction worth knowing. Regulars call March still genuinely worthwhile regardless of the drier look, one trekker from a March visit calling the experience wonderful despite the parched terrain. Posters recommend real sun protection, several regulars calling this standard given how exposed and dry conditions get. The record: 25C days, 12.7C nights, effectively no measurable precipitation and 30 percent humidity.
SimienMountainsMarchRegular · March · 4 days ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Simien Mountains-forum threads on a July visit describe this as genuinely low season, posters calling June, July and August the wettest stretch and therefore the quietest for trekkers accepting the tradeoff. Regulars call one five-day trek starting June thirtieth a real success story, the poster reporting far fewer tourists and pleasant walking temperatures between seven and seventeen degrees. Posters call afternoon and evening the pattern for real showers, several regulars describing rain arriving predictably once trekkers are already back at camp. Regulars call visibility the genuine concern in late July, several threads warning cloud and fog can hide the mountains even when ground-level weather feels fine. Posters recommend real waterproof gear regardless of forecast, several regulars calling July here a gamble worth taking only for travelers prioritizing solitude. The record: 18.3C days, 12.8C nights, an extraordinarily high 289.9mm across nearly 31 days and 84 percent humidity.
SimienMountainsJulyRegular · July · 5 days ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Simien Mountains-forum threads on an August visit describe daily rain as genuinely standard, posters naming afternoon and evening showers as the typical pattern, often arriving after trekkers have already reached camp. Regulars call fog a real regular feature at altitude, several posters naming reduced visibility on some stretches as a tradeoff for the lush, green landscape this season brings. Posters call August genuinely low season here, several regulars naming far fewer tourists on the trails as a real upside for anyone willing to trek in the rain. Regulars call temperatures considerably cooler than other months, several threads naming a range through the high teens by day and chillier at altitude overnight. Posters recommend real proper rain gear regardless of how the morning looks, several regulars calling this standard given how reliably afternoon rain arrives. The record: 18.1C days, 12.1C nights, an extraordinarily high 434mm across 31 days and 87 percent humidity.
SimienMountainsAugustRegular · August · 4 days ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Simien Mountains-forum trip reports on a September trek describe this as genuinely the tail end of the wetter months, one 2017 report camping four nights at Sankaber, Geech and Chenek and finding real fog and occasional showers but nothing that spoiled the trip. Regulars call the mountains genuinely at their most beautiful across September, October and November, several posters naming full-bloom grasses the real payoff. Posters call low season here a genuine tradeoff, several regulars describing far fewer tourists and pleasant temperatures between seven and seventeen degrees as compensation. Regulars call afternoon the real pattern for rain, several threads describing mornings as generally clear with showers arriving predictably later. Posters recommend real waterproof gear regardless of a clear start, several regulars calling this standard for a September trek. The record: 18.9C days, 11.6C nights, an extraordinarily high 406.9mm across nearly 29 days and 80 percent humidity.
SimienMountainsSeptemberRegular · September · 5 days ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Simien Mountains-forum threads on an October visit describe this as genuinely one of the strongest months here, posters calling the rains recently passed and the landscape verdant and colorful, October marking a real turning point. Regulars call the mountains at their most beautiful across September, October and November, several posters naming full-bloom grasses following the rains the real reason. Posters call December-February genuinely the peak travel season instead, several regulars naming October a real way to get similar scenery with fewer crowds. Regulars call altitude a genuine concern regardless of dates, several threads warning nights here turn considerably harsh and proper acclimatization matters as much as the month. Posters recommend real layers and a measured pace on the hikes, several regulars calling this standard advice for a Simien trek. The record: 19.7C days, 11.1C nights, an extraordinarily high 140.6mm across 17 days and 69 percent humidity.
SimienMountainsOctoberRegular · October · 5 days ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Simien Mountains-forum trip reports on a November trek describe the Sankabar, Geech, Chenek and Bwahit route as a genuine four-day standard, posters calling the scenery and wildlife along it a real highlight regardless of exact dates. Regulars call Gelada baboons, Walia ibex and Ethiopian wolves real, regularly sighted highlights on this route. Posters recommend a knowledgeable guide booked well ahead, several regulars naming specific operators out of Debark or Gonder they used for a November trip. Regulars call late November a real transition point, the wetter months behind and trail conditions considerably firmer underfoot than earlier in the year. Posters recommend real warm layers for camp nights regardless of pleasant daytime hiking temperatures, several threads describing a genuine chill once the sun drops at this elevation. The record: 20.6C days, 10.5C nights, an extraordinarily high 52.6mm across nearly 9 days and 61 percent humidity.
SimienMountainsNovemberRegular · November · 5 days ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Simien Mountains National Park's card on the map.