Top national parks in Ethiopia

Last updated July 24th, 2023.

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By most accounts Ethiopia has 20 national parks. They can be roughly (and artificially) divided by the periods in which they were created. Some of the country’s most famous national parks date back to the 1960s. There was then an expansion of the national park system in the 1990s, and another in the mid-2000s. If you have time to explore all twenty, then great! But most of us don’t, so these are my picks for the top national parks in Ethiopia.

1. Awash National Park

One of Ethiopia’s most easily accessible national parks, Awash lies just a short distance east of Addis Ababa. It is also the closest you can get to the typical east African safari.

Edging the Awash River, and protecting a combination of savannah grassland and acacia woodland, it covers 850 square kilometres (330 square miles).

When it comes to wildlife, Awash has an almost complete list of favourites, including lion, cheetah and leopard. They prey on greater kudus, warthogs and east African oryx. But you’ll have to head elsewhere for elephant (see later) and rhino.

When it was formed in the late 1960s, the intention was that the park would help support the local Karayyu Oromo people. This hasn’t been the case, so please consider giving back to the area’s human inhabitants by booking a suitable tour.

2. Gambella National Park

If Awash doesn’t work for you, Gambella (or Gambela) National Park has a similar ecosystem. It lies in Ethiopia’s extreme west, in some of Ethiopia’s only plains.

Although founded in 1974, Gambella remains one of Ethiopia’s wildest national parks. Part of this is the fact it can only be reached via charter flights on small aircraft.

At the same time, the involvement of successful not-for-profit Africa Parks has massively improved the on the ground tourist infrastructure. Exclusive tented camps are now the order of the day.

The park was founded to help protect endangered antelope species including the white-earred kob and Nile lechwe, a marsh antelope. Despite various setbacks, the park now contains one of the highest concentrations of animals in the country.

As well as the antelope species it was set up to protect, Gambella National Park also has good numbers of everything from lion and elephant to Nubian giraffe and hippo.

But if all this sounds a little too wild and out of the way, Simien Mountains National Park is the place to head.

3. Simien Mountains National Park

Probably the most famous of any Ethiopian national park, it is also the country’s largest. It can be reached with relative simplicity on tours departing from the impressive historic structures of Gondar.

There’s a mixed number of reasons for visiting the Simien Mountains. Many travellers come to trek among peaks that include Ras Dashen, the country’s highest at 3,997 m (more than 13,000 feet).

Others arrive with a wildlife bent, intent on catching sight of the incredible familial groups of gelada baboon, Ethiopian wolves or walia ibex.

The latter is found nowhere else, and sport curving horns of impressive length.

4. Kafta Sheraro National Park

Created in 2007, Kafta Sheraro National Park is located within the rarely visited extreme north of the Tigray region.

Close to the border with Eritrea and Sudan, it hasn’t always been the safest area to visit, but the region is slowly stabilising. Late 2023 was set as the date for tourists to safely return after the most recent troubles.

The reason for heading in this direct is a simple one. The park was established to ensure the survival of a population of around 500 elephants. They make up the most northerly population of the pachyderm on the continent.

Where elephant go, others follow. And when I say others, I mean the likes of lion, leopard and caracal.

5. Bale National Park

If you’re short of time in Ethiopia, Bale National Park is a great choice. That’s because it encompasses five different habitats, including grassland, moor, and forest.

The park is one of few places in east Africa where it’s possible to see giant lobelia in its natural setting. But Bale National Park is also the home patch of the Ethiopian wolf and mountain nyala.

These animals try and keep one step ahead of the other, while avoided the attention of other predators. There are small populations of both lion and leopard.

To see them, you’re going to have to travel deep into the park. Thankfully, Bale has one of the best infrastructures of any in the country. You can explore by car, on foot, or on horseback. Treks can last anywhere from an hour to almost two weeks.

6. Nechisar National Park

Also written Nech Sar, this national park sits within the mountains of the Great Rift Valley. Its name can be translated as ‘white grass’, although it also includes geographic features such as the Bridge of God.

This is a thin piece of land separating Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo. Both are well-known for their birdwatching possibilities.

They share the lake shallows with crocodile and hippo, and to my mind is one of the best places for a spot of R&R anywhere in Ethiopia.

The top national parks in Ethiopia

Many tours to Ethiopia focus on its diverse human culture and heritage, guiding visitors through the tribes of the Omo Valley towards the supposed resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. At the same time, there are a good number of national parks combining trekking with wildlife viewing. It’s far from hard to experience an authentic savannah safari, without the crowds or costs of Kenya or Tanzania. Hopefully my pick of the top national parks in Ethiopia has already proved that!