Our Story
A family business, born in Bahir Dar
Shaped by years on the ground, a love of hospitality, and a lifelong devotion to showing Ethiopia properly.
From the Founder
Travel is both my profession and my passion.
Mihiret Getenat
Founder · Simien Ethiopia Tours
I was born and raised in Bahir Dar, and my life in tourism began there while I was still at school.
Between classes I worked with visitors in Bahir Dar and up in the Simien Mountains. What started as work alongside my studies became the thing I wanted to do with my life: sharing the cultures, the history, the landscapes and the hospitality of the country I love with people seeing it for the first time.
After high school I moved to Addis Ababa to study Tourism and Tour Operations at the Tourism Training Institute, then spent years working for other tour companies — guiding, planning itineraries, looking after guests and managing destinations. Those years taught me every side of the work.
Simien Ethiopia Tours grew out of that. It is a licensed Ethiopian company built for private, tailor-made journeys, and it is run today by my three brothers, our wider family, our team — and me.
The Simien — where it all started
The Journey So Far
From a lakeside town to travellers around the world
- 01
Bahir Dar
A childhood on the shore of Lake Tana
Born and raised in the city where the Blue Nile begins, surrounded by island monasteries and the steady traffic of travellers passing through on their way north.
- 02
Bahir Dar & the Simien
First travellers, still in school
Weekends and holidays spent working alongside visitors — on the lake, then up on the Simien escarpment. What began alongside school became a calling.
- 03
Addis Ababa
Formal training in tourism
A move to the capital after high school to study Tourism and Tour Operations at the Tourism Training Institute (TTI, formerly CTTI).
- 04
Across Ethiopia
Years inside the industry
Guiding, planning tours, looking after guests and managing destinations for several established operators — learning every side of the work.
- 05
Simien Ethiopia Tours
A company of our own
A licensed Ethiopian tour company built around private, tailor-made journeys — named for the mountains where it all started.
- 06
Today
Run as a family
Operated by three brothers, the wider family and a trusted team of guides and drivers, with the founder still involved in every season from abroad.
An International Perspective
We know what travellers look for, because we travel too
Representing the company at tourism fairs and business events, and travelling widely beyond Ethiopia, taught us to see a trip from the guest's side of the table. Five things come up every time.
- Trade fairs across Europe
- China
- Thailand
- Dubai
- Kenya
- Tanzania
Safety
Vetted vehicles, experienced drivers, and routes checked against current conditions before every departure.
Comfort
Lodges we have stayed in ourselves, and days paced so you arrive rested rather than wrung out.
Careful planning
Itineraries drawn around light, festivals, altitude and distance — not around what is easiest to sell.
Honest communication
Straight answers about road time, difficulty and cost, before you book and all the way through.
Genuine hospitality
The Ethiopian kind — a welcome that begins at the airport and does not switch off when the tour does.
A Family-Led Company
Two continents, one family
In Los Angeles
Close to you
Our founder now lives in the Los Angeles area with family and stays hands-on with every season — which means a conversation in your time zone, with someone who has walked the routes themselves.
+1909-450-7246In Ethiopia
On the ground
Three brothers, the wider family and a trusted team of guides and drivers run every departure from Addis Ababa — the people who meet you at the airport are the people who planned the trip.
Bole Medhaniallem, Cape Verde Street 1000, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
More Than a Business
Opening the industry to the people who live here
Tourism gave our family a future, and we want it to do the same for others. We hire locally wherever we travel, and we make a particular point of training and employing women who want to become tour operators and guides.
It is a family story built on experience, opportunity and responsible tourism. Every journey you take with us is a small part of it.
Speak With a Designer
Start a conversation with the family
Tell us roughly when you'd travel and what draws you to Ethiopia. You'll hear back from one of us — not a call centre.
Or call us directly on +1909-450-7246