Debre Libanos Monastery Tour: Experience Wildlife & Ancient Cave Church in Ethiopia

Embark on a captivating road trip through Ethiopia’s countryside to explore the ancient Debre Libanos Monastery, the Portuguese Bridge, and the stunning Nile Gorge. Encounter wildlife, including gelada baboons, and enjoy breathtaking views of Addis Ababa.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Debre Libanos - Founded by Ethiopian Saint Abune Tekle Haymanot, within a steep riverine canyon in 1284, Debre Libanos later became the political centre of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and is where Emperor Lebna Dengal received the first Portuguese mission to Ethiopia in 1520. The Italian army destroyed the original church in a 1937 massacre that claimed the lives of 800 monks, deacons and lay worshippers. The modern church, its domed roof decorated with stained-glass windows, remains an important pilgrimage site.
What's Included
  • Local guides
  • Ground transportation including a car, fuel and a driver
  • Pickup and dropoff at any location in Addis Ababa (either Hotel or Airport)
  • Lunch, including a bottle of water and hot drinks
  • Museum and Church Entrance Fees
  • Accompanying English speaking tour guide
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Personal expenses
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

As part of this admired roadway journey, you will traverse through stunning pastoral landscapes and observe the authentic Ethiopian lifestyle - agriculturists, rural districts, isolated towns. The trip includes a stopover at the historic Debre Libanos Monastery (including its cave church), the renowned ‘Portuguese Bridge’ constructed in the 1890s, the Nile Gorge teeming with native bird species and gelada baboons, and a spectacular view of Addis Ababa from an observation point situated at an altitude of 3,300 meters (Entoto Mountain).

Please be aware that sighting the Gelada Baboons can be a chance event, considering their habitat in an open park.

  • Minimum age is 7 years
Location
Edna Mall Roundabout
Africa Avenue
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(180 Ratings)
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Christopher_c
Jul 25, 2024
Great trip to see Ethiopia outside Addis Ababa - This was my first trip to Ethiopia and I wanted to see some sights outside of the city. Teka my tourguide and Musse our driver arrived at my hotel promptly at the time mentioned and we stopped at some gorgeous vantage points to see the scenery on the way to the church. The views outside of the city were quite gorgeous in July and I really liked how all of the stops we made were not swamped with other tourists. We also stopped for some authentic Ethiopian food on the drive back.
Review provided by Viator
Thea_h
Jul 11, 2024
Unforgettable trip to beautiful monastery - I had a beautiful and enriching day with my guide Teka and the driver Musse. As a deeply spiritual person, it was a very special experience to visit Debre Libanos, and get a personal guided tour there by a long-time munk living there. I also enjoyed seing the beautiful landscapes, animals and visiting a local marked - as well as talking to Teka about life in Ethiopia in general. He was able to answer all my questions and to tailor the experience to my specific interests. The guide and the driver were very kind and helpful and this trip was a highlight on my visit to Ethiopia. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Viator
Hyungjinj3
Jul 10, 2024
Great experience - Guide Desale and Driver Muse is so kind that I visited Debre Libanos well. If you join this tour, you will meet Ethiopian Monkey(Gelada Monkey) and see beautiful scenery of Canyon & Waterfall. I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jonathan
Jun 15, 2024
Nature and especially birds? Then this trip is a must. - This is a wonderful trip to see endemic and visiting birds from tiny lovebirds through to large raptors and everything in between. Ethiopia has a very rich birdlife and a particular highlight on the day was watching kingfishers diving for fish, just lovely! Our guide was very knowledgeable about all the birds we saw, he was also very knowledgeable about plants and trees with the names and uses of each plant or tree including medicinal purposes. We enjoyed the cultural aspects of the trip too, the cave church and the delicious traditional Ethiopian lunch. Ethiopian coffee is definitely the best we've ever tasted so we had to bring some back with us!
Review provided by Viator
Colincc776fz
Jun 10, 2024
Great tour and wonderful guide - This tour was really special. I took my two sons and the Tour Guide Abiy & Driver Muse were super nice and knowledgeable. They made the trip in perfect. We were also lucky to have great weather and able to see two huge groups of Baboons eating on the mountain together.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adrianhy7215th
May 20, 2024
Amazing Day Tour in Addis Ababa with a magnificent guide! - I visited Addis Ababa this weekend with some friends and had a full-day tour on Saturday with a guide named Zerefa. He was incredibly friendly and possessed extensive knowledge of Ethiopia's history, culture, and religion. We visited a church on the mountain, saw monkeys, and enjoyed breathtaking views. Zerefa was an excellent guide whom I highly recommend to everyone. He is a man with his heart in the right place.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
262savitas
Apr 30, 2024
Amazing Ethiopia! - We had a great trip with Our tour guide - Elias , he was very knowledgeable and we learnt a lot about Ethiopia 's history. It was an excellent trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Arifs815
Apr 6, 2024
Ethiopia - Tour was a perfect opportunity to get away from city and see the rural part of country. Seid (guide) was fluent in english and gave history guide along the way. Highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
479botondk
Apr 3, 2024
Tour - The guide abiy was very nice and knowledgeable and the driver was also great. We saw everything that was mentioned in the booking. Hope to return, beautiful country.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Philip_b
Aug 3, 2024
Four stars - Great day out. Highlights were the baboons, the bridge and the company. Oh and the driving which is not for the faint hearted.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
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September 2024
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