Day Trip to Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela: Explore Ethiopia’s Magnificent Rock-Hewn Churches

Embark on a day trip to the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia. Marvel at the impressive architecture, visit 11 churches, and learn about the fascinating history of this UNESCO-designated site.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela - Explore the extraordinary rock-cut churches of Ethiopia on an all-day tour
    Learn about Ethiopian history and culture at the churches of Lalibela
    Visit Bete Medhani Alem, Bete Mariam, Bete Meskel, and other sites and also different wonder the different species of birds.
What's Included
  • Guests are picked up at the airport
  • Shuttle fees are not covered
Additional Information

Embark on a day-long exploration of Ethiopia’s remarkable cliff-carved churches. Benefit from a timely airport pick-up service, and journey into the heart of the Lasta Mountains to witness these incredible structures, hewn from rock centuries ago. Be awed by the magnificent architecture, tour 11 distinctive churches, including the significant pilgrimage…

Location
Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(12 Ratings)
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Asiaticus7
Jun 21, 2024
Ethiopia is no longer a secret to me - What I remember most about my guide Maereg was his diligent service, promptness, efficient time-management, and impressive knowledge of Ethiopia - the ancient and the new. During the trip, Maereg made sure that I felt at ease, safe and secure as a female traveler. And that meant a lot. For eight days Maereg got to know me and I got to experience the wonders of Ethiopia. Firstly, the capital, Addis Ababa, the highest elevation of a city in Africa, which was more like a state than a city, boasted national/ state museums, cultural centers, numerous universities/ UNESCO World Heritage Sites, churches, cathedrals, cafés (the origin of coffee began here in Ethiopia), memorials, financial, telecommunications, infrastructures, shop centers, outdoor markets, etc.,. Then there was the massive rock-hewn monolith churches of Lalibela, (woa!) which is home to the oldest Christian communities in the world (as well as for Maereg, his lovely wife, and adorable children who were kind enough to have invited us to their home to meet the family & served us a delicious authentic Ethiopian dinner complimented with Honey wine). Also, Lalibela is known as Ethiopia's "New Jerusalem" because it holds religious importance and the opportunity to pilgrimage for there Orthodox Christians. And lastly, Gondar, once the capital of the former Ethiopian Empire, showcased palaces, castles, churches, fortified walls, built by each royal successor beginning the 17th century and has been called the "Camelot of Africa," idealized as in a place of high-level culture with a purpose/ belief of what community with a shared purpose can achieve. Since returning home, the trip to Ethiopia has stayed with me like a hum, tune or song which reminded me that for eight days I was in paradise. I hope to carry this happiness in me forward until I can get back to that happy place, Ethiopia 🇪🇹 . Thanks, Maereg for all that you did to make this experience possible. Sincerely, Romanáh H-B
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Magdalena_m
May 28, 2024
Unforgettable experience - This was definitely an unforgettable experience as those churches are so unique. My tour was well organized, my guide was very knowledgeable and I felt taken care of. Highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
Tracybp299vj
May 1, 2024
Awesome trip - The trip was amazing. We had a knowledgeable tour guide who was also very patient and attentive to the needs of the group. I would love to do this again
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ankiana
Nov 22, 2023
Lalibela and Addis Ababa - I did a solo trip to Lalibela and Addis Ababa over 3 days. After I got in touch with Maereg, everything was quickly arranged and the choice of hotels were both great and convenient. I felt safe the whole time and had no issues. Thank you for the brief introduction to your country. Keep up the good work.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Socksthecat2017
Oct 18, 2023
Amazing lalibela - The churches are amazing. And we’re so brought to life by Maereg. Maereg is knowledgeable, respectful and attentive. Being from Lalibela, he knew the place v well. He went out of his way to accommodate requests, and to ensure we were safe wherever we went. We hiked up in Asheton and visited the monastery. The views and sense of space are incredible. I had a bit of time at Addis before my flight. Maereg also happened to be in Addis and kindly showed me a part of Addis. Lalibela is simply stunning. Thank you Maereg for bringing it to life.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rosaliet90
Jan 19, 2023
Beautiful Lalibela - It was all very interesting. In was particularly interested in the church of St George. I was also interested in the religious practices which are different in some ways to Catholicism.
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Efraim
Jan 3, 2023
Lalibela - Hi I came to Lalibela for 2 weeks Maereg was my tour guide Fantastic highly recommended I did homestay with wonderful family Family guesthouse Wonderful experience Clean Comfortable Better than hotel And wonderful family Hope to come back to Ethiopia To ommo valley Will only Book maerek As tour guide
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198coras
Aug 7, 2022
Everythings good! - Maereg was great! The communication was really good, even before the trip startet and he took the best pictures of me in all of Ethiopia! He really wanted me to have the best experience possible.
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Tells77
Mar 20, 2020
Rock Hewn churches Perfection!! - Wow is all I can say! The historical landmark of Lalibela was an unforgettable experience. Perfection is an understatement! Maereg was the perfect guide! He speaks great English and very responsive to emails! I got a response in less than 24 hours as they are in a different time zone so immediately if you ask me. He waited for me at the airport even though I was an hour late due to flight confusion on my end. He is extremely knowledgeable and gave me a deep understanding of the rock hewn churches. He is patient, kind and wonderful tour guide. Maereg answered all my questions and gave me more insight than I expected. Not only did he cover the history of the rock hewn churches but he also gave me an in depth history of Ethiopia itself. He has years of experience doing this and there is no other tour group I would choose! We got straight to the churches and I am still blown away by this experience I had to make a review to let others know of how wonderful Ethiopia and its history is! Friendly people and great tours you will love. I will return and use extraordinary tour group again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Abiyn2020
Mar 18, 2020
Very happy - I went back to Lalibela after a 15 year hiatus to show my wife the rich history of my culture. We got a phone number from the website and gave a call the day before we arrived at Lalibela. We met Mareg, who told us he was going to be our guide. He was at the airport waiting. Our visit was excellent. I ended up feeling like my prior visit was subpar as Mareg from extraordinary gave us the best tour around the churches. He did more than that; he was attentive to our needs, arranged transportation as necessary, was available when needed and was knowledgeable about the history. He was clear in his presentation and made sure to separate the myths and histories associated with this marvelous place. He balanced speaking Amharic with me while not having my English speaking wife feel left out. Even when our flight was cancelled due to weather and we needed to arrange a long car drive, he was very helpful in finding a ride. I was so impressed by his knowledge about the rock-hewn churches, his language and his overall demeanor. I would recommend him to anyone who would like to see Lalibela and all it’s beauty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $45
up to 6 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).