Length 02 days
Popular Cultural
Harar
Harar Overnight
A walled Muslim city of painted houses and narrow lanes, explored with a Harari guide, and wild hyenas fed by hand at dusk.
Historical journeys
Lalibela Overnight
One night in Lalibela, enough to walk its rock-cut churches twice: in afternoon light, then at dawn at Bete Giyorgis.
This tour is paused for now
Paused while Amhara is under official travel warnings and flights to Lalibela are suspended.
You can travel now on
Overview
The journey in brief
- Duration
- 2 days, 1 night
- Where
- Northern · Lalibela
- Travel style
- Private tour
- Best season
- October to May
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Price
- USD 695 per person
Lalibela’s churches were not built up but cut down, each one freed from a single block of red volcanic rock and joined to the next by trenches and tunnels. Tradition credits King Lalibela, around the turn of the 13th century; the 11 churches have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978 and are still in daily use by priests and pilgrims.
Two days are enough for all three groups of churches at an unhurried pace, with a local church guide. Lalibela sits at about 2,500 m, so take the steps slowly. This route is paused for now; we will reopen it when it is safe.
Highlights
- Bete Medhane Alem, often called the largest monolithic church in the world
- Painted ceilings inside Bete Maryam, lit by small carved windows
- Bete Giyorgis, a cross of red rock seen from the rim at dawn
- A pitch-dark passage between churches in the eastern group
- Priests in white robes carrying hand crosses through the trenches
What is included
- Round-trip flights Addis Ababa–Lalibela at the Ethiopian Airlines discounted fare
- Airport transfers in Addis Ababa and Lalibela
- 1 night’s accommodation, twin share
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- English-speaking guide
- Local church guide in Lalibela
- Lalibela church entrance fees
- Bottled water
What is not included
- International flights
- Ethiopian visa
- Domestic fare difference if you do not fly Ethiopian Airlines internationally (about USD 150 per round trip)
- Single room (optional extra)
- Meals not listed
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for guides, priests and drivers
- Travel insurance
Itinerary
Day by day
Day 1 Into the Rock: the Northern ChurchesLalibela
Your guide meets you at Bole International Airport for the morning flight to Lalibela. After lunch you enter the northern group with a local church guide, starting at Bete Medhane Alem, often called the largest monolithic church in the world. Inside Bete Maryam, painted ceilings glow in the light from small windows.
Activities
- Morning flight to Lalibela
- Northern group of five churches with a church guide
- Bete Medhane Alem and Bete Maryam
Day 2 Bete Giyorgis at Dawn, Then HomeLalibela
Early morning, you look down into the pit around Bete Giyorgis, the church of Saint George, cut in the shape of a cross. Then the eastern group, where a pitch-dark passage links one church to the next. An afternoon flight takes you back to Addis Ababa and your hotel or international flight.
Activities
- Bete Giyorgis at dawn
- Eastern group of churches
- Afternoon flight to Addis Ababa
Itineraries can change with weather, road and flight conditions. We will tell you promptly if they do.
Gallery
A look at the trip
Photo: Unsplash
Good to know
Before you book
- Guide languages
- English, Amharic
- Minimum age
- 8 years and over
- Group size
- 1 to 12 travellers
- Meeting point
- Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. Your guide meets you in arrivals with a name sign.
- Accessibility
- Uneven rock steps, narrow trenches and dark tunnels throughout, at about 2,500 m. Not suitable for wheelchairs.
What to bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Socks for church floors (shoes come off)
- A flashlight for the tunnels
- A warm layer for the evening
- Sun hat and sunscreen
Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered in the churches; women bring a light scarf to cover their hair.
Cancellation policy
This tour follows the Strict policy. Days are whole calendar days before departure.
| When you cancel | What you get back |
|---|---|
| 30 or more days before departure | 50% refund |
| Fewer than 30 days before departure | No refund |
A non-refundable USD 150 per traveller (domestic flights) is deducted before these percentages are applied.
Questions
About this tour
When will this reopen?
When official warnings for Amhara are lifted and flights to Lalibela resume. Tap Notify Me and we will email you.
What can I do instead now?
Harar Overnight is our two-day trip to an old walled city in a region that is open.
Is one night enough?
For the 11 churches, yes. If you want Asheton Maryam or Yemrehanna Kristos too, choose Lalibela Rock-Hewn Churches, 3 days.
Do I need to remove my shoes?
Yes, in every church. Socks help on the cold stone floors.
Can I join alone?
Yes. This is a private tour, so it runs for one traveller; add a single room as an optional extra.
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