A guide to visit Lalibela

Introduction

Lalibela is the most jaw-dropping historical site in sub-Saharan Africa and this article will show you everything you need to know about it, including travel tips and things to

Located 2630 meters above sea level, Lalibela is, today, a traditional mountain village, home to 11 absolutely breathtaking monolithic churches, which were carved out of the rock more than 800 years ago, and have been used as active Christian shrines since then.

These rock-hewn churches were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978, but I firmly believe they should be considered the 8th World Wonder, especially Bet Giyorgis, the most impressive church of all, a perfectly cross-shaped monolith built and carved in a 30-meter deep trench, often surrounded by a spiritual Christian atmosphere.

Lalibela is the most touristic and visited place in Ethiopia and it truly deserves it.

In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know to visit Lalibela, including things to do, facts, personal tips, budget, transportation, accommodation and more. For more information on Ethiopia, don’t forget to read my Ethiopia travel guide

In this Lalibela travel guide you will find

• Introduction

• Best time to visit

• Things to do

• Where to stay

• How to get in

• Budget, costs & scams

• How to move around

• More resources

Introduction to tourism in Lalibela

Lalibela is, in fact, a very touristic place, yet, for some reason, it has been able to preserve all its magic because everything you see is completely real and authentic, nothing is staged.

Best time to visit Lalibela

Lalibela can be visited any time of the year, even during the rainy season, but some days are better than others, as you may want to be there when they are holding traditional ceremonies.

For that, the best day of the week to visit Lalibela is during the early morning Sunday mass, when Bet Giyorgis Church is filled with hundreds of Ethiopians wearing their traditional white robes and intoning some goose bumps chants.

Saturday is market day, a market that also includes a livestock section.

Therefore, weekend is the best time of the week to travel to Lalibela.

On the other hand, you may also wish to visit it during the following Christian festivals:

Best time to visit Lalibela

1. Genna – Ethiopian Christmas that takes places on January 7th

2. Timkat – Ethiopia’s Orthodox Christian celebration that takes places on January 20th

3. Meskel – Ethiopian religious holiday that takes places at the end of September

During those days, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela become authentic pilgrimage sites attended by thousands and thousands of Ethiopians from all over the country. However, bear in mind that Lalibela does get busy during those days and prices go up. March is the dry season in Lalibela.

Things to do in Lalibela – A complete 3-day-itinerary

How many days you need to visit all the places in Lalibela?

1. Day 1 – Visiting the rock-hewn churches

2. Day 2 – Trekking to Asheton Maryam Monastery

3. Day 3 – Chilling out

Where to stay in Lalibela

Lalibela has plenty of accommodation options for all budgets. Here are some recommendations:

• Budget Guest House – Blue Nile Guest House – Basic but good accommodation and the best place for solo backpackers, as they have budget single rooms. Location is great as well.

• Nicer Guest House – Merkeza Guest House – A much better guest house, ideal for couples and with breakfast included. Even good for solo travelers with a slightly larger budget.

• Mid-range Hotel – Halle Hotel Lalibela – Brand new hotel with stunning views of the valley.

How to travel to Lalibela from Addis Ababa

By plane – Lalibela’s airport is relatively new and was built precisely to make things easier for tourists, as coming here by road can be a real pain in the ass. There are daily flights connecting both cities.

By bus – Quite a journey. First, from Meskel Square in Addis you can take a coach to the town of Dessie (price was 310 birr). Buses typically leave at 4am, but you may find one later. It’s a 9-hour journey at least. That’s the easy part. Traveling from Dessie to Lalibela takes 8 hours.

How much does it cost to visit Lalibela: budget & costs and scams

The only remarkable extra cost is the 50USD entrance fee to the rock-hewn churches. Other than that, Lalibela is definitely more expensive than any other place in Ethiopia, with a faranji price (dual price for foreigners) applied to any restaurant in the village, even in very local places.

Should you book a tour for Lalibela? Price of a private guide

Official tour guides charge around 20-30USD per person.

How to move around Lalibela

If you stay in any of the above accommodation options, you will be staying close to the archeological site, so you won’t need to take any tuk-tuks.