The 15 Best Day Trips in Ethiopia

1.Day Trip From Addis Ababa See Historical Monastery,Stunning Nature,Animals,Birds

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 303 reviews · from $90Our pick

Travel from Bole Airport into the Ethiopian countryside with a guide such as Sisay, Yihun, or Freaw. Visit Debre Libanos monastery, walk toward the Portuguese Bridge and waterfall, look for Gelada monkeys and birds, then enjoy Ethiopian food and coffee. The day runs about 8 to 9 hours and suits airport layovers, couples, and first-time visitors.

“This is a must do! They are very honest and will ensure you are safe and will see the very best of the real Ethiopia 🇪🇹 Don’t trust Hustlers, book through tour agency to ensure you maximise your time and see all the sights Ethiopia has to offer! This trip really made my holiday 🦊👍”

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2.Day Trip From Addis Ababa To Debre Libanos & Portuguese Bridge

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 64 reviews · from $100

Leave Addis Ababa for Debre Libanos Monastery, the Jemma River Gorge, and the Portuguese Bridge in a private, air-conditioned vehicle. Your guide, possibly Eyob or Kenaw, explains Ethiopian Orthodox traditions and local history. Expect a six-to-eight-hour day, a short downhill walk, birdlife, geladas, free water, and all entrance fees included.

“Some of the best views I’ve ever seen, guide and driver were very experienced and they know the place well. The church gave me a very different feeling when comparing to other churches I’ve been to and it was eye opening. The mountains… stunning. We also enjoyed a great lunch with a movie-like view, would absolutely recommend everyone to join this tour.”

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3.Day trip Debre Libanos, Bule nile George &Portugal Bridge

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 25 reviews · 9 hours · from $90

Leave Addis Ababa with an English-speaking guide for Debre Libanos Monastery, Saint Tekle Haymanot’s cave, the 16th-century Portuguese Bridge, and the Blue Nile Gorge. You may spot endemic gelada baboons and birds, visit Jamma River, and stop at Mount Entoto. Hotel or airport pickup, transport, entrance fees, water, and coffee are included.

“This was a great opportunity to get outside of the city to experience the local culture, see the beauty of the countryside and learn about the people. We even saw a bunch of Geladas! The guide was instrumental in helping spot them. Seeing the monastery and learning about its history as well as visiting the museum was very interesting. I learned a lot and the tour guide was very good in helping me understand local culture and customs. Overall I’d say it was great value for money and I’d highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to leave the city to explore the countryside.”

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4.Day trip to Adadi Mariyam and Melka kunture

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 20 reviews · from $100

Travel from Addis Ababa in an air-conditioned vehicle with a guide and up to five other guests. Visit the nearly two-million-year-old finds at Melka Kunture and the 12th-century Adadi Maryam church. Tickets, water, taxes, and hotel transfers are included, but confirm the day’s schedule before departure.

“The driver arrived an hour late then rather than starting the tour we got taken to a downtown office where we picked up the guide. The guide's English was poor, he could barely describe the main attractions. We got to Melka Kunture at 5.30 aRead more”

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6.Escape From Addis – Day Trip To Debre Libanos And The Portuguese Bridge

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $195

Leave Addis at 7:00 am for a private day trip to Debre Libanos. Visit the monastery, museum, and cave linked to St. Tekle Haymanot, then hike toward the Portuguese Bridge, waterfalls, Blue Nile Gorge, and gelada baboons. Guides may include Beki or Alex, with lunch, drinks, transport, and entrance fees included.

“We had an exceptional day organized by Beki. This was our second tour with him and just with the first one, he went above and beyond to make our day another cultural experience. However, he was not able to guide the tour, Beki arrangeRead more”

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7.Day trip on Bahir dar. To visit lake tana monasteries and Blue Nile Falls.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $250

Start at 7:00 am with Mass of Mass Ethiopia Tours for a private day around Bahir Dar, Lake Tana monasteries, and Blue Nile Falls. Expect ancient wall paintings, a hike, local sights, hotel transfers, and a flexible plan that can include traditional experiences you choose. The full day lasts about 8 to 11 hours.

“Mass, the guide, now friend is one of a kind. The places are mesmerising, got lucky to see a huge snake and birds blooming in color, geese with chicks, some traditional stuff I chose, (my request, nothing is forced upon you), met great pRead more”

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8.Day Trip to Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $45Best value

Meet your private guide at Lalibela Airport and spend about six hours exploring Bete Medhani Alem, Bete Mariam, Bete Meskel, and other rock-cut churches. Live narration brings Ethiopian history and culture into focus. The tour costs $45 per person, but admission, lunch, and any airport shuttle charge are separate.

“It was a amazing tour of one of the most beautiful historical and religious areas in the world The tour guide was knowledgeable about the history of the region”

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9.Day Trip to Debre Zeit/ Bishoftu

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $150

Leave Addis Ababa for Bishoftu’s crater lakes on a private 7 to 10-hour tour with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, lunch, drinks, and a boat ride on Lake Babogaya. You’ll visit Bishoftu Lake and Hora Lake, with time for short walks and birdwatching. Guide Beleta has received warm personal praise.

“The beauty of the craters! was stunning It's a good trip, but it had several butts. Only one boat ride which was disturbed with constant talking from the three staff members. Could not really enjoy the serenity of the lake. The drive was lovely, in Read more”

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10.Day Trip To See Monastrys,Amazing landscapes & Animals

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $120

Travel 105 km from Addis Ababa with a guide such as Joseph and a local driver to Debre Libanos. Visit its museum, church, and Saint Tekle Haymanot’s tomb, then see the Portuguese Bridge, Jemma River Gorge, waterfall, and endemic gelada monkeys. Lunch, transfers, entrance fees, water, and coffee are included.

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11.Day Trip to Gheralta’s Cliffside Churches, “Sacred Heights”

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $205

Travel from Axum into the Gheralta mountains with Arre Tours and Travel for a private church-hiking day. You’ll visit 1,400-year-old Abune Yemata Guh, then hike toward Maryam Korkor and Daniel Korkor near Megab. Guide Arre or his brother Solomon can share local history and adjust the outing to your interests. Bring lunch and prepare for serious walking.

“Phenomenal experience with an expert guide! Arre is the definition of an excellent guide. He knew all the places to go for anything you needed and was very well versed in the history to give you backstories of anything you asked about.”

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12.DAY TRIP TO Debre Libanos Monastery Cave Church Nature and Wildlife

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · from $275

Leave Addis Ababa at 9 a.m. for a private day trip to Debre Libanos, a major Ethiopian Orthodox pilgrimage site. With a local guide and private minivan, you’ll see the Portuguese Bridge, walk toward the monastery and holy-water site, look for baboons, enjoy lunch, and join a coffee ceremony before returning to Addis.

“Prior attempts to make email contact to confirm pick up location were unsuccessful. Upon arriving at Bole International Airport I had no phone service and so was assisted to contact tour company first by information desk in terminal, then hoRead more”

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13.Day Trip To Menagesha Suba Forest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $100

Leave Addis Ababa by air-conditioned vehicle for Menagesha Suba Forest Park, a 2,500-hectare woodland known for juniper, Erica arborea, endemic birds, and Minilk bushbuck. An English-speaking guide leads the visit, with pickup from your hotel or airport, bottled water, park fees, and a small group of up to 15 people included.

“Finally reaching the waterfall after a difficult hike-a sense of accomplishment.this trip like my previous one with you shows the natural beauty of your amazing and unique country.”

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14.DAY TRIP TO THE UNESCO HERITAGE SITE TIYA & Melka Kunture

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · from $265

Leave Addis Ababa at 9:00 a.m. in an air-conditioned vehicle for a private day trip to Tiya, prehistoric Melka Kunture, and Adadi Mariam. You’ll see decorated megaliths, ancient stone tools, and a rock-hewn church, with admission, lunch, and bottled water included. The day lasts about 10 hours.

“Unfortunately, I was unable to do this trip due to sudden security concerns. Communications could have been better as I was waiting for over an hour without any information from the tour company. Back and forth with hotel front desk staff anRead more”

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15.Private Day Trip to Debre Libanos Portuguese Bridge Galada Baboon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $199

Leave Addis Ababa in an air-conditioned vehicle for Debre Libanos monastery, the Jemma River gorge, and the Ethiopian-built Portuguese Bridge. With a maximum of six people, a guide, site fees, bottled water, and select hotel pickup included, you will also stop for tej tasting and Mount Entoto views. Plan for 8 to 10 hours.

“Great tour! We first planned just a quick stop-over in Addis Ababa, but then decided to stay two days to see more than the city. Having a glimpse on life in rural Ethopia was worth the decision, even though this meant a two hour drive out of tRead more”

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