Lalibela, once the medieval capital of Ethiopia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north of the country. It is the second holiest site of Ethiopian Christianity after Axum and the most important place of pilgrimage and devotion.
Lalibela is famous among travelers for its eleven churches carved into a single rock. It can be easily visited by a 45 min flight from Addis Ababa.

Lalibela is easily accessible via domestic flight from Addis Ababa, and many of the cities in the north.

Most visitors combine tours of Lalibela with other destinations along Ethiopia’s historic north circuit.

A typical tour of Lalibela is 2-3 days, depending on your schedule and wider interests. Most people explore the rock-hewn churches over the course of 2 days, but they can all be visited in a day if you like to move quickly.

The highlands around Lalibela are home to even older monasteries and churches, in particular Yemrehana Krestos , Asheton Maryam, and Na’akuto La’ab. Optional hikes can be done to visit these monasteries, and you can combine hiking with vehicle transfers if you don’t want to do too much walking.

Further afield in the surrounding highlands you will find the community trekking routes. Community trekking in Ethiopia got its start in Lalibela, and these hikes take you from guesthouse to guesthouse, through rural villages and across sweeping plateaus. Community trekking is typically a 2-3 night affair, in addition to the 2 nights you will spend in central Lalibela.