Lalibela

You will be welcomed at Lalibela airport by your local guide. You will then be driven to the holy town of Lalibela to your selected hotel or lodge to check-in. Lunch will be at your hotel. After lunch, you will be guided around the historic rock-hewn churches of King Lalibela, created in the 12th century out of the solid rock. You will visit the first and third groups of these ancient churches, seven churches in total, including the famous masterpiece the House of St George. Then back to your hotel to enjoy the sunset, you will have dinner in the local restaurant, Overnight stay at Sora Lodge.

Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

You will be welcomed at Lalibela airport by your local guide. You will then be driven to the holy town of Lalibela to your selected hotel or lodge to check-in. Lunch will be at your hotel. After lunch, you will be guided around the historic rock-hewn churches of King Lalibela, created in the 12th century out of the solid rock. You will visit the first and third groups of these ancient churches, seven churches in total, including the famous masterpiece the House of St George. Then back to your hotel to enjoy the sunset, you will have dinner in the local restaurant, Overnight stay at Sora Lodge.

After breakfast we will drive a short distance then hike to a magnificent spot with stunning views, visit a countryside village, and reach 3,300m above sea level; the maximum walking distance one way is 2.5 hours. After lunch in the grandeur of the great mountain of Hudad, we will walk to the edge of the mountain to see some of the magnificent wildlife unique to Ethiopia, including the Gelada baboon and a variety of striking bird species. Around late afternoon we will begin our return walk, enjoying the beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and Lalibela town. We will meet the driver and return to your hotel for dinner, Overnight at Sora Lodge.

After breakfast, we will drive 42km north of Lalibela, to visit the famous cave church of Yemrehanne Kristos. Along the way, you will experience Ethiopia’s beautiful landscape and rural scenery that has hardly changed for centuries. The cave church of Yemrehanne Kristos was founded in the 11th century by one of the great kings of the Zagwe dynasty and is renowned for its striking exterior and ancient murals. You will return to Lalibela to take lunch in the extraordinary Ben Abeba restaurant with magnificent views of the surrounding mountainsides. In the late afternoon, you will be visiting the remaining four rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. Around 5 pm, you will be invited to a local house for a cookery class where you will have the opportunity to make and enjoy a traditional dinner, and also experience the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, Overnight at Sora Lodge.

Lalibela

Before breakfast, if church schedules allow, we will attend an atmospheric early morning church service with local worshippers. Then you will return for breakfast, the end of the tour, and transfer back to Lalibela Airport.