Ethiopia · Religious & Spiritual

7-Hour Debre Libanos Monastery Tour from Addis Ababa with Museum

7 Hours Round trip from Addis Ababa Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Visit Debre Libanos, one of the best day trips from Addis Ababa
02 Explore one of Ethiopia's most interesting church museums
03 See crowns of past emperors and their wives, Italian guns, and old wooden shackles
04 Walk up to the cave of Tekla Haimanot, source of the monastery's famed holy water

Embark on a 7-hour day trip from Addis Ababa to Debre Libanos Monastery, one of the best excursions from the Ethiopian capital. Visit the church and its museum, known for its fascinating collection of ecclesiastical items, Italian guns, giant cooking pots, crowns of past emperors and their wives, musical instruments, and old wooden shackles. Continue to the cave of Tekla Haimanot, the monastery founder, where the saint is said to have prayed and where Debre Libanos' famed holy water springs from. Learn about the history of the monastery and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church along the way.

Besides the usual ecclesiastical items, there are Italian guns, giant cooking pots, crowns of past emperors and their wives, musical instruments, and old wooden shackles.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 7 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Addis Ababa, Debre Libanos

Languages English, French

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Debre Libanos Monastery, Museum, and Tekla Haimanot Cave

Depart Addis Ababa at 07:30 AM and head to Debre Libanos on a day trip. At slightly over 100 km from Addis Ababa, Debre Libanos is one of the best day trips from the Ethiopian capital.
Visit the church and its museum, and see the cave of Tekla Haimanot, the monastery founder.
The church is monumental and rather plain on the outside, but the stained-glass windows are attractive. Debre Libanos has one of the most interesting church museums in Ethiopia.
Besides the usual ecclesiastical items, there are Italian guns, giant cooking pots, crowns of past emperors and their wives, musical instruments, and old wooden shackles.
Fifteen minutes up the hills from the monastery is the cave of Tekla Haimanot, the monastery founder, where the saint is said to have done all his praying. It is also the source of Debre Libanos' famed holy water.

The route