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

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Its one of the ancient and historical monastery in Ethiopia, Which is lying on northwest of Addis Ababa. The monastery was founded in the 13th century by Saint Tekle Haymanot, according to tradition; he meditated in a cave for 29 years. The monastery complex sits on a terrace between a cliff and the gorge of one of the tributaries of the Abbay River. None of the original buildings of Debre Libanos survive, although David Buxton suspected "there are interesting things still to be found among the neighbouring cliffs." Current buildings include the church over Tekle Haymanot's tomb, which Emperor Haile Selassie ordered constructed in 1961; a slightly older Church of the Cross, where Buxton was told a fragment of the True Cross is preserved; and five religious schools.

   2 hAdmission included

2. Portuguese bridge near Debre Libanos was erected by the Portuguese in the 16th century; it was actually built at the turn of the 19th century by Ethiopians, albeit in the old Portuguese style. The narrow span makes a pretty picture and the gushing (in the rainy season) cascade just below it is even more impressive

   1 hAdmission included

3. Jemma River into a large gorge beside Debre Libanos and Fiche. The Jemma joins the Wenchit before reaching the Abbay (Blue Nile) River. Jemma Valley and the surrounding area are well known for the bird watching tours. The main target for bird watcher is the endemic and range restricted Harwood’s Francolin and other possible to spot are; Banded Barbet, the Black-headed Forest Oriole, the White-billed Starling, the Red-billed Starling, the White-winged Cliff Chat, the White-backed Black Tit, the White-cheeked Turaco and Hemprich’s Hornbill. You will also see one of Ethiopia’s endemic mammals, the Gelada or bleeding heart baboon. (In the gorge we will see a variety of vultures - Lamergeyer’s, Ruppell’s and Lappet faced vultures.)

   1 minAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 356 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Beautiful experience at...

  Beautiful experience at Debre Libanos, a truly impressive place that is well worth visiting. Abe, our guide, was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. George, our driver, was also kind and professional throughout the day. Highly recommended!

  Iacopo_VOctober 2026via Viator

• 5We are delighted with the tour and the professionalism of the guide Yihun!

  We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Aman Ethiopia Tours! Our guide, Yihun, was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and intelligent. He shared so many interesting facts throughout the day, answered all our questions, and made the whole experience genuinely engaging. You can immediately tell that he really knows and loves his country. Our driver, Barch, was also excellent — very professional, careful, and reliable. We felt completely safe and comfortable throughout the entire journey. The tour itself was beautiful and very well organized. We saw the Gelada baboons, visited Debre Libanos and the Portuguese Bridge, enjoyed the scenery, and never felt rushed. Everything was relaxed and comfortable — we actually felt like we had a proper day off while still seeing and learning so much. A fantastic experience from start to finish. Highly recommended!

  728nastassiadAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Amazing trip from the city

  This tour was the highlight of our trip! We felt extremely safe and comfortable. We started off at the monastery, then we saw the baboons. Then we saw the Portuguese bridge and waterfalls and had a delicious lunch with a beautiful view. It was a nice, relaxing way to get out of the city. Our guide Barch was great, he went above and beyond to give us a perfect day.

  Emily_LAugust 2026via Viator

• 5Great way to see the countryside!

  It was really cool to see the countryside and what things are like outside the city. Our guide Niko was excellent. He explained things to us as we drove to the destinations, and shared about Ethiopia. He even brought us to some places to shop for coffee after we got back to Addis. He took us to local places to eat and try the local beer/liquor which was really cool because we never would have done that ourselves. The church had so much history and was beautiful. A priest showed us around and took us through the museum. The Portuguese bridge was stunning. The waterfall and the views from the top were beautiful. I would definitely recommend!

  nicolecB3403YAAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Great way to see the countryside and get outside of the city!

  It was really cool to see the countryside and what things are like outside the city. Our guide Niko was excellent. He explained things to us as we drove to the destinations, and shared about Ethiopia. He even brought us to some places to shop for coffee after we got back to Addis. He took us to local places to eat and try the local beer/liquor which was really cool because we never would have done that ourselves. The church had so much history and was beautiful. A priest showed us around and took us through the museum. The Portuguese bridge was stunning. The waterfall and the views from the top were beautiful. I would definitely recommend!

  Nicole_CAugust 2026via Viator

• 5Very good experience

  We had a great experience. Our guide, Barch, picked us up on time, made sure we were comfortable, took care of everything for us and was very knowledgeable. We would go with him again.

  stephbZ823AIJune 2026via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Addis Ababa

• Its from-price is 31% below the median of the 83 day trips we list in Addis Ababa.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 1 of 83.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, stands high on a plateau among eucalyptus-covered hills, with museums, markets, churches and African Union offices.

At around 2,400 metres, Addis Ababa is one of the highest capitals in the world, laid out on the slopes of the Entoto hills. The National Museum of Ethiopia tells the story of human origins through Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old partial skeleton found in the country in 1974, while the Ethnological Museum is housed in a former imperial palace. Holy Trinity Cathedral and Saint George Cathedral are important churches, and Meskel Square hosts large gatherings.

Top-ranked sights in Addis Ababa: National Museum of Ethiopia, Mt. Entoto, IES Ethnographic Museum (Addis Ababa University).

See all 564 experiences in Addis Ababa