The 15 Best Debre Libanos Day Trips from Addis Ababa

1.Debre Libanos, Blue Nile Gorge, and Cave Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 256 reviews · 8 hours · from $94Our pick

Travel north from Addis Ababa with an English-speaking guide such as Gebru or Abiy to visit Debre Libanos Monastery, the Blue Nile Gorge, Portuguese Bridge, and Saint Teklehaimanot Cave Church. Expect striking mountain views, gelada baboons, Oromo culture, lunch, and about four hours on the road.

“Our driver, named Nabiel Made our ride and trip perfect to begin and end with! The caves were beautiful and we got to jump in the river and see very nice spots! Our tourgide made sure alot of pics were taken, so the day would be onforgettable. Perfect day!”

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

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

Leave Addis Ababa at 9:00 for Debre Libanos Monastery and the Jemma River Gorge. You’ll travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a guide, walk downhill to the Portuguese Bridge, and look for geladas and birds. Guides such as Kenaw and Eyob have led past departures, though service can vary.

“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 $90Best value

Leave Addis Ababa at 7:30 AM for Debre Libanos Monastery, Saint Tekle Haymanot’s cave, the 16th-century Portuguese Bridge, Jamma River, and Blue Nile Gorge. Your English-speaking guide helps with local customs, wildlife spotting, and the long countryside drive. Hotel and airport pickup 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.Debre Libanos Monastery and Jemma River Gorge – Day Tour from Addis Ababa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews Top rated

Travel about 100 km north of Addis Ababa with an English-speaking guide such as Biruk or Muluken to visit Debre Libanos Monastery, the Portuguese Bridge, and Jemma River Gorge. The private tour includes lunch, coffee with an Oromo family, hotel or airport pickup, and a chance to see Gelada baboons.

“Thanks for your help and sending Biruk to guide us through your beautiful country and people. Trip to the monastery was great and lot of historical information was given at the museum. Portuguese bridge was wonderful and we walked down to see the waterfall. The full day city tour next day to the museums was very informative.”

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

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

Leave Addis at 7 a.m. with an English-speaking guide such as Beki or Alex for Debre Libanos monastery, St. Tekle Haymanot’s cave, the Blue Nile Gorge, Portuguese Bridge, waterfalls, and Gelada baboons. Lunch, drinks, transport, entrance fees, and pickup are 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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6.DAY TRIP TO Debre Libanos Monastery Cave Church Nature and Wildlife

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

Travel privately from Addis Ababa to Debre Libanos with an English-speaking guide, a modern air-conditioned minivan, lunch, and a coffee ceremony included. Expect mountain views, a short uphill walk to the church and holy-water site, the Portuguese Bridge, possible baboon sightings, and about nine hours on the road.

“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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7.Private Day Trip to Debre Libanos Portuguese Bridge Galada Baboon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $199

Leave Addis Ababa in a small group of up to six for Debre Libanos, the Jemma River gorge, and the 16th-century Portuguese Bridge. You’ll look for Gelada baboons, taste Ethiopian tej, and finish with Mount Entoto views. Guides including Luel and Samuel have led this outing.

“We left in the morning with Luel for an incredible day of sightseeing around Addis Ababa. It was possible to see the workers in the fields and the small villages on the side of the road. After 2 hours of travel, we arrived at the Debre Libanos Read more”

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8.Day Trip From Addis Ababa To Debre Libanos & Blue Nile Gorge

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 8 reviews · from $117

Travel from Addis Ababa into Ethiopia’s highlands to visit the 13th-century Debre Libanos Monastery, see the Portuguese-style bridge, and explore the Jemma Gorge area. Hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, Ethiopian lunch, tea, coffee, and a local guide are included. Guide Becki may be available.

“The driver was wonderful-even bought me dinner and refused to accept my share. The sights were great too.”

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9.Day Trip Debre Libanos Bule Nile George and Portugal Bridge

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $110

Travel from Addis Ababa through Mount Entoto’s forests to Debre Libanos, then the Blue Nile Gorge and Portuguese Bridge. Guides such as Tamrat, Nebeu, Tilahun, Mig, and Abraham explain Ethiopia’s history, churches, wildlife, and traditions. Hotel or airport pickup, entry fees, water, and coffee are included.

“From start to finish this tour was pretty amazing ! We were greeted by our guide Tamrat and his driver . Both were super nice . After we were picked up we went through the city and many villages until we reached the monastery . Tamrat talkeRead more”

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10.Debre Libanos and Portuguese bridge

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · from $130

Leave Addis Ababa at 7:00 a.m. for Debre Libanos, the Jemma Gorge, its famous Portuguese bridge, and an Orthodox monastery linked to Saint Teclehaimanot. A guide, pickup, mobile ticket, and groups of up to 10 make this an easy full-day outing, with chances to see Geladas and Ethiopian birds.

“Very reliable agency. Other travelers cancelled and they made a private tour for me. Excellent communication. Great professional guide. Trip was amazing. Loved it! Recommended!”

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11.Perfect Escape from Busy Addis Ababa: Debre Libanos & Blue Nile Gorge excursions

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $145

Leave Addis Ababa at 7:00 am for Debre Libanos and the Portuguese Bridge. Your guide, including Alex on one reported departure, leads you through church art, a holy-water cave, gorge views, and possible Gelada baboon sightings. Expect about 5 to 7 hours, moderate walking, photo stops, and pickup.

“We were picked up at our hotel at 7 AM by our courteous and knowledgeable guide, Alex. The drive to the sites took about 2 hours from Addis Ababa through the countryside of Ethiopia where we stopped for photos of the magnificent vieRead more”

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12.DebreLibanos & Portuguese Bridge day trip from Addis Ababa

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5 reviews · 1 day · from $141

Travel from Addis Ababa to Debre Libanos and the Portuguese Bridge in a comfortable vehicle with an English-speaking guide such as Joe or Joseph. Expect a long but scenic day, a monastery visit, gorge views, a walk across the historic bridge, Ethiopian lunch, and pickup coordination the day before.

“Joe was a wonderful guide. He maneuvered through the traffic very well and kept us informed about where we were and what we were seeing. I would recommend this trip. It is a long drive but very interesting scenery along the way. The monastery has some beautiful stained glass windows. The canyon with the falls and the Portuguese bridge were absolutely beautiful. Joseph served us a lovely lunch overlooking the canyon.”

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13.Debre Libanos Monastery & Scenic Portuguese Bridge Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 8 hours · from $103

Leave Addis Ababa for Debre Libanos with guide Danny and driver Abush. Visit the monastery, see Saint Tekle Haymanot’s cave, cross the Portuguese Bridge, look for Gelada baboons, enjoy Ethiopian lunch and coffee, and return after about eight hours.

“It was a wonderful trip through which I experienced natural and local life outside the city. The drive takes about two and a half hours. The areas are beautiful — you’ll see nature and culture. It was just the driver, the guide, and me. They were helpful, kind, always smiling, and ready to assist with anything you need, so don’t worry! My tips are: 1. Wear light clothing — the weather will be warm to mild. 2. For me, the journey, the natural scenery, and the local life were more important than the specific sites. 3. I suggested to the guide that he change the car if possible, as it’s…”

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14.Day Trip From Addis Ababa To Debre Libanos and Portuguese Bridge

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $100

Travel north from Addis Ababa with a private guide to Debre Libanos, a monastery, waterfall, caves, and a 1,000-meter gorge. Walk across an old bridge, spot birds, and visit the Portuguese Bridge. Pickup, brunch, entrance fees, and an air-conditioned vehicle are included.

“We took a day trip (family of 5) to the monastery, cave and 13th century Portuguese Bridge with my mother Danakil Depression Tours picked us up at our residence and took us north. While on the trip there the tour guide was very informRead more”

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15.Monastic Marvels Exploring the beauty of Debre Libanos Monastery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $120

Leave Addis Ababa at 7:30 AM for Debre Libanos with guide Lames. Visit the Orthodox church, an unusual museum, Tekla Haimanot’s cave, and holy-water source, then walk to the Portuguese Bridge for waterfall views, Chelada baboons, and birdwatching. Lunch, transport, entrance fees, and hotel pickup are included.

“If you have an extra day in Addis and would like to get out of town, this is a great day trip to visit a historic monastery and take a short hike to visit the picturesque Portuguese Bridge. Ethio Top Land Tours did an excellent job – the guide LamesRead more”

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