Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

Amazing and interesting facts we learn from our guide . Now I know everything in Ethiopia has a meaning related to religion . Even we go at sunrise to the church with locals which are celebrating St.George day. Lalibela is magic . Worth it every penny to go and visit that special place especially for Ethiopians .

Beautiful place. The ticket price is $100 per person. I think it's too much. Before entering there, everyone recommended us a guide of 20 dollars per person but eventually we went alone and found the guide inside for 700 bir per person. We saw all the churches in one day. I recommend :)

The entrance price went up to $100 in August 2024 and if you’re not on an organized tour expect to pay another $30 per day for a guide and then be prepared to have scores of people offer to ‘help’ or watch your flip flops when you have to leave them or just plain ask for money. It ruins the experience somewhat but Lalibela is special. Can’t help but wonder at the precision and craftsmanship of each of the rock hewn churches. I could have spent a few days exploring here but best seen during a Sunday service or a pilgrimage.

World heritage site so worth a visit to be sure. Internal conflicts in Northern Ethiopia have decimated the tourism industry here which means there are no visitors and the economy is suffering. That also means that there are no crowds!! (When I went 12/2023 - there had been no violence for 4 months. Please check before you go to make sure it is still safe.) The churches are beautiful and the people lovely. Tickets are 100$ and my guide was 30$/day.

Rock hewin churches of Lalibela is found the Eastern part of Amhara region. Lalibela was the political center of for along time and built by the Zagwe dynasty called kink Lalibela. Lalibela consists 11th rock hewin churches which are built from a single rock individually. The annual celebration of Lalibela is on December 21.

What a site to behold- literally. It’s amazing to walk around these churches that are still being used. Very impressive

It’s an amazing place. The 100$ ticket is indeed extortionate. It is good for 5 days. Please be aware this town is filled with scammers and harassers looking for money. Sadly, it is best to not trust anyone in Lalibela. Even a priest at the church tried to scam us, pretending our ticket was only good for 3 days. By the way, 30-60 usd per group seems to be a fair market price for 24 hours of pre-arranged guide service, you may be able to find cheaper negotiating at the ticket office. 3-5 hours should be plenty to see everything

Despite the awe-inspiring nature of the Rock-Hewn Churches in Lalibela, which is considered one of the six wonders of the world, I must express my deep disappointment with my personal experience there. As an Ethiopian myself, it was disheartening to encounter such unprofessional and concerning behavior from the local guides. I strongly believe that both the local and federal government should collaborate to establish a transparent and standardized pricing system, clearly displayed in front of each hotel in the vicinity of this area. It is disheartening to witness individuals who should be ambassadors of their heritage instead exhibiting cunning, calculated, and overall disappointing conduct.