Tour of rock hewn churches

Your guide and your driver will collect you from the hotel just after lunch.

You will be taken to visit the 'first group' or cluster of the remarkable monolithic or semi-monolithic churches which represent the 'earthly Jerusalem'. This group includes Bete Medhanialem, Bete Maryam, Bete Denagel, Bete Meskel, Debre Sina, and Bete Golgotha. Standing 38 feet tall and with seventy-two pillars, Bete Medhane Alem is not only the largest of the churches in Lalibela, but is also the biggest monolithic rock-hewn church in the world. The oldest of the churches, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Bete Maryam is the only monolithic church in Lalibela that has a porch. The remains of exquisite,  early frescoes can be seen on the ceiling and upper walls, and there are many elaborately carved details on the piers and arches. Bete Golgotha houses remarkable reliefs of figures, with early Christian art that is rarely seen in other parts of Ethiopia. End the afternoon with a visit to the iconic Bete Giorgis, arguably the country's single best-known attraction. We recommend wearing trainers with a firm grip as some of the paths or rock surfaces are smooth and require a surety of foot. Also, take a torch as some of the churches are dark inside. For dinner, you will be taken to a restaurant like Ben Abeba, from where sunsets and views are spectacular!