Monastic Marvels Exploring the beauty of Debre Libanos Monastery

Depart Addis Ababa at 07:30 AM. At slightly over 100 km from Addis Ababa, Debre Libanos is one of the best day trips from the Ethiopian capital. The church is monumental and pretty awful 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. Finally, we will take you to the Portuguese Bridge located at the Blue Nile Gorge, where you can admire the stunning landscapes and observe the unique Ethiopian endemic baboons known as Chelada Baboons. You'll also have the opportunity to spot various Ethiopian birds.