Historic sites
Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela
Lalibela, Amhara
Eleven medieval churches carved down into solid rock in the 12th and 13th centuries, a UNESCO site and a living pilgrimage centre.
Travel tips in Ethiopia
Walks and treks
Simien Mountains
Debark’, Amhara
A dramatic plateau of jagged peaks and deep valleys, a UNESCO site, home of gelada baboons, walia ibex and the Ethiopian wolf.
Historic sites
Aksum
Tigray
The capital of the ancient Aksumite Empire, with giant stone stelae (obelisks), royal tombs, and the Church of St Mary of Zion, said to hold the Ark …
Natural features
Bale Mountains
Oromia
The Sanetti Plateau, the largest area of high Afro-alpine land in Africa, is the best place to see the rare Ethiopian wolf.
Natural features
Danakil Depression
Afar
One of the hottest places on earth, below sea level, with the yellow and green sulphur springs of Dallol, salt flats where camel caravans carry slabs…
Historic sites
Gondar castles
Gondar, Amhara
A royal enclosure of 17th-century castles built by Ethiopian emperors, a UNESCO site, and the church of Debre Berhan Selassie with its ceiling of pai…
Attractions
Addis Ababa and the National Museum
Addis Ababa
The museum holds the 3.2 million-year-old skeleton of 'Lucy' (a replica on display, the original in a vault).