The churches (11) are impressive and beautiful and a must in Lalibela. Why else would you go there??? Entrance fee in May 2013 is 50 USD for foreigners (you can of course also pay birr) and the ticket is valid for 5 days. We did the churches in two days, starting with the Eastern group and St. George's church (the... More

Great place ruined by the greed of the priests running it. I’m alarmed that UNESCO allows such thievery to exist at a World Heritage Site. With fees that have increased from $5 to $20 and then to $50 in recent years, visitors feel ripped off and hesitant to further support the local community. It would be one thing if the... More

The whole town complete with churches is a delightful adventure that far surpasses a theme park in the USA. The $50.00 fee seems steep, but it pays for upkeep, many jobs in a very poor community and if you are there! A guide is worth the 400 birr. You will learn many things otherwise overlooked. There is a fascinating MARKET... More

My time in Lalibela was nothing short of spectacular. From the churches to the vistas, it was the best part of my Ethiopian adventure. Cutting to the chase, make sure you ask for the guide named Ababa. He's born and bred in the mountain town and offers great advice and information regarding not only the churches, but the things one... More

Yes. The churches are very special. In that sense I can support the other reviews. But the entrance fee of 50 dollars is really spoiling it. I don't mind paying a fair entrance fee of say 20 dollars, but this is simply of limits. The worse thing is that according to the people I spoke, nothing is really going to... More

Out flight arrived in the morning at around 10. We toured the churches for about an hour until they closed for lunch, then picked up again the afternoon, hitting all of them. We flew out again the next morning. I think that schedule is really all you need to enjoy these amazing churches. We saw people who had booked three... More

the top tourist attraction in all of Ethiopia, even with the recent price hike (from 350 birr to 910 per person entry) it is well worth it. This magnificent collection of 11 churches is worth the $50 fee and definitely opt for a guide. You can get for as low as 150birr/person depending on group size. We paid 250 birr... More

The Lalibela Rock Hewn Churches are indeed an attractive tourist site at otherwise non affluent Northern Ethiopia. Recently the authorities, whoever they in detail may be, have found fit to increase the access fees to those heritage churches fivefold compared with former admission fees of 200 BIR (about 10 US$) to an unbelievable 50 US$ (925 BIR) per person which... More

Before I go into do's, donts and be carefuls, it's only right to start with a summary. Entrance fee is 50 USD which is a totally extortionate price. Even the locals, hotel owners, shop owners are complaining as visitor numbers drop, yes people refuse at the entrance and walk off. For those who do pay they are now generally 1... More