Bahir Dar, Ethiopia – a complete travel guide

Welcome to my travel guide to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Bahir Dar is the capital city of the Amhara region of north-western Ethiopia and is one of the country’s leading tourist destinations.  It is an ideal base from which to explore Lake Tana, the Zege Peninsula and the Blue Nile Falls.  The city is known for its wide avenues lined with palm trees and public gardens planted with colourful flowers and is a clean and well-maintained conurbation by African standards.   In 2002, Bahir Dar was awarded the UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize for addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization.

Due to its bustling tourism industry, Bahir Dar has numerous hotels, pool halls, bars, fresh juice shops, and restaurants.

In this article, I will tell you all you need to know about Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.  For information on other places to visit in this amazing country, as well as travel tips, please read my Complete Ethiopia Travel Guide.

Getting to Bahir Dar

Domestic Flight

Ethiopia has a surprisingly extensive network of domestic flights operated by Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s most respected airline.  There are two or three flights a day from the capital Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar.  The flight takes about an hour and costs from $US60 one way.  It is also possible to fly to and from Lalibela.

Find your flights

By Bus

From Addis Ababa

There is a public bus service which runs between Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar.  It leaves from the Mercato bus station in the capital at 6am each morning and takes between 12 and 15 hours.  A ticket costs 125 Birr one way ($US4.20).

There are two private bus companies offering more comfortable options.  Sky Bus has two daily departures, leaving at 5am and 7am.  Selam Bus leaves at 5.30am every morning.  Both companies charge 340 Birr ($US12) for a one-way ticket.

Many minibuses make the journey from Addis to Bahir Dar.  They usually travel at night and complete the journey in as little as eight hours.  They are notoriously dangerous, however, and are best avoided.

From Gondar

There are two public bus services each day between Bahir Dar and Gondar.  The journey takes around three hours and a one-way ticket costs 75 Birr ($US2.50).

Minibuses run every hour and cost around 90 Birr ($US3).

Getting Around in Bahir Dar

Bajajs, three-wheel rickshaws, are the most common form of transport in the city.   It costs around 20 Birr ($US0.60) to get anywhere in the town centre.  Many drivers will try to charge tourists a higher price so be prepared to haggle!

Bahir Dar is quite flat and has wide streets making it excellent for cycling.   You can hire bikes at various places.  Bike repair shops offer the cheapest option.  They charge about 20 Birr an hour for a decent enough bike.  If you want a more modern bike, you should try one of the tour operators near the port.  Expect to pay around 50 Birr an hour to rent a bike from them.

Things to Do and See in Bahir Dar

Take a Tour

While it is perfectly possible to explore Bahir Dar independently, why not book a tour and let someone else take care of the logistics?

Whenever we visit a new city, we try to book tours with local guides.  There’s no better way to get under the skin of a place!  We use Viator when we want to uncover interesting things to do in a new city.  They’re easy to use and book with, and we’ve had some amazing experiences with them.

Check out these tours:

Lake Tana is Ethiopia’s largest lake, measuring 95km from north to south and covering over 3500 square kilometres.  Its waters are the source of the Blue Nile, which flows 5223 km north to the Mediterranean Sea.

If you take a boat trip, ask the ‘driver’ to take you to the place where the river flows out of the lake.  It is very atmospheric, and probably the best place to spot hippos.  You can also reach this place by bike, leaving the city on the east-bound road and turning left after the bridge onto a cobblestone lane.  This becomes a dirt road that you follow for about 1.5km until you reach a lush green area with plenty of birds and cattle grazing and a great view of the Blue Nile as it leaves Lake Tana.

The Blue Nile Falls, or Tis Abay in Amharic, is about 35 km from Bahir Dar.  It is well worth a visit.  If you are travelling independently rather than as part of a tour, you can catch a public bus from the new bus station near Bahir Dar Stadium to the village of Tis Abay and then walk from there.  A ticket costs 15 Birr each way and takes around 90 minutes.  The first bus leaves Bahir Dar at 7am each morning and the last one departs from Tis Abay at 5pm.

We loved our day trip to the Blue Nile Falls – read all about it here or click the box below:

Check out this video shot by a couple who camped out for a night by the falls.  It includes some great drone footage!

Visit the Zege Peninsula

The Zege Peninsula, on the southwest shores of Lake Tana, is home to a number of monasteries, many of which have well-preserved, stunningly beautiful murals.

If you don’t want to take a tour, you can reach Zege by public boat.  It leaves at 7am each morning and costs 59 Birr ($US2) each way.  You should arrive at the Marine Authority by 6.30am to buy your ticket.  The boat stops first by the nearest monastery and then goes on to the town of Afaf.  It’s possible to get off, explore the monasteries by the shore, and then walk to Afaf (it will take about 40 minutes) to catch the evening boat back to Bahir Dar.

We visited the Zege Peninsula as part of our tour around Ethiopia.  You can read about our experience here or click the button below:

READ ABOUT OUR VISIT TO THE ZEGE PENINSULA

Buy Souvenirs

Bahir Dar has a huge, colourful market that is open every day.  Saturday is the busiest day and Sunday is the quietest.  There is lots of imported tat, but you can also find beautiful vibrant local fabrics, aromatic spices and delicious organic honey.

The local speciality is small footstools covered in goat hide.  They are very attractive as well as being practical.  Sellers are happy to remove the stuffing for you if you want to buy some to take home.

Experience the Local Nightlife

Bahir Dar has lots of restaurants and bars serving western-style food and drinks to a soundtrack of international pop music, but it’s so much more fun to experience a night out as the locals do with comedy, rhythmic sounds, shoulder dancing and tej, a local honey wine.

Read about one such night that we enjoyed here or click this button:

READ ABOUT OUR NIGHT OUT IN BAHIR DAR

Bahir Dar Hotels

There is a good selection of hotels in Bahir Dar.  Nowhere is expensive with double rooms starting at around $US20 a night.  The ones I have chosen here are all in the city centre and have consistently good customer reviews.  Remember that you are in Africa and running water and electricity may not always be available!

Unison Hotel and Spa

The Unison Hotel and Spa scores highly for its central location and the fact that it is great value for money.  The rooms are spacious and well-equipped, with a desk, flat-screen TV, ensuite facilities and a seating area.  There is free wi-fi available throughout the hotel.  The hotel restaurant serves a good buffet breakfast.  Guests can borrow bikes free of charge to explore the city independently.  There is a nightclub on site so you might want to ask for a room away from the music.  A double room costs around $US32 per night for two people.

Check reviews and prices on Booking.com.

Rahnile Hotel

 

The Rahnile Hotel gets consistently good reviews from guests, especially about the clean, spacious rooms and the friendly staff.  The restaurant has a range of breakfast options including continental, Italian, full English/Irish, vegetarian, American, and buffet!  The coffee served with all of these is exceptionally good!  The hotel has a garden, a terrace, a bar, and a lounge for guests to relax in.  Expect to pay around $US43 per night for a double room for two people including breakfast.

Check reviews and prices on Booking.com.

Delano Hotel

 

Conveniently located close to the Bahir Dar International Stadium, the Delano Hotel offers free WiFi throughout the hotel and a sauna and spa for guests to enjoy.  The restaurant offers both Ethiopian and Western meals.  Every room has a dining area and satellite TV.  The hotel has a bar and a garden where guests can relax.  There’s even a children’s play area if you are travelling with your family.  A double room for two people will cost around $40 a night.

Check reviews and prices on Booking.com.

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