Bahir Dar

City:	Bahir Dar
Location:	Africa > Ethiopia

What’s Plugged?

The Nile Bridge

Bahir Dar Market

Amhara Martyrs’ Memorial and Museum

Bahir Dar Giyorgis ChurchBetre Mariam MonasteryUra Kidane Mihret Monastery

Half-Day Lake Tana Boat Tour

Lake Tana Walk 1 Lake Tana Walk 2

Blue Nile Falls

Ethio Star Hotel

Dib Anbessa Hotel RestaurantEthio Star Hotel RestaurantLakeshore RestaurantSky Café and RestaurantSummerland Hotel RestaurantWawi Restaurant

Flavour SupermarketTigist Supermarket

Bahir Dar Airport

Bahir Dar to Tis Abay (Blue Nile Falls)

Bahir Dar Bus Station

ET 120 (Bahir Dar to Lalibela)

Reviews & Amenities

Top Descriptions

Bahir Dar is firmly on the historical circuit, and on paper it’s easy to see why. The city has a prime location on the shores of Lake Tana and is within easy enough reach of the monasteries that lie farther afield. It is also not far from the impressive Blue Nile Falls. Being a city also means better access to amenities, and there’s more than one passable supermarket that you can stock up at as well as semi-decent access to internet cafes and banking. There also seems to be a wider array of dining options here, though as in other locations in Ethiopia you really shouldn’t expect the majority of what’s on the menu to actually be in stock! Where Bahir Dar fails on the ground is that it’s just not a particularly relaxing place to be a tourist in. Aside from the lakeshore walks, the city’s close proximity to sites-of-interest means an increase in touts and hawkers, some of who can be quite conniving and persistent. The appalling condition of some buses also means that you’ll be more likely to want to take prearranged ‘tours’, many of which are simply poorly organised, difficult to organise, and/or not great value for money. Nevertheless, being within easy overland distance of Gondar, means that you’ll no doubt come here. And you should, if nothing else but to make up your own mind about the place. – Daniel

If you’ve written a description for Bahir Dar you’d like to share with the community, send it to [email protected] and we’ll post it right here in the directory.

Top Tips

Don’t rush into agreeing to any excursions upon arrival in Bahir Dar. Touts seem to be particularly dishonest here with regards to Lake Tana and Blue Nile Falls trips.

If you need a break from the centre of Bahir Dar, make sure to try out Lake Tana Walk 1 or Lake Tana Walk 2. Strolls along the lakeshore can be quite pleasant indeed.

If you can get the Ethiopian Airlines discount, consider flying to Lalibela. It’s cheap and considerably faster than the awkward bus connection via Gashena.

If you have a tip about Bahir Dar and would like to share that information with the community, contact [email protected] and we’ll post it right here in the directory.

The City

What should we know?

Name in local script:	ባሕር ዳር
Also known as:	Bahar Dar, Sea Shore
Tour operator(s):	Add Data
Rental operator(s):	Add Data
Port(s):	Bahir Dar Airport
Station(s):	Bahir Dar Bus Station
Terminal(s):	Add Data
Environment type:	lake
Location type:	city, town, urban
Religion type:	Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity

What can we see or do there?

Events:	Add Data
Services:	Add Data
Shops:	Flavour Supermarket	Tigist Supermarket
Animals:	hippos
Birds:	marabou storks

How much will it cost us?

Currency:	Ethiopian Birr (ETB)
Average daily budget:	ETB590

When should we go there, and for how long?

Average time taken:	5 nights
High season:	September to January
Low season:	July, August

How can we get in contact?

Language(s):	Amharic, English
Timezone:	UTC+03:00
Country calling code:	251

How can we get there?

Coordinates:	11.60044, 37.38813
Geographical feature:	Blue Nile Falls, Lake Tana

The Directions

If you know how to get to Bahir Dar and would like to share that information with the community, contact [email protected] and we’ll post it right here in the directory.

The Directions

If you know how to get to Bahir Dar and would like to share that information with the community, contact [email protected] and we’ll post it right here in the directory.

The Directions

If you know how to get to Bahir Dar and would like to share that information with the community, contact [email protected] and we’ll post it right here in the directory.

What are the numbers and averages?

Number of attractions visited:	10
Travel time to attractions:	45 minutes
Travel time to next location:	5 hours
Size:	Add Data
Altitude:	1,800m

What else would be good to know?

Wikipedia:	Bahir Dar
Wikitravel:	Bahir Dar
Tripadvisor:	Add Data
Local tourism:	Ethio Visit
Emergency service(s):	Add Data
Travel advisories:	UK Government
Healthcare:	Add Data
Weather:	AccuWeather
News:	Add Data
Public holidays:	Time and Date

Local Availability

Local Cuisine

Bahir Dar Forum

Please use this forum to tell us about any new or out-of-date information about Bahir Dar or to ask or answer any questions specific to this page. Or join our World Forum for more general information.

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