Lake Tana and Bahir Dar

Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and the largest lake in Ethiopia. Boat trips from Bahir Dar reach island monasteries such as Kebran Gabriel, Ura Kidane Mihret on the Zege peninsula, and, on a longer day, Tana Cherkos. The paintings inside are centuries old.

Bahir Dar itself has the lake shore, a wide boulevard, and the Saturday market. Most visitors sleep here and add the Blue Nile Falls as a separate morning. Hotels line the lake and the road into town.