Axum

Get around

Bajaj (blue, three-wheeler motorised rickshaws with 250cc two-stroke engines imported from India) charge tourists about 20 birr for short trips around town. For the Lioness of Gobodra and the Judith (Gudit) Stelae Field, instead of hiring one of the ultra-expensive tourist minibuses, you can catch a minibus going in the direction of Shire (there are many early in the morning) and ask them to drop you at the Lioness of Gobodra turnoff and catch another one back. The Lioness is not easy to find on your own but a group of children will soon appear who will guide you, and they should be compensated appropriately.

See

thumb|Northern Stelae Field thumb|The Great Stele weighed more than 500 tonnes when quarried and dressed 4 km away - how ever was it moved!?! thumb|Chapel of the Tablet, at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Zion

An combined archaeological ticket costs 300 birr (May 2019). Tickets are available from the tourist commission off the roundabout 400 m south of the Northern Stelae Field is valid for three days.

Do

According to the sign by the fig tree near the churches complex, a replica Ark of the Covenant is paraded on the first seven days of each month according to the Ethiopian calendar, at 21:00. This means 03:00 by the standard clock. Other sources say 05:00 but nothing was happening at 05:00 GMT+3 on 3 May 2019. Even if you don't get to see the Ark of the Covenant just sitting under the fig tree is a must do activity.

Buy

There is an ATM that accepts Visa cards at Wegagen Bank.

Eat

Africa Hotel (see the Sleep section below) has a large, clean restaurant where a steak club sandwich with lettuce and tomato together with chips cost 30 birr in June 2013. Traditional and other "international" dishes are also served and their bar has a large screen LCD TV if you want to watch some soccer or the manic, shoulder-shaking style of the local dances. Pizza Restaurant, turn north one block east of the Africa Hotel into the street that leads to the Remhai Hotel and this small place is on the right of the street. A large pizza, "but-not-as-we-know-it-in Italy, Croatia, Canada or Singapore", cost 60 birr in June 2013. Kuda juice is a fun place to eat is local food, Italian food and even some Mexican. Popular with locals and tourists

Drink

Underground near the Ambassador Hotel on the west side of town. Large selection of imported spirits. Zebra also near the Ambassador Hotel, stays open until about 03:00. Reasonable prices for drinks with a Dashen or St George beer costing 20 birr and popular with the ladies. DJ and dancing every night. Yeha Hotel is a great place to have a few drinks. The terrace overlooks the Northern Stelae filed. The views are so good the locals come here for their wedding photos.

Sleep

Consolar Hotel (sic) Business style hotel with decent restaurant and free wifi Kaleb Hotel. 400 birr for a twin room. Good location midway between the sights and the restaurants, a bit of a walk from both. Nice garden but they play loud music. Worthless Wi-Fi. The food takes an hour to arrive. The bar has slow service because the barmaid does not have access to the cashbox, which is in a different room. Yeha Hotel, government-owned hotel overlooking the Northern Stele field from US$55. Good restaurant with mediocre service. Excellent view from terrace.

Go next

By minibus to Shire (40 birr), Adwa (around 26 birr)

By minibus to Yeha to see a temple from a pre-Christian and pre-Aksumite civilization, a church, and a small museum