Bahir Dar rewards the broke traveller: the lakeshore, the Blue Nile outflow bridge, the Abay riverside path and the monkey-filled university campus all cost nothing. Sleep in Kebele 11 guesthouses, eat 40-birr firfir, and cross town by 10-birr bajaj.
The palm-and-jacaranda avenue running the full southern shore from Tana Hotel to the Blue Nile bridge. Free, open all hours, busiest 06:00-09:00 with joggers and coffee sellers. Fishermen land tilapia on the shingle beaches beside the walkway.
The lakeside Peda campus is open to walk-ins during daylight and hosts a resident troop of vervet monkeys in the fig trees along the shore path. Students eat at the cafeteria for 20-30 birr and the shaded lawns run right down to the water.
The old bridge where the Blue Nile leaves Lake Tana. Hippos surface in the reed channel upstream most afternoons and papyrus tankwa boats pole past. Standing on the bridge and the earth path on the north bank costs nothing.
The hill road climbing south of town to the former imperial palace. The palace itself is closed, but the public road and the ridge before the gate give a free panorama over Lake Tana, the Blue Nile bend and the whole city grid at sunset.
The sprawling daily market south of the centre. Saturday is the big day when highland farmers bring grain, spices and shemma cloth. Berbere sells by the cup for 30-50 birr, roasted coffee beans around 250 birr a kilo. Entry is free.
A no-frills Amharic eatery in the town centre where beyaynetu (the fasting platter of lentil, cabbage and shiro on injera) runs 80-120 birr and shiro alone about 70. Full on Wednesdays and Fridays when the whole city eats fasting food.
The dense residential quarter behind the bus station where most of the cheap guesthouses sit at 400-700 birr a night. Women roast coffee on charcoal in the doorways and serve a cup with popcorn for 10-20 birr on low stools in the street.
Neighbourhood tej houses serve fermented honey wine in the round-bottomed berele flask for 40-70 birr, with roasted barley to chew alongside. No menus, no English signs — look for the plastic jerrycans and the crowd of men on wooden benches.
Local fishermen at the shore landing east of Tana Hotel paddle traditional papyrus tankwa boats and will take a passenger along the reed line for a negotiated 100-200 birr — a fraction of the 1,500-birr-plus motorboat monastery tours.
Rough shacks on the riverbank grill and fry Lake Tana tilapia pulled out that morning. A whole grilled fish with bread and awaze chilli paste is 120-180 birr, fish soup around 60. Cash only, plastic chairs, no signage in English.
Public minibuses leave the Tis Abay stand for the 30km run to the falls village for 60-80 birr each way, roughly hourly until mid-afternoon. The village, the Portuguese bridge approach path and the gorge rim views cost nothing to walk.
The city's main Orthodox church compound opens its gates to walkers at no charge, with chanting from the debtera drifting out at dusk. Families then drift to the free shore benches below, where kolo and sugarcane sell for 10-20 birr.