Lebanon – 8 days tour

Itinerary

Day 1 – Beirut

• Airport pick up and drop off at our hotel.
• Overnight stay in Beirut.

Day 2 – Beirut – Mleeta (Mlita) – Tyre

• Head South into the mountains to visit the village of Mleeta.
• Highlight: Museum for Resistance Tourism, is a war museum opened by Hezbollah on May 25, 2010, marking the 10th anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
• Continue south to Tyre, the southernmost city in Lebanon, also known as Sur. Tyre is a major ancient Phoenician city and maritime power, renowned for its production of a unique purple dye.
• Explore the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Tyre – the Hippodrome and Al-Bass necropolis. Wander around the columned roads, aqueducts and water reservoirs, and the remains of Roman baths and bathrooms.
• Return to Beirut.
• Overnight stay in Beirut.

Day 3 – Beirut – Harissa — Byblos – Batroun  

• Highlight: Drive north to Jeita Grotto, a massive interconnected cave system that stretches for 9 km with chambers that reach over 100 meters high.
• Proceed to Harissa to see the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa, which is a Marian shrine and pilgrimage site in Lebanon.
• Enjoy amazing views from the Teleferique Cable Car to the see whole Jounieh Bay.
• Via Byblos we drive to Batroun to spend the evening in this small city.
• Return to Byblos.
• Overnight stay in Byblos.

Day 4 –  Byblos – Tripoli – Qadisha Valley – Bcharre

• Drive north to the second largest city of Lebanon: Tripoli.
• Highlight: Visit the Citadel of Raymond de St. Gilles, also known as the Tripoli Castle. Constructed in the early 12th century, the citadel served as a strategic stronghold during the Crusades and has since undergone various modifications.
• In downtown Tripoli, we visit the Al Mansouri Great Mosque and the Taynal Mosque, along with a walk through the old souks.
• Highlight: Continue to visit the mountains of Lebanon and experience the natural landscape of the Holy Qadisha Valley. In 1998, UNESCO added the valley to the list of World Heritage Sites because of its importance as the site of some of the earliest Christian monastic settlements in the world, and its continued example of Christian faith.
• Continue the journey to the Cedars Forest, which is one of the main tourist attractions in Lebanon. Its rich history has made this area one of the most important tourist destinations in the Middle East.
• Highlight: Head to Bcharre, the hometown of Gibran Khalil, as you’ll visit the Gibran Museum dedicated to his life and works, located at the entrance of the village, in the forest of Saint Sarkis, next to ancient monasteries and a Phoenician tomb.
• Return to Byblos.
• Overnight stay in Byblos.  

Day 5 – Byblos –Jabal Moussa & Chouwen Lake – Beirut

• Highlight: Explore Byblos –the “oldest continuously inhabited city in the world”.
• Visit the famous Crusader castle and discover beautiful churches and the old souk.
• Head to the reserve of Jabal Moussa for a hiking trip. It became part of the UNESCO Network of Biosphere Reserves under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) program in 2009. Jabal Moussa and its surroundings present spiritual and historical sites, including Adonis Valley as the site of the death of the god Adonis according to Phoenician mythology..
• Return South to Beirut.
• Overnight stay in Beirut.

Day 6 – Beirut – Sidon – Deir Al Qamar – Beirut

• Highlight: we take you on a one-hour drive from Beirut to Sidon, an important commercial center with a wealth of history. The city’s narrow alleyways and traditional souks where we will visit the Soap Museum.
• Proceed to visit Deir Al Qamar village which resembles an open-air museum. From the 16th to 18th centuries, the picturesque village served as the residence of the Ottoman-appointed governors of Lebanon, beginning with Fakhreddin II.
• Highlight: Continue your journey to Beiteddine Palace. As for the palace of Emir Amine, which dominates the Beiteddine complex; it was beautifully restored and converted into a luxury hotel by the Ministry of Tourism.
• Overnight stay in Beirut.

Day 7 -Beirut – Baalbek – Anjar – Beirut

• Drive to the world-renowned Baalbek located in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley.
• Highlight: Visit the Roman ruins of Baalbek, the site is a dedication to the gods of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, and was classed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
• Explore Anjar and its showpiece – the Umayyad ruins. Wander through this fascinating complex: remnants of an 8th-century palace city ruled by the Ummayad dynasty; ruined temples, arcades and gates built in Hellenistic and Roman style.
• At the end, we will take you to Ksara Winery where you will visit the caves and have a wine tasting.
• Return to Beirut.
• Overnight stay in Beirut.

Day 8 – Beirut

• Airport drop off.
• End of the tour.