Lebanon Discovery

On arrival into to Beirut International Airport you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel for check in. The rest of the day is free to settle in and explore the busy surrounding Hamra district of the city.

Today we’ll spend the full day in South Lebanon. We kick off in Tyre - 85km from Beirut - which is known as the greatest of the Phoenician city-states, with its golden age coming during the reign of Hiram, the most famous of the Tyrian kings. Today, UNESCO lists Tyre as a World Heritage Site.

Your next stop is Sidon, or Saida, another important Phoenician city-state. Saida is a rapidly-growing town and the administrative and commercial capital of Lebanon’s south, but its original wealth came from the murex trade producing valuable purple dyes, as well as glass manufacture, which was some of the best in the world at the time. The town has one of Lebanon's best old souks which you can spend time exploring, tasting some of the many local drinks and snacks on offer. You can also visit the Crusader Sea castle, Khan El Franj (Inn of the Foreigners) and the Great mosque before returning to Beirut

You have a busy day today, starting with a tour of Beirut itself. Beirut is a city of contrasts, with beautiful architecture and small houses nestling in the shadows of tall modern buildings. The city also still shows the signs of its more recent troubled past. You'll pass through Downtown and the Corniche, and see the Pigeon Grotto.

Leaving Beirut, you head into the countryside and your first view of Lebanon's famous Cedar forests in the hills of the Barouk Nature Reserve. The reserve contains the cedar forests of Barouk, Maaser el Shouf and Ain Zhalta-Bmohray and is an Important Bird Area (IBA) and Ecotourism area, hosting 32 species of wild mammals, 200 species of birds and 500 species of plants. There'll be time for a short walk amongst the cedars before you continue through teh Chouf Mountains to Deir El Qamar. Translating literally as 'monastery of the moon', this charming village once served as the capital of Lebanon in the 17th century. Your next stop is the nearby Beiteddine Palace which was built in the 19th century over a period of 30 years by Emir Bechir II Chehabi around a former Druze hermitage. Today it counts as one of the best surviving examples of old Lebanese architecture. You finish the tour today at the village of Zahle on the edge of the Bekaa Valley.

You start today with a drive through the fertile Bekaa valley to Baalbek - called Heliopolis or “the City of the Sun” by the Greeks and Romans. This site is quite possibly the best preserved of any ancient temple complex in the Middle East and one of Lebanon's best highlights. Many of the temple buildings are still largely intact having survived earthquakes, wars and the stresses of time.

Next, continue to visit Anjar, the only significant Umayyad site in Lebanon, which was founded in the 8th century by the Caliph Walid following a Roman city plan. The presence of its palaces, bath houses and mosques lead historians to believe that this was an Imperial residence, while its location and the find of around 600 different shops also strongly indicates that the main purpose of the settlement was commercial.

You finish the day at the Ksara caves, which today form an important part of the Chateau Ksara winery, which still uses the 2km system of underground caves to store its wine. Winemaking has been carried out in Lebanon for around 5000 years and it is believed that the Romans also used these caves to store wines. The temple of the Roman god of wine, Bacchus, is at nearby Baalbek. Jesuit priests started the Chateau Ksara winery in 1857 and it has grown over the years, especially following the period of French governance, to feature grape varieties such as carignan, muscat and ugni blank. The climate of the Bekaa Valley makes it perfect for growing grapes, and the Chateau is now perhaps most famous for cabernet sauvignon and syrah blends which are popular with wine connoisseurs worldwide. Your tour there will include a visit to the Chateau and the caves, and wine tastings (and purchases) are available following the tour.

Note: During the winter season we will return to Beirut from Ksara and spend the night there, rather than in Zahle.

You'll leave the Bekaa Valley today and head up on a scenic drive through the mountains up steep roads with some sharp switchbacks to the Col des Cedres (2581m) before descending slightly to the Cedars Ski Resort and a small grove of Lebanese cedars (Cedrus Libani). These groves are part of the original extensive forest that once covered the whole of the Mount Lebanon range. The trees are mentioned in the Old Testament and are the country's national symbol.

After stretching your legs at the Cedars, you continue driving on winding roads through the mountains to Becharre which is famed for being the birthplace of Khalil Gibran, Lebanon’s most celebrated literary figure, author of “The Prophet”. The picturesque museum of Khalil Gibran has excellent views out over the Qadisha valley and contains hundreds of his paintings and manuscripts.

In the afternoon you explore the nearby Qadisha Valley, also known as the Holy Valley where the early Maronite community established itself. The valley is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has steep sides dotted with springs, waterfalls and many ancient monasteries and churches. The valley is a popular hiking spot and you can spend time this afternoon taking to some of the trails before heading to your hotel in the Cedars or Becharre.

Note: During the winter months you will do your Beirut city tour this morning and then drive to the Qadisha Valley and on to the Cedars from the west, rather than from the eastern side of the mountains.

There are more scenic highlights today, as you head down from the hills to Tannourine and take a short walk to the spectacular Baatara Sinkhole. This Jurassic limestone gorge here has 3 natural rock bridges, and in spring the melting snow from the nearby mountains creates a waterfall that descends 255 metres into the sinkhole below. You can extend your walk through the countryside here, or visit the nearby village of Douma. A traditional Lebanese lunch is included today before you continue on to Byblos for a relaxing afternoon. If you'd like more time hiking in the Qadisha Valley, you could do that this morning before visiting Baatara Gorge in the afternoon en-route to Byblos.

The final visits included on your tour are a short drive from Byblos, including a cable car trip up to the Basilica at Harissa where you can enjoy great views of the Middle East's most beautiful bay. Our other stop is to explore the cave system at the Jeita Grotto. The upper and lower galleries here contain one of the world’s largest and beautiful collections of stalactites and stalagmites. Depending on the season and water levels the tour here explores the caves both on foot and by boat.

The rest of your afternoon is then free to explore the coastal town of Byblos - reputed to be the world’s oldest continually inhabited city. Nowadays, its charming Phoenician harbour, popular cafe culture, and the rich archaeological and historical heritage make Byblos one of the most enchanting places to visit in Lebanon.

Your time is free to explore Byblos further and do some final sightseeing or souvenir shopping before we transfer you to Beirut airport for your departure flight (approx. 45 min drive). The tour can also be extended to add more time in Byblos or elsewhere in Lebanon if you wish.