Adventure in Lebanon

Welcome to Lebanon, one of the most charming destinations in western Asia! Our driver will wait for you at the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport in advance according to your flight landing time. After you are met, he will escort you to our prepared downtown hotel and assist you in checking in.

The rest of the day is up to you. You can wander around on your own and find some interesting places. Otherwise you can rest in the hotel to recover from the fatigue of the long flight and prepare for the upcoming in-depth adventure tour of Lebanon.

Accommodation: Gems Hotel 

After breakfast, our guide and driver will greet you at the hotel lobby. We will begin a full day tour of downtown Beirut, learning about the city's highlights. Today's first stop is the National Museum, which displays artifacts from the Stone Age to Iron Age, including Roman sculptures and sarcophagi with exquisite reliefs. The basement of the museum even features a restoration of the tomb of a king named Tyre. Our knowledgeable guide will lead you to appreciate the treasure of the museum – the Phoenician Alphabet Tablet, which is very precious as it is the origin of the modern English alphabet. Getting out of the museum, we’ll visit the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque and the Saint Georges Maronite Cathedral next to it.

After lunch, take a stroll to the Beirut Souks which features a remarkable Clock Tower. Then follow our guide to step into the American University of Lebanon, one of the country’s most prestigious universities. Known as the Harvard of the Middle East, it has the highest level of teaching and researching in the Middle East. What’s more, the campus is adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, so the scenery is particularly beautiful.

In the end of the day, we’ll walk down to the seaside along the Corniche to feel the sea breeze and admire the Pigeon Rocks (Raouche Rocks) bathed in the sunset.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Gems Hotel

Today, our guide and the driver will take you to southern Lebanon to visit the ancient Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon, where you can learn about the roots of Lebanese culture.

In the morning, we'll start driving about 1.5 hours south along the Mediterranean coast to Tyre. It is one of the country's main ports and a popular tourist destination, boasting many Phoenician historical sites. Our guide, well versed in Lebanese history, will take you through the Ruins of Tyre: the Egyptian Port, the Public Baths, Roman Necropolis and Hippodrome, while telling you the fascinating stories of this 5,000-year-old city.

In the afternoon, we'll travel north back to Sidon, another Phoenician legacy, in about 40 minutes. As early as 2000 BC, it was a prosperous area especially famous for the handicraft industry, dye, and glass products. Here the guide will lead you to visit the Sea Castle, old souks, Debbaneh Palace and Saint Nicholas Cathedral to show you Sidon’s ancient splendor.

Finally, on our way back to Beirut, we will have a stopover at the Temple of Eshmun, an ancient temple dedicated to Eshmun, who is Sidon’s Phoenician God of Healing.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Gems Hotel

In the morning, we'll drive east deep into the mountains, arriving in an hour at the Shouf Cedars Reserve, Lebanon's largest nature reserve. Our guide, with rich hiking experience, will lead you on an hour walk through the forest. You could see cedars all over the mountains, some of them estimated to be 2,000 years old.

After the exciting hike, take a short rest on your private car, and the driver will take us to the Beiteddine Palace, a magnificent palace once used as the government building by the Ottoman Empire. Follow the guide to stroll around the three main courtyards and listen to the extraordinary life story of the palace's owner.

Our final stop today is the Deir Al-Qamar Ancient City, just a 10-minute drive away. With its ancient mosques and churches, it is steeped in history. There are many small houses made of stone, and their red roofs make the city lovely and vibrant. In the evening, we will return to our hotel in Beirut.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Gems Hotel

The guide will wait in the hotel lobby after your breakfast. After 1.5 to 2 hours’ drive northeast, we'll reach Baalbek, home to the must-see Baalbek Temples Complex, a World heritage site. It is Lebanon's greatest ancient Roman site and one of the wonders of the ancient world, including the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Bacchus, and the Temple of Venus.

After seeing the temples, we’ll travel 40 minutes by our private car to the Taanayel Lake, an amazing nature reserve. In addition to visiting the local vineyards and getting up close with the farm animals, you can take a lakeside walk and admire the snow-capped mountains in the distance and their reflections in the lake.

Next, the guide will lead you to the nearby Chateau Ksara, the oldest winery in the country, to taste the best local wines. Completing a full day of sightseeing, we’ll return to our hotel in Beirut for the night.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Gems Hotel

In the morning, you'll be picked up by our private car and we'll drive about half an hour to the Jeita Grotto, 18 km (11 mi) north of Beirut. The guide will take you to the upper cave by cable car. There is a lower cave, which is even more interesting. We have prepared a small boat for you to drift along the underground river and experience the beauty of the limestone cave up close.

Next, we'll drive 25 minutes up the mountain to the small village of Harissa. It is famous for the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon at the top of the mountain. We have reserved a cable car for you to reach the mountain top, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the village and the Jounieh Bay below.

After the descent, we will continue to drive to Byblos, our final stop for the day. Byblos has a long history and has been inhabited since 5000 BC. The guide will lead you to visit the old castle, the Church of St John, the Roman Amphitheatre and the old souks. Finally, let’s check into a local boutique hotel in Byblos for a quiet night.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Aleph Boutique Hotel

In the morning, we will drive from Byblos deep into the mountains of Lebanon to Bcharre (Bsharri), 1.5 hours away. Bcharre is famous for the Gibran Museum and the World Heritage site – the Forest of Cedars of God. Cedar is Lebanon's national tree and an important symbol of Lebanese culture. The green tree featured on Lebanon's national flag is modeled on a thousand-year-old cedar here.

Our guide, who makes more than 30 trips to the mountains each year and knows well the trails, will take you on a hike through the woods. You'll see many cedar trees 1,500 years old. Afterwards, the guide will show you the Qozhaya Monastery, built in the 12th century, and the museum of the famous poet Kahlil Gibran. Finally, you’ll be escorted back to the hotel in Byblos for a good night's rest.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Aleph Boutique Hotel

Today we'll continue driving north along the Mediterranean coast to Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city, in less than an hour. The guide will show you around the old city, which is full of Islamic culture. We’ll explore the colorful souks, Crusaders Fortress, narrow alleyways, hammams, mosques, and madrasahs.

On our way back to Beirut in the afternoon, we will stop at the small town of Batroun on the coast for a visit. This is one of the oldest cities in the world. Here, we are going to appreciate the charming streets, gardens, ancient churches and archaeological landmarks. After the sightseeing, we will drive about 1 hour back to Beirut and check into the previous hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Gems Hotel

It is the last day of our service. We hope you have enjoyed your nine days in Lebanon! If your flight is in the afternoon or evening, you can pack your bags after breakfast and then take a half-day break at a nearby beach to relieve the fatigue of travel. Remember to return to the hotel before the agreed time. Our driver will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you safely to the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport.

If you want to travel to other adjacent countries, such as Israel, Jordan or Egypt, you are welcome to consult our travel consultants at any time to arrange a variety of extension trips for you. Hope you enjoy our service!

Meals Included: Breakfast