Country(ies): Lebanon
Tour type: City Break
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 12
Accommodation:4-star hotel
Meals: Breakfasts - 3, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
Transport: A/C car/minibus/coach
Highlights:Beirut city tour, Pigeon Rock, historic town of Byblos, Harissa cable car, Jeita Grotto, optional tours to Baalbek, Beittedine Palace, Ksara Caves wine tasting and Aanjar
If exploring Lebanon's capital city of Beirut is your travel wish-list, then this short four-day tour is the perfect introduction into this fascinating city.
During the tour you'll spend 3 nights in a comfortable 4-star hotel in the heart of the city with plenty to see and do within easy walking distance, including the popular Hamra Street.
We also include a full day tour to explore the myriad rock formations in the Jeita Grotto, take a trip to enjoy the views over Harissa by cable car, visit the beautiful coastal historic town of Byblos and to explore some of Beirut's own historic and scenic landmarks.
There's then a free day to explore independently or to take an optional tour to see more of the country, either heading to the Barouk Cedar Nature Reserve, the village Deir El Qamar and the Beiteddine Palace or to the amazing historic site of Baalbek, the Ksara Caves and ancient Aanjar.
Accommodation is in a boutique 4-star hotel in the heart of the bustling Hamra district of central Beirut.
Small group departures are available starting every Friday, but the tour is also available privately starting on any date and with a selection of different hotel styles and levels. Please contact us for details.
This tour runs as a small group trip departing most Fridays throughout the year and can be extended with extra nights in the hotel in Beirut if you wish.
You can also book the tour privately to run on any other dates just for your party. Please contact us for more information and prices.
Expand all
Your Lebanon adventure begins in the capital city of Beirut. Your guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in the city, where we will brief you on what to expect over the next few days.
If you've had a long flight, you have the rest of the day to rest or if you arrived earlier, you have time to explore your new surroundings at your leisure.
OVERNIGHT:
Beirut hotel
MEALS:
None
EXTRAS:
Single room supplement (LBTMBC)
Extra day in Beirut - pre-tour
We start the day with a visit to the Jeita Grotto, which is a system of two separate, but interconnected, limestone caves spanning an overall length of nearly 9 kilometres. It boasts one of the world's largest and beautiful collections of stalactites and stalagmites.
Next, we visit Byblos, the world’s oldest continually inhabited city. Its charming Phoenician harbour is rich in history and heritage and is one of the most intriguing places to visit in Lebanon.
We then make our way to Harissa - a mountain village which is home to one of the most important Lebanese Pilgrimage sites, The Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. We'll explore the village via cable car, taking in the breath-taking views of the city and its bay.
Later in the day, we'll explore the capital city, indulging in its beautiful architecture, tall modern buildings and we will also explore down-town Beirut, visiting the Corniche, the Pigeon Grotto and the Beirut Souks.
OVERNIGHT:
Beirut hotel
MEALS:
Breakfast
EXTRAS:
None
You have the day free to explore the city of Beirut at your leisure or you can choose to take an optional day trip. Prices are based on a minimum of 2 people travelling, with discounts available if more people take the tour. You can arrange these tours either in advance or while you are in Beirut.
Optional Tour 1: Visit Barouk Cedars - Deir El Qamar - Beiteddine Palace
This optional tour starts with a visit to the Barouk Cedar Nature Reserve, located in the Chouf district of Lebanon. The nature reserve is situated on the slopes of the Barouk Mountain and is home to the towering cedar forests of Barouk, Maaser el Shouf and Ain Zhalta-Bmohray.
The Barouk Cedar Nature Reserve is an important bird and eco-tourism area, in fact, the reserve is home to approximately 32 species of wild mammls, 200 species of birds, and 500 species of plants.
Next, we head to the Chouf Mountains to explore the village of Deir El Qamar, a name which literally translates to 'monastery of the moon'. The village was the capital of Lebanon in the 17th century.
We then visit the Beiteddine Palace built in the 19th century by Emir Bechir II Chehabi around a former Druze hermitage. The palace took over 30 years to build and today its considered to be one of the great surviving achievements of Lebanese architecture.
Optional Tour 2: Baalbek - Ksara Caves - Anjar
This optional tour starts with a visit to Baalbek, also known as Heliopolis or 'the City of the Sun' by the ancient Greeks and Romans who dedicated the main temple to Jupiter - the god of the sun and the two other temples Venus and Mercure - who partnered Jupiter in the triad of god.
Baalbek is one of the best-preserved temple complexes in the Middle East, with the monument staying intact through wars, earthquakes and much more. Next, we visit the Ksara Caves, which date back to the Roman period.
Your guide will take you on a tour of the caves and the winery here, which produces some of Lebanon's finest wine. Lastly, we visit Anjar, an important Umayyad site in Lebanon, which was founded in the 8th century by the Caliph Walid.
It is believed that Anjar was once an imperial residence due to its palaces, baths and mosques. It also has remnants of 600 shops, which indicates that the purpose of this settlement was primarily
OVERNIGHT:
Beirut hotel
MEALS:
Breakfast
EXTRAS:
Cedars, Beiteddine & Deir El Qamar tour
Baalbek, Anjar & Vineyards tour
You have free time to explore Beirut on your own today. You will be collected at your hotel and transferred to the airport to board your flight home. Additional nights in the same tour hotel may be added if you would like to extend your stay (subject to availability).
OVERNIGHT:
Beirut hotel
MEALS:
Breakfast
EXTRAS:
Extra day in Beirut - post-tour
Expand all
If you are looking for a tour and not finding what you are looking for, have a look at our best other related tours to check out for your travel plans. At Encounters Travel, we offer a variety of tours to suit your needs. So sit back, relax, and let us help you plan the perfect getaway.
Small group departures are available on this tour departing every Friday through the year. You can also book the tour privately on any other dates and with different accommodation levels and styles - please contact us for details and prices for your pr
Select the currency that works best for you by clicking one of the icons below. Whether you prefer US Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), British Pounds (GBP), or any of our other supported currencies, simply tap the flag or symbol to instantly update all prices site-wide.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often use on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination you're visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
Expand all
Expand all
Need some travel inspiration or looking for some handy travel tips? Our blog provides excellent insight into our travel destinations - from tour updates to country guides, packing lists to little known things to do, you'll find it all in our travel blog.