Lebanon Express

Your tour starts with your arrival at Beirut International Airport. Our representative will meet you, and you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Beirut.

After leaving the capital city of Beirut behind this morning, we begin our journey north, making our first stop to explore the awe-inspiring Jeita Grotto. Here you’ll get a chance to explore part of the system of limestone caves which span a total distance of almost 9km. The caves contain one of the worlds largest collections of stalactites and stalagmites and was one of the finalists in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition; it’s no wonder the caves are considered a symbol of Lebanon.
Moving on, our next stop is Harissa, which is famous for the mountain top Christian shrine, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. We’ll take the cable car up to visit the church and enjoy the stunning views of the coastline.
Our final stop of the day is the unique Baatara Gorge sinkhole, where in spring and after rainy periods a 255 meter waterfall cascades down into the enormous cavern. We’ll have time for a short hike here and we’ll also explore a nearby Douma Village, where a traditional lunch is included.
The day finishes with a short drive to the beautiful Qadisha Valley where we spend the night in the Monastery of St. Anthony, in a separate building with simple but comfortable en-suite accommodation (a nearby guesthouse will be used if the monastery is closed to visitors or unavailable).

For those early risers, you have the opportunity to join the monks for their early morning prayers in the monastery. After breakfast, there will be time to explore some of the Qadisha Valley, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Qadisha Valley is known as the Holy Valley, and the Holy River, the Nahr Qadisha flows through it. There are many caverns to be found on its steep cliffs which were used for shelter during ancient times.
After leaving the valley behind, our first stop will be the village of Becharre, famous for being the birthplace of the iconic poet and novelist, Kahlil Gibran. In the village there is a small museum dedicated to him where you'll be able to see some of his paintings and manuscripts displayed.
Next, we'll visit the Cedars Ski Resort, famous as being one just a few ski resorts in the Middle East. The area often referred to as the Cedars of God is also found nearby, which contains some of the last groves of the cedar forests which once thrived in this region. The Cedrus Libani, Cedars of Lebanon are even mentioned in the Old Testament and have become a national symbol of Lebanon.
Later today we arrive in Byblos, an ancient Phoenician city that is thought to have been inhabited for up to 7000 years. Locally, the city is known as Jbeil and is another UNESCO World Heritage site. Byblos is filled with significant historical and archaeological sites, and also features a lovely Phoenician harbour.

This morning you'll have some free time to explore the markets and coastline of Byblos further before we head back in land to continue our journey.
Our destination today will be the village of of Zahle, however we'll be making a stop along the way at the Ksara Winery which is possibly the oldest winery in Lebanon. The caves and tunnels have a total length of approximately 2 miles and have been unsed for generations as wine cellars. You'll have a guided tour of the caves and winery before sampling (and buying if you wish) some of the produce in a wine tasting session.

You're in for real a treat today as we'll be visiting the incredible site of Baalbek. Referred to as 'Heliopolis' or 'City of the Sun' by the Romans and Greeks, it is home to a sanctuary dedicated to worshipping the Heliopolitan triad of gods; Jupiter, Venus and Mercury. In ancient times, thousands of pilgrims would flock to the temple in order to venerate the triad. Today, the temple remains remarkably well preserved.
After leaving Baalbak we'll make a stop at the nearby Umayyad city of Anjar, located within the Bekaa Valley. Caliph Walid founded the city in the 8th century and what remains of the city today, gives great insight into the excellent town-planning which must have taken place. You'll see mosques, palaces and baths. There were also up to 600 shops within the city in ancient times, demonstarting how important of a trading post Anjar must once have been.
We end the day with a drive back to Beirut where we'll spend the night.

Today is the last day of the tour and your time is free to explore Beirut some more until you are transferred to the airport for your departing flight home.