Day 1: Arrive in Beirut, Lebanon; Airport Pick-up
Welcome to Lebanon, the most enjoyable holiday resort in the Middle East! When you arrive at the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, our senior driver is already waiting to serve you. The driver will welcome you to the air-conditioned private car we have prepared for you, and escort you to the hotel in 15 minutes.
Activity Recommendations:
In view of the fact that you may be tired after the long flight, we have not arranged any sightseeing plan for the rest of the day, so that you can have a good rest.
The hotel we select for you is very convenient in the center of Beirut. If you still feel energetic, you can walk around by yourself. 5 minutes' walk east from the 4 stars Gems Hotel is the famous commercial street of Beirut, Hamra Street, where you can find many stylish pubs for dinner. The 5 stars Radisson Blu Hotel we have selected for you has restaurants on the ground floor and a shopping mall just across the street. If you want to enjoy the seaside fun, you can take a taxi to the Ramlet Al Baida Beach in 5 minutes.
Try Authentic Lebanese Food:
Kibbeh (croquettes of beef or lamb), manakish (flat bread topped with ingredients), and shawarma (a meat, vegetables and salad dressing wrapped in flat bread) are the most popular Lebanese dishes. Manakish is called as small Lebanese pizza, with various toppings like chopped vegetables, cheese, local spices, or minced lamb. Mezze is also welcomed as side dishes, including hummus (chickpea paste) and baba ghannouj (roasted eggplant sauce).
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Day 2: Beirut Highlights & Deir Al-Qamar Tour
After breakfast, our guide will first lead you to visit the Corniche, Beirut's most popular promenade along the Mediterranean coast. Walk along this artistic road with French style, we'll arrive at the Pigeon Rocks, also known as the Raouche Rocks, which is an iconic natural wonder of two offshore rocks rising from the Mediterranean Sea, like two warriors guarding Beirut's coast.
★ Privilege of Our Guests: Have a Coffee while Enjoying Pigeon Rocks
At the seaside, our experienced guide will show you the best position for shooting the Pigeon Rocks and teach you how to take great pictures in minutes. Since the shore is often crowded with tourists, our route designers have found you a secret cafe located on a seaside cliff, where you can escape the crowds and enjoy a leisurely cup of Lebanese coffee we've prepared for you while enjoying a commanding view of the Pigeon Rocks in the sea.
Later, we'll go to Beirut Souks to see the landmark, the Clock Tower, and visit the National Museum housing artifacts from the prehistoric times to the Ottoman Period.
► Tips on Exchange Rate: For the precarious economic situation and high inflation in Lebanon, the actual exchange rate between Lebanese pound and US dollar may differ significantly from the official rate. When going through Beirut Souks, pay special attention to the exchange rate if you take a fancy to something. Our guide is glad to help you to negotiate with the local sellers.
After lunch, we'll drive to the Chouf Mountains to visit Lebanon president's summer resort, Beiteddine Palace. The final stop of today is Deir Al-Qamar, an amazing old town full of antique mosques, churches, and stone houses with fancy gardens and red roofs. In the evening, you’ll be escorted back to the hotel in Beirut.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 3: Southern Lebanon Expedition to Sidon & Tyre
Today, we’ll travel south along the west coastline of Lebanon by private car to explore Sidon and Tyre, two best port cities to learn about the ancient Phoenician culture. In the morning, we’ll first drive to Sidon in less than one hour. Our guide will accompany you to visit the local souk, the Crusaders' Sea Castle and a fish market, where you can learn about the local people’s purchasing and cost of living. Later, we'll go on driving south to Tyre, another great Phoenician commercial port. Our expert guide will show you around the ruins of Tyre, including the Egyptian Port, the public baths, and the Roman necropolis and hippodrome.
On the way back to Beirut, we'll have a stopover at the Temple of Eshmun, for you to have a glance of this ancient shrine to worship the Phoenician God of Healing.
► Tyre, Where Purple Dye was Invented
In Europe and Middle East, purple had been associated with royal authority and wealth for centuries in ancient times, as the dye of this color is so scarce. Tyre made a fortune by inventing the dye, and the color has been known as Tyrian purple, aka royal or imperial purple. It was pretty expensive, because 1 ounce (about 28g) of the pigment was produced with 250,000 murexes. In fact, the royal families also thought the dye cost too much. Common people were banned to use purple things, and even some royal family members in Rome were not permitted by the king to purchase purple articles from Tyre.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 4: World Heritage Tour to Baalbek & Anjar
During the 2 hours' drive this morning to Baalbek, our knowledgeable guide will tell you all about the mysterious Baalbek Temple Complex, which was inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984. Upon arrival, we'll have a comprehensive tour of this world's largest and best preserved Roman temple ruins, including the Temple of Jupiter (King of Gods), the Temple of Bacchus (God of Wine), and the Temple of Venus (Goddess of Love and Beauty).
★ Mystery of Giant Rocks in Baalbek – Did bulls drag them up there?
You will marvel at the giant rocks as our guide takes you around Baalbek. Considered the foundation stones for the Roman temples, these rocks are extremely large, as the well-known Trilithon stone weighs 1,240 tons at a length of 21.3 meters (23.3 yards). The smallest ones are also over 350 tons in weight. Thus, how were the giant rocks transported there and raised to the certain positions? It's hard to imagine human power finishing such a great work 4,000 years ago without modern mechanical facilities. The prevailing hypothesis is, 800 sturdy bulls were driven to pull the rocks. However, it’s apparently impossible. As you know, a 4-horse chariot or carriage is difficult to coordinate, let alone 800 bulls? How do you think the ancient locals made such an achievement?
After lunch, we will arrange a special stop for you to enjoy the fragrant wine in Chateau Ksara, one of the most famous wineries in Lebanon. Then, we'll drive to Anjar Ancient City, another World Heritage site. Built in the 8th century AD with lots of palaces, public baths and mosques, the site now retains large fortified walls and stone pillars. Follow our guide's steps to visit the Umayyad Ruins and explore a secret way to recall its former prosperity. After a fulfilled day to the World Heritage sites, our guide will attend you back to the hotel in Beirut.
► Safety Tips: In eastern Lebanon, where Baalbek and Anjar are, you would see a lot of soldiers on the streets because it is so close to Syria that there might be some border disputes. However, you don’t have to worry too much about your safety because the perimeter around the World Heritage sites is secure. You’d better go on our guided tour rather than travel alone. Please follow the guide closely and do not go into unknown areas without permission. Seek for help from our guide if you have any doubt.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 5: Jeita Grotto, Harissa & Beirut City Sightseeing
After breakfast, we will take a 40-minute car ride to the Jeita Grotto. Upon arrival, please follow the guide and take the cable car to start the visit to this colorful grotto with a special system of two levels of limestone caves. We'll first walk to admire the karstic stalactites in the upper cave, and then have an interesting boat tour along the river in the lower cave.
Our next destination is Harissa, which is a small village but an important pilgrimage site for the famous Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. We'll arrange an exciting gondola lift for you to go up the mountain to see the solemn statue of Our Lady while enjoying a panoramic view of the bay of Jounieh. In the afternoon, we’ll travel back to Beirut, and the guide will lead you to visit more attractions in the downtown area, first the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, and then the nearby Saint Georges Maronite Cathedral. Finally, let's walk into the American University of Beirut, which is known as ‘Harvard of the Middle East’. It has a profound scientific research foundation and features a long history and beautiful architecture. The most special thing is the advantaged location of the campus on the Mediterranean coast, which offers stunning scenery. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 6: Northern Lebanon Tour to Batroun & Byblos
This morning we'll begin with a 1-hour drive north to Batroun, one of the oldest cities in the world. The guide will show you a classic way to tour this peaceful coastal city, visiting its historic Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches.
★ Step into the History of Byblos – Earliest City in the World
Next, we'll move on to Byblos, another World Heritage site of Lebanon, where the stone tablets bearing Phoenician letters were found. During visiting the old castle, the Church of St. John, the Roman amphitheater and the old souks, our guide, who is very knowledgeable about Lebanese history and culture, will tell you the vicissitudes of this ancient commercial port.
Byblos is believed to be one of the oldest cities around the world, continuously inhabited for more than 7,000 years. It was a fishing village by Mediterranean Sea at the very beginning, and turned to be a flourishing port city from 3,000 BC or so. According to local semi-mythological epic, Byblos was regarded the first city created for Phoenicians by Cronus, the father of Zeus, and also the earliest city in human history. Besides, ancient Phoenicians were also very pound of the long history, as they thought Byblos was founded by their god since time began. Anyway, it had been the religious capital of Phoenicia to the end.
Completing today’s sightseeing plan, our guide and the driver will escort you back to Beirut.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 7: Depart from Beirut; Airport See-off
Here comes the perfect end of our 7 days Lebanon tour. If your flight leaves in the afternoon or evening, you still have time to go to the Place de l'Etoile or the Martyrs' Square in the city center by yourself and do some souvenir shopping. Our driver will wait for you at the hotel lobby at the appointed time, and take you to Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport. Wish you a pleasant journey home!
Meals: Breakfast
► If you would like to extend your trip to nearby countries such as Jordan, Israel, or Egypt, please feel free to contact our travel consultants. Hope you enjoy our service!
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