Transport

Transfers per itinerary

Others

All sightseeing and activities stated as included.

Guide

Supporting you on your holiday will be an experienced, approachable and knowledgeable English speaking guide from our local partner agency, with whom we have worked with since we started running tours in Lebanon. On some days, you may be joined by additional local experts for further information and guidance. This ensures you have information and support on your trip, with your Lebanese guide offering insight into local life, history and customs, as well as routes during walks. Should you have any concerns during your adventure, you will be able to contact our local partner agency direct, or come through to the UK YellowWood office.

Meals

Meals per itinerary

Accommodation

We fully believe in, and practice Responsible Tourism, using hotels run by locals. We put time and effort into building our relationship with them to ensure you have a a great trip. We choose hotels based on cleanliness, comfort, safety, proximity to our route (to avoid unnecessary extra travel), and a warm client welcome, as well as reliability in their service to us. Some hotels will be basic, and in modern buildings and or in towns. Wherever we can, we will choose smaller more characterful, individual hotels, but in areas where tourism is still developing, this may not be available. An aspect of our adventures is to escape the ‘trappings’ of modern Western lifestyles and to experience new things which are exciting and memorable, and reflects the countries we are visiting. This is adventure travel and on occasion the advertised services at a hotel (eg wifi, or hot showers!) may not be functional on our arrival. This tends to occur in the smaller, more remote hotels. Very rarely a hotel lets us down and we are required to find alternative suitable accommodation that might not be our first choice. This trip uses hotel accommodation, but at different levels of luxury, with some nights being more of a simple style than others. The list below gives information on our first choice of accommodation for the summer itinerary. Accomodation for the winter itinerary is the same, but we visit the sites in a different order. Where hotels and refuges are fully booked or unavailable, we will use an alternative of a similar standard, and equally well situated. We will provide you with an accurate list of accommodation, with contact information to leave with relatives, prior to departure on your adventure.

Not included:

Optional

Other activities and services are not included.

Insurance

Insurance is not included.

Others

Other activities and services are not included.

Flights

Flights are not included.

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Arrival Into Beirut
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Arrival Into Beirut

With group members arriving during the afternoon and evening, today is a ’free’ day for you to arrive, be transferred to the start hotel, and to shake off any travel fatigue and get your bearings, before the start of your adventure in earnest, tomorrow.At an appropriate point in your itinerary, in line with our approach of making travel worthwhile, we will be invited to learn about a local charity called FoodBlessed, based in Beirut and tackling hunger among Lebanon’s poorest. Any visit or opportunity to get involved will be optional.Overnight: Gems Hotel or similar
Day 2 Day 2: Beirut City Tour (B)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Beirut City Tour (B)

After breakfast and a welcome briefing, your adventure begins with a tour of this vibrant city, located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, having been inhabited for more than 5000 years, and our tour will include the most famous sites: the Green Line (line of demarcation during the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 - 1990), the National Museum displaying the famous Phoenician gilded bronze figurines buried near Byblos, Mohammad Al Amin Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque), ancient churches and Roman Baths. Enjoy delicious Lebanese cuisine for dinner before your first taster of the nightlife of Beirut!Overnight: Gems Hotel or similar. Included meals: Breakfast.
Day 3 Day 3: Explore Sidon & Tyre (B)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Explore Sidon & Tyre (B)

This morning we drive out from the city, to the ancient coastal city of Sidon (also known as Saida) (45 minute drive), an ancient coastal city, set amongst citrus and banana groves. It is well known for its fresh fruit and sweets, including a speciality cookie called sanioura. We walk through the old souks, picking up some fresh falafels for lunch, before continuing along the coast to Tyre (45 minute drive) for its archaeological sites and old Fisherman’s port. Overnight: Hotel Al Fanar. Included meals: Breakfast.
Day 4 Day 4: Jezzine & Walk In The Barouk Reserve (B, D)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Jezzine & Walk In The Barouk Reserve (B, D)

Jezzine, one hour drive away from Tyre, is a summer resort for Beirut dwellers, surrounded by mountain peaks and pine forests. We visit the impressive Niha Castle, carved into the rock face of a cliff, and before continuing on to your next destination (45-minute drive). There we enjoy a walk (1-2hrs) in the Masser el Chouf (barouk) reserve, admiring the beautiful cedar trees.Tonight we sleep in a guest house owned by the Achkar family in the village of Kheribe. They will share their beautiful old traditional Lebanese house with us. We will eat dinner and breakfast with them there. Please note that the house contains only a small number of rooms, and single beds (and bunk beds) only. Double beds and single-occupancy rooms are not on offer for this night.Overnight:Salim Achkar Guesthouse. Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Day 5 Day 5: Wine Tasting In The Beqaa Valley (B)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Wine Tasting In The Beqaa Valley (B)

We visit the elegant 19th-century Beit el Din Palace which showcases Arab design before driving to the stunning Chateau Kefraya in the Beqaa Valley to visit its vineyard and partake of a little wine tasting of the red, rose and white blended wines.We spend tonight in the beautiful nearby mountain town of Zahle, also known as the ‘City of Wine & Poetry’ and famous for the Battle of Zahle during the Lebanese Civil War, admiring its architecture and sophisticated nightspots. Overnight: Hotel Grand Kadri. Included meals: Breakfast.
Day 6 Day 6: Visit The Ruins Of Baalbek (B, D)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Visit The Ruins Of Baalbek (B, D)

We spend the morning in Anjar - a 30 minute drive away - a UNESCO World Heritage site, before visiting the incredible Roman ruins at Baalbek (45 minutes). The ancient city ruins at Anjar were only revealed in the 1940s and date back to 705 - 715, during the Umayyad period, under Caliph Walid Ibn And Al-Malak. They help demonstrate how construction, architecture and Islamic art were all developing during this time. From one UNESCO site to another: the Roman Ruins at Baalbek, previously known as Heliopolis during the Hellenistic period. Here we enjoy one of the finest examples of Imperial Roman architecture, built over more than two centuries. The complex includes two huge, and very grand Roman ruins: the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Jupiter, the most significant outside of Italy. Overnight: Palmyra Hotel. Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Day 7 Day 7: Discover The Qadisha Valley (B, D)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Discover The Qadisha Valley (B, D)

We drive 2 hours to the town of Bcharre. It is a small but welcoming mountain town with links to Kahil Gibran (1883-1931), author of ’The Prophet’, who was buried in the 19th-century monastery built into the rocky slopes overlooking the town. We are in the Qadisha Valley (another UNESCO site), also known as the ‘Holy Valley’. Its rocky cliffs have served for centuries as a place of meditation and refuge and it comprises the largest number of monasteries and hermitages dating back to the very first spread of Christianity.We visit Our Lady Cannobine Monastery, partially cut into the rock and with some lovely 17th-century frescoes in the interior. And we have the opportunity to visit another monastery – the Monastery of Mar Lishaa - built into caves nestled deeper in the valley. This can be reached on foot, by following a section of the Lebanon Mountain Trail, which extends for 470km through over 75 towns and villages, attracting trekkers and day walkers alike – for 90min (expect rough terrain and some steep sections). It can also be reached by 4x4 for a small fee.Tonight we sleep in Qozhaya (St Antonio’s) Monastery if it is possible as often it is booked out for services, part of the UNESCO Word Cultural Heritage site, which is very much a “Living Treasure” hosting travellers, scholars and students alike. The rooms are a little spartan with single beds only, as you might expect from a monastery, but the beauty and history of the place make it well worth the visit. Tonight we enjoy a meal at the monastery’s cafeteria. If it’s not possible to stay we will transfer to the delightful Palace Hotel near to the cathedral in Bcharre.Overnight: Monastery Saint Antoine or Palace Hotel. Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Day 8 Day 8: Enjoy Byblos (B)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Enjoy Byblos (B)

With far too much beauty to absorb in the Qadisha valley in one day, we treat ourselves to another, to explore it further, at our leisure. We visit Our Lady Cannobine Monastery, partially cut into the rock and with some lovely 17th century frescoes in the interior. Then we transfer to the town of Byblos, previously the ancient Phoenician port of Jebeil, is steeped in history. In fact, it is the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world. It was first occupied between 8800 and 7000 BC and is, unsurprisingly, another World Heritage Site. We visit the Old Souk and Citadel and spend the night in Byblos.Overnight:Ahiram Hotel, breakfast included. Included meals: Breakfast.
Day 9 Day 9: Jeita Grotto (B)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Jeita Grotto (B)

Heading back down the coast, we stop off at the Jeita Grotto and the Nahr al-Khalb valley on the way. One of the world’s great natural wonders, it is a system of interconnected karstic limestone caves spanning nearly 9 km, with the upper galleries housing the world’s largest known stalactite. Open to visitors on foot and by boat, it is a Lebanese national symbol and well worth the visit. The extent of our visit will depend on the weather! There may too much water to see both galleries, but we will enjoy the first gallery. Afterwards you will all be transferred back to Beirut (3-3.5 hours) for your final evening together in the bright lights of the city!Overnight: Lancaster Hotel. Included meals: Breakfast.
Day 10 Day 10: Fly Out From Beirut (B)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Fly Out From Beirut (B)

We transfer you to the airport for flights out of Beirut. Time to plan your next adventure but it will be tough to find somewhere that has as much to offer as Lebanon!. Included meals: Breakfast.

10 days tour

Evocative Lebanon: People, History & Landscapes

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Evocative Lebanon: People, History & Landscapes

Day 1: Arrival Into Beirut

Day 2: Beirut City Tour (B)

Day 3: Explore Sidon & Tyre (B)

Day 4: Jezzine & Walk In The Barouk Reserve (B, D)

Day 5: Wine Tasting In The Beqaa Valley (B)

Day 6: Visit The Ruins Of Baalbek (B, D)

Day 7: Discover The Qadisha Valley (B, D)

Day 8: Enjoy Byblos (B)

Day 9: Jeita Grotto (B)

Day 10: Fly Out From Beirut (B)

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