Top Beirut Transportation - page 2

Two of Lebanon's most historically rich cities — one day, entirely your own. This private full-day tour takes you north from Beirut to Tripoli, Lebanon's second city and one of the finest surviving medieval cities in the Arab world, before heading south to Byblos — one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth and a place where 7,000 years of history sit within a single walk. In Tripoli you will stand inside a Crusader citadel, step into a 14th-century Mamluk mosque built on the foundations of a Crusader church, wander ancient khans and hammams, and end at the colourful fishing port of El Mina. In Byblos you will explore a Crusader castle built from Phoenician stones, walk the ancient souk, and have lunch beside one of the oldest harbours in the world. No other group. No fixed pace. Just you, your private English-speaking driver, and eight hours through three thousand years of Lebanese history.

Lebanon compresses thousands of years of history into a remarkably small stretch of coastline north of Beirut. This private day tour captures three of the most remarkable stops on that stretch — each one completely different, each one extraordinary in its own right. Begin at Nahr el Kalb — the Dog River canyon — where the limestone walls have served as the world's oldest billboard for over 3,000 years. Egyptian pharaohs, Assyrian kings, Roman emperors, and French generals all carved victory inscriptions into these cliffs as they passed through on their conquests — creating an open-air archive of ancient military history that is unlike anything else on earth. Then descend into Jeita Grotto — one of the most spectacular cave systems in the world and a finalist in the New 7 Wonders of Nature. End the day in Byblos — one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, where a Crusader castle, Phoenician royal tombs, and an ancient fishing port sit within a single walk.

Some places in Lebanon stop you in your tracks. The Qadisha Valley is one of them — a UNESCO World Heritage gorge so deep and so ancient that Christian monks have been hiding in its cliff-face monasteries since the 4th century. The Cedars of God above it are another — a grove of cedar trees so old that some were already ancient when the Phoenicians cut their neighbours to build the ships that founded Carthage. This private full-day tour from Beirut takes you to both, along with the mountain town of Bcharre — birthplace of Khalil Gibran, Lebanon's most celebrated poet and author of The Prophet — and his intimate hilltop museum, which holds his paintings, manuscripts, and the tomb where he chose to be buried. With a private vehicle and guide entirely at your disposal, the day moves at your pace — lingering at the valley viewpoint, exploring Bcharre's stone streets, and walking quietly among trees that have stood for over a thousand years.

Beirut's street food is not a tourist attraction — it is a way of life. On this intimate private tour, a maximum of six guests eat their way through five of the city's most iconic and contrasting neighbourhoods with an expert local guide who knows exactly where Beirutis themselves go — the hummus counter that has been open since dawn, the knefeh pulled fresh from the tray in Bourj Hammoud, the manoushe baked on a saj that has not changed its recipe in forty years. Unlike the small-group version, this private tour is built entirely around your group — a richer, more curated selection of dishes, a more flexible pace, and a sit-down lunch at the end that brings the full flavour of Lebanese cuisine together at the table. Every tasting and the final lunch are fully included in the price. Nothing extra to pay, nothing to think about — just eat.

Explore the ancient ruins and winemaking heritage of Lebanon on this full-day trip from Beirut, including lunch. With an expert guide, visit the age-old ruins at Baalbek, a stunning complex of Roman temples and buildings that made up the Roman city of Heliopolis. After a tour of the 8th-century Ummayad ruins at Anjar, finish at the Ksara Caves, a series of ancient caverns used as wine cellars by Lebanon’s oldest winery, Chateau Ksara. Tour the winery and cave cellars before your return to Beirut.

Three of Lebanon's most extraordinary destinations — one private, unhurried day from Beirut. This tour takes you south along the ancient Phoenician coast to Sidon, one of the oldest cities in the world, then further to Tyre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Roman ruins of staggering scale survive by the sea, before climbing to Maghdouché — a hilltop sanctuary where Christian tradition holds that the Virgin Mary herself once waited. In Sidon you will walk the medieval Sea Castle, explore the world's only soap museum, wander the old souks, and stand in the grand courtyard of Khan el Franj — the Silk Road caravanserai built for European merchants. In Tyre you will walk the length of one of the largest Roman hippodromes ever built and stroll the ancient port before lunch. In Maghdouché you will visit the cave where Our Lady of Mantara — Our Lady Who Waits — is venerated by Christians and Muslims alike.