Top Lebanon Food & Drink - page 2

Hike in the morning, Roman temples in the afternoon, wine underground at the end — this private day trip from Beirut hits three completely different experiences that have no business being this close to each other. And yet here we are in Lebanon, where a UNESCO cedar forest, the greatest Roman temples on earth, and 2 kilometres of ancient wine caves are all within a single day's drive. Start with an easy 45-minute hike through the Maaser el Shouf Cedar Reserve — ancient trees, mountain air. Cross into the Bekaa Valley and stand beside the Stone of the Pregnant Woman — a 1,000-tonne limestone block that was never finished and never moved — before entering Baalbek, where the Temple of Bacchus is larger than the Parthenon and the Temple of Jupiter sits on stones heavier than anything a modern crane can lift. End the day at Ksara — Lebanon's oldest winery — walking through Roman cave cellars before tasting wines that have been made here since 1857. A day that earns its tired feet.

Lebanon's mountains hide some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Middle East — and this small-group day trip from Beirut takes you to three of the best in a single action-packed day. Three completely different waterfalls, three completely different landscapes, and just enough hiking to make you feel like you earned every view. Start at Afqa — a powerful waterfall plunging from a cave high in the cliffs of the Adonis Valley, one of Lebanon's most mythologically charged landscapes. Move on to Baatara Gorge — the famous three-bridge waterfall near Tannourine where a 255-metre cascade drops through three successive natural limestone bridges in a phenomenon found nowhere else on earth. Finish at Kfar Helda — a hidden gem of a waterfall reached by a short hike through the Lebanese mountain landscape, rewarding those who make the effort with one of the most photogenic natural scenes in the north of Lebanon.

Marvel at UNESCO World Heritage–listed Roman architecture on this Tyre, Sidon and Maghdouche day trip from Beirut. Explore the town of Tyre with your guide and gain insight into life here under Roman rule. Discover the ancient ruins of Sidon Sea Castle, the Castle of Saint-Louis and the 16th-century Great Mosque in Sidon. After a delicious lunch of Middle Eastern specialities in a traditional Lebanese restaurant, head on to Maghdouche. Here, admire top local attractions including the Old Cave and the Al-Saydeh Ancient Church before returning to Beirut.

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 destinations that cover Lebanon's most dramatic natural, spiritual, and viticultural extremes — underground, mountaintop, and vineyard — in a single private day from Beirut. Jeita Grotto is a UNESCO tentative World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature finalists — 9 kilometres of limestone cave system beneath the Lebanese mountains. Harissa sits 650 metres above the Mediterranean, reached by cable car, crowned by the iconic bronze statue of Our Lady of Lebanon. Ixsir is one of Lebanon's most architecturally striking modern wineries — built into a hillside above Batroun, producing award-winning wines from high-altitude vineyards across the Lebanese mountains. Private vehicle and knowledgeable local driver exclusively for your group throughout the day. Tasting fees and entrance tickets payable on site. Optional lunch stop in Byblos on the return to Beirut.

Leave Beirut’s crazy traffic to the experts and relax as your private driver takes the wheel for a door-to-door tour of three Lebanon signatures: the Jeita Grotto caves, the giant statue known as Our Lady of Harissa, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Byblos. Please note that entrance fees are at your own expense.