The treasures of Lebanon

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival

  

  Arrival at Beirut airport. Check-in at the hotel and overnight stay in Beirut.

• day 2

  Sidon, Sarafand and Tyre

  

  This first day will be dedicated to discovering the two most prestigious cities of Phoenicia. Visit of Sidon, the ancient Saida: the Sea Castle, stroll through the old souks: Khan el Franj, the 17th-century caravanserai, the Audi soap factory, the Debbané Palace, and the Saint Nicholas Church. Stop at a traditional glassblowing workshop in Sarafand. Continue to Tyre (UNESCO World Heritage): visit the two archaeological sites rich in remains from the Romano-Byzantine and medieval periods: the El Bass site with its hippodrome and necropolis, and at the end of the day, the maritime site with the Romano-Byzantine bath complex. Overnight in Beirut.

• day 3

  Beirut and the Chouf

  

  In the morning, visit to the National Museum which houses a rich collection of archaeological pieces. Discovery of the historic center of Beirut: Place de l’Étoile, the Roman baths, Martyrs' Square, Saint George's Cathedral, and the Mohammed El Amin Mosque. Stop on the corniche, near the Pigeon Grotto. Continue towards the Chouf, heading to Beiteddine, to discover the palace of Béchir Chehab, built in the 19th century and which houses the museum of Byzantine mosaics. Stroll through the small alleys of Deir Al Qamar, the capital of the Mount Lebanon principality during Ottoman times: an open-air museum with its palaces, caravanserai, and places of worship such as the famous Fakhreddine Mosque and the Maronite church of Our Lady of the Hill. Overnight in Beirut.

• day 4

  Baalbeck and Anjar

  

  Visit to the fertile Bekaa plain, the breadbasket of Lebanon. In Baalbeck (UNESCO World Heritage), discovery of the archaeological site with the majestic temples dedicated to Jupiter, Venus, and Bacchus, as well as the Roman quarry and its megalithic stones. Drive to Anjar (UNESCO World Heritage), this village located at the crossroads between Damascus and the Lebanese coast, between north and south. The Umayyads built a trading city there in the 8th century, whose ruins today bear witness to the architecture of this first Islamic dynasty established in Damascus. In the 1940s, Armenians from Alexandretta settled there and created the modern village with an Armenian flair (architecture, dialect, and cuisine). Visit and wine tasting at one of the Bekaa Valley's wineries. Overnight in Byblos.

• day 5

  Tripoli and Byblos

  

  Visit of Tripoli, a triple-founded city by the Phoenicians. The Crusaders established a Latin state there in 1109, the County of Tripoli. Its fortress, built by Raymond of Saint-Gilles, the Count of Toulouse, dominates the old city. Stroll through the old souks with a thousand colors and scents, where you will discover a rich Mamluk and Ottoman architectural heritage. Route to Byblos (UNESCO heritage), discovery of the city-cradle of the Phoenician alphabet. The archaeological site recounts 7000 years of history. Let yourself be immersed in the city's souks and discover the Saint John-Marc church, the mosque from the time of Sultan Abdel Majid, and the old port. Night in Byblos

• day 6

  Los Cedros, Bcharré and the Qadicha

  

  Route to North Lebanon, in the Bcharré region, two visits are a must: the Khalil Gibran museum, the author of the book "The Prophet," an iconic literary figure of Lebanon. Here, you also discover Gibran the artist by admiring his paintings, which accentuate the mysticism of this monastery turned museum, followed by a short hike in the Forest of the Cedars of the Lord, located at 2000 m altitude. On the way back, discovery of the Qadicha, the Holy Valley (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Visit to the Saint Anthony Qozhaya Monastery, a living witness to Maronite monasticism and the place where the first printing press in the Arab world was installed in the 17th century. Night in Byblos.

• day 7

  Free time and departure

  

  Transfer to Beirut airport for departure.