Private Tour
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Three completely different Lebanese landscapes — a mountain palace, a perfectly preserved Ottoman village, and one of the oldest coastal cities in the world — in one private day from Beirut that traces a beautiful triangular loop through the Chouf Mountains and down to the ancient Phoenician shore.
Begin in the mountains at Beiteddine — one of the most magnificent 19th-century palaces in the Arab world, built by Emir Bashir II with grand courtyards, carved cedar ceilings, and an underground Byzantine mosaic museum. Drop down to Deir el Qamar — Lebanon's first capital, a honey-stone village where a mosque, a church, and centuries-old mansions share the same cobblestone square. Then descend to the coast and arrive in Sidon — one of the oldest cities in the world, where a Crusader sea castle, the world's only soap museum, a grand Silk Road caravanserai, and a living medieval souk await. A day that moves from mountain grandeur to coastal antiquity, entirely at your own pace.
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Beirut
9:00 AM — Departure from Beirut Your private guide and driver collect you from your Beirut hotel and head southeast into the Chouf Mountains — pine-forested ridges climbing steeply above the coastal plain as you wind upward toward Beiteddine
Arrive at one of the most magnificent palaces in the Arab world — built over three decades by Emir Bashir II, the powerful ruler who unified Lebanon's fractured communities under a single authority in the early 19th century. Three grand interconnected courtyards decorated with hand-cut geometric tilework, intricately carved cedar-wood ceilings, and elaborately painted reception halls reveal the extraordinary ambition and craftsmanship of this mountain retreat. Beneath the palace, an underground museum houses Lebanon's finest collection of Byzantine mosaics — floor panels of extraordinary colour recovered from archaeological sites across the country. Your guide brings Emir Bashir's remarkable story to life within these walls.
Tour Leader
Hotel Pick up & Drop off
Air-conditioned vehicle
Comfortable Private Transportation
Lunch
Gratuities
Select a pickup point
Lunch & Tickets not included: Please note this option does not include the Lunch and tickets. This cost goes on your own. Duration: 8 hours Pickup included
1 review
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Janice G,Mar 12, 2023
- Review from Viator
We liked walking in Sidon and the soap museum. We really enjoyed Beiteddine Palace and the mosaic exhibit. We thank our driver Hassan for allowing us to speak Arabic without constant correction. He is a good guide.
Operated by Lebanon Tours & travels