Cultural & Heritage Experience 7D/6N
The Land of Diversity
Culture in Lebanon is very extensive. Lebanon was a cultural intersection of different civilizations thousands of years ago. Originally the home of the Phoenicians, and later conquered and occupied by the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks, and more recently, the French. Lebanese culture has evolved throughout the millennia for the contributions of all these groups. Lebanon’s diverse population, made up of different ethnic and religious groups, has further contributed to the country’s festivals, music styles, and literature as well as cuisine.
Tour Highlights
- Baalbeck Temples considered to be among the wonders of the ancient world and home to the largest and most noble Roman temples ever built.
- Admire the preserved Ummeyad archaeological ruins in Anjar.
- Discover the sea castle of the city of Sidon and enjoy the view of the sea.
- Explore the UNESCO-listed archaeological sites of Tyre including the hippodrome, the necropolis.
- Explore the highlights of Tripoli including Citadel of Saint Gilles, Mosques, Old souks, Hammam and Khans.
- Explore The Cedars of God forest and enjoy a short hike between the old trees.
- Discover the marvelous Jeita Grotto and experience a boat trip inside the lower cave.
- Stroll in the old souks of Byblos and visit Byblos Citadel, Fossil Shop & Byblos old port, and St Jean Marc Church.
- Explore the highlights of Beirut: The Pigeon Rock , Raoucheh-Mohammed Al Amin Mosque , St. Georges Cathedral , Roman Baths , National Museum , Relics and monuments in Downtown Beirut.
- Discover Beiteddine Palace and enjoy a masterpiece of the oriental architecture.
Offered Language
- English-French-Arabic-Russian-German-Spanish-Portuguese-Italian
Level of Comfort
- Medium
Validity:
- All year round
Interest:
- Elders & Young
Day 1: Departure
Day 1: Arrival
Arrival into Beirut International Airport.
Meet and assist by SAAD Tours representative and transfer to the hotel for check in.
Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.
Day 2: Beirut City - Deir El Qamar & Beiteddine
Drive along Beirut City seashore to the picturesque Pigeons rock; Continue to visit the National museum
which was built in 1937, the Beirut National Museum houses antiquities and treasures from all over
Lebanon, dating from prehistoric times through the Ottoman period. The museum exhibits 1300
artifacts from its collection of approximately 100,000 objects. It displays follow a chronological circuit
beginning in Prehistory and ending in the Ottoman era. After the museum, continue the visit to Beirut
City Center ‘Solidere” to discover Beirut city center which contains sites and monuments spanning 5,000
years and layers of civilizations from the Canaanite to the Ottoman, including the Phoenician, Persian,
Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, Abbasid, Crusader and Mamluk periods. Underscored in the
urban design and conveyed to the public through lively educational experiences, their importance has
made Beirut a historic city destination. Continue south of Beirut to Deir El Qamar, the former capital of
Mount Lebanon which still retains in its pretty town square several palaces and the famous Marie Baz
Museum, Notre Dame church and Fakhreddine mosque dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Proceed to Beiteddine to visit the magnificent Palace of Emir Bechir known for its masterpiece of the
oriental architecture, which became nowadays the summer residence of the President of the Republic of
Lebanon
Day 3: Baalbeck temples, Ksara winery, and Anjar
Early departure to Baalbeck, on the way you will notice the magnificent Bekaa plain. Once in Baalbeck,
you will see the most colossal monuments ever to be found from the Romans period, the Temple of
Jupiter with its sumptuous columns, the richly decorated Temple of Bacchus and the original pentagonal
Temple of Venus. Then continue the tour to Ksara winery for some delightful Lebanese wine tasting.
Then visit Anjar, the unique fortified city in Lebanon built as early as the 8th century by the Ommeyad
Caliph of Damascus. It is known to be “The Palace of the desert”.
Day 4: Jeita Grotto, Harissa, and Byblos
Drive north on the slopes of Mount Lebanon to Jeita Grotto, one of Lebanon's most unusual tourist
attractions, an enormous cavern festooned with every shape and size of stalactite and stalagmite.
Continue the journey to the village of Harissa, where you will visit the "Lady of Lebanon's Cathedral and
enjoy the superb view of the Mediterranean with Beirut’s and Jounieh’s Bays. Then continue to Byblos
one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. Byblos is today a very charming city
distinguished for its gorgeous ancient harbor, seaside fish restaurants, ancient souks, and charming
residential neighborhoods, which date back to the Middle Ages, as well as an absolutely enormous
wealth of historic sites and ruins. Not far from the sea, protected by an oasis of greenery and a few old
houses, close to the souk of Byblos, stands the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist commonly known today
by Saint Jean Marc.
Day 5: Tripoli and Cedars
The tour starts with the visit of the second largest city of Lebanon Tripoli, a modern city known to have
preserved jealously its medieval old religious edifices and public buildings. In the old town you can see
the Crusader Castle of Raymond de St. Gilles, Mosques from Mameluks period, Koranic schools, oriental
Bazaars & Souks and the Turkish bath named “Hamman Izzeddine”. Continue the tour towards the
Cedars, known for its beautiful pine trees forest from biblical times lying at an altitude of 1600 to 2000
meters above the sea level. The Cedars area is also known for its winter skiing resort. The road to the
Cedars passes through the magnificent Kadisha Valley, the picturesque villages of Zghorta and Ehden
leading you to Besharre the hometown of the famous international poet Gubran Khalil Gubran of
Lebanese origin. Visit the museum and learn about the poet’s work.
Day 6: Sidon and Tyr
Drive South of Beirut along the coast to Sidon. The visits start with the “Castle of the Sea” a crusader’s
castle of the 13th century then proceed to Khan El-Franj, a typical Caravan Serail, the old covered souks
and Audi Soap museum. Continue further down the southern coast to Tyre to visit the Necropolis
excavations, the Monumental Arch and the spectacular hippodrome, the second largest and best
preserved of the Roman era. Two kilometers ahead, visit of the imperial city excavation which offers a
majestic avenue toward the sea giving access to the residential area with its remarkable designed public
monuments.
Day 7: Departure
Pick up from the hotel before 3 hours for final flight departure.
Including:
- Meet & Assist by SAAD Tours representative upon arrival to Beirut International Airport
- Round Trip transfer by private modern A/C vehicle
- 6 nights accommodation in sharing double room at 4* hotel on bed and breakfast basis
- Professional Tour guide during the tours (5 Days)
- Transportation by modern A/C vehicle (5 Days)
- Entrance fees where applicable
- 11% VAT
Excluding:
- Meals & Snacks during the tours
- Visa & portage fees Tips for driver and guide
- Anything not mentioned above
- This is a private tour/activity.
- Tour price is based on a minimum group number of 2 persons.
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking.
- A wide range of selected hotels are available.
- Sometimes and due to reasons beyond our control, slight modifications to the program may occur.
- Rates quoted by SAAD Tours are subject to change without any prior notice, in case of any sudden increase in VAT, fuel price, hotel rates or entrance fees.
- Jeita grotto, National Museum, Beiteddine Palace, Gebran Khalil Gebran Museum close on Monday’s.