Ecotourism Experience 6D/5N
Lebanon, a perfect place for Eco-activities & Cultural discoveries
Lebanon has an opportunity to explore the hidden, natural and cultural treasures of rural areas while enhancing socio-economic benefits to local communities. With its diverse biodiversity, rich vegetation and multi-cultural diversity, Lebanon is the perfect location for a wide variety of eco-activities and an ideal place for rural exploration and cultural discoveries. The country enables visitors to enjoy the physical beauty of the nature, interact with rural communities and share the daily activities, traditions and life styles of locals.
Tour Highlights
- Enjoy a hike in Ehden Reserve.
- Explore Lebanon’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Holy Valley & Discover the Monastery of St. Anthony in Kozhaya and many other churches and monasteries.
- Admire Baalbek Temples, home to the largest and most noble Roman temples ever built and then visit Yammouneh nature reserve.
- Discover the Cedars of Barouk Nature Reserve and enjoy a small hike among the green Cedars trees then visit 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
- May to November
Interest
- Elders & Young
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: Hiking in Ehden Forest Nature Reserve
Pick up from your hotel in Beirut and depart north to Ehden Town for a full day hiking in Ehden Forest Nature Reserve. You will discover the Cedars of Lebanon and understand the levels of vegetation of Mount Lebanon. The reserve contains a particularly diverse and beautiful remnant forest of the cedar of Lebanon, making the reserve a very important part of the country’s cultural and natural heritage.
After the hike a visit to Ehden Town. Dinner and Overnight in Ehden
Day 3: Qadisha Valley
This morning head to Qadisha Valley and discover the UNESCO cultural landscape site of this Valley. This is a valley quite unlike any other in Lebanon. It is inseparable from the story of a great Nation and of a community, which is unique, the Maronites. One of the jewels of nature in North Lebanon, the valley is hewn from the rock at the foot of the highest peak of the Lebanese mountain chain, Qornet es-Sawda, which rises to 3083 meters. The valley of Qadisha, which in Aramaic means the holy or sacred, divides into two branches, the valley of Qozhaya and the valley of Qannoubine. The valley of Qannoubine begins at an altitude of 900 meters and finally reaches 1,900 up on the slope of Qornet es-Sawda. It is indeed a holy valley, one where every rock, stone, pebble, trunk, tree and grain of earth bears the imprints of a great past civilization, where monks lived in small communities, whereas the hermits lived alone.
The hike (3-4 hrs) will start from the Maronite patriarch old residence down to the valley, passing by the most famous convents while enjoying the beautiful sightseeing this valley has to offer.
You will explore the hidden valleys and the ancient churches and monasteries like Our Lady of
Qannoubine who was the seat of 24 Patriarchs between 1440 and 1823. And the Grotto of Saint Marina the Virgin. It is formed by nature alone in a great rock and today the grotto serves as a shrine. The valley is classified as world heritage.
After the hike transfer to Baalbeck. Dinner and overnight at guesthouse in Baalbek
Day 4: Baalbeck - Yammouneh Nature Reserve
A visit to Baalbeck Temples, an UNESCO site. 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 to The Nature Reserve of Yammouneh. Yammouneh nature reserve is a special and physically diverse place. Classed a nature reserve since 1999. Abundant with waters, it includes 84 water springs, in addition to four permanent rivers and two seasonal streams. The area of Yammouneh covers a wide stretch of plants and intensive evergreen trees (30% of its area). The lake is home to Lebanon’s only endemic fish, Pseudophoxinus libani. According to Phoenician mythology, the goddess of love and beauty, Astarte, turned herself into a golden fish in Yammouneh lake when Typhon (the brother of Adonis) waged war against the heavens.
The Yammouneh lake is filled by the Nabaa El Arbaain, “the spring of the Forty Martyrs
Dinner and Overnight at guesthouse in Maasser esh-Shouf.
Day 5: Shouf Cedars Biosphere Reserve and Beiteddine
Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the Chouf District of Lebanon. It is located on the slopes of Barouk mountain and has an area of 550 km 2 (210 sq mi), nearly 5.3% of the Lebanese territory. The reserve contains the Lebanon cedar forests of Barouk, Maaser el Shouf and Ain Zhalta- Bmohray. It is an Important Bird Area (IBA) and Eco-tourism area. It hosts 32 species of wild mammals, 200 species of birds, and 500 species of plants. Walk on the Sustainable Forest Management Trail - visit Old Tiles craftsman - 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
Overnight at hotel in Beirut
Day6 : 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
- 5 nights accommodation on bed and breakfast basis and dinner where it is mentioned
- Professional local Tour guide during the tours (4 Days)
- Transportation by modern A/C vehicle (4 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 6 persons.
- Minimum Group number to operate this tour is 6 and maximum 12 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.