Beirut Travelers Recommend

Three days in Beirut allow you to check off the city’s signature sights and discover the joys of Lebanese food. In addition to the coastal charms of Byblos and the beautiful Jeita Grotto, you can get out into the valleys and add one (or two) more of Lebanon’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites to your list. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: Beirut Bliss

Explore thousands of years of Lebanese history at the National Museum of Beirut, the perfect introduction to the ancient cultures that await. Next, check off the city’s signature sights: Nejmeh Square, the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and the Roman Baths. Head out to Raouché for a Lebanese coffee overlooking the sea pillars Pigeon Rocks. After a light Middle Eastern lunch, indulge in the scents and flavors of Lebanese cuisine on a cooking course, ideally in a family home. Master meze, grills, stews, salads, and so much more, then get to know your hosts over a leisurely dinner, fueled by the aniseed taste of authentic Lebanese arak liquor. If you’re visiting in summer, enjoy an evening local style, by catching an outdoor screening of a classic movie or taking a gentle stroll along the Corniche.

Day 2: Caves and Castles

Head north along the coast and spend your second day in Beirut visiting three ever-popular sights. Start at the Jeita Grotto, where illuminated stalactites deck spiraling caverns and rowboats ply the underground river. Continue north to Jounieh and ride the vertiginous Téléferique cable car 2,132 feet (650 meters) up into the mountains to the shrine of Our Lady of Harissa, with its enormous statue of Lebanon’s patron saint. Hit the ancient town of Byblos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in time for a seafood lunch on the pretty harbor. Spend the afternoon shopping for fossils and more in the medieval Old Town, immersing yourself in history at the Crusader castle, and traveling through time at the archaeological site, where ruins from different eras stretch back many thousands of years. In the summer season, particularly on weekends, you might want to stay in Byblos for sunset, dinner, and even a nightclub.

Day 3: Vines and Valleys

On your third day in Beirut, head inland to Lebanon’s ancient valleys. Choose between the Bekaa Valley, home to over 50 wineries plus two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the Qadisha Valley, UNESCO-listed in its own right. If you opt for Bekaa, start at Baalbek, a classical city that’s home to what may be the Middle East’s finest Roman ruins, then head to the 8th-century Islamic city of Anjar. Finish with some gourmet food, a tour, and a tasting at a winery such as Chȃteau Ksara or Chȃteau Kefraya. If Qadisha is more your speed, explore the pretty town of Bcharré, the ancient stand of biblical cedars known as the Cedars of God, and one of the ancient monasteries that line the valley, such as Qozhaya. Head back to Beirut to wrap up your stay in style: Savor a modern Lebanese dinner and a long summer night at one of the city’s rooftop lounges, perhaps at the Le Gray hotel. 

Lebanon is a compact country, and with two days in Beirut you can see so much more than just the city. Besides checking off Beirut’s signature sights and discovering Lebanon’s delicious cuisine, you can tour the underground wonderland of Jeita Grotto, visit the historic Byblos UNESCO World Heritage Site, and more. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: Beirut Bliss

**Morning:**Begin your Lebanese journey by soaking up the history at the National Museum of Beirut. Then check out some signature sights: the Roman Baths, Nejmeh Square, the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, and St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral. If you have time, head out to the sea pillars known as Pigeon Rocks.

**Afternoon:**Immerse yourself in the big, bold flavors of Lebanese cuisine at a cooking class with a family in their home. Learn to make classic Middle Eastern meze appetizers and Turkish-influenced grills, plus savory stews, salads, and so much more. Don’t miss the chance to sample homemade arak liquor along the way.

**Night:**Get to know your hosts and their culture over a leisurely dinner, then head back into the city to enjoy a master class in Lebanese wine. The nation’s Bekaa Valley is home to over 50 wineries, and some, such as Château Musar, produce reds that can stand alongside fine French wines.

Day 2: Caves and Castles

**Morning:**Head north to the Jeita Grotto, a fairy-tale-pretty cave system decked in sparkling lights. Explore the underground river in a rowboat and the upper levels on foot. Consider a stop at Jounieh to ride the cable car up to the towering Our Lady of Harissa shrine en route to Byblos.

**Afternoon:**After a seafood lunch overlooking the historic harbor, spend the afternoon exploring the ancient waterfront town of Byblos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don’t miss the medieval old town, the Crusader castle, and the archaeological site, where relics of different civilizations stretch back to the time of the pyramids.

**Night:**Spend your last evening enjoying Beirut’s nightlife. Dress up and dine on a modern Lebanese feast, then hit the rooftop bars and clubs that spring up around the city every summer; the roof at the classy Le Gray hotel is a timeless choice. At cooler times of year, try the Armenia strip in Mar Mikhael.

Despite its troubled history, cosmopolitan Beirut competes with Tel Aviv for the title of the Middle East’s most vibrant city. One day in Beirut gives you enough time to discover Lebanon’s thousands of years of history, cook up a Lebanese feast, and, in summer, party up a storm at one of the city’s rooftop bars and lounges. Here’s how.

Morning: Culture Vulture

Start the day at the landmark National Museum of Beirut with a journey through Lebanon’s long history and a world-class selection of ancient sculpture, art, and artifacts. Once you know your Phoenicians from your Seleucids and your Umayyads from your Ottomans, check out downtown’s signature sights: Nejmeh Square, Martyrs’ Square, the Roman Baths, the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, and St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral with its fascinating crypt museum. If time permits, head out to Pigeon Rocks, the towering sea pillars that are a symbol of the city, and sip a Lebanese coffee as you soak up the Mediterranean views.

Afternoon: Cooking Class

Fresh, tangy, and packed with big, bold flavors, Lebanese is one of the Middle East’s most fascinating cuisines. Get hands-on with a cooking class in a private home. Feast on eastern Mediterranean meze appetizers, from hummus and moutabal (eggplant dip) to stuffed vine leaves, then prepare savory favorites from Turkish-influenced grills and salads to pomegranate sauces and lentil stews. Fill up with classic pastries, such as honey and pistachio baklava, and don’t miss the chance to sample homemade Lebanese arak liquor. Along the way, take the chance to learn about how Beirut’s myriad different cultures get along.

Night: Rooftop Romance

Head back to base and get glammed up for a night on the town. While anything goes stylewise in Beirut and glitz is not compulsory, more is definitely more at many of the rooftop bars and lounges that spring up around the city for the summer party season. The scene changes every season, but Iris and Capitole have stood the test of time, while the rooftop bar at the stylish Le Gray boutique hotel is a classic. Even outside the rooftop season, the party doesn’t stop: Try the bustling Armenia strip in Mar Mikhael.

Beirut is a dynamic, cosmopolitan city with lots of worthwhile museums and a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene. Still, many of Lebanon's most captivating attractions, including some of the most impressive ancient ruins in the Middle East, lie beyond the boundaries of the capital. See below for the must-see ancient sites near Beirut.

Byblos

Known as Jbail in Arabic, the seaside town of Byblos is about 23 miles (37 kilometers) north of Beirut. Believed to have been inhabited for more than 7,000 years, it is often touted as the oldest city in the world. The city's archaeological site contains Neolithic, Bronze Age, Greek, and Roman ruins as well as a rebuilt 12th-century Crusader castle.

Sidon

About 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Beirut, Sidon was once a wealthy Phoenician port city and a center for glass manufacture and purple dye production. Evidence of its ancient history can be found scattered around the historic Old City, while just northeast of town sits the well-preserved Phoenician Temple of Eshmun, which dates back to the seventh century BC.

Anjar

Set 36 miles (58 kilometers) east of Beirut, not far from the border with Syria, are the ruins of Anjar. Rediscovered in the 1940s, this fortified Umayyad city—now a UNESCO World Heritage Site—was originally built in the eighth century and is surrounded by sturdy stone walls. Key monuments include palaces and Roman-style thermal baths.

Tyre

About 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Beirut, the seaside city of Tyre is believed to date as far back as 2750 BC and was overseen by the Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and others—”all of whom left their mark. Archaeological sites, such as Al Mina and Al Bass, hold extensive Roman remains including archways, bathhouses, arenas, mosaics, and a necropolis.

Baalbek

About 54 miles (87 kilometers) from Beirut sits Baalbek, a city whose collection of Roman ruins rival any found in the Western Mediterranean. Known as Heliopolis (Sun City) in ancient times, Baalbek is home to many large temples, including the huge Temple of Jupiter and the Temple of Bacchus, which is elaborately decorated with carvings of gods and goddesses.