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Hello everyone, it’s your favorite travel guide, Ola! For those of you who are considering spending a little extra time in Lebanon before or after our wedding I wanted to give you some travel tips and inspiration for your time here.
I can’t wait to welcome you all to Lebanon to celebrate together! Please check out the info below at your leisure. If you can believe it, I tried to keep this short and failed!! If you have any extra questions, I got you covered and feel free to reach out to me anytime 😊
We’re organizing optional tours a few days before the wedding on Tuesday 27th of August and Wednesday 28th of August to some of the most beautiful and historic areas outside of Beirut. We’ll be sharing the details soon and anyone interested is welcome to join.
Don’t worry if the tours don’t match your interests or your travel dates, there are plenty of other options and opportunities to explore.
While Lebanon is a small country, it has very diverse geography from beaches to mountains, valleys, and everything in between. Its also a cultural mixing pot with influences from the Romans, French, Greeks, Phoenicians and more. You will land in Beirut and if you use Beirut as your base most of the main attractions and sights below are a 1 to 3 hour drive from Beirut, which is nestled right in the middle of Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea. I have shared a glimpse into some of my favorite places and I added some personal recommendations.
Let me start with what Lebanon is most famous for!
1- Our green mountains all along the east side of the country. The mountains are a summer destination to beat the coastal heat and a winter destination for the ski season.
2- Our beaches all along the west side of the country. There are a wide variety of beach resorts from high end resorts to rustic chilled beach vibes, or party vibes. Some examples are below:
· Orchid beach-Batroun
· Rocca Marina - Cheka
· Lazy B - Jiyeh
· Tahet El Rih - Anfeh
3- Lebanese food, COME ON!
Don’t miss trying some Lebanese food and be sure to order different dishes every time, I promise everything tastes better in Lebanon than in any Lebanese restaurants anywhere else.
PS: Danny can live eating only Kibbe every day!
4- Historical Sites: Lebanon is home to many ancient civilizations and some of the oldest cities in the world such as Baalbak city which has some of the largest and most well preserved Roman temples in the world. The Phoenicians with their coastal cities like Beirut, Batroun, Sidon, Tyre and Byblos. Byblos has been continuously inhabited for 7000+ years!
5- Wine production: We love to drink and there’s nothing wrong with that! We produce all kinds of alcohol, but the Mediterranean weather and valleys made our wine quality one of the best wines in the world so don’t miss visiting a winery or else be sure to try some of the local wines available everywhere. I’d recommend also trying Arak, which is a local liquorish drink made of grapes and Anise.
The most popular wineries are Chateau Ksara (my favorite), Chateau Kefraya Winery, Ixsir Winery, and Chateau Musar.
6- Nightlife: Bars, restaurants, and clubs in Lebanon are just something else and I promise you will party in Lebanon like you haven’t partied anywhere else!
Below are some tips for cities or areas to visit or spend the night.
Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital city of Lebanon and where you will land. It’s a vibrant busy city that effortlessly blends authenticity and modernity.
I recommend staying at least one night in Beirut to get the real Lebanese experience but you can also make it the base for your entire stay since a lot of the main attractions are a 1-3 hour drive from Beirut.
What to do in Beirut?
1- Enjoy walking around in Downtown area that has some historical spots, ancient and modern architecture, shopping areas, a colorful little area with Lebanese designer shops calls Saifi village, Lebanese and international restaurants, coffee houses, a movie theater, a walking area “Biel waterfront”, and a must visit marina area full of restaurants and cafes by the water called Zaytouna Bay.
2- Visit museums like The National Museum of Beirut (recommended), MIM mineral museum and Sursock museum.
3- Have a little walk by the water and a lunch Infront of the famous landmark, Rawshe Rock. I recommend Falamanki restaurant or Bayrock café and get a table with a view.
4- OK but where to shop? If you’re looking for the international brands, visit any mall like Beirut Souks (high end brands), ABC Achrafieh (favorite), Le Mall, or City Center, but if you’re looking for an authentic shopping experience with local brands, walk around in Hamra street or Zalka street.
5- Dinner, Drink, Dance repeat!
Gemmayze and Mar Mkhayel are very popular streets that from the outside may look meh, but when you explore you will find the slickest bars and restaurants ever. Also, Monot street is a great night life destination in addition to Badaro street, (where the Irish embassy is located).
Hotels
1- Phoenicia Hotel: One of the oldest hotels in Lebanon and a Beirut landmark (Danny’s favorite)
2- Kimpinsky Summerland Hotel: A modern big resort with pools and beach access close to the airport
3- Hotel Albergo: A typical Lebanese style mixing authenticity and modernism with a great pool rooftop shows Beirut.
4- Arthaus Beirut: An artistic, authentic Lebanese hotel with modern style in the middle of Gemmayze with an art gallery
5- The Smallville Hotel: A super cool superhero themed hotel with several dining options and a 360-rooftop view with a pool
6- Ramada Plaza: In the center of Beirut near major shopping areas and close to several unique attractions.
All day restaurants and cafes:
1- Liza: Lebanese restaurant
2- Kampai: Japanese
3- Patchi café: Chocolate, lunch
4- Metropole: Brasserie
5- Roadster Diner: American
Dinner and drinks:
1- AI: International, Japanese infusion with live music
2- Amelia: International cuisine with DJ after 11pm
3- Pint: Irish bar
4- Central station: Cocktail bar
5- Celtic Bar: Irish bar
Rooftops and Party Vibes:
1- Iris: International Japanese infusion with live music-English
2- Skybar: Rooftop club -English
3- Seven Sisters: International cuisine with DJ-English,French,Arabic
4- Spine: Rooftop with live music -English,French,Arabic
Byblos “Jbeil in Lebanese”: an hour away north of Beirut
You think you can visit Lebanon without visiting one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, where my ancestors, The Phoenicians (don’t try to argue with any Lebanese that they’re not Phoenicians) lived and built one of their biggest civilizations.
3-4 hours are enough to see the main attractions in Byblos and will leave you wanting to become a Phoenician!
Walk around the old souk where you can enjoy local brands, gifts, and ancient buildings. Have a bite and a drink then visit Byblos castle. Visit Memoire De Temps where you can see and buy fossils that are millions of years old. You’ll be hungry by then so you can enjoy a Phoenician style meal in Feniqia restaurant or have a meal by the water in Sultan Al mina restaurants or Chez Pepe or drive 5 mins north of Byblos and enjoy a seafood meal in Babel Baher restaurant (my favorite).
If you fancy staying a night in the area, I recommend these 3 resorts:
Batroun: an hour and fifteen minutes north of Beirut
Batroun is my favorite coastal town in Lebanon located 15 mins north of Byblos. It’s ready to impress you by its crystal-clear water, the Phoenician wall, ancient well preserved Phoenician streets and architecture, colorful vibes, Lebanese designers’ markets, delicious restaurants, and interesting bars.
This town is a very popular summer destination with non-stop music and arts festivals. The vibes in this town will make you want to stay for a week!
I highly recommend staying for a night in Batroun, also it’s 45 minutes away from our wedding venue so you can actually stay there if you like, and we’ll help you with transportation!
What to do in Batroun? Wave to a toktoks in the street for a full tour around Batroun old souk and coastline, they charge $10/30mins, the toktok will drop you at the end at the old souk center which is a pedestrianized are, there you can enjoy walking around the souk where there’s Lebanese designers’ shops, gift store, a lot of cafes, restaurants, bars and ice cream shops.
Our sun gives you a golden tan, the Mediterranean water is warm and beach clubs in Batroun are to die for and there are tens of options depending on what style you’re looking for so don’t miss spending at least a day in the water and you will thank me later.
You can also enjoy a boat trip from Batroun Port and sail in the Mediterranean around the coastal towns.
Baalbak: 2 hours northeast of Beirut
For a jaw-dropping encounter with ancient grandeur, drive two hours northeast of Beirut and head to Baalbak! (We’re organizing a trip to Baalbak before the wedding, and you can join us if you wish). Marvel at the colossal Roman ruins, including Temple of Bacchus and Temple of Jupiter.
Rome and Athens are great, but Baalbak will blow your mind with the size and quantity of the temples and the grounds around them.
International artists gather every summer for Baalbak international festivals where musicals and concerts take place between the temples.
PS: we’re very chill so you can climb on any big stone, touch any ruin, capture as many photos as you want and even fly a drone and no one will tell you “You can’t do this, it’s the rules”!
We call Baalbak “Sun City” for a reason, so avoid visiting at noon time, wear sunscreen, put a hat on your head and bring a bottle of water with you. To have a better experience and know the history, ask for a guide at the entrance if you visit alone, local guides are available and they speak Arabic, English, Frensh and Spanish.
Chouf: an hour southeast of Beirut
One of the most breathtaking mountain areas in Lebanon located an hour away from Beirut to the south.
Get your camera ready for historical Lebanese architecture, Cedar reserves, green hills and running rivers, authentic Lebanese restaurants by the rivers and lots of local homemade Lebanese goods.
I recommend a visit to Moussa Castle, Beiteddine Palace, Chouf Cedar Reserve, then a lunch by the river in Shallalat Al Zarka restaurant, one of the most beautiful restaurants you can ever be.
If you wish to spend a night in the area, you can stay in Bkerzay hotel (favorite), Bouyouti or Mir Amin Palace
Jounie: 20 minutes north of Beirut
Jounie is the second biggest city in Lebanon. The eastern part to the mountains is considered more like a residential area while the western part by the water is a touristic area.
Jonie has an old souk street full of shops, bars, restaurants, and coffee shops.
The must do attraction in the area is visiting Our Lady of Lebanon in Harisa Mountain where you can access it by the cable cars “Telefrique de Liban”, the view from the top of the mountain is not to miss and the cathedral is a beautiful.
Ola’s top tip: DO NOT miss visiting Jeita Grotto by any chance! You can visit it on your way from Beirut to the north or on your way back to Beirut anytime from 9am to 5pm.
The grotto is an underground cave system with a huge collection of stalactites and stalagmites that create a surreal landscape. The grotto is divided into two interconnected caves, the lower grotto is accessible by boats while the upper grotto is accessible via a suspended walkway. It’s a magical, once in a life time experience for sure.
Hiking
The diverse landscapes ranging from rugged mountains to lush valleys, make Lebanon a paradise for hikers of all levels.
Some of the trails are easy to explore individually like Jabal Moussa Biosphere “Chouwan” trail -very recommended- while there’s bigger hikes that are recommended to be guided.
Let me know if you’re interested in a guided adventure hike.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or if you need help to tailor the best plan for you.
We’re preparing a google map file with all our recommendations, please reach out if you’re interested in a copy.
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