Daily tours from Beirut to Lebanon’s major tourist sites

Harissa Statue, Lebanon

If you need something more when visiting Beirut than the usual shopping, fine dining and people watching, Varianos Travel is pleased to offer you, through its Lebanese partners, excursions to the most important tourist sites of Lebanon.  All daily tours are either half day (three to five hours) or full day (eight to eleven hours) and start from Beirut.  Pick up is from your Beirut hotel and excursions over five hours include lunch.  Most tours are accompanied by a professional English speaking guide, include all entrance fees and transport is in air conditioned vehicles.  Minimum participation for operating these excursions is two persons and the arrangements can be made for any customers booking at least their hotel accommodation in Beirut with us.

Available excursions and tours from Beirut

Baalbek, Ksara and Anjar

See the best of the fertile Bekaa valley, sandwiched between Mount Lebanon and Mount Antilebanon. Visit the very well preserved historic ruins of Baalbeck to view the marks that great civilizations have left in this area. The temples of Jupiter,. Bacchus and Venus are sights that are sure to impress you. This full day tour also includes a visit to the Ksara winery where you get to taste the very pleasant Lebanese wines and anise flavored Arak. This day tour also includes a visit to the unique eighth century Ommayyad site of Anjar (or Aanjar).

This tour lasts about 10 hours and departs from Beirut on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 09:00.

Jeita Grotto, Harissa, Byblos and Beirut

A comprehensive full day tour that covers the most important sites close to Beirut. It includes a visit to the natural marvel of the Jeita Grottoes to view both caves. A magnificent view of Jounieh can be had from the hill of Harissa which houses a Cathedral and the statue of Our Lady of Lebanon. In Byblos, a city that claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited place in the world, you can see among others the Crusader’s Castle, the Roman theater which is still used today for the renowned Byblos Festival and the Royal necropolis. Lunch is on a nice restaurant by the old harbor, a place that brings back memories from Kyrenia. The tour concludes with a visit to downtown Beirut’s renovated Central District, better known as Solidere, and the sites within it.

This tour lasts approximately nine hours and departs from Beirut on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 09:00.

Tyre, Sidon and Echmoun

Full day tour of South Lebanon. Visit Sidon (Saida) with its lovely Crusader castle and explore the city’s charms. The Audi family’s Soap Museum is a delightful small museum with a great souvenir shop. From Sidon depart to the other great Phoenician city of Tyre to see the archeological site there with its famed and almost intact Hippodrome as well as the amazing necropolis. After lunch visit the temple of Echmoun, god of life and death for the ancient Phoenicians which was built in the late 7th century B.C.

This tour lasts about 9 hours and departs from Beirut on Mondays and Thursdays at 09:00.

Tripoli and the Cedars

An excursion to North Lebanon with the first part dedicated to the city of Tripoli. The old city of Tripoli is a world apart from Beirut with a distinctive Oriental flavor and features the Crusader castle of Saint Gilles. Leaving Tripoli, the ascend of Mount Lebanon leads first to Bcharre (also spelled Becharre, Bcharry or Bsharii) home of Lebanon’s national poet Gibran Khalil, and then the thousands year old Cedars grove at an elevation of 1800 meters. These ancient trees are an unforgettable sight and seeing them up close makes you understand why they feature so prominently on the Lebanese flag.

This tour lasts around 11 hours and departs from Beirut on Mondays at 09:00.

Qadisha valley, Bcharre and the Cedars

Same as the Tripoli and Cedars tour but instead of Tripoli you venture in the mystic Qadisha valley to visit Kozhaya monastery. Visit also the Gibran Khalil museum at Bcharre village and also the Cedars grove as mentioned above.

This tour lasts about 11 hours and departs from Beirut on Fridays at 09:00.

Beirut city tour

Discover the capital of Lebanon with this afternoon tour. You will see the reconstructed Solidere area with the the renovated buildings and rediscovered archaeological sites, ranging from Roman, Crusader and Ottoman times. Places of worship for different religions and denominations, situated side by side create a unique cultural mosaic. Visit includes the Grand Serail and Beirut’s National Museum which not only houses a great collection of Archaeological treasures but also has an interesting story of survival through last century’s troubled times.

The Beirut city tour lasts for about three hours and starts at 14:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Most of this tour is on foot.

Baalbek Express Tour

The fastest way to see Lebanon’s most famous archaeological site. Visit the great temples and buildings of Baalbek and see the very well preserved antiquities that the Greek, Roman and Byzantine civilizations have bequeathed to Lebanon.

The express tour to Baalbek takes around five hours. The tour starts at 08:30, includes a quick lunch stop and is available every Monday, Friday and Sunday.

Jeita Grottoes and Harissa

This is one of the most popular excursions we offer. Jeita’s two Grottoes are Lebanon’s most easily accessible natural miracles with kilometers of cave available to visitors. The upper cave is longer and you can walk inside it to enjoy looking the formations of stalactites and stalagmites and the immense empty space inside the mountain. The lower cave is filled with water, so you will glide through it with the help of a battery powered boat. The visit to the hill of Harissa, home of Our Lady of Lebanon statute, offers a stunning view of Jounieh and its bay. The trip up the hill is by cable car.

This tour last for about 4 hours. Time and dates the tour is offered are Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 09:00 and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 14:00.

Faraya Safari

This full day tour is the newest addition to the tours we offer. After pick up from your hotel you will be driven up to Fakra to see the highest built Roman settlement. A short distance away stands the famous natural rock bridge and those wishing can trek along it. You will then have the option to take a 4wd tour on the mountain or a ride with one of the newest and most powerful quad ATVs in Lebanon. A barbecue on one of Faraya’s mountains completes this tour. A visit to Jeita Grottoes is also possible during this tour.

The tour is available daily.

Book an excursion with your trip to Lebanon from Cyprus:

Contact us for a booking of any tour in Beirut along with your other travel arrangements for your trip to Lebanon from Cyprus. Email us at [email protected] or call us at +357-22680500.