Baalbeck, Cedars and Kozhaya Full day Tour from Beirut

Start the tour at 07:00 am from Beirut, head to the bekaa valley to visit the famous town of Baalbeck, Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure, visit the big stone and the Temples of Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus; after Baalbeck, we drive up the mountains towards the Cedars of Lebanon to enjoy the marvelous natural views on every turn we get higher; then we visit the Cedars forest followed by Lebanese Lunch; after that we visit the convent of St Anthony of Kozhaya, one of the numerous convents of the Holy Valley, then return back to Beirut at late afternoon.

 Baalbeck

Heliopolis: the roman temples of Baalbeck, located in the Bekaa valley 85 kilometers away from Beirut. It makes up the largest and best preserved corpus of roman architecture left around. The acropolis occupies the top of an artificial hill built up of different layers of habitation.

Its temples, dedicated to Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus, were constructed between the first and the third centuries A.D.

in the “Jupiter temple” six of the 54 giant columns that originally surrounded the sanctuary survived till today. The temple has an impressive podium and a vast rectangular courtyard where sacrifices were carried out. The sanctuary is reached through a propylaea (monumental entrance) and hexagonal forecourt.

The town of Baalbeck has major remains from Islamic times including the grand Mosque, built by the Ommayadds with material borrowed from ancient monuments, and another mosque built in Mamluke times near the spring of Ras El–Ain.

Cedars

The most venerable representatives of the Cedars of Lebanon, which once covered the country's mountains, are in the Besharre region in the North of Lebanon. Hundreds of trees stand on slopes 2,000 meters high in the shadow of the 3,088 meter peak of Qornet es- Sawda.From Lebanon's cedar forests, Solomon got the timber to build his temple and palace, while the Egyptians Pharaohs used the wood carve their sarcophagi and 'sunships'.

Kozhaya

is part of the Holy valley where Maronites used to during the Ottaman's period. Monastry of St-Antoine of Kozhaya is one of the numerous monasteries built in this valley. It is built partly inside in the mountain and party outside it. It is surrounded by a very beautiful panorama of forest and valley.