Day Trip from Beirut - Betteidin, Deir Al Kamar & Sidon - Private Tour

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Palace of Beiteddine, Beit eddine, Beiteddine Lebanon

Built over 300 years beginning in 1788, the palace was the personal home of Emir Bashir Shihab II who wanted the mansion to be a place of singular beauty and legendary opulence. The castle was built on a hermitage called Beiteddine (House of Faith) and featured all manner of amenity including a lush personal apartment for the Emir, a harem, and a rich guest house that was often offered to passing luminaries and dignitaries. Many of the surfaces were inlaid with intricate mosaics and designs, many of which have survived remarkably well to this day. Unfortunately, all of this grandeur is said to have come at a great price.
While it is likely an apocryphal story, it’s been said that the emir ordered that the architect of his palace have his hands cut right off so that the Beit ed-Dine Palace could not be duplicated. In addition, he is said to have conscripted all of his healthy male subjects to work on the project for days at a time for no pay.
Despite the possible labour tragedies associated with it, the palace was eventually taken over by the Ottomans and used as a government building before eventually being turned into a protected historic site. Today the palace still retains its stunning architecture and hand-made mosaics and is an important site for both visitors and the people of Lebanon.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Deir Al Kamar Municipality, Chouf, Lebanon

The village of Deir el Qamar is a true gem of the region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village was the capital of Mount Lebanon from the 16th to 18th centuries and a regional stronghold for the Ottoman Emirs. With red-tiled roofs, winding streets, and stone houses, the village epitomizes idyllic mountain charm and small-town life at its finest. It also highlights the religious diversity in Lebanon, with a mosque, a church and a synagogue all taking residence in its main square.
The best way to enjoy Deir El Qamar is by meandering through its narrow streets. Start in the main square (which was used for jousting tournaments during the Crusades) and meander through the streets just off the main road.



Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Crusaders Sea Castle, Sidon Sea Boulevard, Sidon Lebanon

Sidon's Sea Castle was built by the crusaders in the thirteenth century as a fortress of the holy land. It is one of the most prominent historical sites in the port city of Sidon.
The city of Sidon is located on the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon. This ancient Phoenician city has been of great religious, political and commercial value; it is said to be inhabited since 4000 B.C. During the 13th century, the Crusaders built Sidon's Sea Castle as a fortress on a small island connected to the mainland by a narrow 80m long roadway. The island was formerly the site of a temple to Melqart, the Phoenician version of Heracles. The beauty of the Castle can be seen in old illustrations of it; however, after bearing several wars, it has been damaged and renovated several times. It was partially destroyed by the Mamluks when they took over the city from the Crusaders, but they subsequently rebuilt it and added the long causeway. The castle later fell into disuse but was again restored in the 17th century by Emir Fakhreddine II, only to suffer great damage.
There is a possibility that the island on which the castle is built was, in fact, the location of the Phoenician King's palace and several other Phoenician monuments which were destroyed by Esarhaddon and then by natural earthquakes. This island has also served as a shelter from inside attacks on the city. Great Sidon, Little Sidon, powerful fortresses, pastures, cisterns and fortifications are all mentioned in the Assyrian king Sennacherib's recordings of his attacks on Sidon and nearby cities.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Sidon Souks, Old City, Sidon Lebanon

Saida’s old souks are exactly what you might imagine an Arabian bazaar to look like, complete with old-fashioned blacksmiths, cobblers, butchers, and bakers shops. The marketplace is made of stone archways and wedged into each niche is a different shop selling everything from fruits to souvenirs to meats. Every turn reveals a new corner of the souk, where colours, smells and sounds blend to make an enchanting marketplace.
Many old religious sights, from churches to mosques, are scattered throughout the marketplace and discovering them in the labyrinth of twisting alleyways is half the fun. The Omari and Bab el Saray Mosques, with their beautiful architecture, are well-worth a stop too.



Duration: 1 hour