Small Group Tours - Beirut, Beiteddine & Deir El Qamar - Day trip from Beirut

Itinerary
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Stop At: Pigeon Rocks in Raouche, Raouché, Beirut Lebanon

Raouché is a residential and commercial neighbourhood in Beirut. It is known for its upscale apartment buildings, numerous restaurants, cliff-side cafés and its wide seaside sidewalk, the Corniche, where strollers and joggers crowd the pavements in the evenings and weekends.

Off the coast of Raouché, there is a natural landmark called the Pigeons' Rock, located at Beirut's western-most tip, the two huge rock formations, which stand like gigantic sentinels, are a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, Martyrs' Square, Amir Bachir, Beirut Lebanon

The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque also referred to as the Blue Mosque, located in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. Decades of preparation to obtain sufficient land adjacent to the old Zawiya led finally to the building of the new mosque. It was inaugurated in 2008.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Al-Omari Mosque, Beirut Lebanon

The Al-Omari Grand Mosque was the old Crusader Church of Saint John. Built in the 12th century, it was transformed into the city’s Grand Mosque by the Mamluks in 1291. Damaged during the Civil War, the mosque’s refurbishment was completed in 2004.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Roman Baths, Beirut Lebanon

Roman Berytus Baths is an ancient Roman thermae or bath site inside the Roman city of Berytus[3]. It was discovered in 1968-1969 and underwent a major renovation in the mid-1990s.

The archaeological ruin of one of the baths has been preserved and is occasionally used as a performance space, thus reflecting the ancient traditions of the site. One of the Baths is used as an artistic performance and concert space. The modern site is also home to Mediterranean-style gardens that contain a variety of medicinal plants once used in bathing balms.

The Roman bathhouse was a meeting place for all citizens. Roman Berytus had four major bath complexes. The bather moved from warm to hot baths, through rooms of varying temperatures. Located under the floor, the heating system (hypocaust) located under the floor allowed the air, warmed by wood fires in adjacent vaults, to circulate between pillars of terracotta disks that heated the marble floor; terracotta pipes in the walls allowed the air to rise up to the ceiling. Water from the boiler fed the marble-tiled pools in the hot room (caldarium), and a large stone basin (labrum) contained cool water for the bathers’ use. The bathing routine ended with a body massage of therapeutic oils. The high vaulted, spacious halls of the bathhouse also accommodated performances of jesters and musicians.

Today, the location of the Roman Baths is occasionally used as a performance space, thus reflecting the ancient traditions of the site. The modern garden contains also a variety of medicinal plants once used during classical times.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Place de l'Etoile, Beirut Lebanon

Nejme Square, or Place de l'Étoile, is the central square in the Downtown area. It is home to the Lebanese Parliament and its complementary buildings, two cathedrals, a museum, and several cafes and restaurants. Most notable for its Art Deco architecture, the square has become a recognizable icon of Beirut City worldwide. The jewel of the square is a 1930s clock-tower with its four-faced Rolex clock. The clock tower was a gift from Lebanese-Mexican émigré Michel Abed. Today, the square is filled with tourists and locals who come here to dine, walk or enjoy the street life. The square is also known for its noticeable population of pigeons.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Martyr's Square, Beirut Lebanon

The central and largest square in Beirut and its city centre was built by the Ottomans in the 19th century. Its initial name Place des Canons referred to the Russian artillery placed there in the 18th century; the name was taken up again by the French in 1860. The square was renamed in memory of the Lebanese

nationalists who were executed by the Turks. Martyrs’ Square was completely destroyed during the Lebanese civil war. In the early 1990s, its reconstruction began and the sculpture by Renato Marino Mazzacurati was restored. Design of the square, as part of the 2005 Martyrs’ Square Axis international design competition, is under review in relation to revised master planning of adjacent buildings and roads.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Corniche Beirut, Manara, Beirut Lebanon

The Corniche Beirut is a seaside promenade in Beirut Central District, in Beirut, Lebanon. Lined with palm trees, the waterfront esplanade has views of the Mediterranean and the summits of Mount Lebanon to the east. Corniche Beirut has its foundation in the Avenue des Français, which was built during the period of the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon along the seafront that extended from the old town.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George, Beirut Lebanon

The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Georges is the Mother Cathedral of the Beirut Orthodox community. The Cathedral is the oldest church in the city of Beirut, and one of the oldest in the region: the first Christian temple ever built in the very location goes back to early fourth century AD.

During the Lebanese civil war, the Cathedral suffered many attacks of theft and vandalism, as well as effects of nature's impact in a region considered as a war zone and confrontation line. In 1998, the restoration multi-phase project started and in 15th of December 2003, the Cathedral opened her Great Doors.



Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Beiteddine Palace, Chouf, Lebanon

Emir Bashir II of the Shihab dynasty, who later became the ruler of the Mount Lebanon Emirate, built the palace between 1788 and 1818 at the site of the Druze hermitage. After 1840, the palace was used by the Ottomans as a government building. During the French Mandate, it served as a local administrative office.

In 1943, the palace was declared the official president's summer residence. During the Lebanese Civil War, it was heavily damaged. Parts of the palace are today open to the public while the rest is still the president's summer residence

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

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.

Duration: 1 hour