Lebanon, Land of the Phoenicians
8 days and 7 nights
Dia 1 : Sunday. Beirut – Arrival
Arrival Beirut International Airport, meet and assist by our representative. Transfer to the hotel. Check
in and overnight at the hotel.
Dia 2 : Monday. Beirut - Sidon – Tyr – Echmoun - Beirut
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure towards the South of Beirut to Tyr. Phoenician Tyr was queen of the
Seas, an island city of unprecedented splendor. Our first stop will be the city of Sidon (Saida), the
largest city in south-Lebanon. We will go through the caravanserai, the old souks, and the Sea castle,
a fortress built by the Crusaders in the early 13th Century on a small island connected to the mainland
by a causeway. We will then continue to Tyr, a city that grew wealthy from her far-reaching colonies
and her industries of purple-dyed textiles. On arrival, we will visit the triumphal arch, the public baths,
the hippodrome among others. Lunch will be served in Sidon or Tyre. On the way back, we will visit
Echmoun, a temple dedicated to the most important God of Sidon and his lover Astarte. This is the
most important Phoenician temple ever found. Arrival to Beirut at the end of the afternoon. Overnight at
the hotel.
1
Dia 3 : Tuesday. Beirut – Beiteddine – Deir El Kamar - Beirut
Breakfast. Depart for the visit of the National Museum. Built in 1930, the Museum houses a collection
of ancient antiquities covering about 60 Centuries of history. Afterwards, we will depart towards the
Chouf mountains, located South-East of Beirut. The trip will take us in a narrow coastal strip, passing
the town of Damour, and the valleys and mountains of the western slopes of The Barouk Mountains.
The Chouf. The Emirs of Lebanon used to have their residence in Chouf, most notably Bachir Chehab
II, who built the magnificent Palace of Beiteddine during the first half of the 19th Century. On our way,
we will visit another historical town, located just beside Beiteddine; Deir al Qamar (the monastery of
the Moon). Then we will continue to Beiteddine Palace, the Eighteen-Century Arabian night’s-type
retreat. We will admire the graceful arcades, ornate ceilings; rich marble mosaics, tinkling fountains
and beautifully paneled rooms. Lunch will be served in Beiteddine before we return to Beirut at the end
of the afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.
Dia 4 : Wednesday. Beirut - The Cedars – Becharre – Qozhaya Beirut
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the North of the country. The beauty of Lebanon is its size as you
can visit the whole country out of Beirut its capital without changing hotels. We will pass through the
coastal cities of Jounieh, Byblos, and Batroun before reaching our first stop: the village of Becharre,
the birthplace of Gibran Khalil Gibran, the world famous poet, artist and novelist. Then will continue to
the Holy Valley of Qadisha. The area is famous for its numerous monasteries; the most important one
is Deir Qannoubine, an ancient Seat of the Maronite Patriarchal and Deir Qozhaya. After a brief stop,
we will reach the Cedars forest. At more than 1,800 meters, the Cedars fascinate with their majesty
and great age. They are the national emblem of Lebanon and its pride. Lunch will be served in a
mountain retreat. We will return to Beirut in late afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.
Dia 5 : Thursday. Beirut - Tripoli – Rachana – Balamand - Beirut
Breakfast at the hotel, departure to the North. Visit Tripoli and explore the Crusader Castle of St.
Gilles, the old city with its narrow alleys, souks and mosques dating back to the Mameluk and Ottoman
times. We will stop at one of its famous pastry factories of Baklawa made of many layers of paper-thin
dough with a filling of crushed nuts and tons of sugar between layers. Continue to Balamand
monastery which has been under the authority of the Orthodox Church since the early 17th century.
Have your lunch in local restaurant. Proceed to Rachana, south of Tripoli, which its name means the
Museum Village as it was known for its sculptures made of wood, stone, granite, or metal. Returns to
the hotel for relax, transfer to the hotel and overnight.
Dia 6 : Friday. Beirut - Byblos – Harissa – Jeita - Beirut
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Jeita that you will reach after approximately 1 hour. We will start
with the visit of the grottoes, Lebanon’s natural miracle, a striking nine kilometers labyrinth of galleries
on two levels. The lower, river level offers a unique tour by flat-bottom boat past “weeping willows” and
gigantic stone flowers. Equally striking is the upper grotto where monstrous mineral animals crouch in
shady corners. Then visit the magnificent statue of our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. You will enjoy the
unique and spectacular Jounieh’s bay view. We will then proceed to Byblos, considered the oldest
2
harbor in the world. We will visit the archeological site where around the Acropolis you will admire
traces of all periods since the Neolithic times. We will visit the souks where you will have the chance to
taste a Lebanese coffee. Lunch will be served in the charming city of Byblos where you will enjoy fresh
Seafood and fish from the Mediterranean Sea! We will return to Beirut in the afternoon. Overnight at
hotel in Beirut.
Dia 7 : Saturday. Beirut - Baalbek – Ksara – Anjar - Beirut
After breakfast, we will depart to Chtaura, the agriculture center city of the Bekaa valley in Lebanon.
We will continue our way to Baalbeck. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled
temple ruins, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the
Roman Empire. It is Lebanon's greatest treasure, and it can be counted among the wonders of the
ancient world, containing some of the largest and best preserved ruins. Towering high above the
Bekaa plain, their monumental proportions proclaimed the power and wealth of Imperial Rome. The
Gods worshiped here, the triad of Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus, were grafted onto the indigenous
deities of Hadad, Atargatis and a young male God of fertility. Local influences are also seen in the
planning and layout of the temples, which vary from the classic Roman design to other more recent
civilizations. We will visit the temple complex made up of Jupiter’s Temple, Bacchus Temple adjacent
to it and a short distance away the Temple of Venus. Afterwards we will drive to Ksara, one of the most
famous wineries in the region. We will taste a selection of the best white, rose and red wines ever
produced in the Middle East before we have a lovely lunch. We will continue to Anjar to visit this
Umayyad-period town that was excavated only 40 years ago. Return to Beirut in the late afternoon.
Overnight at the hotel.
Dia 8 : Sunday. Beirut - Departure
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport, meet and assist at the airport.
Yellow Planet Reps
Tel: +34 667 738 647
[email protected]
www.yellowplanet.net
3
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)