The Best Lebanon Luxury Vacations, Escorted Tours,Cruises, Hotels, Family Travel Package Deals

Lebanon Travel Information

• Mediterranean Region
• The Mediterranean
  

The city's favorable weather, good business climate and seductive lifestyle has always attracted travelers. But whether you visit on business or a vacation, the hospitality towards new faces, new ideas and new experiences, will ensure a stay that is informative as well as fun.

INSIGHT LEBANON

Start your trip to Lebanon with a visit to Beirut , currently undergoing a dynamic renaissance after its bloody civil war.   Explore this humming, paradoxical city, where bombed ruins stand alongside glistening new skyscrapers. The city's residents proudly identify themselves with their earlier reputation as cosmopolitan urban dwellers of the 'Paris of the East', more interested in cruising the Corniche and partying in the city's many nightclubs, than fighting sectarian battles.  Great restaurants abound, offering superb French, Lebanese, and international cuisine in elegant settings.  Head out to the Jeitta Grotto , one of the world's largest caves, dripping in stalactites and stalagmites.  Byblos is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities; its streets have seen over 7 millennia of people leave their cultural mark.  Its port brought wealth to the Phoenicians, and the Egyptians revered the city as the 'land of the gods'.  In its heyday in the 3rd millennium BC, Lebanon's famous cedars were shipped to Egypt to be used in constructing the Pyramids.  Today, Byblos is a pleasant town with a lovely, historical harbor, a relaxing Mediterranean atmosphere, and fine cafe's.  While you're here, visit the Crusader Castle , built with Roman stones and columns, and the beautifully restored medieval town, with its lively souks.

Beirut makes a fine base for day trips.  Travel south and watch the scenery change, becoming more tropical: orange, date, banana and sugar cane plantations line the road, and small fishing communities can be seen.  Visit Sidon, one of the great Phoenician city-states now famed for its Crusader sea-castle and beautiful souks.  Sip tea and perhaps indulge in a nargileh, or water pipe.  Travel south to Tyre , the southernmost coastal town in Lebanon.  This ancient city reached its peak over 3,000 years ago, and is mentioned in the Bible.  Wander its harbor, where brilliantly painted boats bob on the water, and fishermen sit mending their nets.  The town and surrounding area are rich in archaeological significance, Roman ruins, and a full range of remains of everyday life in the pre-Christian era.

Lebanon boasts magnificent Roman ruins at Baalbek - indeed, the finest series of such remains in all of the Middle East, and remarkably peaceful.  One of the finest destinations in the region, Baalbek was known to the Greeks and Romans as the 'City of the Sun', and is best appreciated at sunrise or sunset.  Explore the massive temple complex dedicated to Jupiter and Bacchus.  The Acropolis is one of the largest in the world; the columns and stones used in the construction are of equally gargantuan proportions.  Savor the grandeur and elegance of the temples amidst the peace and beauty of the natural surroundings.  Nearby is the Umayyad site of Anjar , whose natural setting highlights elegant columns, with snow-capped mountains to the east and west.  Today an Armenian community lives here, surrounded by Islamic remains from the 8th century.

Travel to the Mount Lebanon region, north of Beirut, where soaring peaks offer popular ski resorts and remote shrines that are popular pilgrimage sites for local people of all faiths.  Hidden amidst steep cliffs and deep caverns is the Afqa Grotto , sacred to Christians and Muslims, with a history of worship dating back to the Roman era.  Travel to Faqra , with a tower dedicated by the Emperor Claudius to 'a very great god' - probably Adonis.  The journey through the mountains is as striking as the many ruins in the area.

Tripoli is Lebanon's second largest city, with a predominantly Sunni Muslim population: teashops are the center of social life in this relaxed city.  The Great Mosque and surrounding area is a lively, fascinating warren of narrow lanes to explore.  The souk offers great value on gold.  Visit the Kadisha Valley , considered by many to be one of Lebanon's most stunning areas of natural beauty: a narrow gorge leading to a dramatic alpine amphitheater that is home to the Cedars, and Lebanon's Maronite community.  The country's most famed poet, Kahlil Gibran was born in the valley; a museum houses a fine collection of his paintings and personal effects.  Enjoy a walk to the Kadisha Grotto , with superb views of the valley en route. Visit The Cedars, one of Lebanon's most famed features, mentioned in the Bible, and the even earlier Epic of Gilgamesh.