Private Qadisha Valley, Gibran Museum & Cedars Hike | From Beirut
- 9 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 2 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Lebanon's north rewards the traveler who goes beyond the standard itinerary — and this private day trip does exactly that. Four stops in the same mountain valley, each completely different from the last: a UNESCO World Heritage gorge, the museum and tomb of the author whose book has sold 100 million copies, an ancient cedar grove at 2,000 metres, and a 12th-century monastery carved directly into a cliff face that houses the first printing press ever used in the Middle East. Private vehicle and knowledgeable English-speaking driver throughout — your pace, no group schedule, nobody else's timing. Your driver covers the key facts and stories at every stop. Entrance tickets and optional lunch payable on site.
Inclusions
What's included
- Knowledgeable English-speaking driver
- Easy 1-hour hike through the Cedars of God
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
- Qadisha Valley viewpoint — photo stops
What's not
- Lunch (optional — at own expense)
- Gratuities (optional)
Itinerary
8:30 AM — Hotel pickup Your driver meets the group at your Beirut hotel and heads north — coastal highway climbing into the Lebanese mountains toward the Qadisha Valley. Two hours of increasingly dramatic scenery.
Qadisha Valley — UNESCO gorge · photo stop at the rim Pull over at the rim and look down — sheer limestone walls dropping hundreds of metres to the valley floor, dotted with ancient monastery caves carved into the cliff face over seventeen centuries. Qadisha means "Holy" in Aramaic. Your driver explains who chose these inaccessible cliffs and why. Multiple photo stops along the rim. The view that makes travelers understand why Lebanon's north is worth the drive.
Khalil Gibran Museum — The Prophet, in the village that produced it The Prophet has sold over 100 million copies in more than 100 languages — one of the best-selling books of the entire 20th century. Khalil Gibran was born in Bcharre, shaped by this mountain landscape, and buried here — in the cave chapel of this former Carmelite monastery carved into the cliff above the village. The museum holds his original oil paintings, watercolours, and personal manuscripts. Your driver covers Gibran's life, his years in New York, and why The Prophet reads differently when you are standing in the place that made it.
Cedars of God — easy one-hour hike · UNESCO-protected grove A UNESCO-protected grove at 2,000 metres above sea level where some trees exceed 1,000 years and trunks measure more than 14 metres in circumference. These are the descendants of the forests that built Phoenician ships and furnished Solomon's Temple. An easy one-hour hike on marked trails — suitable for all fitness levels, no steep terrain. Your driver covers the ecology and conservation story of Lebanon's most emblematic tree throughout. At your own pace — no group rushing you through.
Lunch in Bcharre — optional Mountain Lebanese mezze at a local Bcharre restaurant — grilled meats, fresh bread, Qadisha Valley views. Optional and at your own expense. Worth the stop — the valley view from up here is one of the best lunch settings in Lebanon.
Kozhaya Monastery — first printing press in the Middle East Descend into the Qadisha Valley for the day's final and most atmospheric stop — the Monastery of Saint Anthony of Kozhaya, founded in the 12th century and carved directly into the limestone cliff face of the valley wall. Cave chapels, ancient stone cells, complete gorge silence. Inside: a pilgrimage cave active for over eight centuries, and the first printing press ever used in the Middle East — brought here by Maronite monks in the 16th century. Most travelers who visit Kozhaya say it is the stop they did not expect and cannot forget. Your driver explains the full significance of the printing press and what it means for the history of knowledge in the Levant.
Return to Beirut — approx. 6:00–7:00 PM Drop-off at your Beirut hotel. A UNESCO gorge, the tomb of The Prophet's author, thousand-year-old cedar trees, and the first printing press in the Middle East — Lebanon's north, privately, at your own pace. Done properly.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 54
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 4 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Pickup is included for everyone.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Beirut Daily Tours
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Beirut
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 193 day trips we list in Beirut.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 71 of 193.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Beirut
Beirut is Lebanon's capital on a Mediterranean headland, a Phoenician port city with Roman remains and mountains rising close behind.
Beirut juts into the Mediterranean on a rocky headland, with the snow-streaked peaks of Mount Lebanon rising behind. Founded by the Phoenicians, it became the Roman city of Berytus, famed for its school of law, and the remains of Roman baths lie in the city centre. The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, with its blue domes, and the nearby churches of St George show the mix of faiths.
Top-ranked sights in Beirut: Jeita Grotto, Our Lady of Lebanon (Notre Dame du Liban), Byblos (Jbeil).
Special offers in Beirut
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
