Detailed Itinerary

Home , Baalbek, Beirut, Byblos, Cedars of God, Riyaq

Detailed Itinerary

Trip Name: [13 days] Lebanon Inside & Out

GENERAL Dates: September 3rd – 15th, 2021

From roaming the streets of Lebanon’s coastal cities, to tasting homemade specialties and street food, to stepping foot in some of the most underrated beauties of this land, this trip is the ultimate insider travel experience to Lebanon. Come see the true facets of the country through its people, their generosity, and know how.

Main Stops: Beirut – Byblos– Ehmej – Aassia – Nahle – Bchealeh – Douma – Qadisha Valley – Cedars – Batroun – Tripoli – Menjez – Qoubaiyat – Akkar El Atika - Hermel – Baalbek – Riyaq – Kherbet Qanafar – Saghbine – Maasser El Chouf – Deir el Qamar – Beiteddine – Tyre

About the Tour: We offer customized trips based on the principles and values of responsible tourism. We aim to propose alternatives to the most overdone itineraries to countries, focus on locations away from mass tourism, and expose a different perspective of more common destinations. In addition, we emphasize providing authentic experiences by engaging with the host communities in all their daily social, cultural, and productive assets.

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

Day 01: Arrival to Beirut  Arrival to Rafic Hariri Airport: Pick up & assistance.  Time for SIM cards purchase if needed and money exchange.  Transfer to a guesthouse in Beirut.  Free evening.

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Beirut Meals: None

Day 02: Beirut  Alternative guided tour of Beirut. Get to know Beirut’s millennial and modern history by walking around its streets, hidden gems & monuments.  Sunset biking at the corniche.

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Beirut Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 03: Byblos/Jbeil - Ehmej  Visit the historical ruins & old town of Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It bears an exceptional testimony of the Phoenician civilization and the diffusion of their alphabet.  Mosaic workshop in Ehmej.  Free afternoon.

Accommodation: Ecolodge in Ehmej Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

© Yūgen Earthside – All Rights Reserved – 2020 - 2 - Day 04: Ehmej – Aassia – Nahle – Bchealeh - Douma  Plant cedar trees in the Ehmej reserve part of our 100% carbon free emission initiative with Jouzour Loubnan.  Ancestral Pottery (potter’s wheel free) demonstration and initiation at a local artisan’s home in Aassia.  Lunch & wine tasting at “Sept,” a biodynamic winery and meet the founder & wine maker.  Free evening to roam around the authentic streets of Douma.

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Douma Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 05: Qadisha Valley – Cedars - Batroun  Scenic drive towards Hadchit.  Easy to moderate level hike from Hadchit to Qannoubine Monastery. (7 km / 4.5 miles distance, ascent 250 m, descent 450 m). Discover hidden relics and caves, settlements of past hermits as well as the Qannoubine Monastery, jewel of the Qadisha valley.

The Qadisha Valley is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world, dating back to the 5th century AD. Listed among the UNESCO World Heritage sites, it is characterized by a dramatic rugged landscape, rocky cliffs and caves carved into the hillside.

 Visit the historical forest, Cedars of God (Arz el Rab).  Sunset view over the valley.  Free evening in Batroun.

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Batroun Meals: Breakfast

Day 07: Tripoli – Menjez - Qoubaiyat  In the morning, we will do a guided historical & street food tour of Tripoli.

Discover the biggest crusader’s castle in Lebanon & stroll around the 13th century souks, hammams, mosques & khans of upper Tripoli, while tasting the most delicious street food the city has to offer.

 Boat tour around the Palm Islands (optional snorkeling or scuba diving).  In the afternoon, we will visit Munjez, a basaltic stone-built village on the borders of Syria, hiding historical megaliths and relics dating to the Roman era.

Accommodation: Ecolodge in Qoubaiyat Meals: Breakfast tastings & Dinner

Day 08: Akkar el Atika highlands – Hermel Highlands  Moderate level hike in the Black Forest overlooking the village of Akkar El Atika (9 km / 5.5 miles, 390 m ascent) with lunch at a shepherd’s tent.  Scenic road trip reaching the highlands of Hermel.

Accommodation: Ecolodge in the highlands of Hermel Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

© Yūgen Earthside – All Rights Reserved – 2020 - 4 - Day 09: Bekopaka – Tsingy of Bemaraha – Bekopaka  Volunteering day. Visit & distribution of the food essentials, medicine, clothing… bought by the money donated to assigned unprivileged families with the help of the LOST NGO.

LOST (Lebanese Organization for Studies and Trainings) works with people, particularly with handicapped persons, women & youth to create a more developed & equitable society through reducing poverty, eliminating exclusion, & fostering a culture of peace.

 Free evening in Baalbek.

Accommodation: Palmyra Hotel Meals: Breakfast

Day 10: Baalbek – Riyaq – Kherbet Qanafar - Saghbine  Visit the archeological site, the Roman Quarry and the Sayyida Khawla mosque.

Baalbek, with its majestic structures, is one of the finest examples of Imperial Roman Architecture at its apogee. Well known as Heliopolis since the Hellenistic Period or the city of the sun for its complex where a triad of deities was worshiped.

 Culinary tour around Central and West Bekaa. Meet small business owners from arak (a spirit in the anise family) & wine makers to local cheese manufacturers. Taste a traditional home cooked meal by a loving table d’hôtes owner, and try goat milk ice cream.

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Saghbine or Kherbet Qanafar Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11: Maasser el chouf – Deir el Qamar - Beiteddine  Short 45-minute walk around the Chouf Cedars reserve.  Discover traditional tile making at a local workshop.  Free time around Deir el Qamar to discover the village.  Visit the Beiteddine Palace.

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Deir el Qamar Meals: Breakfast

Day 12: Tyre  Visit the Al Bass Necropolis & Al Mina archeological sites in Tyre, rich in history & relics dating back to the Roman & Byzantine periods.  Free time at the Tyre portside.  Afternoon optional pottery or blown glass painting workshop.

Accommodation: Atelier de Tyr Meals: Breakfast

Day 13: Beirut  Return to Beirut for a free day in the capital & airport drop off.

Meals: Breakfast

PRICING Tour cost:  $1,975 in a double room  $2,615 in a single room

*BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE: To reserve your spot on a tour, a 25% deposit will be required by Aug 15th, 2021; full amount due by Aug 25th, 2021. However, you can book

© Yūgen Earthside – All Rights Reserved – 2020 - 6 - with complete peace of mind as this deposit will be 100% refundable (minus the bank charges) if the traveler cancels the reservation BEFORE August 1st, 2021.

 If the trip is cancelled because of Covid and airport closures, all money will be refunded.  If the cancellation occurs ON or AFTER August 1st, 2021, half of the amount paid will be refunded. (Subject to case by case.)  If the cancellation occurs ON or AFTER August 20th, 2021, the full amount will NOT be refunded. (Subject to case by case.)

We mention case by case because if someone cancels due to Covid or other extreme measures even after the dates above, they will still be refunded.

INCLUSIONS  Accommodation: o 12 nights of accommodation in ecolodges, guesthouses, or hotel as mentioned in the Detailed Itinerary.  Meals: o 12 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners  Transportation: o All airport pickups and transfers. o Private and public transportation with all fuel expenses throughout all the journey according to the program.  Permits, Fees, Guides: o Full guided tour with activities, visits, and site entrances mentioned in Detailed Itinerary. o Additional local guides when needed.  Other: o Professional Assistance 24/7 from the tour operator, a travel expert and heritage management specialist.

EXCLUSIONS  Meals: o Alcoholic drinks o Meals not mentioned in Detailed Itinerary (most lunches)  Transportation: o Flights to/from Lebanon  Other: o Travel insurance (we can help you with this though – ask for pricing)

© Yūgen Earthside – All Rights Reserved – 2020 - 7 - o Laundry service o Personal expenses and souvenirs o Optional activities mentioned o PCR tests, if needed o Anything else not specifically mentioned as “Included”