Baalbeck
Baalbeck 86 km from Beirut, renamed Heliopolis by the Greeks, it was made by the Romans. Baalbeck’s temple complex is one of the largest in the world. The temple of Jupiter, with six of its colossal columns (22m) remains, giving an idea of the vast scale of the original building. The nearby Temple of Bacchus is pretty well preserved.

Jeita Grotto + Byblos
One of the world’s most impressive caverns. Only 20 km from Beirut.

BYBLOS
The ancient city of Byblos, about 40km up the coast from Beirut, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It developed an alphabetical phonetic script, which was the precursor of modern alphabets. Its ruins are famous through the remains of the Crusader castle, which dominates the city’s medieval ramparts. The temple of Baalat Gebal from 2800 BC, and an amphitheatre from the Roman period.

BEITEDDINE
Located at a distance of 43 km from Beirut, Beiteddine houses the magnificent 19^th century palace of Emir Bechir, who reigned for more than 50 years. The palace is a model of Eastern Architecture.

TYRE + SIDON
70 km from Beirut founded by the Phoenicians in the 3^rd millennium BC. Famous for its purple dye and glass industries; these days it’s known for its Roman ruins. Including a well-preserved road, which passes through a monumental archway. Hundreds of ornate intricately carved stone and marble sarcophagi. The ruin’s hippodrome is the largest and best preserved in the world today.

SIDON
Saida means fishing, and even today fishermen moor their boats in its small picturesque port. The great Mosque, the ruins of the castle St. Louis, the Phoenician temple to the good Eshmoun and the burial grounds with their catacombs and underground chambers, are all relics of Sidon’s impressive past. Today the toen is known as the capital of the South.