• Beirut - 11:30 AM — Hotel pickup, Beirut
  Your guide will meet you at your Beirut hotel after a leisurely morning in the city. The journey southeast into the Chouf Mountains takes about 45 minutes, with pine-covered ridges rising steeply above the coastal plain as you head towards Beiteddine.
• Beiteddine Palace - Enter one of the most stunning palaces in the Arab world. Constructed over three decades in the early 19th century by Emir Bashir II — the leader who unified Lebanon’s warring factions — Beiteddine is a masterpiece of Lebanese artistry. Three interconnected courtyards unfold before you, adorned with hand-cut geometric tilework, carved cedar-wood ceilings, and intricately painted reception halls that once hosted diplomats, merchants, and Ottoman officials. Beneath the palace, an underground museum houses the finest collection of Byzantine mosaics in Lebanon — floor panels of extraordinary color and detail sourced from across the country. Today, the palace serves as the official summer residence of the Lebanese President and hosts the internationally renowned Beiteddine Art Festival. Your guide will bring the full story of Emir Bashir — his alliances, ambitions, and legacy — to life within these remarkable walls.
• Deir El Qamar - A short drive takes you to Deir el Qamar — meaning “Monastery of the Moon” in Arabic — one of the most charming and best-preserved villages in Lebanon. Once the country’s first capital under the Ma’an dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries, the village square is surrounded by grand honey-stone mansions, a Druze palace, and centuries-old public buildings that reflect Deir el Qamar’s former political and commercial significance. What makes the village truly exceptional is the peaceful coexistence evident in its architecture — a mosque, a church, and a palace all within steps of each other, representing the layered religious and cultural heritage that defines Lebanon at its finest.
• Fakhreddine’s Mosque - Visit the elegant 17th-century mosque built by Fakhreddine II — the visionary Druze emir who formed alliances with European powers, expanded his territory from the Bekaa to the Sinai, and is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Lebanon. A rare and serene historic mosque open to respectful visitors of all faiths in the heart of a mixed Lebanese village.
• Saydet El Talle Church - Ascend to the hilltop Maronite church that overlooks Deir el Qamar from above — its terrace offering sweeping views across the rooftops of the village and deep into the Chouf valleys below. A quiet, contemplative final stop before lunch, with mountain panoramas that reward the short climb generously.
• Deir el Qamar - Lunch in Deir el Qamar — optional
  Enjoy a leisurely Lebanese lunch at one of Deir el Qamar’s traditional mountain restaurants — stone-vaulted dining rooms and shaded terraces serving generous mezze spreads, grilled meats, and freshly baked mountain bread with views over the Chouf valleys. The perfect unhurried ending to an afternoon well spent.
  At own expense
• Beirut - Return to Beirut — approx. 5:30–6:00 PM
  Scenic mountain drive back to Beirut with drop-off at your hotel — a perfect afternoon in the Chouf Mountains, from a presidential palace to Lebanon’s first capital.

• Comfortable transportation
• Small group sizes
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• Professional, knowledgeable guides

• Gratuities
• Lunch

Start your morning in Beirut at your leisure, and let the afternoon lead you to remarkable places. This intimate group tour begins at 11:30 AM, venturing into the Chouf Mountains to explore two of Lebanon’s most stunning and historically important sites: Beiteddine Palace and the ageless village of Deir el Qamar.

Stroll through the majestic courtyards and intricate chambers of Beiteddine, a premier 19th-century palace in the Arab world, constructed by Emir Bashir II, and featuring an impressive underground collection of Byzantine mosaics. Then, journey to Deir el Qamar, Lebanon’s first capital, where honey-colored mansions, a 17th-century mosque, and a hilltop church all converge around the same cobblestone square in one of the country’s best-preserved Ottoman villages.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.