Lebanon

Lebanon Holidays – Tours & Adventure Travel Guide

PureTravel Says
“The Arab country of Lebanon is located in Western Asia. Precisely, it is on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered by Syria and Israel. Beirut is the capital and the largest city of the country. On a total area of 4,035 sq mi, you find a diverse range of population. Though Arabic is the official language, but you can find several people speaking other languages like English, Greek, French and Turkish.

Lebanon has a parliamentary system of Government with a president who has been elected for six years. Due to the strong system in Lebanon, government is taking sufficient steps to promote tourism and that’s the reason why you can see hoards of people in winter season who come to see high peaks covered with snow. The two rocky ranges separated by the Bekkaa Valley attract holiday makers from all over the world.”

Holiday Highlights

Hiking and Trekking - Hiking in Lebanon is a great opportunity for people to discover the natural beauty of Lebanon especially the Lebanon Mountain Trail, which offers more than 350 km of hiking trail. This wonderful hiking trail extends in the north of Lebanon from Al-Qobaiyat to the Marjaayoun, which is in the south. While hiking through this trail, you will come across some great mountains covered with snow along with lush green valleys. Cedar and pine forests add to the beauty of the trail and enhance your touring experience. You can also see Ottoman and Medieval castles along with Byzantine churches, heritage museums and palaces of the Emirs.

If you are visiting Lebanon anywhere from April to October, then you must choose the highest peak of Lebanon for hiking. This height of the peak is 3088m and it is medium difficulty hike, which doesn’t take more than 3-4 hours to get completed. Apart from this option, there are several other hiking options, which include but are not limited to Hiking from Faqra to Wardeh Region, Hiking in the holy valley of Qannoubine, Hiking from Laklouk to Balaa Pit and Hike to Ouyoune El-Simane.

Skiing - Lebanon is a popular destination for those holidaymakers who love to take part in skiing. There are as many as six ski resorts in Lebanon and all of them offer nice opportunities for you to have a time of your life. The best of the lot is the Mazaar Ski Resort because it offers sophisticated facilities for holidaymakers. This resort is located in the area of Kfardebian village and has 80km of ski tracks with as many as 42 slopes. Paragliding and snowboarding is also possible in this popular resort of Lebanon. There are different heights available for you, which can go up to the 2465m mark from where you can view the beauty of the Bekka Valley.

Along with the Mazaar, the Cedars resort is also a good option for advanced skiers. The best thing about the Cedar resort is that it has a slightly longer season (November till April) as compared to the other resorts of Lebanon.

Rafting - To make your holidays more adventurous, you must opt for rafting in Al-Assi River. This river is of 10 km. There are several companies in Lebanon which offer specific packages including the instructor for rafting in Al-Assi River. Generally, rafting in Al-Assi River starts from the base camp which in Al-Zwaytineh village which is about 150km away from Beirut.

Apart from Al-Assi River, you can also opt for Litani which gives you non-stop fun for 36km. In addition to these options, some people also opt for the calm water of Dog River where rides will usually be smooth.

When To Go

Because of the Mediterranean influence, Lebanon has a mild climate. Rains can be witnessed in winters and warm days can be experienced in summers. Though rains are common but you may not see any rain from the month of June till the month of October. Winters, however, can really be cold especially in Beirut where rainfall can be about 1,000mm with temperature of -4 degree C. Summer which lasts from June to September is considered as the best time season to visit Lebanon as the temperature remains from 20C to 30C.

Top Tips

While hiking, always wear appropriate footwear and take a hat and sunglasses.
A mobile phone, sun block cream, identity card and garbage bag are also essential to take with you while going out for hiking on your Lebanon holidays.
While rafting in white water, do make sure that you have an experienced guide with you.