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Offered languages
- English
Three of the Chouf Mountains' most compelling attractions — one private half-day from Beirut, back by mid-afternoon. Beiteddine Palace is the most significant 19th-century palace in Lebanon and today the official summer residence of the Lebanese President — three grand courtyards, carved cedar ceilings, and a Byzantine mosaic museum beneath the building that most visitors never find. Moussa Castle is a full-scale medieval fortress hand-built stone by stone over sixty years by a single Lebanese man — one of the most genuinely surprising stops in the entire country. Deir el Qamar is Lebanon's first capital — a honey-stone Ottoman village where a mosque and a church have shared the same hillside for four centuries.
Private vehicle and knowledgeable local driver exclusively for your group. Three stops, six hours, afternoon free. Entrance tickets payable on site.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Pickup is available from any Hotel, Residence or Airbnb in Beirut.
Itinerary
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Beirut (Pass by)
9:00 AM — Departure from Beirut Your driver meets the group at your hotel and heads southeast into the Chouf Mountains — pine-forested ridges rising above the Lebanese coast as you climb toward Beiteddine.
Admission ticket free -
1
Beiteddine Palace — the presidential palace of Lebanon Built between 1788 and 1840 by Emir Bashir II — the ruler who unified Lebanon's mountain communities and whose legacy defines the Chouf to this day. Three interconnected courtyards with hand-cut geometric tilework and elaborately carved cedar-wood ceilings. Beneath the palace: Lebanon's finest collection of Byzantine mosaics — floor panels of extraordinary colour and detail housed in an underground museum that the majority of visitors walk straight past. Today the official summer residence of the Lebanese President. Your driver covers the full story of Emir Bashir and the palace's history throughout the visit.
1 hour • Admission ticket not included -
2Moussa Castle
Moussa Castle — sixty years, one man, one extraordinary idea Just minutes from Beiteddine — and completely unlike anything else in Lebanon. Moussa Maamari spent sixty years building a full-scale medieval castle by hand after a teacher mocked him as a schoolboy. The result is a multi-storey fortress filled with hundreds of life-size wax figures depicting scenes from Lebanese history, village life, and Ottoman-era traditions. An entirely unexpected and genuinely delightful stop that surprises virtually every visitor regardless of what they were expecting. Your driver shares the full story of Moussa and his castle — one of the most remarkable acts of personal determination in Lebanese cultural history.
30 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
3Deir el Qamar
Deir el Qamar — Lebanon's first capital Meaning "Monastery of the Moon" — a honey-stone Ottoman village that served as Lebanon's first capital under the Ma'an dynasty and remains one of the most perfectly preserved historic villages in the country. The cobblestone central square is framed by 17th and 18th-century mansions, a Druze palace, and public buildings unchanged for three centuries. Your driver explains the village's history and its enduring significance to Lebanese mountain culture.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Saydet El Talle Church
Fakhreddine Mosque & Saydet el Tallé Church The 17th-century mosque of Emir Fakhreddine II — the Druze ruler who built an empire stretching from the Bekaa to the Sinai — and the hilltop Maronite church with panoramic views over the Chouf valleys. A mosque and a church metres apart, four centuries of coexistence in a single hillside view.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Deir el Qamar
Lunch in Deir el Qamar — optional Lebanese mountain mezze at a local Deir el Qamar restaurant — grilled meats, fresh bread, Chouf valley views. Optional and at your own expense. Your driver recommends the best local options.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
Beirut (Pass by)
Return to Beirut — approx. 3:30–4:30 PM Drop-off at your Beirut hotel — the Chouf's three finest stops covered in a private half-day, afternoon completely free.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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