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Offered languages
- English
South Lebanon holds three of the country's most historically compelling destinations — and this guided small-group tour covers all of them in a single well-paced day from Beirut. Sidon: one of the oldest cities in the world, with a Crusader sea castle, a living medieval souk, the world's only olive oil soap museum, and a grand Silk Road caravanserai. Tyre: a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Al-Bass archaeological complex reveals Roman urban planning at its most complete. Maghdouché: a hilltop sanctuary revered by Christians and Muslims alike, where tradition holds that the Virgin Mary waited while Jesus preached in Sidon below.
A professional guide connects the full 5,000-year arc of Phoenician, Roman, Crusader, and Islamic history across all three cities. Lunch in Tyre and all entrance tickets included.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
We pick up travelers from any hotel, Airbnb, or residence in Beirut.
Itinerary
-
Beirut (Pass by)
8:30 AM — Departure from Beirut Your guide meets the group at your hotel and heads south along the Mediterranean coastal highway toward Sidon.
Admission ticket free -
1Crusaders Sea Castle
Sidon Sea Castle — 13th-century Crusader fortress on the water Built on a small island just off the coast, connected to the shore by a narrow stone causeway with the Mediterranean on both sides. The Crusaders built it, the Mamluks took it, and the Phoenicians were using this harbour 3,000 years before either arrived. Your guide brings the full layered history of Sidon's waterfront to life from the castle ramparts.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Sidon Souks
Sidon Old Souks — a living medieval market Stone-vaulted alleyways where spice merchants, goldsmiths, and artisan workshops have traded continuously for centuries — entirely real, entirely unchanged, and entirely worth the time. Your guide navigates the lanes with local knowledge and names the stories behind what you see.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
Soap Museum — the world's only Sidon has been making olive oil soap for over a thousand years — and this museum, the only one of its kind anywhere in the world, tells the complete story from olive grove to finished bar. Housed in a beautifully restored khan in the old city. A genuinely fascinating and entirely unexpected stop.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Khan al-Franj
Khan el Franj — the Silk Road caravanserai Built in the 17th century by Emir Fakhreddine II for European merchants trading along the Silk Road — wide arcaded courtyards, vaulted galleries, and carved stone facades. One of the finest Ottoman buildings in Lebanon.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Al-Bass Archaeological Site
Tyre (Sour) — UNESCO World Heritage Site Al-Bass Archaeological Complex — Roman Tyre Enter through a triumphal arch still standing after two thousand years. Walk the colonnaded street flanked by sarcophagi from the ancient necropolis. Reach the Tyre Hippodrome — one of the largest ever built in the Roman world, seating 20,000 spectators on a 480-metre track. Your guide places every structure in its historical and architectural context — making the scale of Roman Tyre genuinely comprehensible.
1 hour • Admission ticket included -
6Tyre
Lunch in Tyre — included Fresh Lebanese mezze and seafood at a local Tyre restaurant — steps from the Mediterranean, the ancient city as backdrop. Fully included.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
7
Basilica of Our Lady of Mantara — where she waited Mantara means "the one who waits" in Arabic — Christian tradition holds that the Virgin Mary waited in a cave here while Jesus preached in Sidon below. The sanctuary has drawn pilgrims for centuries, revered by both Christians and Muslims. The basilica stands above the ancient cave, with panoramic views over the southern Lebanese coast. A quiet and genuinely moving close to a day that began at a Crusader sea castle and covered 5,000 years of history along the way.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
Beirut (Pass by)
Return to Beirut — approx. 5:30–6:30 PM Drop-off at your Beirut hotel — the Phoenician, Crusader, Roman, and sacred south of Lebanon
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.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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