Baalbek, Anjar & Ksara Winery: Private Day Trip from Beirut

Walk Roman columns and Islamic palaces, explore ancient caves, and taste Lebanese wine.

A private guided day trip from Beirut through the Bekaa Valley visits two UNESCO World Heritage Sites—Baalbek's Temple of Jupiter and Anjar's Umayyad city—with a specialist archaeologist, then ends at Chateau Ksara's Roman cellars for wine tasting. Hotel pickup and drop-off from central Beirut are included; entrance fees and lunch are paid on the day. The guide speaks English and Arabic, and the itinerary is yours to adjust—linger longer at any stop or request a detour to a shrine, quarry or workshop.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Bekaa Valley's heritage and winery

• Pickup from Beirut hotel
• Visit Umayyad ruins of Anjar
• Explore Baalbek with archaeologist
• Lunch in Zahle with local dishes
• Tour Chateau Ksara winery and tasting
• Return to Beirut hotel

The Experience

Your day starts with pickup from your Beirut hotel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle—no shared buses, no waiting for other groups. Your guide is focused entirely on your party from the moment you're collected, ready to answer questions and adjust the pace. The drive into the Bekaa Valley takes you toward Anjar first, one of Lebanon's four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of the least-visited ancient cities in the Middle East. Built in the early 8th century, its grid of colonnaded streets, palaces and bathhouses survives largely intact, offering a rare window into early Islamic civilization in the quiet of the early morning.

Baalbek is where the day shifts. The Temple of Jupiter is one of the largest Roman temples ever constructed—its six remaining columns stand 22 meters tall, each the height of a six-story building. What sets this tour apart is that you explore the site with a specialist on-site archaeologist, not a standard tour guide. This means you leave understanding not just what you're looking at, but why it matters: the engineering mysteries, the layered civilizations, the stories most visitors never hear. Guests consistently describe this as the highlight of their entire trip to Lebanon.

Midday brings you to Zahle, the capital of the Bekaa Valley, draped along the banks of the Bardawni River. You sit down to a traditional Lebanese spread—fresh mezze, grilled meats, seasonal salads, and sfiha Baalbekieh, small open meat pastries baked in the Bekaa Valley for centuries. Lunch is at your own expense, but the restaurant is handpicked and the experience is included in your day. Your afternoon ends at Chateau Ksara, founded in 1857 and the oldest and most celebrated winery in Lebanon. You descend into the ancient Roman cave cellars—two kilometres of tunnels carved into the rock—before sitting down to a guided tasting of Ksara's flagship wines: one red, one white, and one rosé.

This is not a group tour. Your vehicle, your guide, and your itinerary belong entirely to your group. If you want to spend longer at Baalbek, you can. If you want to make an extra stop—the Sayyida Khawla Shrine, the Roman stone quarry, a local souvenir workshop—just ask. Many guests leave feeling they've made a friend, not just taken a tour.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from central Beirut in a private, air-conditioned vehicle.
• guided tours of Baalbek with a specialist archaeologist and Anjar.
• entrance fees to both sites are paid on the day.
• a guided tasting of three Ksara wines in the Roman cellars.
• comfortable private transportation throughout.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Lebanon Tours & travels

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup from central Beirut means you don't need a car or arrange your own transport to the Bekaa Valley—the day is built around your group alone, so you can linger at Baalbek or ask for a detour without holding up other travelers or negotiating with a shared-bus schedule.

Traveler reviews

4.95★★★★★★★★★★

61 verified traveler reviews

5 ★58

4 ★3

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What is the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek actually like when you get there?

The Temple of Jupiter is one of the largest Roman temples ever constructed, with six remaining columns standing 22 meters tall—each the height of a six-story building. You explore it with a specialist archaeologist who explains the engineering mysteries and layered civilizations, not just what the stones are.

How much time do you spend at each of the two UNESCO sites?

The itinerary includes stops at both Anjar and Baalbek, and because this is a private tour, you can linger longer at either site or adjust the pace to suit your group—the schedule is yours to shape.

What happens at Chateau Ksara, and how far is it from Baalbek?

Chateau Ksara is in the Bekaa Valley, founded in 1857 and the oldest winery in Lebanon. You descend into ancient Roman cave cellars—two kilometres of tunnels carved into the rock—and taste three of their flagship wines: one red, one white, and one rosé.

Is lunch included, and what kind of food will you eat?

Lunch is at your own expense, but the restaurant in Zahle is handpicked by the operator. You'll eat a traditional Lebanese spread: fresh mezze, grilled meats, seasonal salads, and sfiha Baalbekieh, small open meat pastries that are a local specialty of the Bekaa Valley.

Can you ask the guide to stop somewhere else, or is the itinerary fixed?

The itinerary is yours to adjust. If you want to spend longer at any stop or make an extra stop—the Sayyida Khawla Shrine, the Roman stone quarry, a local souvenir workshop—just ask your guide, who has deep roots in the Bekaa Valley.

What language does the guide speak?

The guide speaks English and Arabic, so you can communicate in either language throughout the day.