Baalbek & Cedars from Beirut: Summer mountain road only

A mountain road that closes for six months makes this route impossible most of the year.

A private day tour from Beirut combining three UNESCO sites (the Qadisha Valley gorge, an easy hike through ancient Cedars of God at 2,000 metres, and Baalbek's Roman temple complex) connected by a high mountain pass that opens only May through October. Includes hotel pickup, private vehicle, driver, expert local guide at Baalbek, and the Stone of the Pregnant Woman quarry stop. Entrance tickets are paid on site.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Qadisha Valley20m
2. Cedars of God Forest1h
3. Baalbek1h 30m

Qadisha Valley, Cedars Hike, Baalbek Tour

• Hotel pickup in Beirut at 8:30 AM
• Drive north to Qadisha Valley
• Photo stop at Qadisha Valley rim
• Drive through Bcharre village
• Easy one-hour hike in Cedars of God
• Visit Stone of the Pregnant Woman
• Guided tour of Baalbek Temple Complex
• Optional lunch in Baalbek
• Return to Beirut hotel by evening

The experience

The route works only in summer because the mountain road linking the Cedars to Baalbek closes each winter under snow. That constraint is what makes this combination genuinely special: you cross a pass that exists for six months, connecting three destinations that cannot be reached together any other way. The day starts at 8:30 AM with pickup from your Beirut hotel, climbing north into the Lebanese mountains toward the Qadisha Valley. At the rim, you stop for photos above sheer limestone walls dropping hundreds of metres to the valley floor, dotted with monastery caves carved into the cliff face over seventeen centuries. Qadisha means "Holy" in Aramaic, and your driver explains who chose these inaccessible cliffs and why.

You pass through Bcharre (the mountain village above the gorge and birthplace of Khalil Gibran) on the way to the Cedars of God. The hike there is easy, one hour on marked trails at your own pace through a UNESCO-protected grove where some trees exceed 1,000 years old and trunks measure more than 14 metres around. These are descendants of the forests that built Phoenician ships and furnished Solomon's Temple. From the Cedars, the summer mountain road opens east toward Baalbek. Before you reach the temples, you stop at the Stone of the Pregnant Woman: a single limestone block 21 metres long, weighing 1,000 tonnes, cut 2,000 years ago and never moved. Your driver explains the engineering logic and why standing next to it recalibrates everything before you enter the temple complex five minutes ahead.

An expert local guide joins you at Baalbek for the temple complex itself: the greatest Roman temple complex on earth. The Temple of Jupiter sits on Trilithon stones each weighing over 800 tonnes. The Temple of Bacchus is larger than the Parthenon, almost entirely intact, and the best-preserved Roman temple on earth. The Temple of Venus completes a complex that took three centuries to build. Your guide knows these structures at a depth that visiting guides cannot match. Lunch in Baalbek is optional and at your own expense. Your driver recommends the best local options. Drop-off at your Beirut hotel is around 7:00–8:00 PM.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle and knowledgeable driver throughout.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut.
• expert local guide at Baalbek temple complex.
• easy one-hour hike through the Cedars of God.
• Qadisha Valley viewpoint with multiple photo stops.
• Stone of the Pregnant Woman quarry stop.
• entrance tickets payable on site.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30Last departure this season: 31 Oct

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Beirut Daily Tours

Is this one for you?Book this May through October only: the mountain road connecting all three sites closes in winter, making this the only way to see the Cedars and Baalbek together.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

When can I actually do this tour?

The tour runs May 1 through October 31 only. The high mountain road connecting the Cedars to Baalbek closes each winter, making this combination impossible for six months of the year.

What is the Stone of the Pregnant Woman?

A single limestone block 21 metres long, weighing 1,000 tonnes, cut 2,000 years ago and never moved from the quarry. Your driver explains the Roman engineering logic before you enter the Baalbek temple complex five minutes ahead.

How difficult is the hike through the Cedars of God?

The hike is easy: one hour on marked trails at 2,000 metres altitude, suitable for all fitness levels with no steep terrain. You set your own pace through the ancient grove.

What are the Baalbek temples actually like?

Baalbek holds the greatest Roman temple complex on earth. The Temple of Jupiter rests on Trilithon stones each weighing over 800 tonnes; the Temple of Bacchus is larger than the Parthenon and almost entirely intact; the Temple of Venus completes a complex built over three centuries. An expert local guide leads you through all three.

What does the price include?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut; private air-conditioned vehicle for your group; knowledgeable English-speaking driver; expert local guide at Baalbek; the one-hour Cedars hike; Qadisha Valley viewpoint with photo stops; and the Stone of the Pregnant Woman quarry stop. Entrance tickets to the sites are paid on site. Lunch in Baalbek is optional and at your own expense.