Baalbek Temples & Ksara Winery: Private tour from Beirut

Two thousand years of Roman engineering, then wine aged in the caves beneath it

A private day tour from Beirut to Baalbek's Roman temple complex and Chateau Ksara winery in the Bekaa Valley, with hotel pickup and an English-speaking driver. You walk through the Temple of Jupiter (built on Trilithon stones each weighing over 800 tonnes), and the Temple of Bacchus, the best-preserved Roman temple in the world, then descend into 2 kilometres of Roman cave cellars beneath Lebanon's oldest winery for a tasting.

Step-by-step itinerary

Baalbek ruins and Ksara winery tour

• Depart from Beirut hotel
• Stop at Stone of the Pregnant Woman
• Visit Temple of Venus and complex
• Explore Temple of Jupiter
• Walk to Temple of Bacchus
• Optional lunch in Baalbek
• Tour Chateau Ksara winery and caves
• Return to Beirut hotel

Stops and time spent at each 2 stops

1. Baalbek 30m
2. Chateau Ksara 45m

What’s included

• Private transportation with an air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut.
• English-speaking driver.
• entry to Baalbek's temple complex.
• guided tour of Chateau Ksara's Roman cave cellars and winery.
• wine tasting at Ksara.

Times

• Every day 09:00

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Before you book

Group Private 3 group tours ›

Live guide English and Arabic Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup included.

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

Good to know

Low physical effort Infant seats available

Operated by Beirut Airport Transfer

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

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Traveler reviews

4.88 ★★★★★ Exceptional 8 verified traveler reviews

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The experience

Baalbek is not simply a Roman site. It is the greatest Roman construction achievement on earth. The Trilithon stones beneath the Temple of Jupiter each weigh over 800 tonnes, heavier than anything modern cranes can lift. Your driver explains the engineering mystery that still baffles archaeologists: how the Romans moved and positioned stones of this scale using ancient technology. Six of the original 54 columns still stand at 22 metres tall, and the Temple of Bacchus (larger than the Parthenon and almost entirely intact) rises with its towering carved doorway, ornate ceiling coffers, and 42 standing columns still in place after two thousand years. Before the temples, you stop at the Stone of the Pregnant Woman, a single limestone block measuring 21 metres long and weighing an estimated 1,000 tonnes, still lying exactly where it was cut and never moved.

The day ends at Chateau Ksara, Lebanon's oldest winery, founded by Jesuit monks in 1857. The highlight is the extraordinary Roman cave cellar system stretching 2 kilometres beneath the winery: ancient tunnels discovered by the Jesuits in the late 19th century where wine ages at a naturally constant temperature year-round. After a morning walking through Roman ruins above ground, descending into Roman caves beneath a winery creates a remarkable symmetry. The tasting showcases Ksara's iconic Cabernet-Syrah blends, crisp Blanc de Blancs, and beloved Sunset Rosé.

Your private driver collects you from your Beirut hotel at 9:00 AM and heads east on the Damascus highway, climbing through the Lebanese mountains before the Bekaa Valley opens below. A vast fertile plain stretching between two mountain ranges, one of the most historically significant valleys in the entire Middle East. The return is timed for late afternoon, with drop-off back at your hotel around 4:30–5:30 PM. Lunch in Baalbek is optional and at your own cost.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

What are the Trilithon stones at Baalbek, and why do they matter?

The Trilithon stones are three massive limestone blocks beneath the Temple of Jupiter, each weighing over 800 tonnes: the largest dressed stones ever used in construction in human history. They represent an engineering mystery that still baffles archaeologists, since the Romans moved and lifted them using only ancient technology, and modern cranes cannot lift stones of this weight.

Is the Temple of Bacchus really the best-preserved Roman temple in the world?

The Temple of Bacchus is larger than the Parthenon in Athens and almost entirely intact, with its towering carved doorway, ornate ceiling coffers, and 42 standing columns still standing. It is the best-preserved Roman temple in the world and most visitors consider it the undisputed highlight of Baalbek.

What happens at Chateau Ksara, and how old is it?

Chateau Ksara was founded by Jesuit monks in 1857 and is Lebanon's oldest winery. You tour 2 kilometres of Roman cave cellars (ancient tunnels discovered by the Jesuits in the late 19th century), where wine ages at a naturally constant temperature year-round, then taste Ksara's Cabernet-Syrah blends, Blanc de Blancs, and Sunset Rosé.

What is the Stone of the Pregnant Woman, and where is it?

The Stone of the Pregnant Woman is a single limestone block measuring 21 metres long and weighing an estimated 1,000 tonnes, lying in the ancient Roman quarry on the edge of Baalbek. It was cut 2,000 years ago and has never been moved: one of the heaviest objects ever worked by human hands in the ancient world.

How long is the tour, and what time does it start?

The tour departs from your Beirut hotel at 9:00 AM and returns around 4:30–5:30 PM, making it a full day. Your private driver picks you up and drops you off at your hotel, so you do not need to arrange separate transport to or from the city.