Tyre & Sidon ruins tour from Beirut: UNESCO sites with guide

Tyre's layered ruins, Sidon's castle and market, one guide who knows them all

A full-day tour from Beirut to Tyre (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and Sidon visits the Crusader Cathedral of Tyre, the Sidon Sea Castle, the old souk and soap museum, with a multilingual guide and private transportation. You choose whether to add lunch and entrance fees at checkout, or arrange them separately on the day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Sidon and Tyre ruins

• Visit Sidon Sea Castle
• Explore Sidon old souk and hammam
• See Sidon soap museum
• Visit Tyre Crusaders and ancient remains
• Walk Tyre narrow streets
• Optional Lebanese traditional lunch

The Experience

The tour leaves Beirut with a driver and a guide who speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle to Sidon first, where you walk through the old souk (market), see the Sidon Sea Castle rising from the water, visit the hammam at the Sharqy Foundation, and tour the soap museum. The guide explains the layers of history in each place — what you are standing in front of carries Crusader, Arab, Byzantine and Greco-Roman traces.

From Sidon you move on to Tyre, where the uncovered remains of those same four civilizations spread across the archaeological zone. The Crusader Cathedral is the landmark most visitors come to see, but the guide also takes you through the narrow streets where stone walls and planted corners create the kind of corner you would miss alone. If you booked the lunch option, you stop for a traditional Lebanese meal; if not, you can eat on your own schedule. Entrance to the Sidon Castle, the Soap Museum and the Tyre Historical sites is included only in the option that bundles lunch — if you chose the tour without it, you pay those fees separately at each site or skip them.

The whole day runs seven hours from pickup to drop-off. The vehicle is wheelchair accessible, all areas of both cities are accessible, and the tour suits any fitness level. Masks are required, hand sanitizing stations are available, and physical distancing is observed.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• a multilingual guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut.
• access to the old souk and hammam in Sidon.
• the option to add lunch and entrance fees to the Sidon Castle, Soap Museum and Tyre Historical sites at checkout.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Private & group tours to Baalbeck temples & Chateau Ksara winery

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see both Tyre's UNESCO ruins and Sidon's medieval castle in one day with someone who can explain what you are looking at — the guide's knowledge is what turns separate stones into a story. If you prefer to move at your own pace or skip certain sites, the self-guided option with just transport and pickup might suit you better, though this tour's strength is the guide's access to the narrow streets and the history layered into them.

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Top questions

What exactly is inside the Tyre archaeological zone that the guide shows you?

Tyre's uncovered remains include structures from Crusader, Arab, Byzantine and Greco-Roman periods. The Crusader Cathedral is the main landmark, and the guide also walks you through the narrow streets of the old city where you see preserved stone walls and planted courtyards that survived from earlier eras.

Is lunch included in the tour, or do I need to bring my own food?

Lunch is optional and depends on which option you choose at checkout. The "Sidon/Tyre + lunch + entrance" option includes a traditional Lebanese meal; the other option does not. If you skip lunch, you can eat on your own or bring food with you.

Do I have to pay extra to enter the Sidon Castle and the Tyre sites, or is that covered?

Entrance fees to the Sidon Castle, Soap Museum and Tyre Historical sites are included only in the option that bundles lunch and entrance. If you book the tour without that bundle, you pay the entrance fees separately at each site when you arrive.

What languages does the guide speak?

The guide is multilingual and speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language, so you can request the tour in whichever of those languages suits you.

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

The tour runs seven hours total from hotel pickup in Beirut to drop-off. The specific start time depends on your hotel location and the operator's schedule; confirm the pickup time when you book.

Is the tour accessible if I use a wheelchair or have mobility concerns?

Yes. The vehicle is wheelchair accessible, all areas and surfaces in both Sidon and Tyre are accessible, and the tour is suitable for all fitness levels. Service animals are allowed.