Byblos & Batroun day trip from Beirut: Private coastal tour

Two coastal towns, 7,000 years apart, one private morning and afternoon

A private day trip from Beirut to Byblos and Batroun combines an ancient archaeological site and medieval souk in the morning with a relaxed Phoenician seafront town in the afternoon. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel, drives you north along the coast, and returns you by early evening. The pace and stops are entirely yours. Lunch is optional and at your own expense.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Byblos and Batroun coastal towns

• Depart from Beirut at 9:00 AM
• Visit Byblos Castle and archaeological site
• Walk through Byblos Old Souk and fishing port
• Optional lunch in Byblos
• Drive to Batroun and explore old town
• Walk the Phoenician sea wall in Batroun
• Enjoy free time for seafood, beer, swim, or coffee
• Return to Beirut by early evening

The experience

You start at 9:00 AM from your Beirut hotel and drive 45 minutes north along the coastal highway to Byblos, arriving before the day heats up and crowds build. Byblos is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth: 7,000 years of settlement visible in a single walk. The 12th-century Crusader castle was built from recycled Phoenician and Roman stones, and inside it you move through Neolithic foundations from 5000 BC, Bronze Age temples, Phoenician royal tombs, and Roman streets, all layered into one archaeological site. Your driver shares the stories behind the stones as you explore at your own pace.

From the castle, you walk down into the old souk (stone-paved lanes where jewellers craft Phoenician-inspired pieces and antique dealers display centuries of finds), and follow it to the ancient fishing harbour, still in daily use after thousands of years, still lined with wooden boats and framed by medieval walls. A waterfront lunch in Byblos is optional. If you choose it, fresh mezze and grilled fish from the harbour arrive at your table overlooking the Mediterranean.

Around midday you drive 30 minutes north to Batroun, a 3,000-year-old Phoenician town that feels entirely different: Ottoman houses and whitewashed churches give way to a seafront lined with cafés and restaurants. You can walk the Phoenician sea wall, an ancient rock barrier still standing on the beach, then decide what the afternoon holds: fresh seafood, a Lebanese craft beer from one of Batroun's microbreweries, a swim at a nearby beach, or simply wandering streets where 3,000 years of history sit alongside very good coffee. There is no agenda. The drive back to Beirut takes about an hour, with hotel drop-off between 5:00 and 6:00 PM.

What’s included

• Knowledgeable English-speaking driver.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut.
• private air-conditioned vehicle for the entire day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 13:00

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 Trip

Is this one for you?The driver speaks English and Arabic, so you follow the history and context without needing a separate guide: ideal if you want expert commentary on 7,000 years of settlement without the pace of a group tour. The afternoon in Batroun is entirely unscheduled, so you linger as long as you want over lunch, a swim, or simply wandering the old town.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

What exactly is inside Byblos Castle that makes it worth the visit?

Byblos Castle holds layers of civilisation stacked visibly in its walls: Neolithic foundations from 5000 BC, Bronze Age temples, Phoenician royal tombs, and Roman streets all unfold in a single archaeological site. The 12th-century Crusader structure itself was built from recycled Phoenician and Roman stones, so you are literally walking through 7,000 years of settlement in one place.

How much time do I spend in each town, and can I choose what to do?

You spend the morning in Byblos (the castle, souk, and fishing harbour), and the afternoon in Batroun. The entire day is private and at your own pace. Your driver does not rush you through stops, and you decide whether to have lunch, which beach to visit, or how long to linger in the old town.

Is lunch included, and what are the options in these towns?

Lunch is optional and at your own expense. In Byblos, waterfront restaurants serve fresh mezze and grilled fish from the harbour. In Batroun, you can choose from seafood restaurants, Lebanese craft beer at microbreweries, or cafés throughout the old town.

How long is the drive from Beirut, and what time do I return?

The drive to Byblos is 45 minutes from your hotel. The full day runs about five hours, with return to Beirut between 5:00 and 6:00 PM, depending on how long you spend in each town and whether you have lunch.