Byblos, Jeita Grotto & Harissa Day Trip from Beirut with Lunch

Three millennia, two cave systems and a clifftop shrine in one day

A full-day guided tour from Beirut takes you to Byblos, one of the world's oldest cities, through both chambers of Jeita Grotto and up to the Statue of the Virgin Mary in Harissa. The guide speaks English or French, lunch with a soft drink is included, and pickup from Beirut hotels is arranged; the day runs eight hours and covers nearly two dozen layers of civilization across three distinct sites.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Byblos, Jeita Grotto, and Harissa

• Visit lower and upper Jeita Grotto caves
• Explore Byblos castle and old souks
• Visit Our Lady of Harissa via cable car

The Experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Beirut hotel and heads north to Jeita Grotto, where you walk through both the lower cave (by boat) and the upper cave on foot. The limestone formations here are the draw—stalactites, stalagmites and underground chambers that have formed over millennia. From there you move to Byblos, the ancient port city where you explore the castle ruins and wander the old souks, seeing the physical record of successive civilizations that built, destroyed and rebuilt on the same ground. Lunch is a set menu of Lebanese mezze, a main dish, fruit or dessert with a soft drink, eaten somewhere along the route.

The final stop is Harissa, where a cable car (telepherique) takes you up the cliff to the Statue of the Virgin Mary—Our Lady of Lebanon—which overlooks the coast. The whole day is eight hours from start to drop-off, which means you leave Beirut early and return by late afternoon. Your guide handles the route, entrance fees to all three sites are covered, and the air-conditioned vehicle includes WiFi and bottled water.

What’s included

• Professional English or French-speaking guide for the full day.
• entrance fees to Jeita Grotto, Byblos castle and the Harissa statue.
• cable car ride up to Our Lady of Lebanon.
• Lebanese lunch (mezze, main dish, fruit or dessert) with one soft drink.
• pickup and drop-off from Beirut hotels.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• WiFi on board.
• bottled water.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableNot for heart conditions

Operated by Nakhal & Cie

Is this one for you?Eight hours is a full day commitment, which means you leave early and return by late afternoon—there's no time for a second destination, but everything you came to see fits inside it. The guide, lunch and all entrance fees are arranged, so the day holds together without you building it.

Traveler reviews

4.36★★★★★★★★★★

146 verified traveler reviews

5 ★86

4 ★41

3 ★8

2 ★8

1 ★3

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What exactly is inside Jeita Grotto that makes it worth the trip?

Jeita Grotto has two separate cave systems—a lower cave you explore by boat and an upper cave you walk through on foot. Both are filled with limestone formations (stalactites and stalagmites) that have built up over thousands of years, and the scale of the chambers is what draws visitors.

How much of Byblos do we actually see, and what's left to explore on our own?

The tour includes the Byblos castle and the old souks (the traditional market area), which are the main historical sites. The guide shows you these, but you're not confined to a single route—there's room to walk and look around on your own during the time allocated.

Is the cable car ride up to Harissa included, or do I pay extra?

The cable car (telepherique) to the Statue of the Virgin Mary in Harissa is included in the tour price. Entrance fees to all three sites are covered.

Does pickup work from anywhere in Beirut, or only certain hotels?

Pickup is included only from hotels located within Beirut city limits. It does not include hostels, Airbnb or private apartments.

How much time do we spend at each stop, or does the guide decide?

The itinerary allocates time to Jeita Grotto, Byblos and Harissa across the eight-hour day, but the exact breakdown is managed by the guide based on the group's pace and interests.