Jeita Grotto, Harissa & Byblos: Full-day private tour from Beirut

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration8h–9h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · AR

PickupAt your hotel

Two limestone caves span nearly ten kilometers underground, and you ride through them by boat and cable car.

A full-day private tour from Beirut visits three major sites: Jeita Grotto, where you spend about 1.15 hours exploring a two-cave system by boat and cable car; the Virgin Mary statue in Harissa, reached by cable car with views over Jounieh bay; and Byblos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you walk the marina, souk and Crusader castle. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with an English-speaking guide and lunch at a traditional Lebanese restaurant. The tour runs 8 to 9 hours and is private to your booking.

8h–9h

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day trip from Beirut

Pickup from hotel in Beirut at 08:30am
Explore Jeita Grottos by cable car, boat, and train
Visit Virgin Mary Statue in Harissa by car
Ride cable car or drive from Harissa to Jounieh
Tour Byblos Marina, castle, and souk
Enter Crusader castle and archaeological site
Shop in Byblos old souk
Lunch at traditional Lebanese restaurant
Drive back and drop off in Beirut

The Experience

Pickup happens at 08:30am from your Beirut hotel, and the drive takes you north to Jeita Grotto first. The site is a system of two separate but interconnected limestone caves spanning nearly 10 kilometers overall. You spend about 1.15 hours here riding the mini cable car and boat inside one of the caves, then returning by mini train — the route itself is the attraction, moving through the cavern rather than walking a fixed path.

From there the drive continues up the mountain to Harissa, where the Virgin Mary statue stands overlooking Jounieh bay. You can reach it by cable car or stay in the vehicle; either way, the panoramic view of the bay and surrounding scenery is the stop. The cable car option continues down to Jounieh, where your driver meets you to head toward Byblos. If the cable car is closed, you travel by car throughout.

Byblos is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You walk the marina side, explore the old souk — a traditional market selling antiques, souvenirs and local crafts — and visit the Crusader castle (also called the castle of Gibelet), which sits adjacent to Phoenician archaeological ruins including the Temple of Baalat Gebal and the Temple of the Obelisks. The castle entry is optional. After the souk, you head to a traditional restaurant for Mediterranean Lebanese food, then return to Beirut by late afternoon.

The tour is private to your booking, so the pace and timing stay under your control. Your guide speaks English and is experienced with the sites. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included from most Beirut locations.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off from most Beirut locations.
private vehicle for the full day.
English-speaking local guide.
entry to Jeita Grotto with cable car and boat rides.
cable car or vehicle access to Harissa and the Virgin Mary statue.
walking tour of Byblos marina, souk and castle exterior.
lunch at a traditional Lebanese restaurant.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Lebanon Local Tour

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you speak English and want a guide who can explain the sites in detail as you move through them. The private vehicle and fixed itinerary mean you don't arrange transport between stops or negotiate timing at each location — the day holds together without building it yourself.