Jeita Grotto Harissa Byblos Tour from Beirut with Lunch

An underground river and 7,000 years of continuous settlement in a single day

This small-group tour from Beirut visits three sites in one day: Jeita Grotto (a UNESCO tentative World Heritage Site and New 7 Wonders finalist), Harissa's cable car and shrine at 650 metres, and Byblos. One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. Hotel pickup is included, groups stay under 12, and a professional guide covers the geological and historical span of each stop. Lunch at a waterfront Byblos restaurant is available as an add-on. Admission tickets are paid at each site.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Jeita Grotto1h 30m · entry included
2. Our Lady of Lebanon30m
3. Byblos1h · entry included

Jeita Grotto, Harissa & Byblos Tour

• Hotel pickup in Beirut
• Visit Jeita Grotto upper cave on foot
• Explore Jeita Grotto lower cave by boat
• Ride Harissa cable car to 650 metres
• Visit Our Lady of Lebanon shrine
• Tour historic Byblos with guide
• Lunch at waterfront Byblos restaurant
• Walk Byblos Old Souk and fishing port
• Return to Beirut hotel

The experience

The day starts at 8:30 AM with hotel pickup in Beirut, then a 30-minute drive north to Jeita Grotto. Two cave systems sit inside the limestone: the upper cave explored on foot, where stalactites and stalagmites reach up to 8 metres tall, carved by water over millions of years. The lower cave is silent: you board an electric boat and drift along an underground river in near-total stillness, the scale and the sound of water the only things around you. Your guide explains the geology throughout, and most travelers rank this as the highlight of their entire Lebanon trip.

From the grotto, the group heads to Harissa and boards the Téléférique cable car, rising 650 metres above sea level. Jounieh Bay spreads below. The Lebanese mountains fill the view ahead. At the top stands the 8.5-metre bronze statue of Our Lady of Lebanon: arms toward the Mediterranean, visible from the coast far below. The Maronite Basilica surrounds it. Your guide covers why Harissa matters to Lebanese identity beyond its religious significance, and points out coastal landmarks as you ascend.

Byblos arrives next. A city whose Phoenician script gave the world its alphabet, and whose name gave us the word Bible. The site spans from Neolithic foundations dating to 5000 BC through Bronze Age temples, Phoenician royal tombs, Roman streets, and a 12th-century Crusader castle built from recycled Phoenician and Roman stone. Without a guide, Byblos is impressive. With a specialist guide, the layers of history become one of the most revelatory experiences in the Mediterranean. Lunch follows at a waterfront restaurant overlooking the ancient fishing harbour: Lebanese mezze and fresh seafood, fully included if you select that option. After lunch, the Old Souk's stone-paved lanes and the medieval fishing port offer the most photogenic stretch of the afternoon. Drop-off at your Beirut hotel comes around 5:00–6:00 PM.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut.
• air-conditioned vehicle throughout the day.
• professional expert guide in English or Arabic.
• lunch at a waterfront Byblos restaurant (if selected at checkout).
• admission to Jeita Grotto and Byblos Castle (if selected at checkout).
• cable car ride at Harissa (in one option).

Options for this experience

3 options

Guided tour without lunchGuide in English or Arabic · 08:30Please note that this option does not include lunch or tickets, so you will cover those costs yourself. Pickup is included.

Guided tour with lunchGuide in English or Arabic · 08:30Please note that tickets are not included in this option, so you will pay that cost yourself. Lunch is included in the tour price. Pickup is included.

Guided tour with lunch and ticketsGuide in English or Arabic · 08:30Lunch and tickets to Jeita Grotto and Byblos are included in the tour price. Guided visit to Jeita Grotto, Harissa and Byblos; pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDeparts at 08:30

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 12

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 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Beirut Daily Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the option with lunch and tickets if you want the day fully arranged: the guide, the transport, the meals and the entry are settled before you book, so you arrive and move through each stop without pausing to organize anything. If you prefer to handle some costs on the day or skip the meal, the tour-only option keeps the same guide and the same three sites, with tickets and the cable car paid separately at each location.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What exactly is inside Jeita Grotto?

Jeita Grotto holds two cave systems: an upper cave you walk through with stalactites and stalagmites up to 8 metres tall, and a lower cave where you board a silent electric boat and drift along an underground river carved by water over millions of years.

How high is the cable car at Harissa, and what do you see from the top?

The Téléférique rises 650 metres above sea level, and from the top Jounieh Bay spreads below with the Lebanese mountains ahead. The view is the reason people return to Harissa.

What time period does the Byblos tour cover?

Byblos spans over 7,000 years of continuous settlement, from Neolithic foundations dating to 5000 BC through Bronze Age temples, Phoenician royal tombs, Roman streets, and a 12th-century Crusader castle built from recycled ancient stone.

Is lunch included in all options, and where do you eat?

Lunch is included in two of the three options available at checkout: Lebanese mezze and fresh seafood at a waterfront Byblos restaurant overlooking the ancient fishing harbour, one of the best lunch settings in Lebanon.

How many people travel in the group?

Groups stay under 12 travelers, keeping the pace manageable and the guide's attention distributed across the day.

Do you have to pay for admission at each site?

Yes, admission tickets to Jeita Grotto and Byblos Castle are paid at each site. The cable car at Harissa is included in one option and optional in another. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut are included in all options.