Qadisha Valley & Cedars hike from Beirut: Four UNESCO sites

Four stops in Lebanon's north that stay with you

A guided day trip from Beirut to Qadisha Valley, the Cedars of God forest and Kozhaya Monastery, with lunch and all tickets included. You start at the UNESCO gorge rim, visit the Gibran Museum in Bcharre, hike through a thousand-year-old cedar grove at 2,000 metres, then descend into the valley to see the 12th-century monastery carved into the cliff face that housed the first printing press ever used in the Middle East. Everything is arranged. Nothing is left to chance.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Qadisha Valley15m
2. Gibran Museum30m · entry included
3. Cedars of God Forest1h · entry included

Explore Qadisha Valley and Cedars

• Hotel pickup in Beirut at 8:30 AM
• Drive north to Qadisha Valley
• Photo stops at Qadisha Valley rim
• Visit Khalil Gibran Museum in Bcharre
• One-hour guided hike in Cedars of God
• Lunch in Bcharre restaurant
• Visit Kozhaya Monastery and printing press
• Return to Beirut hotel by evening

The experience

The drive north from Beirut climbs from coastal highway into mountain road, and the landscape changes completely as you enter the Qadisha Valley. Your guide meets you at your hotel at 8:30 AM and leads a small group. The kind of day trip that separates what most Lebanon visitors see from what actually stays with them. The four stops are a UNESCO gorge, the tomb of Khalil Gibran (whose book The Prophet sold over 100 million copies), a cedar forest where some trees exceed 1,000 years old, and a 12th-century monastery carved directly into the limestone cliff face. Everything (guide, lunch, all tickets) is included. No budget surprises, no decisions to make on the day.

You begin at the rim of Qadisha Valley, where sheer limestone walls drop hundreds of metres to the valley floor dotted with monastery caves carved into the cliff over seventeen centuries. Qadisha means "Holy" in Aramaic. Your guide explains who chose these inaccessible cliffs as a place to live and what has survived. Multiple photo stops let you stand at the rim and understand why Lebanon's north is different from everywhere else. Then you head to Bcharre to visit the Gibran Museum, housed in a former Carmelite monastery where the author is buried. The museum holds his original paintings, watercolours and manuscripts. Your guide covers Gibran's life in New York and why The Prophet reads differently when you are standing in the landscape that produced it.

The Cedars of God sit at 2,000 metres above sea level in a UNESCO-protected grove where some trees measure more than 14 metres in circumference: descendants of the forests that built Phoenician ships and furnished Solomon's Temple. You do a one-hour guided hike on marked trails at your own pace. The terrain is easy and suitable for all fitness levels. Your guide covers the ecology, mythology and conservation history of Lebanon's most emblematic tree. Lunch follows at a local Bcharre restaurant with grilled meats, fresh bread and Qadisha Valley views. The final stop is Kozhaya Monastery, founded in the 12th century and carved into the limestone cliff face of the valley wall. Inside are cave chapels, ancient stone cells, a pilgrimage cave active for over eight centuries, and the first printing press ever used in the Middle East: brought here by Maronite monks in the 16th century to print liturgical texts in Arabic and Syriac. Your guide explains what that printing press means for the history of knowledge in the Levant. Drop-off at your Beirut hotel is around 6:00–7:00 PM.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• professional expert guide in English or Arabic.
• entry to all historical sites (depending on the option selected).
• one-hour guided hike through the Cedars of God.
• lunch at a local restaurant with Qadisha Valley views (depending on the option selected).
• multiple photo stops at the Qadisha Valley UNESCO viewpoint.

Options for this experience

3 options

Guided tour, lunch not includedGuide in English or Arabic · 08:30Lunch and tickets are not included. Please note this option does not cover lunch or tickets; that cost is paid by you. Guided tour: a guided visit of northern Lebanon. Pickup is included.

Guided tour and lunchGuide in English or Arabic · 08:30Tickets are not included. Please note this option does not cover tickets; that cost is paid by you. Lunch is included in the tour price. Guided tour: a guided visit of northern Lebanon. Pickup is included.

Guided tour, lunch and ticketsGuide in English or Arabic · 08:30Lunch and tickets are included in the tour price. Guided tour: a guided visit of northern Lebanon. 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 timesThursday and 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 5 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 everything arranged and nothing left to budget for on the day. Pick the tour without lunch if you prefer to eat elsewhere or travel lighter. The small-group format and nine-hour window fit the four stops into a single day without rushing any of them.

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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 is the Qadisha Valley and why is it on this tour?

Qadisha Valley is a UNESCO-protected gorge in northern Lebanon where sheer limestone walls drop hundreds of metres to the valley floor, dotted with monastery caves carved into the cliff face over seventeen centuries. The name means "Holy" in Aramaic. It is the opening stop because the rim view is what makes people understand why Lebanon's north is different from everywhere else.

How difficult is the hike through the Cedars of God?

The Cedars of God hike is one hour on marked trails at your own pace with easy terrain, suitable for all fitness levels. You walk through a UNESCO-protected grove at 2,000 metres where some trees exceed 1,000 years old and measure more than 14 metres in circumference.

What is Kozhaya Monastery and what makes it significant?

Kozhaya Monastery was founded in the 12th century and is carved directly into the limestone cliff face of the Qadisha Valley. It houses the first printing press ever used in the Middle East, brought here by Maronite monks in the 16th century to print liturgical texts in Arabic and Syriac. The monastery contains cave chapels, ancient stone cells and a pilgrimage cave active for over eight centuries.

Who was Khalil Gibran and why does the tour include his museum?

Khalil Gibran was born in Bcharre in the Qadisha Valley and is the author of The Prophet, which sold over 100 million copies in more than 100 languages: one of the best-selling books of the 20th century. The museum is housed in a former Carmelite monastery where he is buried and holds his original paintings, watercolours and manuscripts. Your guide explains how his years in New York shaped the book and why it reads differently when you stand in the landscape that produced it.

Is lunch included and what will I eat?

Lunch is included in two of the three purchase options. You eat mountain Lebanese mezze at a local restaurant in Bcharre: grilled meats, fresh bread and views of the Qadisha Valley. The third option is a guided tour without lunch if you prefer to arrange your own meal.