Sidon, Tyre & Maghdouche: Day trip from Beirut with lunch

Summary

Walk ancient streets in Tyre & Sidon, taste mezze, meet locals

You’ll walk through Sidon’s lively souks, explore Tyre’s ancient ruins by the sea, share mezze over lunch with your group, and visit Maghdouche’s peaceful sanctuary overlooking orange groves. With a local guide leading every step (and sharing plenty of stories), you’ll get glimpses of daily life in southern Lebanon you’ll remember long after the trip.

What’s the experience like?

Someone hands me a piece of warm flatbread just as we’re stepping out of the van in Sidon — our guide Fadi grins and says it’s “fuel for the morning.” The air smells like sea salt and something sweet drifting from a bakery nearby. We wander through the old souks, where shopkeepers nod or call out greetings in Arabic I can’t quite catch. Fadi points out the soap museum (I didn’t expect to find one here), and inside it’s cool and quiet except for the soft sound of water trickling somewhere. My fingers still smell faintly of olive oil after touching one of the old soap bars.

Tyre is maybe an hour south but feels like another world — Roman columns rising up right by the Mediterranean, kids playing soccer in the shadow of ancient stones. The Crusader Cathedral is half-ruin, half-mystery; Fadi tells us stories about Phoenicians and crusaders while a stray cat circles his feet. There’s this moment when I look back at the sea from the top of a crumbling wall and everything goes silent except for gulls — I still think about that view sometimes.

Lunch is mezze at a place Fadi knows (he jokes he only brings groups where he’d eat himself). Hummus, smoky eggplant, grilled chicken — nothing fancy but everything tastes brighter here. Someone tries to pour arak into my glass but I stick with lemonade; it’s too early for anything stronger. Afterward we drive up to Maghdouche. The church sits above orange groves and you can see all the way back toward Sidon if you squint against the sun. A local woman lights a candle inside and nods at us — not sure why but that small gesture felt important somehow.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Tyre, Sidon & Maghdouche

• Visit the Castle of Tyre
• Visit the Sea Castle of Sidon
• Visit old souks and soap museum
• Visit Our Lady of Maghdouche

Top questions

How long does the day trip from Beirut to Sidon, Tyre & Maghdouche take?

The tour lasts a full day with morning pickup and evening drop-off in Beirut.

Is lunch included on this Sidon & Tyre day trip?

Yes, a set menu Lebanese lunch with mezze, main dish, fruit or dessert, and one soft drink is included.

Are entrance fees covered on this tour?

All entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary are included in your booking.

Does this tour include hotel pickup in Beirut?

Pickup and drop-off are included for hotels within Beirut city limits (not hostels or private apartments).

What languages does the guide speak?

The local guide speaks English and French throughout the day trip.

Is this trip suitable for families or older travelers?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels but not recommended for those with poor cardiovascular health.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off within Beirut city hotels, entry fees to all listed sites like Tyre’s ruins and Sidon Sea Castle, guidance from an English- or French-speaking local expert all day long, plus a traditional Lebanese lunch with mezze before heading back in an air-conditioned vehicle.