Tripoli & Byblos Tour from Beirut: Millennia of History

Eight hours through Crusader citadels, Mamluk mosques, and a 7,000-year-old Phoenician harbour tour

A private full-day tour from Beirut that takes you north to Tripoli (one of the finest surviving medieval cities in the Arab world), then south to Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. You stand inside a 12th-century Crusader citadel, walk through 14th-century Mamluk mosques where Gothic stonework from earlier churches is still visible in the walls, wander medieval khans and hammams, and end at the colourful fishing port of El Mina. In Byblos you explore a Crusader castle built from recycled Phoenician stones, walk the old souk, and have lunch beside one of the world's oldest harbours. Your private English-speaking driver handles the route. You set the pace.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Tripoli and Byblos historical sites

• Depart from Beirut at 9:00 AM
• Visit Crusader citadel in Tripoli
• Tour Al-Mansouri Great Mosque
• Explore Taynal Mosque
• Visit Khan Al-Khayyatin caravanserai
• Pass through Khan el Masriyin soap factory
• See Ezzeddine Hammam bathhouse
• Stroll along El Mina port waterfront
• Arrive in Byblos and walk old souk
• Explore Crusader castle in Byblos
• Visit ancient fishing harbour
• Have lunch at Byblos waterfront restaurant
• Return to Beirut around 5:00 PM

What’s included

• Your tour includes private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• an English-speaking driver who shares the history at each stop.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut.

Times

• Every day 09:00

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Before you book

Group Private 4 group tours ›

Live guide English and Arabic Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup included.

Ages Up to age 9

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Infant seats available Public transport nearby

Operated by Beirut Airport Transfer

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

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The experience

The day starts with a 9:00 AM pickup from your Beirut hotel and a scenic drive north along the Mediterranean coast toward Tripoli. The Crusader citadel (built by Raymond de Saint-Gilles during the First Crusade and later reinforced by the Mamluks) commands the old city from the 12th century onward. From its walls you see Tripoli's port, the snow-capped Lebanese mountains, and the layered story of conquest and rebuilding that shaped this place. Your driver walks you through the centuries: the Crusades, the Mamluk takeover, and what those centuries left behind.

The old city itself is where the architecture tells the story most vividly. The Al-Mansouri Great Mosque, built in the 14th century, sits on the foundations of a Crusader Cathedral, and if you look at the entrance portal, you still see the original Gothic stonework embedded in the Mamluk facade. The Taynal Mosque is even more unusual: two connected prayer halls, one originally a Crusader church and one a Mamluk addition, with Gothic arches and Mamluk stonework existing side by side in the same building. Khan Al-Khayyatin, a vaulted caravanserai where Silk Road merchants once rested, gives a sense of the commercial life that made Tripoli wealthy. Khan el Masriyin, the Egyptian merchants' khan, still houses one of Tripoli's traditional olive oil soap factories: the scent of laurel and olive oil fills the stone corridors as it has for centuries. The Ezzeddine Hammam, with its domed roof pierced by star-shaped glass openings, shows how daily life moved through these medieval spaces. You end the Tripoli portion at El Mina, the historic fishing port where wooden boats bob in the harbour and the pace slows entirely.

Byblos comes next. The old souk (stone-paved lanes with artisan workshops and jewellery shops) leads into the heart of the ancient city. The Crusader castle, built in the 12th century from recycled Phoenician temple stones and Roman columns, is itself a physical summary of Byblos's 7,000-year span. Inside the castle grounds, the layers are visible at every step: Neolithic settlements from 5000 BC, Bronze Age temples, Phoenician royal tombs, Persian and Hellenistic ruins, Roman colonnaded streets. Byblos gave the world its alphabet: the Phoenician script that became the foundation of Greek, Latin, Arabic, and every modern alphabet. Its name gave us the word Bible. From the castle, you walk down to the ancient fishing harbour, still in daily use by local fishermen, and have lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants with the medieval walls reflected in the water and fresh Lebanese mezze and grilled fish in front of you. The return to Beirut is a scenic coastal drive, with drop-off at your hotel around 5:00 PM.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

What exactly is inside the Crusader citadel in Tripoli?

The citadel, built by Raymond de Saint-Gilles during the First Crusade and later reinforced by the Mamluks, offers sweeping views over Tripoli's old city, the port of El Mina, and the snow-capped Lebanese mountains. Your driver shares the story of the Crusades and the Mamluk conquest embedded in the ancient walls themselves.

Why are the Mamluk mosques in Tripoli unusual?

The Al-Mansouri Great Mosque and the Taynal Mosque were both built on the foundations of Crusader churches, and you can still see the original Gothic stonework incorporated into the Mamluk facades and arches. The Taynal Mosque is unique: two connected prayer halls, one originally Crusader and one Mamluk, with both architectural styles existing side by side in the same building. A hybrid structure found nowhere else in the world.

How old is the harbour in Byblos, and is it still used?

Byblos's ancient fishing harbour is one of the oldest ports in the world and remains in daily use by local fishermen. You walk down to it after exploring the Crusader castle and have lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants overlooking the medieval city walls and the working boats.

What does the Crusader castle in Byblos tell you about the city's history?

The castle was built in the 12th century from recycled stones of Phoenician temples and Roman columns. A building that is itself a physical summary of Byblos's extraordinary past. Within the castle grounds, archaeological layers are visible at every step: Neolithic settlements dating to 5000 BC, Bronze Age temples, Phoenician royal tombs, Persian and Hellenistic ruins, and Roman colonnaded streets.

Is lunch included, and where do you eat in Byblos?

Lunch is not included in the tour price, but you eat at one of the waterfront restaurants in Byblos overlooking the ancient harbour: fresh Lebanese mezze, grilled fish, and seafood with the medieval walls as your backdrop. The setting is one of the most memorable lunch locations in Lebanon.