LEBANON

Morning / Afternoon: Departure from major Italian cities with a flight to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Entry procedures and pick-up of the rental car according to flight schedules. Transfer to the city center through the western districts of Beirut, offering a first impression of the city’s urban landscape, shaped by civil war, reconstruction, and recent economic crises.

Evening: Depending on arrival time, dinner in Lebanese restaurants along the Corniche and an evening dedicated to discovering Beirut’s vibrant nightlife, among the liveliest in the Middle East.

Morning: Breakfast and departure south along the Mediterranean coast. Arrival in Tyre, one of the oldest Phoenician cities and for centuries a major maritime power of the eastern Mediterranean. Visit to the UNESCO archaeological site, featuring its Roman complex, monumental hippodrome, necropolises, and urban ruins overlooking the sea. Introduction to Tyre’s historical role in Phoenician and Roman trade routes.

Evening: Continue to Sidon, another important Phoenician center. Visit the Crusader citadel built on a small island facing the port, followed by a walk through the historic souq among traditional workshops, bakeries, markets, and caravanserais.

Morning: Breakfast and departure from Sidon toward the interior. Gradual ascent into the Lebanese mountains along secondary roads, passing through Druze and Christian villages, historically autonomous communities that shaped the country’s confessional balance. Stops in inhabited centers to better understand the architectural, social, and religious differences between the various communities.

Afternoon: Continuation of the road trip through agricultural terraces, olive groves, vineyards, and mountain wadis. Descent toward the Bekaa Valley plateau. Arrival in Zahle, a predominantly Christian city historically linked to the valley’s agricultural and wine production.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Zahle.

Morning: Breakfast and departure from Zahle to explore the Bekaa Valley, a vast agricultural plateau nestled between Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon range. Visit to the rural areas of the valley, the country’s productive heartland, known for cereals, vineyards, and cannabis cultivation. Introduction to the economic and social role of marijuana in the Bekaa, especially during years of war and instability.

Afternoon: Wine tasting at a local winery, a testament to the valley’s millennia-old winemaking tradition. Continue to Baalbek, arrival in the city and hotel check-in.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Baalbek

Morning: Visit to the archaeological site of Baalbek, one of the most monumental Roman complexes ever built. Exploration of the temples of Jupiter, Bacchus, and Venus, constructed between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD on top of an earlier Phoenician sanctuary.

Afternoon: Departure north crossing Mount Lebanon. Stop in the Cedar Forest, a national symbol of Lebanon and a remnant of the vast forests that once covered the entire mountain range. Entry into the Qadisha Valley, a sacred UNESCO World Heritage site and historical refuge of monastic communities and Maronite Christians. Stop at the Baatara Gorge, an impressive karst sinkhole carved by water over millennia. Descent toward the northern coast./p>

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Tripoli.

Morning: City tour of Tripoli, the second largest city in Lebanon and one of the most historically important urban centers in the Levant. Visit to the Mamluk souq, among the largest and most authentic in the Middle East. Entry into the Crusader citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, built in the 12th century on top of a former Arab fortification.

Afternoon: Transfer along the coast to Batroun. Arrival in one of the country’s oldest and most vibrant cities, founded by the Phoenicians and today a symbol of Lebanese glamour. Walk through the historic center, between the old port and the seaside districts.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Batroun.

Morning: Breakfast and transfer to Byblos, considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Visit to the archaeological site, with Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader layers. Walk through the ancient port, historically linked to the papyrus trade.

Afternoon: Cable car ascent to Harissa, with a panoramic stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon overlooking the Bay of Jounieh. Continue to the Jeita Grotto, a spectacular multi-level karst cave system and one of the most remarkable natural sites in the Middle East. Return to Beirut in the late afternoon.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Beirut.

Morning: City tour of Beirut, including the rebuilt historic center, the Corniche, and residential districts. Introduction to the city’s urban complexity, shaped by confessional divisions, post-war reconstruction, and recurring economic crises.

Afternoon: Guided visit to the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila. Historical overview of the Palestinian presence in Lebanon and the country’s internal political and social balances. Insight into the daily reality of the camp and its role in contemporary Lebanese society.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Beirut

Morning: Breakfast and, depending on flight schedules, transfer to the airport, return of the rental car, and international return flight… and until the next adventure!