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Lebanon
Contrasts tourLebanon Holidays & tours main menu - call Dave now on 0845 003 2211 or 01543 258631
Tour departures: 23rd November 2011
Prices from £1858 per person, 7 nights
At less than half the size of Wales, Lebanon is one of smallest countries in the world. Yet packed into this small area is a land of rich diversity - great sites from the ancient world, a beautiful coastline with sandy beaches and low cliffs, the grand peaks of the Mount Lebanon Range reaching 3000m, arid plains and green valleys
Add to this the thriving, cosmopolitan city of Beirut, a warm climate and superb cuisine, excellent wine, not to mention the hospitable Lebanese people and you have all the ingredients for a wonderful week of discovery. Our tour will take you to Bcharre in the north, a pretty small town in the beautiful Qadisha Valley, to the historic city of Tyre in the south, and includes the capital, Beirut, and a visit to Baalbeck along the way.
What
We Include
Return scheduled flights to
Beirut
Seven nights’ accommodation with breakfast at 4* Hotel Plaza, 3* Hotel Chbat and
3* Monte Alberto Hotel
Six dinners and four lunches in hotels or local restaurants
All transfers, entrance fees, gratuities and sightseeing as described
The services of a Tour Lecturer and a local guide
Lebanese visa (NB Non UK Passport holders may be charged a supplement - please
check with our sales staff)
Flights Details
- Flights with bmi.
Depart Heathrow at 16.00 arrive Beirut at 22.50.
Depart Beirut at 09.10 arrive Heathrow at 12.25.
Regional departures with alternative airlines available on request.
Itinerary...
Day 1 - We fly from
London to Beirut and on arrival transfer to a 4* Hotel Plaza for the first of
two nights in the capital.
Day 2 - This morning there will be a panoramic city tour of Beirut, long
regarded as one of the most beautifully-located of all Mediterranean capitals.
We begin with a visit to the iconic National Museum of Beirut which was
strategically positioned on the infamous Green Line which divided the city in
two during the Civil War. Here we watch a film called Revival which tells the
uplifting story of the dedicated staff who saved the museum’s contents from
destruction before restoring it to its original glory. Statues from all the
major sites representing Lebanon’s rich history are displayed here and
highlights include the Neolithic pebble idol from Byblos dating back to 9000BC.
Then we continue to Harissa where the Virgin of Lebanon overlooks the bay, and
Byblos, a most picturesque town with a lovely harbour, Roman remains, a lively
souk, citadel and a crusader castle. We then return to Beirut.
Day 3 - We head to the north of the country today making our first stop at
Tripoli, the second-largest city in Lebanon. Here we see the Old Town, dominated
by the citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, and reached through an impressive
Ottoman archway. We then drive on to Cedars where we see some of the very few of
the original trees that remain, some over 1500 years old, before proceeding to
Bcharre for a one night stay in 3* Hotel Chbat.
Day 4 - Bcharre enjoys a lovely location in the heart of the Qadisha Valley. We
will visit the Gibfran Museum, dedicated to the life and works of Lebanon’s
famous writer and artist. From the museum’s terrace there are breathtaking views
over the valley below which is littered with a number of monasteries. We visit
one of the loveliest - St Anthony Qozhaya; monks still live here as they have
done continuously since the 11th Century. For those who wish there will time to
explore the valley on foot using the excellent network of footpaths before
returning to Beirut for one night.
Day 5 - This morning we leave for the Chouf Mountains, popular as a summer
retreat for the Lebanese. We visit Deir Al Qamar, one of the country’s most
charming villages, its attractive squares lined by great town houses once used
by silk merchants. Later we go to the village of Beiteddine and visit the grand
palace, a fine example of Arab and Italian baroque architecture dating from the
18th and 19th Centuries. Overnight at the 3* Monte Alberto Hotel.
Day 6 - Today we drive along the Bequaa Valley to see one of the greatest of all the sites in the ancient world - Baalbeck - where the size of the site is matched by the grandeur of the buildings. We see the Temple of Jupiter with the tallest columns to be seen anywhere in the world, the Temple of Bacchus, dedicated to Venus and exquisitely decorated, and the museum. After spending the day here we return to Beirut for the final two nights stopping en route for wine tasting at a vineyard.
Day 7 - We finish our exploration of Lebanon with a visit to Sidon. This was a great Phoenician city and today’s visitors can enjoy its historic buildings, many, such as the souk, are still in use. Later we explore Tyre, a city with links to every period of Lebanon’s long history. At one time an island, the old town now sits on an extended peninsula. We will see the cathedral of the Crusaders, Holy Cross Cathedral, and the Al Bass archaeological site with its massive triumphal arch and the best-preserved Roman hippodrome in Lebanon.
Day 8 - We drive to the airport for the flight back to London.
Tour lecturer...
Andrew Allen - Andrew Allen studied
the History of Art at the University of East Anglia and obtained his MA in
mediaeval paintings. He lectured at Anglia Ruskin University and now teaches
humanities in Norfolk where he lives. Andrew Allen is a great traveller and
spends much of the year abroad. He has made a particular study of Syria and all
the countries in the Middle East and the emerging republics which were once part
of the Ottoman and Soviet empires. Andrew Allen writes: “I have been travelled
regularly to the Middle East and have developed a great love of the Islamic
world – its peoples, languages and cultures. These countries are a rich mosaic
of all these things, none more so than Syria. I relish the opportunity to
introduce this country to those who are visiting it for the first time”.
How to book
Call Dave now on 0845 003 2211 or 01543 258631