If you like adventure and discover new regions, surprise yourself with Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Get to know the bright side of the Middle East, the Beirut that Lebanese people get to enjoy every day. Not what is shown on the news? Of course, like any other country, Lebanon undeniably has its problems. When located in the Middle East, between Syria and Israel, there is even a bigger challenge.
I love it
Beirut is definitely my favourite city in the Middle East! There is not only great weather year round, but Lebanon also has a rich, interesting history and culture. Did you know for example that…
- Beirut is also called ‘Paris of the Middle East’?
- 1 in 10 persons is doctor in Lebanon?
- schools teach in Arabic, French and/or English?
- there is no desert in Lebanon?
- you can both swim in the sea and ski on the mountains on some lucky spring days?
- almost half of the country is Christian? (>40%)
- people are very open in talking about their salary?
- Lebanon’s flag includes a cedar tree?
Let’s have a look at what Beirut has to offer to adventurous travelers like you and me.
Delicious food
Maybe Lebanese food is not as famous as the Italian kitchen, it definitely has the taste and ingredients! Tabbouleh, hummus, baba ghanouj, kebbeh, sambusac, stuffed grape leaves… All finger licking delicious!! The Lebanese kitchen has a great variety, dishes usually include olive oil, herbs, spices, garlic and lemon. One thing is for sure: you will never leave a Lebanese restaurant or house without having a full stomach! By the time the main dish arrives I am usually already stuffed haha
Like tapas in Spain, Lebanon has mezze. You will rarely see drinks like Arak, the Lebanese national anise-flavored liqueur, or a glass of chilled Lebanese wine, unaccompanied with at least some small mezze dishes. For example raw or pickled vegetables, hummus, baba ghanouj and bread. Lebanese salads are amazing; for example tabbouleh and fattoush, usually served with a fresh dip such as hummus, baba ghanouj or moutabal and kebbeh. Main dishes can be anything from seafood to chicken or lamb kebab skewers. Desserts are often sweet, like baklava, or original Lebanese ice cream flavors such as dried apricot and pistachio.
Live music
Live music and shisha’s are very popular in Lebanese restaurants. Like this performance of a Lebanese band in a restaurant in Beirut. A great restaurant I can recommend in Beirut is Abdel Wahab, which expanded it’s branches to other Middle Eastern countries over the years. Discover more great restaurants in Beirut on review sites such as TripAdvisor.
Clubbing
Want to go dancing in a club on Tuesday night?! Sure, no problem in Beirut! Lebanese people are super friendly and crazy about clubbing, any night of the week! They know how to celebrate life. I am not sure how they combine this with their families, but somehow they do. Families are very important in Lebanon.
Gemmayzeh Street is a well-known area with lots of bars and clubs. One evening I went to Taiga in the Ashrafieh area and it was great fun! The evening started with a live music performance, after which a DJ took over for the rest of the evening. Dancing till dawn baby!
Climate
Whenever I look on my weather app, there is always nice weather in Beirut! Enviable, really. With mild winters and not too hot summers the weather is always great. Averagely taken, August is the warmest month and January the coldest and wettest, with temperatures ranging between 13Ā°C (55Ā°F) and 28Ā°C (82Ā°F).
From April till November it’s the time to go without having to bring a winter coat. The time I went up in the mountains with snow was in February, but in the city center I wore t-shirts… This is the place where you can go to the sunny beach and go skiing in one day!
Activities
Beirut has many interesting sights for you to visit. National Museum of Beirut, Cathedral of Saint George, Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, Mineral Museum… Go shopping at Beirut Souks, Hamra Street and ABC Mall, and stroll at Zaitunay Bay, The Corniche and Saifi Village. And yes, in the summer you can go to the beach and in the winter you can go to the mountains and enjoy the snow! Quite an original winter sports destination, right?! We ended up with a big snowball fight of about 30 adults LOL The mountains offer a wide range of possibilities for activities anyway, from hiking to horseback riding.
Tours
Taking a guided tour with a local can be very interesting as you will learn a lot more than just walking around on your own. And to go a little bit outside of Beirut city easily, there is lots to see! If you are traveling solo it can be nice to join a group too.
- From Beirut: Jeita, Harissa, and Byblos Tour
- Baalbek Roman temples tour from Beirut
- Full day wine tasting tour at Lebanese wineries
- Guided Beirut City Tour incl. National Musem
- Beirut city sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off bus
Popular destinations outside of Beirut include: Baalbek, Anjar, Ksara, Harissa, Jeita Grotto, Byblos, Qadisha Valley, Bcharre, Afqa, etc. Find more tours and activities on Viator, the sister site of Tripadvisor.
Privileged is what I feel when thinking back about my visit to this wonderful country. Lebanese people are so friendly and loyal, like family really!
Where to stay in Beirut
O Monot Boutique Hotel Beirut is a great choice that I would highly recommend! Offering an outdoor pool, restaurant, 24/7 service and rooms with city view. Each room includes a TV, air conditioning, private bathroom, coffee machine and a balcony. The hotel is ideally located; 200 m from Monot Street (nightlife), 500 m from Place de l’Etoile – Nejmeh Square and 600 m from Gemayzeh Street (Rue Gouraud).
Safety
Besides checking the weather forecast and tourist attractions, please also pay attention to your Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ current travel advice with regards to safety for traveling to/in Lebanon. Not only for safety itself, but also for insurance purposes. The northern border with Syria might not be the best place to celebrate your holiday right now. Plus some parts of the outskirts of southern Beirut are currently marked red too (meaning do not travel there).
Personally I would not rent a car in Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon due to different traffic rules and situation. Take a taxi or tour instead. Also, you must understand that you cannot combine a trip to Beirut with an Israeli destination such as Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, unless you have a 2nd passport and make a stopover in another country in between, for example Amman (Jordan) or Dubai. Israel and Lebanon are not friends unfortunately.
How to get to Beirut
It is a great sight when you land on the airstrip ofĀ Beirut Hariri International airport (BEY)Ā located right in between the mountains.Ā The national airline of Lebanon, Middle East Airlines is OK to use. Big airlines such as Turkish Airlines and Emirates, Alitalia, Air France, Vueling, Lufthansa and British Airways all fly on Beirut. KLM’s budget airline Transavia started flying on Beirut from Amsterdam a number of years ago too.
Skyscanner is a good tool to check and to compare flight possibilities and prices.
Have you ever been to the Middle East? Would you like to visit Lebanon? Please feel free to share a comment or post a question below.
Interested to read more about countries in the Middle East? Please check out the Middle East Blog Archives.
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Last Updated on 01/06/2023 by Elisa Flitter Fever