• Beirut - 9:00 AM — Departure from Beirut
  The driver will pick up guests from their Beirut hotel and travel south along the Mediterranean coastal highway towards Sidon — a journey of 45 minutes and a leap back 5,000 years.
• Crusaders Sea Castle - Sidon Sea Castle — Crusader fortress on the water
  Begin at Sidon’s most iconic site — a 13th-century Crusader fortress situated on a small island just off the coast, linked to the mainland by a narrow stone causeway with the Mediterranean on both sides. Explore vaulted halls that once housed Crusader knights, learn about the Mamluk siege that eventually led to its fall, and gaze from the ramparts over a harbor that Phoenician merchants used 3,000 years before the Crusaders arrived. This is one of Lebanon’s most dramatic castle settings and a truly impressive start.
• Sidon Souks - Sidon Old Souk — the genuine article
  Spend an hour in one of Lebanon’s most authentically preserved traditional markets — stone-vaulted alleyways where spice merchants, goldsmiths, fabric traders, and soap makers have conducted business for centuries. Unlike the renovated souks of Beirut, Sidon’s old market is the genuine, functioning, unchanged article — exactly the kind of place backpackers and independent travelers come to Lebanon to discover, yet rarely find because it is often left off itineraries. The driver knows the best routes to take.
• Soap Museum - Saida - Soap Museum — the only one in the world
  Sidon has been producing olive oil soap for over a thousand years, and this museum — the only one of its kind globally — tells the entire story. Located in a beautifully restored khan in the old city, it traces the craft from olive grove to finished bar, with exhibits on the traditional pressing, cooking, and cutting methods that made Sidonian soap renowned across the Mediterranean. Unique, fascinating, and definitely worth 30 minutes.
• Khan al-Franj - Khan el Franj — the Silk Road caravanserai
  Make a brief stop at the grand 17th-century caravanserai built by Emir Fakhreddine II for the European merchants who traded here along the Silk Road — featuring wide arcaded courtyards, vaulted galleries, and carved stone facades. It is one of the finest Ottoman buildings in Lebanon and a fitting final image of Sidon before heading south to Tyre.
• Al-Bass Archaeological Site - Al-Bass Archaeological Complex — Roman Tyre
  Arrive in Tyre and step into one of the most complete Roman archaeological landscapes in the Mediterranean. The Al-Bass complex begins with a monumental triumphal arch still standing after two thousand years, leading to a colonnaded street flanked by sarcophagi from the ancient necropolis. At the far end lies the Tyre Hippodrome — one of the largest ever built in the Roman world, accommodating 20,000 spectators for chariot races on a 480-meter track. Walk its full length today, past original starting gates and turning posts, and imagine the noise. It is one of the most immersive Roman experiences in the Middle East, and most visitors to Lebanon are unaware of its existence.
• Tyre - Lunch in Tyre — optional
  Enjoy fresh mezze and seafood at a local Tyre restaurant, just steps from the Mediterranean with the ancient city as your backdrop. Optional — but Tyre is an excellent place to dine, and guests will likely be hungry by this point.
• Our Lady of Mantara - Our Lady of Mantara — the place where she waited
  Conclude the day at Maghdouché — a hilltop village where Christian tradition holds that the Virgin Mary waited in a cave while Jesus preached in Sidon below. Mantara means “the one who waits” in Arabic — and the cave sanctuary here has attracted pilgrims for centuries, revered by both Christians and Muslims across Lebanon and the wider region. The Basilica of Our Lady of Mantara stands above the ancient cave, and the panoramic views from the hilltop over the southern Lebanese coast and the mountains of the interior are truly beautiful. A quiet, unexpected, and genuinely moving end to a day that began at a Crusader sea castle and spanned five thousand years of Lebanese history.
• Beirut - Return to Beirut — approx. 5:30–6:30 PM
  Travel north along the coastal highway back to Beirut with drop-off at the hotel — completing a day through the Phoenician, Crusader, Roman, and sacred south of Lebanon that most visitors never experience.

• Knowledgeable English-speaking driver
• 1-hour walk through Sidon Old Souk
• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut
• Private air-conditioned vehicle

• Lunch in Tyre (optional — at own expense)
• Gratuities (optional)

South Lebanon is often overlooked by travelers, but it’s a hidden gem. This exclusive day tour from Beirut explores three distinct destinations, each more ancient, unique, and captivating than the last, spanning approximately 5,000 years of Lebanese history in just eight hours, without feeling like a history lecture.

Sidon: features a Crusader sea castle, the world’s only soap museum, a bustling medieval souk, and a Silk Road caravanserai that once welcomed European traders.

Tyre: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to the Al-Bass Archaeological Complex, showcasing one of the most intact Roman urban landscapes in the Mediterranean, including a hippodrome, colonnaded street, triumphal arch, and ancient necropolis.

Maghdouché: a picturesque hilltop village where the Virgin Mary is believed to have waited while Jesus preached in Sidon, cherished by both Christians and Muslims, offering breathtaking views of the southern Lebanese coast that make the journey worthwhile.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.