SCHEDULE & COST:
Dates: April 6 – 9, 2023
Duration: 4 days / 3 nights
Number of participants: 6 – 12
EXPEDITION FINISHED
TRAVEL PROGRAM:
Day 1. April 6, 2023 (Thursday). BEIRUT - PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP - BEIRUT
Arrival in the morning in Beirut before 11 am. Check-in at the hotel, lunch.
Walking tour (3-4 hours) in Beirut. This city is a real mosaic of cultures, languages and religions. After the end of a brutal civil war, 25 years later, the city has appropriated the title of Mecca of design, fashion and culinary of the Arab world.
We will visit the main iconic and historical places: the "Green Line" of the demarcation of the once warring parties, the Martyrs' Square, the Mohammed al-Amin Mosque, the main Orthodox church in Beirut - the Church of St. George, the abandoned Bolshoi Theater, the Egg complex, the port.
Let's take a walk through one of the most colorful districts of the capital Jemmayze. Many mansions are a mixture of Venetian and Ottoman styles, with details inherent in the Islamic world. Often, the owners completed the construction of rooms and floors to their possessions already during the French mandate. And we will finish the walk with a visit to the street of the Greek elite Sursok. After lunch in the city center, we go to the Palestinian refugee camp, which has been operating since 1949. Data on the number of its inhabitants vary considerably - from 10 to 25 thousand people. Such camps are a separate state within Lebanon with their own heads of Palestinian origin.
Dinner, rest.
Accomodation: hotel Three O'Nine
Meals: breakfast
Day 2. April 7, 2023 (Friday). BEIRUT - BAALBEK - BEKAAA VALLEY - BEIRUT
After breakfast, we go to the ancient temple complex of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley - one of the most unusual archaeological phenomena in the history of mankind. The grandiose architectural ensemble, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consists of several gigantic structures of the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Venus. We will visit the Shiite mosque, shining with gilding, in which, according to legend, the great-granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad is buried.
We will visit a quarry with the largest man-made blocks in the world. We will visit the first commercial winery in Lebanon, founded in 1868. Winery Domain Des Tourelles is a leader in the production of not only wine, but also arak - strong aniseed vodka.
Accomodation: hotel Three O'Nine
Meals: breakfast
Day 3. April 8, 2023 (Saturday). BEIRUT - JET'S CAVE - BYBLOS - BEIRUT
After breakfast, we will head to another popular tourist spot near the Lebanese capital. Nagr-al-Kalb River in Arabic means "Dog River". One of the legends says that many thousands of years ago a huge dog lived here, which with its howl did not allow enemies to approach the lands. On stone steles along the river, the history of Lebanon is collected, starting with the visit of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II.
Then we will have a walk through the indescribable beauty of the Jaita Cave - a natural landmark of Paleolithic Lebanon. The Jeita complex consists of two caves: lower and upper, formed in limestone deposits. On the lower level, we will take a boat ride on the underground river.
After lunch we go to Byblos - one of the oldest cities in the world. A city with picturesque alleys, beautiful old mansions, many cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and a relaxing atmosphere. Byblos was inhabited as early as the 6th millennium BC. Archaeological excavations here are a real book of human history, reflecting the layers of eras and civilizations that the city has witnessed.
We will end our trip to Lebanon with a visit to Mount Harisa, where a statue of the Holy Virgin Mary stands above the city of Jounieh.The Lebanese call her in the French manner "Notre Dame du Liban" (Lebanese Mother of God). Dinner, rest at the hotel.
Accomodation: hotel Three O'Nine
Meals: breakfast
Day 4. April 9, 2023 (Sunday). BEIRUT - DAMASK
Transfer to Damask after breakfast.
Accomodation: no
Meals: breakfast
* The program may be adjusted depending on travel conditions, arrival/departure time, movement restrictions, government decision or any other objective circumstances.