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Arrive
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Day 1 Beirut
Arrive into Beirut International Airport. Met and transferred by private car to the delightful Le Gray hotel, situated in the heart of downtown Beirut. Built in sophisticated contemporary style, guests are treated to a magnificent private art collection, a heated rooftop pool, excellent restaurants and bars, cigar lounge and beautiful rooftop terrace.
Overnight: Le Gray
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Day 2 Byblos - Beirut
Drive to Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, whose origins date back to the 6th Century BC when it was known as 'Gubla'. In 1200 BC, the town was renamed Byblos, the Greek word for papyrus, the main commodity for which the town had become known. Visit the archaeological site, the St. John Crusader Castle and the old souk. Early lunch in Pepe Abed's famous Byblos Fishing Club overlooking the ancient harbour. Return to Beirut to see the National Museum housing 1,300 artefacts from the Bronze age through to the end of the Ottoman period. Continue on foot to the Roman Baths, Parliament building, Clock Tower (donated by a Lebanese emigre in 1993), and St. George's Cathedral. This evening meet up with a renowned local journalist for drinks and a briefing on the modern history of Lebanon from 1975 - 2019 including the civil war, regional politic and the Syrian refugee crisis.
Overnight: Le Gray
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Day 3 Bekaa Valley - Al Shouf
Head towards the Bekaa Valley, stopping en route to see the ghostly remains of the Grand Hotel Sawfar, once one of the most glamorous hotels in the Middle East. Continue to the temples of Baalbek, the largest Roman Temples ever built. Founded in AD 54, the trinity (temples of Jupiter, Venus & Bacchus) were still being built over 300 years later when Theodosius II attempted to Christianise Baalbek and closed down all heathen temples. Drive on to the Al Shouf Cedar Reserve, containing forests of Juniper and Oak and most importantly, one quarter of the remaining cedar forest in Lebanon, with trees up to 2,000 years old. After a late lunch visit the Beiteddine Palace, modelled on the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul and one of the finest examples of 19th Century Lebanese architecture.
Overnight: Le Gray
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Day 4 Qadisha Valley - Beirut
Drive up to Becharreh to see the mausoleum and museum of the famous poet, Gibran Khalil Gibran. Continue to the Maronite Patriarch old residence, the start point of a 2-3 hour walk through the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Qadisha Valley. Nestled under the highest peak of the Lebanese mountain chain, descend 600 steps to start this marvellous route taking in hidden valleys and several ancient churches and monasteries including the church of Our Lady of Qannoubine, the seat of 24 Patriarchs between 1440 and 1823. In addition to the Grotto of St. Marina the Virgin, you may encounter a Colombian hermit before enjoying an organic lunch at the house of a local farmer.
Overnight: Le Gray
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Day 5 Sidon - Tyre
Head south this morning to the village of Joun to see the remains of the Lady Hester Stanhope's house. Daughter of the Earl of Stanhope, hostess and private secretary to Prime Minister Pitt the Younger, Hester Stanhope left England in 1810 to discover the Middle East. Shipwrecked off Rhodes en route to Cairo, she eventually settled in Lebanon in 1818 and remained there until her death in 1839. During this time she became immensely powerful and when Sultan Ibrahim Pasha decided to invade in Syria in 1832, he first needed to seek her neutrality. From Joun, drive the short distance to Sido, the great Phoenician city-state that flourished between 6th and mid-4th Century BC. Visit the ruins of the fortress church known as the Castle of the Sea. Wander the labyrinthine maze of alleys in the old town souk, perhaps visiting the crypt of the St. Nicholas Church where St. Peter met St. Paul amid great secrecy. Drive onto Tyre, once an island city of unprecedented splendour and riches. It was unfortunately this very splendour that attracted the unwelcome attention of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon as well as Alexander the Great. Visit the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Al-Bass site with its extensive necropolis, a three-bay monumental arch and one of the largest hippodromes ever found.
Overnight: Le Gray
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Day 6 Depart
Private transfer to Beirut International Airport for your journey home.
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Depart