
Lebanon Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
Lebanon Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go was originally published in February 2025
After nearly six months of setbacks, I finally landed in Beirut on a warm March evening, excited to finally be in Lebanon, a country that had long been high on my ‘to-visit’ list. Despite its position among the smaller countries on Earth, Lebanon houses a mindblowing diversity in landscapes, culture, and cuisine, that I have difficulty comparing to anywhere else- Lebanon truly has it all.
Back in October 2023, I was bound for Lebanon, flying from Tirana, Albania to Beirut to work on a project with Pia Abboud of Discovery Beyond Borders. Things had been rocky since the start of Israel’s attacks on Palestine, but I’ve been to plenty of places in the midst of strife, nothing new for me.
But when I landed in Athens to change planes, I received a shakey voice note from Pia telling me to abort if at all possible.
Swarms of protesters were outside the US embassy in Beirut and it sounded like it was only getting more intense. She was concerned that I might get stuck in Lebanon if its airspace were to close.
So I grabbed my bags and took the metro into downtown Athens, shelving Lebanon for another time.
Despite the continuing turmoil in the greater region, I decided to make my way to Lebanon in 2024 to get to work with Discovery Beyond Borders, as well as, Rami and Mary of Syrian Guides, just across the border.
Even though I had known about Lebanon’s geographic and cultural diversity, it was still a joy to experience in person. While small, at just over 10,000 square kilometers (about 35% the size of Albania and 7% the size of Tajikistan– two of my favorite haunts), I am nowhere near done exploring everywhere Lebanon has to offer.
After having spent nearly a month in Lebanon, I can say that there is quite a bit to know before you visit. Acquainting yourself with Lebanon’s ancient and more recent history, culture, religious diversity, economics, and politics will enhance your experience and give you greater context on the current situation.
In this guide, you will find everything you need to know before visiting Lebanon.
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A Brief History of Lebanon

From ancient Phoenicians and Assyrians to Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Mamluks, and Ottomans, Lebanon has been stratified by history, culture, and passing influence.
Following 300 years of Ottoman rule that crumbled post-WWI, Lebanon as we know it today began to take form. But its story doesn’t end there, it only gets more complicated. The 1923−1946 French Mandate left its mark, followed by the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 to 1990, ongoing economic struggles, the devastating 2020 Beirut Explosion, and most recently, the 2024 Israeli Invasion of Lebanon.
Despite it all, Lebanon is a country that doesn’t just survive—it thrives among its layers of history. Ruins that give Greece, Rome, and Egypt a run for their money; ancient fossils, pottery, and the foundation on an alphabet in Byblos; bustling souks where old alleys are still alive and vibrant, mosques and churches standing side by side, all surrounded by the trappings of modern society.
Lebanon Practical Info
Money
Lebanon has been in economic crisis for several years, leaving the Lebanese Pound in a volatile state. It can fluctuate wildly, but at present is sitting at roughly 89,000 LBP to $1 USD.
Make sure to enter Lebanon with the amount of money you plan to spend in cash to exchange on arrival as getting money out in-country is notoriously difficult due to the economic crisis. Do note that USD is widely accepted for pretty much all payments. You will usually receive smaller change in Lebanese Pounds.
Credit cards are not widely accepted in Lebanon, but you will find that some restaurants still can accept payment with them.
Visas for Visiting Lebanon
Many nationalities across Europe and the Americas can enter Lebanon visa-free for up to 30 days. If you are not from one of these visa-free countries, you likely need a visa issued by a Lebanese embassy or consulate to visit Lebanon.
Language in Lebanon
Arabic is the official language of Lebanon, though specifically, the Lebanese dialect of Levantine Arabic is what is spoken throughout the country- if you’ve spent much time in the Arabic-speaking world, you’ll notice that the Levantine dialects are much softer sounding than the other major Arabic Language varieties.
French is also widely spoken (by roughly about 50% of the population) in Lebanon due to the time Lebanon spent along with Syria under the French Mandate.
English is also a fairly common language, with about 30% of the population speaking it, especially the younger population.
Religion in Lebanon

Despite its meager size, Lebanon is home to a number of religious communities, creating a vibrant multi-faith society where mosques and churches stand side by side in many parts of the country. That said, religious tensions do exist.
The population is roughly 60% Muslim, encompassing Shia, Sunni, Druze, Ismaili, and Alawi sects, and 40% Christian, including the Maronites, Armenian and Greek Catholics, Greek and Armenian Orthodox, and Protestants.
What to Wear in Lebanon

The season in which you visit will dictate what you will wear in Lebanon. If you visit in the summer months, you will want light breezy fabrics to keep you cool. Whereas visiting in the winter, clothing suitable for layering and rain jackets are advisable but it’s not totally out of the question for a warm and sunny day to come about.
Locals tend to wear typical fashions you would see in Europe or North America, but in conservative areas, you will see a higher incidence of religious garb. That said, it’s always smart to have a scarf handy and err a bit more on the conservative side (no short shorts and cleavage-baring tops) for popping into religious sites while you explore Lebanon.
How to get to Lebanon
The most common way to arrive in Lebanon is by air via Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Best Places to Visit in Lebanon
Don’t let Lebanon’s meager size fool you- there is so much to see and do in Lebanon that you could stay for months and never run out of new places to check out.
Here are a handful of the main cities, sites, and nature areas in Lebanon, but do know that I will be releasing more conclusive posts on other places in the country as well.
Beirut

Beirut is the natural starting point for visitors to Lebanon. It’s a busy city with plenty of historical sites to visit and also boasts excellent restaurants and nightlife.
Tripoli
Tripoli was my favorite of Lebanon’s cities with its sprawling souk and its Crusader-era Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gille offering sweeping views of Tripoli.
Shouf

Shouf’s main attraction is its Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, located on the slopes of Jebel Baruk Mountain. Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve is the largest natural reserve in Lebanon, accounting for over 5% of the country’s landmass.
The Shouf area is also known for its beautiful palaces, gorgeous villages, and its large Druze population.
Bekaa Valley
The Bekaa Valley is Lebanon’s most important farming and wine region due to its fertile soils, framed between Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains to the east. The Bekaa Valley has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations over the years, and as such several important historic sites are dotted along Bekaa Valley, such as the famous ruins of Baalbek.
Qadisha Valley

The wild and dramatic landscapes featuring monasteries and churches perched precariously on mountainsides, the Qadisha Valley is one of the most beautiful stretches of Lebanon whether you drive through it or trek from monastery to monastery.
Batroun
Founded by the Phoenicians, Batroun is an over 4000 year old fishing port, making it among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The ancient city is well-preserved but has also received a bit of makeover since 2020, with an influx of boutique hotels, bougie beach clubs, and new restaurants popping up.
Baalbek
Sat in the Bekaa Valley, Baalbek is a must for first-time visitors to Lebanon. Baalbek is among the most impressive Roman Empire sites.
Byblos

Continuously inhabited for the past 8,000 years, Byblos has seen the arrival and fall of countless civilizations.
Byblos is an archeological treasure trove with an extensive history spanning several millennia and numerous empires. Byblos is also the site where the Phoenician Alphabet was developed.
Baatara Gorge
Cascading into the depths of Mount Lebanon, the ‘Cave of the Three Bridges’ that forms the Baatara Gorge Sinkhole, is among Lebanon’s most striking geographical features.
Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT)

While not a single destination, the Lebanon Mountain Trail is a 600 kilometer network of hiking trails crossing Lebanon north to south, featuring 27 sections, 76 towns and villages, and crossing 5 protected areas.
Coastal Southern Lebanon
While a bit trickier to visit, Southern Lebanon’s coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre are worthy of a jaunt down south for their ruins, ancient ports, and castles.
Lebanese Cuisine

Having gotten to travel all over the world, Lebanese fare, alongside Georgian, are my two favorite cuisines in the entire world. If you visited Lebanon for the food alone, I wouldn’t question it.
Lebanese food is varied, with popular snacks you’ll find in every corner of the country to hyper-regional dishes unique to one village. Eating in Lebanon is truly a highlight.

Lebanon also boasts a longstanding wine-making history, with the Bekaa Valley featuring a slough of amazing wineries.
Here is a brief list of foods you will likely encounter in Lebanon, but do know, there is far more than this.
- Manoushe/manakeesh: a thin dough that can come with a myriad of toppings, though commonly za’atar (the delicious spice you will find on many foods in Lebanon), or cheese with za’atar are the most common toppings.
- Ka’ak: Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, ka’ak somewhat resembles a bread handbag in shape, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Ka’ak can be sweet or savory, of course my favorite was the cheese and za’atar-filled version.
- Sfiha/lahm bi ajeen: A small meat-topped flatbread.
- Kibbeh: Considered a national dish in both Lebanon and Syria, kibbeh are an oval-shaped snack comprised of bulgar wheat, spices and beef mixed together and fried, though variations do exist.
- Falafel: Deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas.
- Kibbeh labanieh: A traditional Lebanese dish of kibbeh in a garlicky yogurt soup.
- Tabbouleh: A tasty and flavorful salad of finely chopped parsley and bulgar, commonly featuring tomatoes, mint, and onion, and dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Dips: Dips are a staple of Lebanese cuisine and a star of the famous meze. Common dips and spreads you will encounter are hummus (chickpea paste with olive oil and tahini), muhammara (a spicy dip of walnuts, red bell peppers, and pomegranate molasses), moutabal (Similar dip to baba ghanoush, yet more simple. It’s an eggplant-based dip with tahini, olive oil, garlic and varying spices), lebneh (a tangy yogurt), and toum (an emulsion of garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice- Lebanon’s most prized sauce).
- Ma’amoul: A semolina flour butter cookie filled with either dates; walnut and rose water; or pistachio and orange water. Ma’amoul are served most abundantly around Easter and Ramadan.
- Knafeh: A delicious dessert of shredded dough, butter, cheese, and sugar drizzled with a rose water simple syrup.
- Baklava: Not specific to Lebanon per se, but they make some of the best.
Safety in Lebanon

Despite the recent indiscriminate attacks carried out by Israel in late 2024, many are returning to Lebanon in 2025. For most travelers at this time, I would recommend considering hiring a local guide to help mitigate risks due to the volatility of the greater Levant Region.
Make sure to take precautions when traveling in Lebanon, much like anywhere else in the world. Avoiding large gatherings and governmental buildings would be wise, given there is a history of attacks carried out.
In my experience (March & April 2024), I never really felt in danger while in Lebanon, but my threshold for feeling endangered is a bit skewed- so what I experienced may scare some people.
We were near two strikes on Hezbollah targets carried out by IDF missile strikes. One when visiting a Druze temple near Jezzine (the glass rattled so hard in the windows I thought they were going to shatter) that hit a target just below the ridgeline we were on, and the other less than a kilometer away from where we were at in the Bekaa Valley, quite close to the Syrian border- this time feeling the entire building violently shake.
Female Travelers in Lebanon

Sometimes I was out and about solo in Lebanon, other times I was with Pia. I didn’t notice any difference alone versus with another woman.
Generally, the Lebanese are very friendly and welcoming. In that regard, I would say traveling as a lone woman is totally fine- just use the same precautions you would as a solo traveler virtually anywhere else.
Drones in Lebanon

I brought in my DJI Mini Drone to Lebanon, knowing full well that Pia and I would need to navigate the process for getting clearance- a challenge that Pia was excited to conquer as she hadn’t done it before.
All in all, I do not think it is worth bringing a drone to Lebanon if you’re not doing professional photo and/or video capture for a client or project. If I were just there recreationally, I would have skipped the drone.
That said, here is the process:
To get the drone, you’re going to need someone fluent in Arabic with you to both get the clearance and to call in before each of your flights.
We had to bring the drone to a military base office in Beirut for inspection and to fill out documents. They needed, the drone and remote, along with their serial numbers; a scan of my passport; proof (in print) of international drone insurance; a filled-out application with my details and a local’s details (in this case, Pia); a local phone number; and $20 USD fee in cash.
Once we had completed all of the above, they told us to expect it could take up to two weeks for approval and sent us on our way. In reality, we went straight to Syria the next day for 10 days with this in mind, but we had permission by the next day.
The permission is good for one year, but you need to pay that $20 USD fee each month you plan to use your drone directly to the military base office.
So, let’s say you initially got the permission on March 15, 2024,- you can then use your drone from March 15 to April 15, 2024, with that initial $20 you paid when applying. Then, you leave Lebanon in April but return October 10, 2024,- upon return in October, you would just need to pay the $20 fee again, giving you the ability to fly from October 10 to November 10, 2024.
To fly the drone, we would have to call in and give our location to get the number of the nearest military base/checkpoint. We would then call in to the local military and they would give us a yes or no and a timeframe from which we were allowed (usually instantly).
Independent or Guided Travel in Lebanon?

Do you really need a guide when traveling to Lebanon? Both have their perks of course, but whether you decide to visit Lebanon independently or on a guided tour is entirely at your discretion. Myself, it was a little of both as I had come over to help Discovery Beyond Borders get their name and work out there but still had plenty of free time to explore on my own too.
A definite upside to having a guide is that they will navigate the logistics of it all. In the case of Discovery Beyond Borders, Pia works hand in hand with community-based tourism, locally owned accommodations, farmstays, and destination experts to curate unique experiences. I can confidently say my time spent with Pia as a guide was invaluable.
Lebanon is a wonderfully chaotic country where things often work differently than you may be accustomed to. From street signs in Arabic or French and hard-to-find guesthouses to language barriers and navigating cultural nuances, having a guide makes life so much easier. Plus, for more sensitive areas like the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border, their local expertise ensures both safety and access to experiences you’d otherwise miss.
Have any questions about visiting Lebanon?
Ask in the comments section below.