Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip
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Is Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip worth booking?
Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip is a 8-hour experience in Beirut, Lebanon, from $55 per person. It scores 58 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 58 / 100
- Rating
- Not yet rated
- Duration
- 8 hours
- From
- $55 per person
The Chouf Mountains do three things really well — grand palaces, ancient cedar forests, and perfectly preserved Ottoman villages — and this private day trip from Beirut does all three. One mountain range, one full day, t
What you get
- Walk through Barouk Cedar Forest — Shouf Biosphere Reserve
- Knowledgeable English-speaking driver
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
About this experience
The Chouf Mountains do three things really well — grand palaces, ancient cedar forests, and perfectly preserved Ottoman villages — and this private day trip from Beirut does all three. One mountain range, one full day, three completely different experiences that have no business being this good or this close together. Beiteddine Palace is the showstopper — one of the most magnificent 19th-century palaces in the Arab world, built by the man who unified Lebanon's warring mountain factions and today the summer residence of the Lebanese President. The Barouk Cedar Forest is the antidote — ancient trees, mountain air, and the complete silence of a UNESCO-protected biosphere that most Lebanon visitors never reach. And Deir el Qamar is the perfect finale — a honey-stone village that was Lebanon's first capital and still looks like nobody told it the rest of the world moved on.
What's included
Included
- Walk through Barouk Cedar Forest — Shouf Biosphere Reserve
- Knowledgeable English-speaking driver
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Beirut
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
Not included
- Lunch in Deir el Qamar (optional — at own expense)
- Gratuities (optional)
What you'll see and do
Beirut
9:00 AM — Departure from Beirut Your driver picks you up from your Beirut hotel and heads southeast into the Chouf Mountains — pine-forested ridges rising steeply above the coastal plain as you climb toward Beiteddine.
Pass by without stopping
Beiteddine Palace — the presidential one Built between 1788 and 1840 by Emir Bashir II — the ruler who unified Lebanon's mountain communities under a single authority and today serves as the Lebanese President's official summer residence — Beiteddine is the most impressive palace in the Chouf and one of the finest in the Arab world. Three grand interconnected courtyards decorated with hand-cut geometric tilework and carved cedar-wood ceilings open before you. Beneath the palace, an underground museum preserves Lebanon's finest collection of Byzantine mosaics — floor panels of extraordinary colour that most visitors walk straight past. Your driver knows where the good stuff is and takes you straight to it.
90 minutes here · Admission not included
Barouk Cedar
Barouk Cedar Forest — ancient trees, zero crowds After the grandeur of Beiteddine, the Barouk Cedar Forest is the reset button. Part of Lebanon's largest nature reserve and a UNESCO-recognised biosphere, the Barouk grove protects ancient cedar trees descended from the forests that built Phoenician ships, Solomon's Temple, and Egyptian palaces. An hour walking the marked paths through the grove at your own pace — massive ancient trunks, mountain panoramas through the canopy, the kind of mountain silence that is genuinely hard to find anywhere near Beirut. No steep terrain, no technical difficulty — just old trees, good air, and the satisfying feeling of being somewhere most tourists do not bother to go.
60 minutes here · Admission not included
Deir el Qamar
Deir el Qamar — Lebanon's first capital, still going strong Drive down to Deir el Qamar — meaning "Monastery of the Moon" — one of the most perfectly preserved Ottoman villages in Lebanon and the country's first capital under the Ma'an dynasty. The central square is framed by honey-stone mansions dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, a Druze palace, and public buildings that have barely changed in 300 years. After the imperial scale of Beiteddine and the forest solitude of Barouk, Deir el Qamar is the human-sized finale — cobblestone streets, mountain air, and a village that has been going about its business since the 16th century without making a big deal of it.
30 minutes here
Fakhreddine's Mosque
Fakhreddine Mosque & Saydet el Tallé Church A quick visit to the 17th-century mosque built by Fakhreddine II — the Druze emir who built an empire from the Bekaa to the Sinai and is considered one of Lebanon's founding fathers — and the hilltop Maronite church with sweeping Chouf valley views. A mosque and a church sharing the same hillside for 400 years. Completely normal in Deir el Qamar.
30 minutes here
Deir el Qamar
Lunch in Deir el Qamar — optional Traditional Lebanese mountain lunch at one of Deir el Qamar's stone-vaulted restaurants — mezze spreads, grilled meats, fresh bread, and Chouf valley views. After a presidential palace, an ancient cedar forest, and Lebanon's first capital — sitting down to eat in a 300-year-old village feels like exactly the right way to finish.
60 minutes here
Beirut
Return to Beirut — approx. 5:30–6:00 PM Mountain drive back to Beirut with drop-off at your hotel — completing a full Chouf day that went from a presidential palace to ancient cedar trees to Lebanon's first capital, all within the same mountain range.
Pass by without stopping
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers. Pickup begins about 15 minutes before departure.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- ar, en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Group size
- Up to 9 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Beirut Trip
Know before you go
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
Good to know
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Price range
- $55 to $150
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 0
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Who runs this experience
Operated by Beirut Trip, who run 20 experiences we rank across 1 city, with an average Outty Ranking of 54.3.
See everything Beirut Trip runsWhy this scores 58
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Beirut.
How much does Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip cost?
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Prices start at $55 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Beirut usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip take?
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Plan for about 8 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Beirut is not rushed.
Is Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 58 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (0/5 across 0 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Beirut, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 8-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip?
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Around 0 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Beirut can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Beirut and add a light layer if any part of the 8-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Private Beiteddine, Shouf Cedars & Deir el Qamar | Chouf Trip start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Beirut within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Beirut?
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On Outty we rank every Beirut experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Guided Small-Group Tour to Baalbek, Anjar and Ksara with Lunch, Guided Small-Group Tour to Jeita, Harissa, Byblos with Lunch, Jeita Grotto,Harissa&Byblos Full-Day PRIVATE-CAR Trip from Beirut. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Beirut?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Beirut?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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