• Beiteddine Palace - Beiteddine Palace, also known as the ‘House of Faith,’ is a 19th-century palace located in Beiteddine, Lebanon. It is the venue for the annual Beiteddine Festival and houses the Beiteddine Palace Museum. The palace was constructed by Emir Bashir Chehab II, who later ruled the Mount Lebanon Emirate, between 1788 and 1818. Post-1840, the Ottomans used it as a government building, and during the French Mandate, it served as a local administrative office. In 1943, it was designated as the president’s official summer residence. The palace suffered significant damage during the Lebanese Civil War. Today, parts of it are open to the public, while the rest remains the president’s summer residence.
• Moussa Castle - Qasr Moussa, or Moussa Castle, narrates the story of a man who chased his dream of building his own castle. Situated on a hill between Deir El Kamar and Beiteddine in Lebanon, the castle reflects the beliefs and ideas of its builder, Moussa Al Maamari, who was born on July 27, 1931. He conceived the idea of building a castle at the age of 14 to impress a local girl he loved.
• Deir el Qamar - Deir al-Qamar, meaning ‘Monastery of the Moon,’ is a village located southeast of Beirut and five kilometers from Beiteddine Palace in the Chouf District of Mount Lebanon. Deir El Qamar was the first village in Lebanon to establish a municipality in 1864 and is the birthplace of many notable personalities, including artists, writers, and politicians. The village was home to people of various religious backgrounds and featured a mosque, synagogue, and Christian churches. In 1860, Deir al-Qamar was destroyed during the civil war between Druze and Christians, during which the town was set on fire. Napoleon III sent a French contingent to rebuild it, reaffirming France’s historical role as protector of Christians in the Ottoman Empire, as established by a treaty in 1523. In 1864, Deir el-Qamar elected the first municipality in the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The village retains a picturesque appearance with typical stone houses and red tile roofs.
• Fakhreddine’s Mosque - Fakhreddine Mosque, with its octagonal minaret, is located in Deir el Qamar, Lebanon. Built in 1493 and restored in the 16th century by Fakhreddine I, it is the oldest mosque in Mount Lebanon.
• Saydet El Talle Church - The Church of Saidet et Tallé, translated as Our Lady of the Hill, is one of the most significant historical and religious sites in Deir el Qamar, dating back to the 15th century. Monk Nicolas Smisaati constructed a church on the site over the ruins of an ancient Phoenician temple dedicated to the goddess Astarte, which was later destroyed by an earthquake in 859. According to the Maronite Heritage website, ‘the legend says that there was a Druze Emir in Baakline looking at the hill of Dar El Kamar. He saw a light emanating from the hill, so he gathered his soldiers and ordered them to dig in the land the next morning. He instructed them: “If you find an Islamic symbol, build a mosque. If you find a Christian symbol, build a church.” In the morning, the soldiers found a rock with a cross on it, and beneath the cross were the moon and Venus. This indicated that in the distant past, there was a temple dedicated to the moon and Venus, which later became a church.’

• Private transportation
• Hotel pick up & drop off
• Tour Leader
• In-vehicle air conditioning

• Lunch
• Gratuities

Immerse yourself in a day-long excursion through Lebanon’s countryside, and take a tour of two picturesque villages while appreciating the stunning vistas along the journey. Make a pit-stop at the Deir el Qamar village for a photo opportunity, marvel at 19th-century Lebanese architecture at the Beiteddine palace, and cap off your trip with a visit to the stunning Moussa castle, an edifice painstakingly constructed stone by stone, epitomizing one man’s determination and bravery.

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