Sunday. Welcome to Lebanon! Arrive Rafic Hariri International Airport and transfer to our hotel. The reminder of the day offers free time. Overnight - Beirut

Beirut - Sidon - Beirut. Today we embark on a guided tour of Beirut - the Paris of the Middle East. We stop at the Solidere district and walk the famed promenade that offers spectacular views of the Mediterranean coast and Pigeon Rocks. We also take a guided tour of the National Museum. Driving south along the coastline we arrive at Sidon (ancient Sidouna). This historic city had many cultural influences, including the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs and Greeks and underwent a period of Persian and Crusader rule (1110-1291 AD), all leaving a legacy of their rule in Sidon’s ancient temples and castles. We explore the ruins of the fortress church known as the Castle of the Sea which was erected by the Crusading Knights of St. John, and the Shell of the Castle of St. Louis (the Land Castle) which sits atop the Phoenician Acropolis near Murex hill. Overnight - Beirut (B)

Beirut - Jeita Grottos - Byblos - Harissa. A finalist in the ‘New 7 Wonders of the World’ the 9km kasrstic limestone labyrinth known as the Jeita Grottos is our first stop today. Tour the enormous cavern festooned with crystallized formations such as stalagmites, columns, mushrooms, ponds, curtains, draperies and the largest stalactite in the world. Take a flat bottom boat to see the galleries of Pantheon, Grand Chaos and Shangri-la.

Continuing on to Harissa which is some 650 meters above sea level, we see the 15 ton statue of the Virgin Mary, known as ’Our Lady of Lebanon’ which towers over the Bay of Jounieh. Enjoy incredible panoramic views of Beirut and the Mediterranean as we descend from Harissa by cable car. Travelling on to the quaint harbourside city of Byblos we tour the Temple of the Obelik, the 12th century Crusader castle and souk this afternoon. Tonight we stay at the delightful Bethania hotel/monastery. Overnight - Harissa (B, D)

Harissa - Beiteddine - Deir el Qamar - Beirut. Beiteddine is the home of the Muslim Druze community and the magnificent Beittedine Palace, built between 1788 and 1818 by Emir Bashir Shihab II. Today a tour of the palace allows us to view the Harem suites, Turkish baths, intricate mosaics and lavishly decorated ceilings and beautifully groomed gardens. Near to the palace is the charming stone built and red-tiled roof village of Deir el Qamar. Here we visit the 15th Century Fakhreddine Mosque and Palace as well as Moussa Castle. According to folklore, Moussa El Maamary a Lebanese visionary born in 1931, single handedly built the castle out of love for a class mate who would only marry a man who owned a castle. Determined and driven, Moussa made his dream a reality. Overnight - Beirut (B)

Beirut - Anjar - Ksara Winery - Baalbak - Beirut. This morning we drive to Anjar - the World Heritage Site, built in the 8th century by a Umayyad Caliph. Anjar is beautiful, with its slender columns and fragile arches standing in contrast to the massive bulk of the nearby Anti- Lebanon mountains. In the nearby Bekaa Valley we discover Chateau Ksara - Lebanon’s most famed producer of quality white and red wines, as well as Arak and Brandy. The house has won several accolades at the Vinalies Internationals in Paris and when touring the winery with our sommelier we have the chance to sample some of the award winning grape.

This afternoon we tour Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure - the temple complex of Baalbek. The site is famed for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins, which are among the world’s best preserved. Towering high above the Bekaa plain, their monumental proportions proclaimed the power and wealth of Imperial Rome. The complex includes Jupiter Temple with Bacchus Temple adjacent to it and the circular structure known as the Temple of Venus a short distance away. Overnight - Beirut (B)

Friday. Beirut. Spend the day at leisure before our onward departure transfer to the airport. (B)