Full-Day Private Tour to Sidon and Beaufort Castle


» Beirut » Beirut » Beirut

From $75.00

Price varies by group size

Lowest Price Guarantee

Pricing Info: Per Person

Duration: 8 hours

Departs: Beirut, Beirut

Ticket Type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance.

Learn more

Overview

In this full day tour from Beirut, you will discover some of the main landmarks in South Lebanon. Leave Beirut towards the city of Sidon and explore the sea castle and the main landmarks of the city and don't forget to stroll in the old souk.
Next, head into the village of Arnoun, where a Crusader fortress stands, known as Beaufort Castle, or Qalaat Al Shaqif with a nice panoramic view overlooking the Litani River.


What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle

English Speaking Driver

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Private transportation

What's Not Included

Entrance fees

Gratuities

Lunch

Personal Expenses


Traveler Information

  • ADULT: Age: 0 - 99

Additional Info

  • Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Face masks required for travellers in public areas
  • Specialized infant seats are available

Cancellation Policy

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

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

What To Expect

Sidon
Sidon, one of the oldest Phoenician cities, was founded in the 3rd millennium BC and became prosperous in the 2nd. Sidon was famous for its purple dyes and glassware and Jesus visited it. During the Crusades, Sidon changed hands several times and was destroyed and rebuilt.

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Crusaders Sea Castle
The Sidon Sea Castle was built by the crusaders in the thirteenth century on a small island, connected to the mainland by a causeway, as a fortress of the holy land. It is one of the most prominent historical sites in the port city of Sidon, Lebanon. The castle was largely destroyed by the Mamluks in 1291 and was later restored by Fakhr el-Dine Maan II in the early 17th century.
Old prints of the fortress show it to be one of great beauty, but little remains of the embellishments that once decorated its ramparts.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Khan al-Franj
Khan al-Franj is one of Sidon’s main attractions. It was built in the beginning of the 17th century by Emir Fakhreddine II to be a hotel for ambassadors and a center for commercial exchange between Lebanon and France.
The hotel soon became a center for literature, religion, history, industry and diplomacy. It became a home for culture and civilization.
This is a typical khan with a large rectangular courtyard and a central fountain surrounded by covered galleries.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Soap Museum is a museum in Sidon specialized in Levantine soaps
The soap workshop was originally built in Sidon by the Hammoud family in the 17th century.
The Soap Museum traces the history of soap making in the region, its development and manufacturing techniques. Visitors can see a demonstration of how traditional olive oil soaps are made and learn about the history of the "hammam" (bath) traditions.
A historical section of the museum introduces artifacts which were found during onsite excavation and which include remains of clay pipe heads dating from the 17th to 19th century as well as pottery fragments. The Museum building is an old soap factory built in the 17th century, although containing parts thought to date back to the 13th century.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Debbane Palace
The Debbane Palace was Built in the Old City of Sidon in the 18th century and It is now the last house of the Ottoman period remaining in a city that has since given way to traffic and glass storefronts. Approached from a narrow stairwell in the crowded Souq, the palace is built literally on top of the markets below. Inside it contains an entire world of reception rooms, stained-glass windows, rare mosaic tiles and centuries-old stables.
the Debbane Palace marks the only example of an Ottoman palace within the city walls of urban Lebanon

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Sidon Souks
The souk of Sidon is the center of all the commercial activities of retail, as well as craft industry.
The souk is a maze of narrow alleyways with small kiosks, shops and cafes, street merchant, butchers, grocers, shoe-makers, tailors and jewelers.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Beaufort Castle
Beaufort Castle stands on a rocky crest above soaring 300-meters, overlooking the Litany River in South Lebanon, and 100 kilometers from Beirut. Beaufort Castle, in Arabic Qalaat el-Shekif, is a mighty fortress standing on a strategic site on the roads of Tyre and the South, but is first and foremost a military stronghold defending the extreme north of the kingdom of Jerusalem.
Beaufort is part of the national heritage. Despite the exterior ruin and the damage caused throughout the long years, the inside is well preserved and in any case the view is superb. The castle is a storehouse of our history.

60 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included






« All Activities

Beirut activities and shore excursions by group:

© Copyright 1995 - 2023 Beirut Travel Guide