My boyfriend is from Beirut so we took a trip to see his family. I was pleasantly surprised how much there is to do and see. I ate so much amazing mediterranean food including salad, hummus and falafel.

Places to See

• Beirut
• • Inhabited since 3,000 BC (top 10 oldest cities in the world)
• Cedars of God
• • The Cedars of God is over a 2 hour drive from Beirut
• • Entrance fee to help keep preserved
• • Shops in the area for souvenirs build out of Cedar wood
• • Wood was exploited by Phoenicians and other empires to build merchant ships due to the strength of the wood
• • UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Rooftop bars
• • Capitole Restaurant and Bar in Downtown Beirut
• • Iris in Biel – Downtown Beirut
• • Spine – Beirut
• Mount Lebanon
• Beach & Pool resorts
• • La Siesta is about 10 minutes from the city of Beirut. It costs about $27 per person to get in, but you get access to a private beach and pools.
• • Orchid costs about $29 per person to get in and you also get a private beach, pool and towel service.

• Lady Mary – Harissa – Our Lady of Lebanon
• • You can do the Lady Mary and the Jeita Grotto in one day for $12 USD. The cableway transports you from the grotto to the top of the mountains for a great view from Harissa.

• Jeita Grotto
• • The limestone caves were on my bucket list to see. There were two parts of the grotto which you can’t bring your phone (of course I snuck mine): the upper and lower. The upper part you get to walk through and the lower part you take a small boat through.
• Byblos
• • Byblos is an amazing, beautiful coastal city. It only takes about 30 minutes from Beirut. If you are looking to buy souvenirs, Byblos is the place to do it!
• • Oldest continuity inhabited city in the world from 5,000 BC (second oldest city overall dating back between 8,800 BC – 7,000 BC)

• Paradise Waterfalls Bakkline
• • Here I go chasing waterfalls again. These are a little over a hour from the city of Beirut. When we got there we were a little confused because there’s two parts. One part is surrounded by a restaurant and the other is a pool that you have to pay to get into. If you have the time and it’s a nice day I would recommend bringing a swim suit and spending the day there.

How I Got There

I used my Chase bonus points and only paid about $100 for my ticket PHX>LHR>BEY then back to Phoenix. Review the best credit cards here.

I chose the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Check out my post here for the benefits.