Lebanon
Check current travel advice. Conditions change quickly here
Population
5.8m people
Currency
Lebanese Pound
Main Language
Arabic
best time to visit
April – June and September – November, subject to current advice
Climate
Mediterranean coast, snowy mountains in winter, dry Bekaa valley
Visa
Free visa on arrival for one month for UK, EU and most Western visitors, subject to current advisories
Country overview
Check government travel advice first. Lebanon has faced severe economic collapse since 2019, and security conditions particularly in the south, the Bekaa valley and along the Syrian border have varied significantly, with advisories against travel to several regions and periodic warnings covering the whole country. Situations change quickly.
In better conditions, Lebanon packs an extraordinary amount into a country smaller than Yorkshire. Baalbek has the largest and best preserved Roman temple complex anywhere, with columns that dwarf anything in Rome. Byblos claims to be among the oldest continuously inhabited towns on earth. The Qadisha valley has cliff-face monasteries and the last of the biblical cedar forests.
Beirut has long had a reputation for resilience, nightlife and food that outstrips its size, though the 2020 port explosion and the economic crisis have hit the city hard. Lebanese cuisine is among the best in the Mediterranean, and the mountains behind the coast mean you can genuinely ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon in spring.
Annual events and festivals
- Baalbeck International Festival (Jul-Aug) — concerts staged among the Roman temples. The most prestigious event in the country.
- Byblos International Festival (Jul-Aug) — music in the old harbour beside the crusader castle.
- Beiteddine Art Festival (Jul-Aug) — performances in a 19th-century palace courtyard.
- Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr (varies) — observed by the Muslim population, with public iftar gatherings.
- Eid al-Adha (varies) — the second Eid, a public holiday.
- Easter (Mar-Apr) — both Western and Orthodox dates are public holidays in a religiously mixed country.
- Feast of the Assumption (15 Aug) — a significant Maronite Christian holiday.
- Independence Day (22 Nov) — marks the 1943 end of the French mandate.
- Ashura (varies) — commemorated by the Shia community, particularly in the south and Beirut.
- Saint Barbara (4 Dec) — children in costume go door to door. A Lebanese Halloween of sorts.
Lebanon Travel Guides
Lebanon guides are coming soon.