PROGRAM
Day 1 Sofia - Istanbul - Beirut
Turkish Airlines flight at 09.30 to Istanbul. Landing at 11.00 a.m. Next flight at 12.25 p.m. to Beirut. Landing at Rafik Hariri Airport at 14.15. Meeting at the airport by a representative of the local agency. Transfer and hotel accommodation. Free time for a walk, rest and first impressions of the Lebanese capital. Overnight stay.
Day 2 excursion /included in the package price/ to Tire - Magdush - Saida
Breakfast. This day, an excursion to Tire - Magdush - Saida is planned /included in the package price/. Departure for Tire in southern Lebanon. A sightseeing tour follows. The name of the city means rocky island. It is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 70 km from Beirut and 12 km north of the border with Palestine, and the historic part of the city is located on a naturally protected peninsula. Tire was founded around 2750 BC. and in Antiquity it was one of the main Phoenician cities. To this day, impressive ruins of Roman fortresses, ancient and necropolis (included in the UNESCO list) are preserved here. Continue to Magdush, where one of the most famous sights is the tower where the Virgin Mary is believed to have waited for Jesus while he was praying in Sidon. Visit to the cave-sanctuary Mantara, accidentally discovered in 1726 by a shepherd. It is a place of pilgrimage because of the intended icon of the Virgin Mary from the 7th century. The next stop is in Saida or better known as the ancient Sidon or the city called in ancient times - "Queen of the Seas". Today Saida is the third largest city in Lebanon, an important port and urban center in the south of the country. Like Beirut, Sidon is an ancient city with more than four thousand years of history. Its favorable location on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea is the reason for its rapid development and establishment as a major commercial center during the time of the Phoenicians. The leading role of the city was preserved even after the conquest of the Phoenician territories by the Achaemenid dynasty. At that time, the city was one of the main Persian ports, where the empire began to build its navy, which would later be used in the wars with Egypt and Ancient Hellas. During the following centuries, filled with turning points and the change of different rulers, the city would maintain its status as an important trading port. Today, the city is also visited by many tourists who see its monuments, a memory of different eras and cultures. Visit to the fortress-castle from the time of the Crusaders, located on the seashore. Next is a walk through the old Mamluk souk, a visit to the Soap Museum, as well as the Khan El Frange caravanserai. Return to the hotel in Beirut. Overnight stay.
Day 3 excursion /included in the package price/ - Beirut /tour/ - Beitedin - Deir el Qamar
Breakfast. Full tourist day /all visits included in the package price/. Beginning of the tourist tour of Beirut /included in the package price/ - the magnetic capital of Lebanon. A city with 5000 years of history, a city that has gone through periods of rise and fall, a city until recently torn apart by the horrors of civil war and almost collapsed to the ground, but also risen from the ashes, modern, dynamic, intoxicating and charming. It's all Beirut! With its characteristic oriental charm, enticing cafes, modern architecture, historical monuments and gastronomic delights so characteristic of the Orient and the hospitality of its inhabitants rarely found elsewhere in the world, Beirut is a place that must be visited at any cost. The day begins with a visit to the central part of Beirut and a walk through the pedestrian area or Solider - one of the most picturesque and lively places in the city. Next is a visit to the Sunni Mohammed al-Amin Mosque, also called the "Blue Mosque", located in the center of Beirut, as well as to the Maronite Cathedral Church of St. George, whose construction with its neoclassical facade and interior decoration were inspired by the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The tour continues with a visit to the National Museum, built in 1937, exhibiting antiquities and treasures from different eras found on the territory of Lebanon. Departing south from Beirut along the coastal road, enjoying the Mediterranean's Côte d'Azur and wild nature. Arriving in Beitedin and visiting the Palace - one of the most beautiful and vivid examples of Eastern architecture, regardless of the fact that it was built at the beginning of the 19th century, by Emir Behir. The beautiful arches, galleries and exquisite decoration by famous artists delight visitors from all over the world and today it is a museum of Byzantine mosaics, jewelry and weapons. Next is a crossing and a stop for a short walk in Deir el Qamar - a picturesque village perched on the steep slopes of the mountain, distinguished by its snow-white houses, the birthplace of many famous people such as artists, writers and politicians, also known as the capital of the emirs. Lunch at a local restaurant. Arriving in Beitedin and visiting the Palace - one of the most beautiful and vivid examples of Eastern architecture, regardless of the fact that it was built in the beginning
of the 19th century, by Emir Behir. The beautiful arches, galleries and exquisite decoration by famous artists delight visitors from all over the world and today it is a museum of Byzantine mosaics, jewelry and weapons. Return to the hotel in Beirut. Overnight stay.
Day 4 Beirut - excursion / included in the package price / to Jeita Grotto - Jounieh - lift to Harissa Temple - Byblos
Breakfast. Departure for Jeita Grotto - Friend or Rival? You are in front of one of the brightest national Lebanese symbols! From time immemorial, amidst the silence and tranquility of eternity lies a system of separate but interconnected karst limestone caves some 9 kilometers long, vying for part of the new seven wonders of the world. Exploration of the upper cave and, in good weather conditions, a small boat trip to the lower cave. Continuation to Junier, from where the group will take a lift to the church of St. Harissa and the statue of the Virgin Mary, which rises high above the city and from which an unforgettable panorama is revealed towards the Bay of Beirut and that of Jounieh. The statue of the Virgin is visited by both Christians and Muslims. The area around the statue is surrounded by temples and churches of various Christian denominations. Here you will be able to take pictures of the centuries-old cedar tree - a symbol of Lebanon. Departure to Byblos or Jubail, picturesquely located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It has existed since the 8th millennium BC. and is one of the main cities of ancient Phoenicia. Famous for bringing Egyptian papyrus to Ancient Greece, hence its name - Byblos. During the rule of the Egyptian pharaohs in the III and II millennium BC. was the commercial and religious capital of the Phoenician coast. It is the birthplace of the first linear alphabet, the predecessor of all modern ones, where the oldest known Phoenician inscription was found on the sarcophagus of the biblical ruler Ahiram. Visit to the Castle of the Crusaders. This is followed by entry into the Sukkah of Byblos with the opportunity to purchase souvenirs. Return to the hotel in Beirut. Overnight stay.
Day 5 Beirut – excursion /included in the package price + lunch with a glass of wine/ to the Bekaa Valley – Baalbek (City of the Sun) – Anjar
Breakfast. Excursion /included in the package price/ to the Bekaa valley - Baalbek - Anjar. Departure east towards the Bekaa Valley, nestled between beautiful villages, ruins and wineries, located between Lebanon's two highest mountain peaks. Its fame is also due to its ancient history and numerous cultural and historical monuments. Undoubtedly, the most famous of them is the ancient temple complex near the town of the same name, Baalbek. On the outskirts of the city is one of the most significant monuments preserved from the time of the Roman Empire, in whose temples Jupiter, Venus and Mercury are worshiped. Despite the famous temples of the three deities, scholars today know that the area of Baalbek was important as a religious center thousands of years before the Roman Empire, and its construction and mystical purpose remain shrouded in the oblivion of time. The program envisages a visit to the temples of Jupiter and Bacchus, which, with their size, overshadow most temples preserved to this day from the age of antiquity and are distinguished by the high quality of their decoration. The route continues with a short stop at the ruins of Anjar, translated as "Running River", but also known as the "Hospitable Home of the Armenians". Lunch at a local restaurant with included mineral water, soft drinks and a glass of wine from Lebanon's most famous Ksara winery, which is one of the oldest wine cellars in Lebanon, located in Zahle - the capital of the Bekaa. Return to the hotel in Beirut. Overnight stay.
Day 6 Beirut - Istanbul - Sofia
Breakfast. Free time for walking, shopping and individual exploration of the Lebanese capital. Transfer from the hotel to the airport. Flight at 15.35 to Istanbul. Landing at 5:35 p.m. Flight to Sofia at 7:10 p.m. Landing at Sofia Airport at 8:25 p.m.
Excursion to LEBANON - program including all excursions and visits + 2 lunches
PRICES based on BB
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