Sidon, Tyre & Maghdouche Small-Group Tour | Lunch Included

5.0 (2 reviews) 8 hours Free cancellation

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5.0

Sidon, Tyre & Maghdouche Small-Group Tour | Lunch Included — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Sidon, Tyre & Maghdouche Small-Group Tour | Lunch Included, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

South Lebanon holds three of the country's most historically compelling destinations — and this guided small-group tour covers all of them in a single well-paced day from Beirut. Sidon: one of the oldest cities in the world, with a Crusader sea castle, a living medieval souk, the world's only olive oil soap museum, and a grand Silk Road caravanserai. Tyre: a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Al-Bass archaeological complex reveals Roman urban planning at its most complete. Maghdouché: a hilltop sanctuary revered by Christians and Muslims alike, where tradition holds that the Virgin Mary waited while Jesus preached in Sidon below.

A professional guide connects the full 5,000-year arc of Phoenician, Roman, Crusader, and Islamic history across all three cities. Lunch in Tyre and all entrance tickets included.

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At a glance

Duration: 8 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 15 people
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: Arabic, English
Operated by: Lebanon Tours

Ages: Infants (0–3 years) · Children (4–12 years) · Adults (13–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Entry/Admission to Tyre Hippodrome ( if option selected )
Included: Entry/Admission to Sidon Castle (if option selected)
Included: Lunch in a local restaurant (if option selected)
Included: Hotel Pick up & Drop off
Included: In-vehicle air conditioning: Air-conditioned vehicle
Included: Entry/Admission to Sidon Soap Museum ( if option selected )
Included: Professional Guide

Not included

Not included: Gratuities (optional)
Not included: Food or drinks unless specified

Itinerary

Beirut

Passing by

8:30 AM — Departure from Beirut

Your guide meets the group at your hotel and heads south along the Mediterranean coastal highway toward Sidon.
Crusaders Sea Castle

30 min Admission included

Sidon Sea Castle — 13th-century Crusader fortress on the water

Built on a small island just off the coast, connected to the shore by a narrow stone causeway with the Mediterranean on both sides. The Crusaders built it, the Mamluks took it, and the Phoenicians were using this harbour 3,000 years before either arrived. Your guide brings the full layered history of Sidon's waterfront to life from the castle ramparts.
Sidon Souks

30 min

Sidon Old Souks — a living medieval market

Stone-vaulted alleyways where spice merchants, goldsmiths, and artisan workshops have traded continuously for centuries — entirely real, entirely unchanged, and entirely worth the time. Your guide navigates the lanes with local knowledge and names the stories behind what you see.
Stop 4

15 min Admission included

Soap Museum — the world's only

Sidon has been making olive oil soap for over a thousand years — and this museum, the only one of its kind anywhere in the world, tells the complete story from olive grove to finished bar. Housed in a beautifully restored khan in the old city. A genuinely fascinating and entirely unexpected stop.
Khan al-Franj

10 min

Khan el Franj — the Silk Road caravanserai

Built in the 17th century by Emir Fakhreddine II for European merchants trading along the Silk Road — wide arcaded courtyards, vaulted galleries, and carved stone facades. One of the finest Ottoman buildings in Lebanon.
Al-Bass Archaeological Site

one hour Admission included

Tyre (Sour) — UNESCO World Heritage Site

Al-Bass Archaeological Complex — Roman Tyre

Enter through a triumphal arch still standing after two thousand years. Walk the colonnaded street flanked by sarcophagi from the ancient necropolis. Reach the Tyre Hippodrome — one of the largest ever built in the Roman world, seating 20,000 spectators on a 480-metre track. Your guide places every structure in its historical and architectural context — making the scale of Roman Tyre genuinely comprehensible.
Tyre

one hour

Lunch in Tyre — included

Fresh Lebanese mezze and seafood at a local Tyre restaurant — steps from the Mediterranean, the ancient city as backdrop. Fully included.
Stop 8

15 min

Basilica of Our Lady of Mantara — where she waited

Mantara means "the one who waits" in Arabic — Christian tradition holds that the Virgin Mary waited in a cave here while Jesus preached in Sidon below. The sanctuary has drawn pilgrims for centuries, revered by both Christians and Muslims. The basilica stands above the ancient cave, with panoramic views over the southern Lebanese coast. A quiet and genuinely moving close to a day that began at a Crusader sea castle and covered 5,000 years of history along the way.
Beirut

Passing by

Return to Beirut — approx. 5:30–6:30 PM

Drop-off at your Beirut hotel — the Phoenician, Crusader, Roman, and sacred south of Lebanon

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Tilia Apart Hotel
Honey House Hotel
Universal Residence
Astra Hotel
Assaha Ghobeiry Hotel
Divan Hotel Apartments
Palm Ville Suites
Taj Suites Modern
Savoy Comfort Hotel
Q Studios Hotel
Marble Tower Hotel
Green Furnished Apartments

and 138 more pickup points

We pick up travelers from any hotel, Airbnb, or residence in Beirut.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

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

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Options

GUIDED TOUR + LUNCH

Tickets not included: Please note this option does not include tickets.

Lunch included: The lunch is included in the price of the tour

Guided Tour: Guided Visit to Sidon & Tyre

Pickup included
GUIDED TOUR + LUNCH + TICKETS

Tickets Included: Tickets to Historical Sites are included on the price of the tour

Lunch included: The lunch is included in the price of the tour

Guided Tour: Guided Visit to Sidon & Tyre

Pickup included
GUIDED TOUR WITHOUT LUNCH

Lunch & Tickets not included: Please note this option does not include the Lunch and tickets. This cost goes on your own.

Guided Tour: Guided Visit to Sidon & Tyre

Pickup included