Discover the Lebanon Mountain Trail with iBestTravel

The 470km-long Lebanon Mountain Trail traverses the full length of this tiny Middle Eastern country, passing through ancient cedar forests and olive orchards, while ambling by rushing waterfalls, Roman temples, and monasteries carved into cliff faces. This hike offers an astonishing way to experience a land often only known to outsiders for its tragic recent history and the frenetic bustle of Beirut’s nightclubs.

However, on the trail and in the villages along the way, you will find an unexpected tranquillity. If you traverse the whole footpath, you’re sure to come away with a nuanced appreciation of Lebanon’s history and natural beauty. Here are the most scenic sections where you should lace up your boots for a stroll, even if you only have a day or two to spare.

Make a Pilgrimage to the Qadisha Valley

The Qadisha Valley is home to some of the most striking vistas in Lebanon. Rocky crags overlook hillsides covered with oak and cypress trees, while fruit orchards are interspersed among the red-tiled roofs of villages in the valley below. In winter months, the cliffs and terraced slopes are frosted with snow; in spring, wildflowers sprinkle the trail with splashes of pink and yellow as a river carves through the valley floor.

This area is famous for more than its views; it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its history as a center of early Christian monastic tradition. Consequently, today pilgrims and hikers are on a mission to visit the ancient stone monasteries and chapels hewn into rugged mountainsides, some looming above the landscape while others blend into the hills around them. The valley’s most significant holy sites include Deir Mar Antonios Qozhaya, Deir Mar Elisha, and Deir Qannoubine. If you’re willing to make a detour, the chapel of Saydet Hawqa, or Our Lady of Hawqa, about 45 minutes above the main trail, is home to a living hermit, Father Dario Escobar, who hails from Colombia and – contrary to the usual habit of hermits – often enjoys chatting with visitors. The town of Bcharre serves as a great base for hiking in the Qadisha Valley and offers its own attractions, including a museum dedicated to the famed poet and artist Khalil Gibran.

Stroll Under Ancient Cedars in the Shouf

The cedar tree is emblematic of Lebanon’s natural beauty and a symbol of the nation itself, as the tree is emblazoned on the country’s flag. In the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, the largest nature reserve in Lebanon, you can walk under the shade of the ancient trees’ horizontal branches and then emerge onto bald ridges, where you will gaze down on the cotton-like clouds and green expanses of treetops below. In the summer months, when Beirut’s air becomes oppressively muggy, the cool, crisp air of the Shouf offers a welcome respite. The 50,000-hectare reserve, designated in 1996, contains more than 250km of hiking trails, providing ample space for quiet reflection.

Moreover, the Shouf is also a center of the Druze sect, a small offshoot of Shia Islam that constitutes about 5% of Lebanon’s population. The Lebanon Mountain Trail passes by the shrine of Nabi Ayoub, one of the most important holy sites for Lebanese Druze, believed to possess healing powers. Nearby is the Niha Fortress, a Crusader stronghold carved into a cliffside resembling a deep cave.

Stare into the Abyss or Scale the Limestone in Tannourine

Tannourine is also home to a cedar reserve with some of the densest cedar forest in Lebanon amid rugged vistas. As you traverse the cedars, the Lebanon Mountain Trail passes by the Baatara Sinkhole, where a waterfall drops 255m into a Jurassic limestone gorge and cave. This site is best visited in spring when snowmelt increases the water volume. The limestone cliffs make the area popular with rock climbers as well as hikers.

Commune with Literary Giants in Baskinta

An offshoot of the main Lebanon Mountain Trail, the Baskinta Literary Trail is a 22km trek that passes by literary landmarks commemorating Lebanese poets and novelists from the area, such as Mikhail Naimy, Suleiman Kettaneh, and Abdallah Ghanem. The trail also features several sites mentioned in Amin Maalouf’s novel The Rock of Tanios. The town of Baskinta is a picturesque destination in its own right, offering views of the majestic Mt Sannine. In winter months, when the trails are blanketed in snow, the area becomes a prime destination for snowshoeing.

Soak in the Scenery in Jezzine and Bkassine

Jezzine is renowned for its waterfalls and caves, alongside the nearby Bkassine pine forest, the largest in the Mediterranean region. The newest addition to the Lebanon Mountain Trail system is the Bkassine side trail, a 22km path running from Jezzine to Niha via Bkassine. This trail offers a journey through the pine forest and panoramic views of the Mediterranean and the Jezzine Valley.

Find Heaven in the Valley of Hell

A lesser-known yet strikingly beautiful portion of the trail, Wadi Jahannam (Valley of Hell), showcases some of the most dramatic landscapes found along the route. With deep gorges, sheer cliffs, and a river rushing with icy water year-round, this area is captivating. The village of Sfireh houses one of the largest Roman temple sites in Lebanon.

Planning Your Hike

If you want to hike all or part of the trail, there are numerous options. In April each year, the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association sponsors a group through-hike that covers the entire trail in a month, typically with different groups starting at the southern and northern points of the trail. More than 200 hikers, both Lebanese and visitors, join various segments of the hike each year; however, the number who complete the entire trek is significantly smaller. The association also conducts a shorter group hike lasting around 10 days in October. Information and necessary details can be found on the association’s website.

For those who prefer solo hiking, the trail association provides maps and information on its website. This includes details about the length and elevation gain in each section.

As Lebanon does not have a strong culture of backcountry camping, while there are some campgrounds on the route, backpacking typically means hiking sections of the trail between villages and staying in a B&B or guesthouse overnight. This arrangement also allows hikers to experience the renowned Lebanese hospitality and sample the mouthwatering variety of local cuisine along the trail.

Getting a Guide

Much of the Lebanon Mountain Trail is not well marked; therefore, having a guide may be preferable. To enter areas in the south near the border with Israel, foreign visitors require a special permit from the Lebanese Army, which can be obtained from the office of the Army Security Service (Mukhabarat Al Jaysh) in Saida. Bring your passport alongside copies of the ID page and the latest entry stamp to Lebanon. Additionally, in some regions of the south, there is a potential danger from landmines should you wander off the track; however, the trail itself is safe. In these areas, it is recommended to go with a guide or an organized group.