PRIVATE city Tour of authentic Tripoli and vibrant Batroun
Description
Tripoli is the second largest city in Lebanon. The authentic, Arabian, Middle Eastern city combines the ancient and the modern. Our objective is the old souks in the heart of the city. Small shops of all kinds. Craftsmen, traditional pastries, fishermen, dressmakers, carpenters, painters and a number of artistes gathering in a 500-year-old open air market. Uptown is the Crusades fortress. All civilizations and armies seized this strategic spot to control the city and its surroundings. The sweets palace dates back to 1881 when a family of talented Chefs decided to start a sweet factory in the city. It is not only Baklava, but a wide variety of tastes and pastry arts displayed in front of you for your savor and your personal palate… the Chef is there and happy to explain about every single flavor. Followed by an average ride to a small, lovely Phoenician town of Batroun; the tourist’s area is such a lovely place as well as the old Phoenician wall defenses, churches, beach, and port.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Batroun is a charming Phoenician coastal town in Northern Lebanon. The old streets, B&B, beaches, Breweries, wineries and Phoenician wall make it an authentic beautiful destination.
Towering above Tripoli and the river, this Crusader fortress was originally built during the period from 1103 to 1104. Burned down in 1297, it was partly rebuilt the following century by a Mamluk emir and is still used by the Lebanese military. Today, it's an impressive structure whose most impressive element is the imposing entrance with its moat and three gateways (one Ottoman, one Mamluk, one Crusader). Inside, there are decent information panels as well as a small museum.
The sweets palace dates back to 1881 when a family of talented Chefs decided to start a big sweet factory in the city. Local sweets are famous in Tripoli. Maybe the best oriental sweets you ever tried? It is not only Baklava but a wide variety of tastes and pastry arts displayed in front of you for your savor and your personal palate… the Chef is there and happy to explain about every single flavor
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pickup from all addresses in Beirut
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Dress code is smart casual
- This activity requires a minimum number of guests to operate.
Reviews(51)
This tour with Dave was completed worth it! It gave a glimpse into two very different worlds that exist in Lebanon with the more conservative side in Tripoli and more liberal side in Batroun. You also get some sweets along the way! I absolutely loved Batroun and hope to be back to spend more time!
Thank you, Nicholas, for your kind words and thoughtful review. My team and I are delighted that you enjoyed the contrast and richness of Lebanon’s diverse regions. It’s always a pleasure to share these experiences, and we would be glad to welcome you again for future adventures.
This was by far the best one day tour I spent while in Lebanon. You get to see such diversity ing one day. You get to see such a drastic difference in Lebanese society in single day. You get to see conservative Tripoli and the old Souks. Then in less than a 20 minute drive, you see liberal Batroun and people on the beach. What’s unique about this experience that you will not find anywhere else in the world, is that that both Tripoli and Batroun are both Labenese. Dave did a great job explaining and entertaining. I got a real sense of what it’s really like and not just the generic touristy experience. I highly recommend that you include this as part of your visit.
Thank you.
David was a great tour guide, showed us around in Tripoli and Batroun. He was so friendly that it felt like a day around with a friend, rather than a tour. He was still very knowledgeable and helped us understand all the sights we were seeing in their context. Highly recommended, thanks again David!
Likewise, indeed! Thank you for sharing your comments.
This tour exceeded my expectations, first of all Dave is an amazing person and he will take care of you and make you feel welcome! Detailed tour with lots of history, you'll walk around Tripoli and experience the whole vibe of the city. Then Batroun is a walkable town, filled with history, beautiful scenery and plenty of restaurants. Do not miss this tour! Thank you Dave!!!
Thank you, Natalia. We appreciate your comments. Sharing your experience is valuable indeed.
This tour was incredible! I’ve been on several tours around the world (70+ countries) and Dave is probably one of the best tour guides I have ever had! He is so knowledgeable and passionate about Lebanon! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to learn about the rich history of Lebanon and see how different and diverse each region/city/town is!
Thank you, Jeremy. We appreciate your comments. Sharing your experience is valuable indeed.
David is a great tour guide! He is very knowledgeable about the history of Tripoli and Lebanon, he’s outgoing, and funny. I had so much fun on the tour and I learned a lot. I was very lucky to go on a Friday when the streets aren’t as busy in Tripoli and I was the only one on the tour that day. He took me around the old madrassa and souk of Tripoli and then to the castle ruins. Afterwards, we had traditional Lebanese sweets and coffee before heading to the party sea side village of Batroun, where we got to see all the beautiful churches and the old phoenician wall. Absolutely recommended!
Thank you, Fernando, a wonderful day indeed!
Great trip. Dave is a fantastic tour guide. Will be back for more tours in the future for sure. Highly recommended.
Thank you for recommending us. More tours, more fun! See you again soon.
I loved every minute of the tour. More than that though, I really enjoyed the drive to and from Tripoli as Dave the tour guide talked me through the history of his beloved country. From the food (the sweets are world class), history, buildings, and the people, it was a fantastic trip. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I will certainly be taking more tours with Dave on my next visit to Lebanon.
Thank you, Tommy, it was indeed an awesome trip. Please come again and I will be delighted to assist you. We will try all different sweets next time!
Your first stop in Tripoli should be the old souks. Head into the souk, a frenetic maze of jewelry shops, kaake vendors, and juice stands. Scattered throughout its tight alleyways are various Mamluk, Crusader, and Ottoman relics., like the Mansouri Mosque, the Khan Al Saboun, a beautiful courtyard where soap is still made by hand and Hammam El Jadid, a hammam with stunning mosaics and a glass dome ceiling.
Thank you.
The guide is an interesting person, and has been through a lot in his life in Lebanon, but a couple things left a bad taste in my mouth. At one point during the tour he acted like he was taking me to some special place that he was doing me some special favor by taking me to, and it ended up just being him dumping me off with the sales people of some boring soap shop where he obviously gets commissions. I had zero interest and it was an very awkward and annoying situation obviously designed to manipulate me to just cave into the pressure and buy something. It was a slimy and unprofessional move. Also he walks so fast and never even bothers check to see if you’re still with him. Id stop for half a second to take a picture of something and he’d be way off in the distance and Id almost lose him multiple times. And it was just me and him, its not like i was being slow or holding up a group. Like I said, he’s an interesting guy, if he stops the slimy soap shop con and actually lets people take a photo or look at something for half a second every once in a while without having to stress and go running after him the tour would be much improved.
I am sorry James, I should have been closer to you during the city walking tour. The traditional organic soap factory shop located in the Caravan Serail is part of the tour, I should have known that you are not interested. Oh and I am the owner of the agency, I don't get commissions! Thank you for your fruitful comments I will take them into consideration. Kind regards
