9:00 AM — Pickup from your Beirut hotel Your friendly driver meets you at your hotel and heads southeast into the beautiful Chouf Mountains — a scenic and comfortable drive of about 45 minutes through pine-forested ridges rising above the Lebanese coast.

Beiteddine Palace — the jewel of the Chouf Mountains Arrive at one of the most beautiful and most visited palaces in Lebanon — built between 1788 and 1840 by Emir Bashir II, the ruler who unified Lebanon's mountain communities and whose legacy is beautifully preserved in every detail of this magnificent building. Beautifully decorated courtyards with hand-cut tilework and elaborately carved cedar-wood ceilings create a wonderfully immersive experience. Do not miss the underground Byzantine mosaic museum beneath the palace — one of Lebanon's most impressive hidden treasures that visitors always wish they had more time to explore. Today serving as the Lebanese President's official summer residence.

Moussa Castle — the most surprising stop in the Chouf Just minutes from Beiteddine is an attraction that puts a smile on the face of virtually every visitor — and that children in particular absolutely adore. Moussa Castle is a genuine full-scale medieval fortress built entirely by one man — Moussa Maamari — who spent sixty years constructing it stone by stone after a teacher humiliated him as a schoolboy. Inside, hundreds of life-size wax figures fill the rooms and corridors depicting scenes from Lebanese history, traditional village life, and colourful Ottoman-era tales. A wonderfully entertaining and genuinely unique visit that the whole family will be talking about long after they return home.

Deir el Qamar — Lebanon's first and most charming capital A short drive brings you to Deir el Qamar — meaning "Monastery of the Moon" — one of Lebanon's most beloved and most photographed villages, and the country's first capital under the Ma'an dynasty. The beautifully preserved cobblestone central square is framed by honey-stone mansions dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. A mosque and a church stand just steps from each other — a heartwarming reminder of the tolerant and harmonious spirit that has defined this special village for centuries.

Fakhreddine Mosque & Saydet el Tallé Church A lovely visit to the elegant 17th-century mosque of Fakhreddine II — one of Lebanon's most celebrated historical figures — and the charming hilltop church of Saydet el Tallé with its beautiful panoramic views over the Chouf valleys below. A mosque and a church sharing the same hillside for four centuries — a simple and touching expression of everything that makes Deir el Qamar so special.

Lunch in Deir el Qamar — optional A wonderful optional lunch at one of Deir el Qamar's welcoming mountain restaurants — generous Lebanese mezze, grilled meats, fresh bread, and lovely Chouf valley views. A relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable way to complete your Chouf mountain morning before the comfortable drive back to Beirut.

Return to Beirut — approx. 3:30–4:30 PM Your driver brings you comfortably back to Beirut with drop-off at your hotel — completing a wonderful Chouf morning with the whole afternoon and evening ahead of you to enjoy at your own pace.