Before you book
Entry requirements, official travel advice, insurance, money, health and connectivity can change. Use this page as a planning guide and verify time-sensitive details with the responsible authority.
Start here
Three checks to complete before the rest of the itinerary takes shape.
Safety and entry status are not shown live on Lebanon Visitor. Always use current official sources.
Before booking
Check the points that can determine whether and how the trip can go ahead before you book.
Check the current Lebanon travel advice issued by your own government before booking and again close to departure. Advice can differ by country and area, and may affect insurance, transport and consular support.
Lebanon Visitor does not report security conditions in real time and cannot replace official guidance or local authority instructions.
Entry requirements depend on nationality, passport, travel history and purpose of visit. Check Lebanese General Security and the official advice issued for your nationality before departure; do not rely on a fixed visa statement copied from an old guide.
Make sure your passport meets the current validity rules and check whether passport stamps or previous travel create an entry issue.
Confirm explicitly that your policy remains valid under the official travel advice that applies to you and covers the places and activities in your itinerary. Check medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation, cancellation, hire-car excess and planned mountain activities.
Keep your policy number, certificate and emergency assistance number available offline and share them with someone at home.
On the ground
Prepare more than one payment method and always make the currency and exchange rate clear before paying.
The Lebanese pound (LBP) is the national currency, and US dollars are widely used for cash payments. Ask which currency a price uses, what rate applies to any conversion and which currency you will receive as change.
Official reference rate
1 USD ≈ 89,500 LBP
USD/LBP is sourced from Banque du Liban's official reference rate . Card and cash exchange rates may differ.
Plan enough accessible cash for the stay: withdrawing US dollars locally can be difficult or expensive, and card acceptance varies. Check your card provider’s foreign-use fees and ask the accommodation about payment before arrival. Do not depend on a single ATM or card.
At an ATM, review the withdrawal currency, fee and conversion shown before accepting. Limits and availability differ by machine and card issuer. Keep a receipt or transaction record if the machine fails, and contact your issuer rather than repeatedly attempting the same withdrawal.
Carry smaller notes for everyday purchases and keep reserve cash separately. The currency converter is a reference for comparison, not a guarantee of the rate applied by a bank, merchant or cash exchange.
Check the bill before adding a tip, as a service charge may already be included. In restaurants, taxis and for hotel services, tip according to the service and local situation rather than applying one fixed percentage everywhere.
Smaller cash notes are useful when a card terminal cannot add a gratuity or change is limited.
On the ground
Prepare healthcare and medicines in advance and take extra care at sensitive or religious sites.
Arrange a travel-health consultation well before departure and review the current recommendations for Lebanon. Discuss your medical history, planned activities and access to care at each base, especially for pregnancy, a long stay or an existing condition.
Medical facilities and supplies vary. Hospitals may require a substantial cash deposit, including for urgent care, so keep your insurer’s assistance number and a workable payment plan. Ask the insurer which facilities it can support near your route.
Bring prescribed medicines in their original packaging with supporting prescription documents. Check their legal status and any import paperwork before travelling, and do not assume an identical medicine or refrigeration will be available locally.
Use sealed bottled or reliably treated drinking water. Do not assume that tap water or a mountain spring is safe because it looks clear; check the seal when buying bottles.
Choose food that is freshly prepared and served hot, and fruit you can peel yourself. Ice, uncooked dishes and food left standing in heat require particular care when you cannot establish how they were prepared or stored.
Wash hands before eating and keep a supply of safe drinking water for road journeys. A busy restaurant or an expensive hotel cannot by itself guarantee food hygiene.
Dress considerately at places of worship and ask about visitor access before entering. Follow instructions about shoes, coverings and photography; prayer times and religious holidays can change visiting arrangements.
Ask permission before photographing people closely, and respect restrictions at museums and sacred sites. Avoid military personnel, checkpoints, infrastructure and other sensitive locations. Check official rules before bringing or flying a drone.
Alcohol is served in many hotels, restaurants and bars, but availability and local expectations differ. During Ramadan, ask your host about the customs of the neighbourhood. For a late dinner or night out, arrange a vetted return driver before leaving.
Military and security checkpoints are a normal sight on some main roads and near strategic locations. Slow down, follow instructions and keep your passport or other identification accessible.
At night, lower the window and switch on the interior light if requested so occupants are visible. Do not photograph or film personnel, checkpoints, military vehicles or installations.
Easier day to day
Small preparations around phones, electricity, language and daily hours make a significant difference.
Lebanon has two mobile operators, Touch and Alfa. International roaming can be expensive, so a local prepaid SIM or eSIM is often the simplest choice for a shorter trip. Before travelling, check that the phone is network-unlocked and that the specific model supports eSIM if you intend to use one.
A local SIM can provide a useful Wi-Fi backup. If using a separate international travel eSIM, check whether it is data-only, whether Lebanon is covered and which local network it uses. Keep your home SIM available for bank verification messages and choose the intended line for mobile data to avoid accidental roaming.
Buy the line from an official service centre, POP shop or certified point of sale and bring a valid passport. Ask staff to register and activate the line, add the correct data bundle and verify that mobile data works before you leave.
The Touch prepaid line is called Magic and is available as a physical SIM or eSIM. Current prices for a new line and common data bundles appear below. Prices exclude tax and should be confirmed with Touch when buying.
On Touch, activate bundles through the My touch app or send the bundle code, such as M7 or M22, to 1188. Check remaining data with *220# or in the app. Bundles renew automatically every 30 days when the balance is sufficient, and unused data does not roll over.
Touch Mobile postpaid is also available, but prepaid is normally more practical for a visitor staying for a limited period. Anyone considering postpaid should first confirm documentation, monthly charges, billing and cancellation arrangements.
Current Alfa 30-day prices appear in the same overview. Activate a bundle such as MI7 or MI22 by SMS to 1050, through *111#, in the Alfa app or online. Check usage with *11# or *111#.
For a short trip, Alfa also offers seven-day bundles shown separately below. Alfa allows bundles with or without automatic Data Add-Ons; choose the option without automatic add-ons if you want to avoid extra charges after the main allowance is used.
Check line validity separately from bundle validity: a data allowance does not necessarily keep the underlying prepaid line active for the full trip. Ask the operator which recharge is needed, and compare coverage around your accommodation and planned excursions.
Price guide
Examples checked against Touch and Alfa on 6 September 2026. Prices are in USD, exclude tax and can change. A new line, line validity and a data bundle may be separate purchases.
Socket formats can vary between buildings. Ask your accommodation which plug types are fitted or request a socket photograph, then choose an adapter compatible with your equipment. An adapter changes the plug connection; it does not convert voltage.
Check the input rating on each charger or appliance before use. A phone charger and a high-power hair appliance may have different requirements, so do not assume one adapter solves every device’s compatibility.
Ask what the property’s backup supply runs, including lifts, air conditioning, heating, Wi-Fi and any fridge needed for medicine. Carry a charged power bank and a small torch, and follow the airline’s rules for batteries in cabin baggage.
Lebanese Arabic is the everyday spoken language; formal written Arabic differs from the dialect you hear in conversation. English and French are common in tourism and urban settings, but fluency varies by person and place.
A greeting such as marhaba (hello) and shukran (thank you) is useful. For more complex arrangements, use a written message or translation tool and ask the other person to confirm the date, amount or destination.
Place names can have several Latin spellings, including Jbeil for Byblos and Saida for Sidon. Save both the destination name and a map pin, and ask your host to provide the address in Arabic when needed.
A business may be easier to find by landmark, shared map pin or WhatsApp location than by a formal street number. Save the hotel pin and phone number before arrival.
When booking a taxi, send the exact pin and a nearby landmark, then confirm the pickup side of a busy road.
Begin with official advice and the practical needs of your family. Keep travel days short, book suitable child seats and choose accommodation where meals, drinking water and a quiet room are easy to organise.
For historic towns and archaeological sites, ask about uneven paving, stairs, shade and toilets. A child carrier may be useful where a pushchair is awkward, but select a route and visit length that work for the child and accompanying adult.
At pools, beaches and rocky swimming places, check access, sea conditions and supervision instead of assuming a venue provides a lifeguard. Build in rest time, sun protection and an extra layer for the mountains.
Lebanon uses Eastern European Time, normally UTC+2, and usually UTC+3 during daylight saving time. Clock-change dates can differ from those in your home country, so check the current local time around transition weeks.
Banks, offices, museums and shops do not follow one universal schedule. Friday prayers, Sunday trading, Ramadan and religious holidays can affect individual opening times; confirm directly rather than applying assumptions from home.
Plan with margin
Traffic, road conditions, altitude and weather affect journey times more than map distances suggest.
Pre-book a private car through a recognised company with vetted drivers or your accommodation. FCDO advises against shared and street-hailed taxis; check the current guidance when choosing transport.
For excursions, arrange the return as well as the outward trip. Bus routes require current local confirmation, while mountain roads, weather and traffic can turn a short map distance into a long journey.
Spring and autumn often suit city walks and heritage visits, with less coastal heat than high summer. Rain remains possible, and high mountain paths can still be affected by snow when the coast feels warm.
Summer brings hot coastal days and cooler evenings at elevation. Put exposed sightseeing early in the day, allow a shaded break and check fire-related reserve or trail closures before a mountain outing.
Winter is wetter on the coast and can bring snow and ice at altitude. Skiing depends on current snow, lift operations and road access, not a guaranteed opening month. Check the forecast for the actual destination and elevation.
If something happens
Save the essentials before departure so they remain available without mobile service or internet.
Do not rely on continuous connectivity. Save the essentials in your phone and, for the most important items, keep a second copy.
FCDO lists 140 for an ambulance in Lebanon. Save this alongside your insurer’s assistance line and your accommodation’s contact details, and verify other emergency numbers through official sources before travel.
Give your location, a nearby landmark and a callback number clearly. If possible, have someone meet the responder at an accessible entrance. Emergency transport and treatment availability depend on the location and conditions.
Save the current contact details for your own embassy, consulate or foreign ministry, together with local emergency numbers. In a serious medical situation, contact local emergency services and your insurer’s assistance centre as soon as possible.
Local emergency numbers complement, rather than replace, consular contacts and insurance support.
Access can vary within the same district or attraction. Pavements, kerbs, uneven stone paving, steep lanes and stairs can interrupt a route that appears short on a map. Ask about the actual entrance and walking surface instead of relying on a general accessibility label.
Tell hotels, drivers and attractions what you need before booking. Useful questions include a step-free drop-off, doorway and lift dimensions, accessible toilets, places to rest and whether a companion or vehicle can reach the exit.
For a mobility aid or essential powered equipment, confirm transport space, charging compatibility and backup electricity. Keep plans flexible if an advertised lift is unavailable or a site’s usable entrance changes.
Pack for the activities and elevations in your actual itinerary. A coastal city break, a cedar-forest walk and a winter mountain stay require different clothing, even when the map distances are small.
These are planning examples for travel when official advice, local access and your insurance permit every stop and the route between them. They are not a statement that the journeys are currently appropriate. Remove or replace any affected area before booking, and leave room to change the plan.
Count full sightseeing days separately from arrival and departure. Build each day around one main area, and use an overnight base when it saves a long return journey.
Day 1: focus on one side of Beirut, with a museum or neighbourhood walk and a meal nearby. Day 2: choose Byblos for its compact harbour, old streets and archaeology if the route is appropriate. Keep the whole excursion for that town rather than adding the northern coast.
Day 3: return to Beirut for a different neighbourhood and a short seafront walk, or use it as the weather and opening-day buffer. One Beirut base keeps this short visit simple; if either flight uses much of a day, drop the excursion or one city programme.
Days 1–2: Beirut. Days 3–4: move to Byblos or Batroun for one historic-town day and one slower coastal day. Choose one accommodation base on the coast rather than changing hotel every night.
Days 5–6: if official advice and mountain access allow, add Bsharri, Cedars of God and a suitable Qadisha outing with a local driver or guide. Treat the forest, town and valley trail as separate visits. Day 7: return towards Beirut with a light schedule before departure.
In winter or poor hiking weather, keep the coastal base longer and replace the mountain segment with suitable local visits. A week does not need to cover both the far north and the south.
Use the seven-day outline as a starting point, then add two or three days in one region that is appropriate under current advice. One option is a Chouf stay combining Deir el Qamar, Beiteddine and a suitable reserve walk. Another is more time around the northern coast rather than more long driving days.
A Bekaa heritage extension towards Zahle, Anjar or Baalbek needs its own current route and security assessment. Keep it optional; do not add it solely to complete a list of famous sites. The same applies to Sidon, Tyre and any southern extension.
Keep a spare day for weather, rest or a changed opening day. If adding a third base makes the trip hurried, spend the extra nights where you already have several things you want to do.
Practical answers
Concise guidance for common planning questions.
Passports, money, mobile service and what to arrange before departure.
Tap water is not recommended as drinking water for visitors. Sealed bottled water is widely available and is the usual choice.
You may need one, depending on the plug used in your home country and the sockets at your accommodation. A universal adapter is a practical choice.
International cards work at some hotels, restaurants and larger businesses, but outages and acceptance vary. Carry cash and a second payment option.
Entry rules depend on nationality, documents and travel history. Check Lebanese General Security and the official guidance for your nationality before travel.
Medical costs and availability vary, and hospitals may request a substantial deposit even for urgent treatment. Arrange suitable insurance, accessible funds and a plan for contacting its assistance service.
Health, water, photography and practical preparation day to day.
Do not assume you can. Check current Lebanese rules and obtain any required permission before bringing or flying a drone.
US dollars are widely used alongside Lebanese pounds. Bring clean smaller notes, ask which currency a price uses and keep a backup payment method.
Compare roaming, local SIM and compatible eSIM options before travel. Confirm the package and activation with the provider and keep details offline.
Do not photograph military personnel, checkpoints, military vehicles, installations or other sensitive sites. Ask permission before photographing people closely.
Save a passport copy, tickets, hotel address and map pin, insurance details, emergency and consular contacts, and offline maps.
Use a shared map pin, nearby landmark and phone or WhatsApp contact. Confirm the correct side of a divided or busy road.
It can be, with advance planning. Confirm child seats, room access, attraction terrain and journey breaks, and carry water and weather-appropriate layers.
Always verify details that can change close to departure with Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the relevant service provider.
