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Photograph to come · Wide view of the Qadisha Valley from the northern rim

Lebanon Pilgrimages

Beirut, the Qadisha Valley, Harissa, Annaya and the Shrines of the Maronite Saints

Eleven days in Lebanon, from the monasteries carved into the cliffs of the Qadisha Valley and the last great cedars to the tomb of St. Charbel at Annaya, the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa and the See of the Maronite Patriarch.

Departures

Current Tours to Lebanon

Upcoming departures to Lebanon. Each group has its own host, dates, and itinerary. The route below is our standard.

All current pilgrimages
    The Route

    Thirteen stops across Lebanon

    Beirut, the Qadisha Valley, Bcharre, Diman, Bekaa Kafra, Kfifan, Jrabta, Batroun, Harissa, Bkerké, Annaya, Byblos and Jeita.

    Itinerary · AS_LB-11D-01

    Our Standard Lebanon Pilgrimage

    Eleven days, arriving and departing from Beirut, with a night in the capital before three nights high in the Qadisha Valley at Bcharre, then five more in Beirut with days out along the coast and up into the mountains. Your group travels on its own dates, and the itinerary can be adjusted to fit the time you have and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.

    DAYS 1–3

    Beirut, and the Road into the Holy Valley

    Photograph to come · The Monastery of St. Anthony of Qozhaya
    The Monastery of St. Anthony of Qozhaya in the Qadisha Valley.
    Day 1

    Depart the United States

    We depart on our overnight flight to Beirut. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.
    Day 2

    Arrival in Beirut

    Our local tour escort meets us at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport and accompanies us by motorcoach to the hotel. After check-in we gather this evening for a welcome dinner to begin our pilgrimage together.Overnight in Beirut.
    Day 3

    The Qadisha Valley & Bcharre

    We open in prayer with the Maronite liturgy, which carries the Syriac tradition that has shaped the faith here since the fourth century, then climb two hours inland into the Qadisha, the Holy Valley. We visit the Monastery of St. Anthony of Qozhaya, home to the first printing press in the Middle East, and stop at the Church of St. Saba in Bcharre.Sunday Mass is celebrated at St. Rita’s Church in Beirut. Dinner and overnight in Bcharre.
    DAYS 4–5

    The Qadisha and the Cedars

    Photograph to come · The Cedars of God at Bcharre
    The Cedars of God at Bcharre, the last great stand of the trees named in Scripture.
    Day 4

    Diman, Bekaa Kafra & St. Elisha

    The day is given to the Holy Valley and its saints. We visit the summer residence of the Maronite Patriarch at Diman, then Bekaa Kafra, the mountain village where St. Charbel was born in 1828, and descend to the Monastery of St. Elisha, carved into the cliff face and among the oldest foundations of the Qadisha.Mass is celebrated at the Monastery of St. Elisha. Lunch is taken on the valley floor beside the Abou Ali River. Dinner and overnight in Bcharre.
    Day 5

    Bcharre and the Cedars of God

    We visit the Gibran Museum, set in the old hermitage above Bcharre where Khalil Gibran, born here in 1883, now rests. In the afternoon we come to the Cedars of God, the last great stand of the trees named a hundred and three times in Scripture, and dine beneath one of the oldest of them as the sun sets above the clouds.Mass is celebrated at the Church of St. Saba in Bcharre. Dinner and overnight in Bcharre.
    DAYS 6–8

    Kfifan, Beirut and Harissa

    Photograph to come · Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa
    The shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa, above the Mediterranean.
    Day 6

    Kfifan, Jrabta & Batroun

    We leave the Holy Valley for the coast, stopping first at the Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina at Kfifan, where St. Nimatullah Al-Hardini rests, the monk who formed St. Charbel in prayer. We continue to St. Joseph Monastery at Jrabta, home of St. Rafqa, who asked to share in the sufferings of Christ, and venerate her relics before lunch at Batroun.Mass is celebrated at the St. Joseph Monastery in Jrabta. Dinner and overnight in Beirut.
    Day 7

    Downtown Beirut

    We give the day to the heart of the city, from Nejmeh Square and its Ottoman clock tower to Martyrs’ Square, whose scarred statue still bears witness to the war. Here the cathedrals stand almost side by side, Greek Orthodox, Maronite and Melkite. We pause at the Port of Beirut, where the explosion of August 2020 fell, and pray for the dead.Mass is celebrated at St. George Maronite Cathedral. Dinner and overnight in Beirut.
    Day 8

    Harissa & Bkerké

    We climb a short way up the mountain to Harissa, above Beirut and the Mediterranean, for St. Paul’s Melkite Basilica and the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, crowned by the white statue whose arms open toward the sea. We continue to Bkerké, the See of the Maronite Patriarchate, to pray the Rosary with the Patriarch and, if his schedule allows, to meet him.Mass is celebrated at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon. Dinner and overnight in Beirut.
    DAYS 9–11

    Annaya, Byblos, and Home

    Photograph to come · The Monastery of St. Maroun at Annaya
    The Monastery of St. Maroun at Annaya, where St. Charbel is buried.
    Day 9

    Annaya & Byblos

    We travel north to the Monastery of St. Maroun at Annaya, where St. Charbel lived, died on Christmas Eve of 1898, and now rests, and meet Father Louis, who has recorded the miracles attributed to him for more than thirty years. We see the hermitage of his last twenty-three years, then come down to Byblos, among the oldest inhabited towns on earth.Mass is celebrated at the tomb of St. Charbel at Annaya. Dinner and overnight in Beirut.
    Day 10

    Beirut & the Jeita Grotto

    We gather for Sunday Mass in Beirut in thanksgiving for these days among the saints of Lebanon, then visit the Jeita Grotto, whose vast limestone galleries are walked on foot above and crossed by boat along an underground river below. This evening we dine looking out over the city.Sunday Mass is celebrated at a church in Beirut. Farewell dinner and overnight in Beirut.
    Day 11

    Return Home

    We transfer to Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport for our return flight home, with hearts renewed by the intercession of St. Charbel, St. Rafqa and Our Lady of Lebanon.

    Why leaders choose Canterbury

    “Canterbury treats you like family! They handle everything, from creating exciting itineraries to managing calls, registrations, and payments.”

    Patrick MadridPatrick Madrid
    Catholic Speaker, Author & Host of The Patrick Madrid Show on Relevant Radio®
    IMMERSIVE PHOTOGRAPH
    The Qadisha ValleyThe cradle of Maronite monasticism, kept without a break since the fourth century.
    Dates

    Your group travels on its own dates.

    Tell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.

    Your pilgrimage includes

    Tour Package Includes

    These inclusions can be easily tailored to the individual needs of your group

    • Daily Mass at the churches we visit
    • Round-trip group airfare
    • Airport transfers on arrival & departure
    • 4-Star hotel accommodations
    • Private motorcoach transportation
    • Breakfast & dinner served daily
    • Wine served with some dinners
    • Dedicated tour manager
    • Licensed guiding & admission fees
    • Porterage service at hotels
    • Whisper headsets when touring
    • Tips for hotel & restaurant staff
    • 9 – 5 PM (EST) reservation support
    • 24/7 travel emergency support
    • Canterbury Mobile App
    For the group leader

    What you get as the group leader

    You travel free.

    Every group earns complimentary places. The more pilgrims you bring, the more you earn. How complimentary places work

    No financial risk.

    If the group does not fill, deposits are returned. You owe nothing and neither do your pilgrims. What happens if a group does not fill

    We produce the promotional materials.

    Flyers, a registration page, and what you need to invite your people. Our guide to promoting a pilgrimage

    We handle your pilgrims.

    Registrations, rooming lists, payment plans and the phone calls. How leading a pilgrimage works

    In your pocket

    The Canterbury Mobile App

    Every pilgrim in your group gets the app. Their itinerary, hotels and flights, the prayers of the day and a way to reach one another, all in one place and kept current as the pilgrimage unfolds.

    • Group chat

      Your whole group in one thread, so a change of plan reaches everyone at once.

    • Their itinerary

      The full day-by-day schedule, always current, in every pilgrim’s pocket.

    • Hotels

      Where the group is staying each night, with addresses and dates.

    • Flights

      Flight details kept alongside everything else, not in a separate email.

    • Daily prayers

      The prayers of the day, including the Liturgy of the Hours.

    • Shrine passport

      A keepsake record of the shrines your group visits along the way.

    • Live updates

      Times and meeting points pushed to everyone the moment they change.

    Photographs
    Photograph to come · The Monastery of St. Elisha in the cliff face
    The Monastery of St. Elisha, carved into the cliff face of the Qadisha.
    Photograph to come · Bekaa Kafra, the birthplace of St. Charbel
    Bekaa Kafra, the mountain village where St. Charbel was born in 1828.
    Photograph to come · The Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina at Kfifan
    The Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina at Kfifan.
    Photograph to come · St. Joseph Monastery at Jrabta
    St. Joseph Monastery at Jrabta, the home of St. Rafqa.
    Photograph to come · St. George Maronite Cathedral, Beirut
    St. George Maronite Cathedral in downtown Beirut.
    Photograph to come · The old harbour at Byblos
    The old harbour at Byblos, among the oldest inhabited towns on earth.

    What group leaders say

    “They’re big enough to handle any problem that arises, and small enough to craft truly unique experiences.”

    Chris StefanickChris Stefanick
    Founder & President of Real Life Catholic
    Before you ask

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When is the best time to travel to Lebanon?

    Groups travel to Lebanon from April through to early November. May, June, September and October give the mildest weather and are the months most groups choose. July and August are hot on the coast, though the Qadisha stays cool at altitude. Winter brings snow to the mountains and the roads into the Holy Valley can close, so we do not run this route between December and March.

    How physically demanding is this pilgrimage?

    Moderate. Most days involve two to four hours on your feet, with walking on uneven ground, ancient stone, and steps at archaeological sites. Pilgrims who can manage a full day of sightseeing at their own pace do well. If anyone in your group has mobility limitations, tell us early and we will adapt the days around them. What activity level means.

    What is generally not included?

    Travel insurance, lunches, drinks beyond those served with included meals, personal expenses, and gratuities for your tour manager and driver. Any of these can be built into your package on request, so tell us what you would like covered and we will arrange it. Passports and visa fees are the one exception and remain the responsibility of each pilgrim.

    Do I need a passport or visa for Lebanon?

    A United States passport valid for at least six months beyond your return date is required. Lebanon currently issues a one-month tourist visa on arrival at no charge to United States passport holders. Entry is refused to anyone whose passport carries an Israeli visa or entry stamp, so a pilgrim who has travelled to Israel on that passport will need a new one. Pilgrims are responsible for their own entry documentation.

    Can our priest celebrate Mass at the churches?

    Yes. Daily Mass is built into the itinerary, and we arrange times and locations in advance with each church. Your priest should travel with a celebret or letter of good standing from his bishop or superior. We handle the scheduling.

    How many pilgrims do you need for a group?

    Most of our groups are between 20 and 50 pilgrims, and we can arrange smaller tours as well. We have also organized pilgrimages for groups as large as 2,500, so whatever size your group turns out to be, we can build for it. Minimum group size for a group flight.

    Enquire

    Interested in Leading a Pilgrimage to Lebanon?

    A pilgrimage consultant replies within one business day. No deposit or commitment.

      Your Information

      Your Group

      First time? You are in good company. Many of our group leaders start right here, and we guide you through every step.

      Where You Would Like to Go

      Destinations of interest (check all that apply)

      These are some of our most popular destinations, but we build CUSTOM ITINERARIES anywhere in the world. If you do not see your destination, tell us below.

      Italy, Rome and AssisiFrance, Lourdes and ParisPortugal and FátimaSpain and the Camino de SantiagoPortugal, Spain and France togetherGreece and TurkeyThe Holy LandEgypt and Mount SinaiPoland, Prague and Central EuropeMedjugorje and the BalkansIreland and the United KingdomMexico and Our Lady of GuadalupeArgentinaPeruJapan, Nagasaki and AkitaUnited States and Canada shrinesA pilgrimage cruiseSomewhere else, or not sure yet

      When

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