There are Roman ruins — and then there is Baalbek. The temple complex at Baalbek in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley is not merely the best-preserved Roman site in the Middle East — it is arguably the most awe-inspiring Roman construction anywhere on earth. The Temple of Jupiter alone was built on a platform of stones so massive that no crane in the modern world can lift them. The Temple of Bacchus, still standing almost entirely intact, is larger than the Parthenon in Athens. Standing inside these temples, you do not feel like a tourist looking at ancient ruins. You feel genuinely small.
This private day tour from Beirut takes you directly to Baalbek with a knowledgeable English-speaking driver who brings the history, mythology, and extraordinary engineering of this UNESCO World Heritage Site to life. On the way you stop at the legendary Stone of the Pregnant Woman, before spending the heart of the day exploring the full temple complex at your own unhurried pace.