Hike in the morning, Roman temples in the afternoon, wine underground at the end — this private day trip from Beirut hits three completely different experiences that have no business being this close to each other. And yet here we are in Lebanon, where a UNESCO cedar forest, the greatest Roman temples on earth, and 2 kilometres of ancient wine caves are all within a single day's drive.
Start with an easy 45-minute hike through the Maaser el Shouf Cedar Reserve — ancient trees, mountain air. Cross into the Bekaa Valley and stand beside the Stone of the Pregnant Woman — a 1,000-tonne limestone block that was never finished and never moved — before entering Baalbek, where the Temple of Bacchus is larger than the Parthenon and the Temple of Jupiter sits on stones heavier than anything a modern crane can lift. End the day at Ksara — Lebanon's oldest winery — walking through Roman cave cellars before tasting wines that have been made here since 1857. A day that earns its tired feet.