8:30 AM — Departure from Beirut Your professional guide and driver collect you from your Beirut hotel and head south into the Chouf Mountains — pine and cedar-forested ridges rising steeply above the coastal plain as you climb toward Maaser el Shouf and the biosphere reserve.

Arrive at the Maaser el Shouf Cedar Reserve, part of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, Lebanon's largest nature reserve and one of the most ecologically significant protected landscapes in the Middle East. The reserve protects one of Lebanon's most extensive surviving cedar forests — ancient trees that are the direct descendants of the vast cedar forests that once covered these mountains and whose timber built Phoenician ships, Solomon's Temple, and the palaces of Egypt. A gentle 45-minute guided hike takes you along the marked trail through the grove — towering cedar trunks, mountain panoramas opening through the canopy, and the extraordinary stillness of a forest that has been growing here for centuries. Your guide explains the ecology of the reserve, and the remarkable efforts that saved these ancient trees. Suitable for all fitness levels — no steep terrain, no technical sections, just a deeply rewarding morning walk at altitude before the mountain crossing into the Bekaa.

Arrive in the Bekaa Valley and head directly to Chateau Kefraya — one of the largest and most celebrated wine estates in Lebanon, with over 300 hectares of vineyards sprawling across the Bekaa plain. Kefraya is renowned for its flagship red blend Comte de M — widely considered one of the finest wines produced in the Middle East — as well as its aromatic whites and its celebrated Muse rosé. The guided tour moves through the vast cellars and barrel rooms before a structured tasting that showcases the estate's full range. After the morning air of the cedar forest, arriving at Kefraya's sunlit vineyards feels like stepping into a completely different Lebanon — same country, different world entirely.

Continue to Chateau Ksara — Lebanon's oldest winery, founded by Jesuit monks in 1857 and the country's largest wine producer. The highlight is the extraordinary Roman cave cellar system stretching 2 kilometres beneath the winery — ancient tunnels discovered by the Jesuits in the late 19th century where wine ages at a naturally constant temperature year-round. Walking through these caves after a morning in the cedar forest creates an unexpected resonance — two ancient Lebanese landscapes, one above ground and one below, both shaped by centuries of human care and natural beauty. The tasting showcases Ksara's iconic Cabernet-Syrah blends, crisp Blanc de Blancs, and beloved Sunset Rosé.

Lunch in Zahle — the Bride of the Bekaa End the Bekaa afternoon in Zahle — Lebanon's most celebrated food and wine destination, known as the Bride of the Bekaa. The famous restaurant terraces along the Bardawni River serve some of the finest Lebanese mezze in the country — cold and hot dishes, grilled meats, fresh bread, and local wine with the cool mountain air and the sound of the river below. After a morning hike and an afternoon of wine, there is no better place in Lebanon to sit down and eat well.