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Beirut Corniche waterfront promenade at sunset with the Mediterranean Sea and city skyline
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Middle EastApril 2026·13 min read·Surya Pratap

Beirut in 4 Days: Mezze, Ruins & the Phoenix City

Gemmayzeh street art, Pigeon Rocks at sunset, Jeita Grotto's underground lake, ancient Byblos, and the world's greatest mezze feast — Beirut in 4 days from $60/day.

Surya Pratap — Founder IncredibleItinerary

Delhi · Visited: Kedarnath, Gangotri, Manali, Shimla, Rishikesh & more · April 2026 · 13 min read

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🇱🇧 Lebanon·🗓 4 Days·💰 From $60/day

Beirut is the most contradictory city in the Middle East — a place where French pastry shops sit next to Ottoman mosques, where bullet-riddled buildings stand next to glass towers, and where the Mediterranean party culture is as fierce and resilient as the city itself.

⚡ What Beirut Actually Is

Beirut has been rebuilt seven times in its history, earning it the nickname "The Phoenix." It is simultaneously the most European city in the Arab world and the most Arab city in Europe — a paradox that plays out on every street corner where a 1920s French Mandate villa shares a wall with a Mamluk-era mosque. The city was the "Paris of the Middle East" before the 1975–1990 Civil War, and it has been clawing its way back to that identity ever since — dramatically interrupted by the 2006 war, the 2020 port explosion, and an ongoing economic crisis, yet somehow always rebuilding.

The mezze culture alone — 30 small dishes arriving in waves over two hours, each more complex than the last — justifies the trip. The Jeita Grotto is one of the most spectacular cave systems on earth: 9km of stalactites and an underground river with a boat ride through silence and blue-green light. Byblos, an hour north, is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities — 7,000 years of human settlement visible in a single archaeological site where Phoenician temples, a Crusader castle, and Roman colonnades share the same hillside.

Four days gives you the city's duality, its Phoenician and Roman and Ottoman history, the extraordinary geography of a country where you can ski in the morning and swim in the Mediterranean in the afternoon, and the Lebanese hospitality that visitors consistently describe as among the warmest they have ever encountered anywhere in the world.

✈️

BEY

Airport Code

🌡️

Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct

Best Season

🏙️

4 Days

Duration

💰

$60/day

Budget From

🌡️ Best Time to Visit Beirut

🌸

Apr–JunSpring — Best Season

Recommended

18–26°C, low humidity, clear skies. The mountains still hold snow while the city is warm — you can ski and swim on the same day in April. Wildflowers on the hillsides, terrace cafés open everywhere. The ideal window for most travellers.

🍂

Sep–OctAutumn — Excellent

Highly recommended

22–30°C. Summer crowds are gone but the weather is perfect. The Bekaa Valley grape harvest runs September–October — an extraordinary time to visit wineries. The sea is still warm enough for swimming. Many experienced Lebanon travellers consider October the single best month.

☀️

Jul–AugSummer — Hot & Crowded

Book far ahead

28–35°C with high coastal humidity. Beirut fills with Lebanese diaspora from the Gulf and Europe — the city is at its most social and expensive. Nightlife is extraordinary. Jeita Grotto gets crowded and can sell out. Book everything ahead at least two weeks in advance.

🌨️

Dec–FebWinter — Cool & Quiet

Low season value

8–15°C. The city is quiet and prices drop significantly. The Lebanon Mountains above Beirut receive heavy snow — Mzaar ski resort opens December through March, making a ski-and-sea day possible. Some restaurants close early but the city never fully stops.

✈️ Getting to Beirut

Key detail: Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) is 9km south of the city centre. The taxi to most neighbourhoods costs $15–20 and takes 20–30 minutes. There is no metro — taxis and Uber are how most visitors get around.

✈️

By Air — Beirut Rafic Hariri International (BEY)

Main gateway

Direct flights from London (5 hrs), Paris (4.5 hrs), Dubai (3 hrs), Istanbul (2 hrs), Cairo (1.5 hrs), and Frankfurt (4.5 hrs). Middle East Airlines (MEA) is the flag carrier. Turkish Airlines, Air France, Emirates, and Lufthansa all serve BEY. From BEY to city: official taxi $15–20 (confirm flat rate before getting in). Uber also works from the airport at similar prices.

🚕

BEY Airport to City Neighbourhoods

Use Uber or fixed rate

Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael: $15 taxi, 20 min. Hamra district: $15 taxi, 20 min. Downtown Beirut (Solidere): $18 taxi, 25 min. Achrafieh: $18 taxi, 25 min. Uber is reliable from BEY and often cheaper than negotiated taxis at $12–16. Agree the price before departure — meters are not standard.

🛳️

By Sea — Jounieh / Beirut Port

Seasonal

Seasonal ferry services run from Larnaca (Cyprus, 8 hrs) and some Greek islands in summer. The Beirut Port is 2km from Downtown. Not the primary option for most travellers but a scenic alternative if combining with Cyprus or a Mediterranean cruise.

🚗

Overland from Jordan

Check conditions

The Beirut–Damascus–Amman highway connects Lebanon to Jordan (approximately 4–5 hours from Amman under normal conditions). Check current border status before planning — conditions at land borders in the region can change. Not recommended without verifying live travel advisories.

📅 4-Day Beirut Itinerary

Each day card is expandable. The itinerary follows the budget track — the same locations can be experienced at mid-range or luxury price points by adjusting where you eat and stay. Day 3 and Day 4 are interchangeable depending on your travel style.

  • 10:00 — Start in Gemmayzeh: the most photogenic neighbourhood in Beirut — Ottoman-era buildings with triple-arched windows, French balconies, and street art that documents Lebanon's cyclical history. Free to walk, best with a Lebanese coffee from one of the local cafés at $1.50–2.
  • 11:30 — Walk through Mar Mikhael: the artists' and musicians' district adjacent to Gemmayzeh has gallery spaces (most free) and the famous Armenia Street street art corridor. This is where Beirut's creative class rebuilt after 2006 and again after the 2020 port explosion — the murals reference both events directly and are among the most powerful public art in the Arab world.
  • 13:00 — Lunch at a mezze restaurant in Gemmayzeh ($12–18 per person): order the classic fattoush, hummus, labneh (strained yoghurt with olive oil), mutabbel, and kibbeh nayeh (raw spiced lamb — a Lebanese signature dish). Lebanese bread arrives free and continuously.
  • 15:00 — Walk the Hamra neighbourhood: Beirut's intellectual and student quarter has independent bookshops, cheap shawarma ($2–3), and the legendary Bliss Street café culture dating to the American University of Beirut era in the 1960s.
  • 17:30 — Raouché Pigeon Rocks: the dramatic sea stacks rising from the Mediterranean are free to view from the Corniche cliff. Take the elevator down to sea level for $1 for a closer perspective — the true scale of the rocks is only apparent from below. Arrive at sunset for the best light over the Mediterranean.
  • 19:30 — Dinner in Gemmayzeh: a full mezze spread with drinks at a local restaurant costs $15–22 per person. The Almaza beer (Lebanon's national lager since 1933) is $2.50 a bottle and is one of those drinks that simply tastes better in its home city.
💰Est. cost: $35–50 (meals, transport, elevator, coffee)
  • 09:30 — National Museum of Beirut ($5 entry): one of the finest archaeological museums in the Middle East — Phoenician artifacts, Bronze Age sarcophagi, and Roman mosaics. The museum was positioned exactly on the 1975–1990 Green Line dividing East and West Beirut. The staff bricked up the entire collection in concrete when war broke out in 1975 and spent years uncovering and restoring it after 1997.
  • 12:00 — Downtown Beirut reconstruction walk: the post-war rebuilding of central Beirut by Solidere is controversial but spectacular — Roman baths, a Phoenician harbour, Ottoman mosques, and 21st-century glass towers coexist in the same 2km radius. All free to walk. The archaeological glass floors in the Beirut Souks reveal 7,000 years of occupation beneath the modern surface.
  • 13:30 — Lunch at a downtown cafeteria-style Lebanese grill ($8–12): choose by weight — grilled chicken shish taouk, kafta, and tabbouleh by the 100g. The Arabic bread and garlic sauce (toum) are complimentary.
  • 15:30 — Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque and Saint George Maronite Cathedral stand literally 50 metres apart at Martyrs' Square — the coexistence is architectural Lebanon in miniature. Both are free to enter with appropriate dress (cover shoulders and knees).
  • 17:00 — Corniche evening walk: Beirut's seafront promenade is 4.8km and completely free. The tradition of fishermen casting lines from the railing while families take evening strolls is unchanged for generations — Corniche at dusk is one of those perfect free things a city can offer.
  • 20:00 — Drinks in Hamra: a full night out in Beirut's affordable bars starts at $15–20 including 2–3 cocktails. The bar scene rebuilt dramatically post-2020 and the energy in the Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael bar strips after 9pm is unlike anywhere else in the region.
💰Est. cost: $30–45 (museum, meals, transport, drinks)
  • 09:00 — Hire a service taxi (shared taxi, $4–6 to Jeita from the Dora roundabout) or join a guided day tour ($25 including transport and entry) to Jeita Grotto, 18km north of Beirut.
  • 10:00 — Jeita Grotto ($18 entry): the 9km cave system was a 2011 New Seven Wonders of Nature finalist. The upper gallery is explored on foot through dramatic stalactite and stalagmite chambers; the lower gallery is accessed by small boat on an underground lake — the only underground boat ride in the Middle East. The caves maintain a constant 16°C regardless of outside temperature — bring a light jacket.
  • 12:30 — Return to Jounieh for lunch: the coastal town 20 minutes from Jeita has fresh mezze restaurants on the water for $12–16/pp. The grilled fish with garlic lemon sauce and tabbouleh is the essential seaside lunch. Order a Lebanese Cinsault rosé with it.
  • 15:00 — Optional: Jounieh cable car up the mountain to Our Lady of Lebanon ($7 each way): the 1950s aerial tramway climbs 650 vertical metres to the famous white Virgin Mary statue with panoramic views of the entire Mediterranean coast from Beirut to Byblos.
  • 19:00 — Return to Beirut. Dinner in Hamra at a traditional home-cooking restaurant ($10–14/pp). The daily specials boards change each morning based on what arrived at the souq — the slow-cooked lamb with seven spices (yakhnet) and the lentil soup with lemon are constants.
💰Est. cost: $50–65 (Jeita, transport, lunch, cable car, dinner)
  • 08:30 — Service taxi to Byblos (Jbeil), 37km north of Beirut ($4–6, 45 minutes). Byblos is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth — occupied for 7,000 years. The Phoenicians created the first truly alphabetic writing system here around 1050 BCE; the English word 'Bible' derives from Byblos, the city from which the Greeks imported papyrus.
  • 09:30 — Byblos archaeological site ($8 entry): Phoenician temples, a Persian fortress, a Crusader castle, and Roman colonnades all occupy the same hillside overlooking the Mediterranean — the most concentrated archaeological time capsule in Lebanon. Climb the Crusader castle walls for the coastal panorama north toward the mountains.
  • 12:00 — Lunch in Byblos old port: the restored Ottoman-era fishing harbour has seafood restaurants with tables literally on the water ($15–22/pp). The whole grilled sea bass with garlic and lemon and the mezze sampler are the local specialities. Order the Lebanese white wine — Ksara Blanc de Blancs pairs perfectly with fish.
  • 15:00 — Byblos old souk: the covered market sells cedar wood products (Lebanon's national symbol since antiquity), local pottery, and hand-pressed olive oils from the surrounding groves. Cedar honey and thyme-infused olive oil make excellent gifts at $5–12 per jar.
  • 18:00 — Return to Beirut for the farewell mezze dinner: a full Lebanese mezze is 20–35 small dishes arriving over 2 hours. Best value at local neighbourhood restaurants in Mar Mikhael or Bourj Hammoud for $15–22 per person with unlimited bread, olives, and pickled turnips.
💰Est. cost: $40–60 (transport, Byblos entry, meals, souvenirs)

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🏛️ Landmark & Attraction Guide

The essential Beirut sites in order of priority. All prices in USD — Lebanon's practical currency since the 2019 banking crisis. Book Jeita Grotto ahead in summer.

Jeita Grotto

$18 entryMust visit · 2–3 hrs

Lebanon's single greatest natural attraction, 18km north of Beirut. A 2011 New Seven Wonders of Nature finalist. The upper gallery is explored on foot through massive stalactite chambers; the lower gallery by boat on a subterranean lake. 9km of cave formations total. Book ahead in summer — the grotto receives up to 3,000 visitors a day and can sell out. Caves are a constant 16°C year-round.

National Museum of Beirut

$5 entryMust visit · 1.5–2 hrs

One of the finest archaeological museums in the Middle East. The collection covers 7,000 years of Lebanese history from the Stone Age to the Byzantine era — Phoenician sarcophagi, Roman mosaics, Bronze Age gold. The museum sat precisely on the Green Line during the Civil War. Its staff bricked up the collection in 1975 and spent decades restoring it after 1997. The institution's own story is as compelling as any exhibit.

Pigeon Rocks (Raouché)

Free (elevator $1)Sunset · 45 mins

The twin sea stacks rising dramatically from the Mediterranean are Beirut's most recognisable natural landmark, visible from the Corniche cliff walk. Take the elevator at the Raouché promontory down to sea level ($1) to appreciate the true scale of the rocks from below. Best at sunset when the light turns the stone amber over the darkening sea.

Gemmayzeh & Mar Mikhael

FreeHalf day · Free

The most photogenic and culturally dense neighbourhoods in Beirut. Gemmayzeh has the best-preserved Ottoman architecture with triple-arched windows and French balconies. Mar Mikhael has the Armenia Street street art corridor and the city's best bar scene. The murals document the 2020 port explosion, the 2006 war, and the enduring Lebanese spirit of reconstruction.

Byblos Archaeological Site

$8 entryDay trip · 2–3 hrs on site

37km north of Beirut, Byblos (Jbeil) is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities — 7,000 years of human settlement compressed into one hillside. Phoenician temples, a Persian fortress, a Crusader castle, and Roman colonnades. The English word 'Bible' derives from Byblos. The Crusader castle walls offer the best coastal panorama north toward the snow-capped Lebanon Mountains.

Beirut Souks & Downtown

Free to walkShopping · 1–2 hrs

The rebuilt covered market at the heart of Solidere's post-war reconstruction. The modern Souks were built over Phoenician and Roman excavations — archaeological glass floors reveal the layers beneath. Best for Lebanese designer goods, jewellery, and food souvenirs. The surrounding Downtown streets have Roman baths visible through glass pavements.

Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque & Saint George Cathedral

Free30 mins

The blue-domed Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque (completed 2008) and the 19th-century Saint George Maronite Cathedral stand 50 metres apart in Martyrs' Square. Both are free to enter with appropriate dress. The juxtaposition — Islam and Christianity sharing the same plaza in an architecturally harmonious way — is the most visually Lebanese sight in the city.

Beirut — The Phoenix City

Gemmayzeh street art, Pigeon Rocks, ancient Byblos, and the Lebanese Corniche.

📸

Pigeon Rocks Raouché

📍

Pigeon Rocks Raouché

The twin sea stacks of Raouché rising from the Mediterranean — Beirut's most recognisable natural landmark, best at sunset.

💰 Budget Breakdown

All prices in USD — Lebanon's practical tourism currency since the 2019 banking crisis. Carry cash in small bills. Credit cards are unreliable outside upscale hotels and a handful of restaurants.

CategoryBudgetMid-RangeLuxury
🏨 Accommodation (per night)$25–45$120–180$350–700
🍽️ Food (per day)$15–25$50–80$150–250
🚕 Transport (per day)$5–10$20–40$100–300
🎫 Activities (per day)$10–20$40–70$200–400
🕳️ Jeita Grotto entry$18$18$18 + VIP access
🏺 Byblos site entry$8$8$8 + private guide
🏛️ National Museum$5$5 + $15 guide$200 curator tour
TOTAL (per day)$60–100$150–250$400–750+

💚 Budget ($60–100/day)

Guesthouse in Hamra or Gemmayzeh ($25–45/night), mezze spots and falafel, service taxis, walking. Lebanon is not as cheap as Southeast Asia but the food quality at budget prices is genuinely excellent.

🌟 Mid-Range ($150–250/day)

Boutique hotel in Achrafieh or Gemmayzeh ($120–180/night), restaurants like Tawlet and Mayrig, Uber for day trips. The sweet spot — excellent food and character without luxury price tags.

💎 Luxury ($400–750+/day)

Four Seasons Beirut or Le Gray ($350–700/night), Em Sherif chef's table and Babel Bar-Restaurant, private car for day trips, helicopter coastal tour. Beirut luxury is genuinely world-class.

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🏨 Where to Stay in Beirut

Gemmayzeh and Achrafieh give the best access to the city's cultural life. Hamra is the best-value district. Downtown is convenient but less atmospheric at night. Book through Booking.com for price comparison and free cancellation.

Four Seasons Beirut

Luxury · Downtown Beirut

From $400/nightMost prestigious

Seafront location overlooking the Mediterranean with direct views toward the Pigeon Rocks. Rooftop pool, multiple restaurants, and the highest service standards in Lebanon. The Iris rooftop bar has the most spectacular cocktail view in the city.

Check availability →

Le Gray Beirut

Luxury boutique · Downtown

From $280/nightBest rooftop

12-floor boutique hotel in the heart of Solidere's reconstructed downtown with extraordinary rooftop restaurant views over the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque and city skyline. Architecturally one of the finest hotels in the Middle East. The restaurant is worth visiting even if not staying.

Check availability →

Hayete Guesthouse

Boutique guesthouse · Gemmayzeh

From $85/nightBest neighbourhood

A beautifully restored 1920s Ottoman house in the heart of Gemmayzeh, within walking distance of Mar Mikhael and the best restaurants. Intimate, character-filled rooms and exceptional hosts who know the city. The genuine alternative to corporate hotels.

Check availability →

Hamra Budget Guesthouses

Budget · Hamra district

$25–55/nightBest value

Several small guesthouses and budget hotels in Hamra offer clean, comfortable rooms near the AUB campus, Bliss Street cafés, and the Corniche. The Marble Tower Hotel and Regis Hotel are reliable options at $30–50/night within walking distance of the promenade.

Check availability →

🍽️ Where to Eat in Beirut

Lebanese food is among the world's great cuisines. Budget baklava and shawarma stand next to award-winning restaurants on the same street. Eat mezze at least twice — it is the defining food ritual of the country.

Em Sherif

Fine dining Lebanese · Achrafieh

Best mezze

Widely considered the finest traditional Lebanese restaurant in Beirut. The kitchen produces 50-dish spreads that represent the full breadth of Lebanese cuisine from mountain to coast. The chef's table experience includes kibbeh nayeh, raw ouzi lamb, and successive rounds of Lebanese wine and arak. $60–80/pp. Reserve at least a week ahead.

Tawlet

Village cuisine collective · Downtown

Most authentic

Souk el Tayeb's restaurant where Lebanese village women cook their regional specialities in a collective kitchen — the menu changes daily based on who is cooking and which village they represent. The concept celebrates Lebanon's extraordinary culinary diversity: dishes from the Bekaa Valley, the south coast, and the mountain villages appear on the same menu. $35–45/pp.

Mayrig

Armenian-Lebanese · Bourj Hammoud

Unique cuisine

In Beirut's Armenian quarter, Mayrig serves traditional Armenian-Lebanese cuisine that reflects the city's multicultural identity. The manti (tiny hand-folded meat dumplings with yoghurt sauce) and mujaddara hamra (red lentil bulgur with caramelised onions) are unlike anything else in Lebanon. $30–40/pp.

Street Mezze & Falafel

Budget street food · Hamra & Gemmayzeh

Best budget

A shawarma from a proper Hamra street counter costs $2–3. A falafel wrap with pickles and garlic sauce is $1.50. A full sit-down mezze lunch for two at a local Gemmayzeh restaurant is $25–35 total. The budget eating in Beirut is genuinely excellent — the food culture runs deep at every price point in this city.

Baklava & Lebanese Sweets

Lebanese pastries · Citywide

Do not skip

Lebanese baklava is among the finest in the world — the Beirut tradition uses fresh pistachio paste, rose water, and clarified butter in a ratio that outclasses most regional versions. Hallab (originally from Tripoli) and Salibi have branches in Beirut. A box of 12 pieces is $4–8. The knafeh (cheese pastry soaked in orange blossom syrup) is equally unmissable.

❌ Mistakes to Avoid in Beirut

✈️

Travelling with Israeli passport stamps

Lebanon and Israel are technically still at war. Any Israeli entry or exit stamp in your passport will result in denial of entry to Lebanon — this applies to all nationalities without exception. If your passport has been to Israel, obtain a new blank passport before applying for a Lebanese visa. Lebanese border control is thorough about this check.

💵

Not carrying enough US dollars in cash

Lebanon's banking crisis since 2019 means ATMs are unreliable and credit cards are not universally accepted outside upscale hotels. The Lebanese lira exists but prices are quoted and preferred in USD. Always carry $100–200 in small denomination USD bills ($10s and $20s). Exchange additional cash at street money changers (sarrafeen) who offer better rates than banks.

🕌

Missing the mezze ritual by eating fast food

A Lebanese mezze is not a starter — it is the entire meal, a 90-minute social ritual of 20–40 small dishes arriving continuously. Ordering a single main course is missing the entire point of Lebanese cuisine and hospitality. Order mezze for lunch or dinner at least twice, ask for the full spread, and insist on the slow meal pace that defines Lebanese dining.

📅

Spending all 4 days only in Beirut

Jeita Grotto, Byblos, the Chouf Cedars, the Bekaa Valley wineries, and the Qadisha Valley are all within 2 hours of Beirut and represent very different aspects of Lebanon. A trip that never leaves the capital misses the extraordinary Lebanese landscape and the cultural diversity of the mountain villages and ancient sites.

🌃

Underestimating Beirut's nightlife schedule

Beirut is one of the world's great night cities — restaurants don't fill until 10pm, bars peak at midnight, and clubs run until dawn. If you go out at 8pm expecting activity, most places will be quiet. The Lebanese night schedule runs 2–3 hours later than Europe. Adjust your morning start times on party nights accordingly.

💡 Pro Tips for Beirut

🎫

Book Jeita Grotto ahead in peak season

Jeita Grotto receives up to 3,000 visitors a day in summer and can sell out entirely. Book tickets online at jeitagrotto.com at least 3 days ahead during July and August. The caves maintain a constant 16°C year-round — bring a light jacket regardless of outside temperature. Book guided tours at getyourguide.com/s/?q=Jeita+Grotto&partner_id=PSZA5UI

🍷

Drink Lebanese wine — it is exceptional

The Bekaa Valley has been producing wine since the Phoenicians. Château Musar, Château Ksara, and Massaya produce internationally celebrated bottles that cost $10–20 at restaurants — far less than the same wine costs abroad. Order a Lebanese red with your mezze. The Cinsault-Cabernet blends from high-altitude Bekaa vineyards are outstanding.

🏙️

The bullet holes tell a story — engage with it

Beirut's bullet-scarred buildings and half-demolished towers are not blight — they are living architecture that tells the Civil War story more powerfully than any museum. Ask your guesthouse host about their neighbourhood's history. The people who rebuilt after the 2020 port explosion with spontaneous volunteer work embody the same spirit that rebuilt the city after every previous crisis.

🌅

Sunrise from the Corniche beats every viewpoint

Beirut's Corniche promenade faces west over the Mediterranean and north toward the Lebanon Mountains. At dawn, the light hits both the sea and the snow-capped mountains simultaneously — a combination virtually unique among Mediterranean cities. Bring a coffee from a 24-hour café and walk the 4.8km promenade as the fishermen set up for the morning.

🚕

Use service taxis for cheap city travel

Service taxis (shared taxis that follow fixed routes) cost $1–3 per trip and are how most Beirutis travel locally. Wave your hand at any passing car and state your destination — if the driver is going that way, they will take you. Uber also works reliably in Beirut at $3–8 for most city trips and is easier for visitors unfamiliar with routes.

💱

Exchange money at sarrafeen, not banks

Street money changers (sarrafeen) operating from small booths throughout Beirut offer significantly better USD-to-lira exchange rates than banks or airport bureaux. They are a normal, trusted part of the Lebanese financial landscape. Always count your money before leaving. Bring fresh, unfolded USD bills — crumpled or torn notes are sometimes refused.

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