All activities / Skiing & Snowsports / Mzaar Kfardebian
Skiing & Snowsports in Mzaar Kfardebian
The largest ski area in the Middle East, above the village of Kfardebian on the western slopes of Mount Lebanon, roughly an hour from Beirut, with around 80 kilometres of pistes across the linked Refuge, Jonction and Wardeh domains between about 1,850 and 2,465 metres.
Why here
Mzaar is the largest ski resort in the Middle East and the reason people say you can ski above Beirut in the morning and swim in the Mediterranean the same afternoon. It sits on the western slopes of Mount Lebanon about an hour from the capital, with roughly 80 kilometres of pistes spread across three linked sectors, Refuge, Jonction and the newer Wardeh, between about 1,850 and 2,465 metres. The terrain is broad and mostly open above the treeline, with gentle beginner ground at Wardeh and longer intermediate runs dropping off the higher ridges, and on a clear day the views run all the way down to the sea. It fills at weekends with Beirutis up for the day, giving the resort a social, sunny character as much as a sporting one. This is the anchor of Lebanese snowsports and the natural place to learn or to ski a few relaxed days at altitude with the coast in sight.
Best months
The season runs from December into early April and is best from January to March, when the higher sectors hold the most reliable cover. Snowfall varies year to year and snowmaking is limited, so conditions can swing quickly, and the strong mountain sun softens the pistes by afternoon. Weekends are far busier than weekdays, and high wind can close the upper lifts and the crossings between sectors.
Getting there & around
Mzaar is about an hour by car from Beirut up through Kfardebian, and there is no real public transport to the slopes, so most people drive, hire a car or take an organised day trip. The base villages of Kfardebian and the resort area have hotels, chalets and rentals at the lifts, and the resort is very much day-trippable from the capital. Buy lift passes and arrange lessons and equipment hire on the mountain or through a ski school in advance for weekends.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Mzaar Ski Resort
SchoolMzaar Ski Resort above Kfardebian is the largest ski area in the Middle East, with around 80 kilometres of pistes across three linked domains, Refuge, Jonction and Wardeh, rising from about 1,850 to 2,465 metres. It runs its own ski and snowboard school, teaching adults and children from first turns to off-piste, with a supervised kids ski park in the gentler Wardeh sector and instructors working in Arabic, French and English.
SKILEB
SchoolSKILEB is a Lebanese ski operation and ski and snowboard school working the Mzaar slopes, offering lessons for all levels, guiding, equipment rental and organised ski trips including school and group programmes. Its instructors teach beginners in the Wardeh area and take stronger skiers across the wider domain, and the company also publishes live slope, lift and snow-condition reports for the resort through the season.