All activities / Trekking / Hiking / Qadisha Valley
Trekking / Hiking in Qadisha Valley
A deep UNESCO-listed river gorge in the northern mountains below Bsharri, the Holy Valley of rock-cut Christian monasteries and hermitages, ending at the ancient cedar grove known as the Cedars of God on the flank of Mount Makmel.
Why here
The Qadisha Valley is Lebanon's finest walking country and the clearest place to see the mountains that gave the country its cedars. A deep gorge cut below the town of Bsharri, it has sheltered Christian monastic communities for well over a thousand years, and the trail down its floor and along its terraces links rock-cut monasteries and hermitages such as Deir Mar Lichaa and Qannoubine, many still tended, with the river running beneath. Above the valley head stands the Cedars of God, one of the last old groves of the Lebanon cedar at around 1,900 metres, some of the trees many centuries old. The whole valley and grove are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and long-distance walkers pick up sections of the Lebanon Mountain Trail here. Bsharri itself, birthplace of the writer Kahlil Gibran, makes the natural base. Whether you drop into the gorge for a day or link villages over several, this is deep mountain and monastic Lebanon on foot.
Best months
The best walking is from spring to late autumn, roughly April to June and September to November, when the valley is green or the light is low and the heat has eased. Midsummer days are hot on the exposed terraces, though the high cedar grove stays cooler, and winter snow closes the upper trails and the road to the Cedars from about December to March. Paths range from easy valley-floor tracks to steep climbs between the rim and the river, so footing and water matter.
Getting there & around
The valley is reached through Bsharri, about two to two and a half hours by car north and east of Beirut via Tripoli or the Cedars road. A hired car, taxi or guided tour is easiest, as public transport is sparse and drops you with a walk to the trailheads. Guesthouses and small hotels cluster in Bsharri and around the Cedars, making a good base for day hikes into the gorge or a multi-day section of the Lebanon Mountain Trail. Wear proper footwear for the steep rim paths and carry water.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
33 North
Outfitter33 North is a Lebanese adventure operator founded in 1996 by Gilbert Moukheiber, a mountain leader certified by the French hiking federation, and based at Beit Meri east of Beirut. It runs guided treks, multi-day expeditions and summit climbs across the country, including sections of the Lebanon Mountain Trail and routes through the Qadisha Valley and the Cedars, alongside snowshoeing and wilderness camping for a range of fitness levels.
Vamos Todos
OutfitterVamos Todos is a Lebanese ecotourism and hiking club founded in 2006 by Mark Aoun, running year-round guided walks through nature reserves and mountain villages, including the Tannourine cedar reserve and sections of the Lebanon Mountain Trail near the Qadisha Valley. Its programme mixes day hikes, snowshoeing, caving, rappelling and camping, and the group runs a restored 250-year-old guesthouse and an eco-campsite in the Keserwan highlands as a base.