Beirut walking tour & city guide

The seafront and the neighbourhoods

The Corniche is Beirut's seafront promenade, a long palm-lined walk from the Ain el-Mreisseh area to Raouché, where the Pigeon Rocks rise out of the water just off the coast. At the eastern end, Zaitunay Bay is a marina with a waterfront walkway, and the rebuilt downtown behind it has the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque with its blue domes, Roman ruins and the clock tower on Nejmeh Square.

Inland from the Corniche, Hamra Street is a busy commercial street near the leafy campus of the American University of Beirut. East of downtown, Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael are older quarters of narrow streets and traditional houses, known for their stairways, including the painted Saint Nicholas Stairs, and the Sursock Museum stands in a grand old mansion nearby.

A classic walk: the Corniche to Pigeon Rocks

Start in the late afternoon at Zaitunay Bay and follow the Corniche west along the sea. You will pass fishermen, coffee sellers and families, with the mountains visible behind the city on clear days.

Reach Raouché in time to watch the sun set behind the Pigeon Rocks, then take a taxi to Gemmayzeh or Mar Mikhael for the evening. On another morning, visit the National Museum of Beirut and walk through downtown to Hamra.

Good to know

April to June and September to November are the best months, warm but not too hot; summers are humid, and winters are mild and rainy. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to get around, as there is no metro. US dollars are widely accepted alongside Lebanese pounds. Dress modestly when visiting mosques and churches. Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world, is an easy trip up the coast. Check current travel advice before you go.