Ancient Ports Archaeological Trail

Walk through Lebanon's greatest Phoenician ports: Byblos (7,000 years inhabited), Tyre (Alexander's causeway), Sidon (sea castle), and the Temple of Eshmun. Includes Beirut's National Museum and the groundbreaking Tell el-Burak wine press discovery. This is where Phoenician maritime power began.

A Wine Memories curated trail · winememories.fi

8 experiences 🇱🇧 Lebanon moderate 1 week

Map

Loading map...

Stops

Curated by Wine Memories

  1. 1
    🍷

    Byblos - Birthplace of the Alphabet

    UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring Crusader castle, Phoenician temples and ramparts, Royal Necropolis, Roman theater, and Neolithic dwellings. Hire a guide at the ticket booth to navigate 7,000 years of layered history. Charming harbor for lunch afterward.

    archaeological $
  2. 2
    🍷

    National Museum of Beirut - Phoenician Treasures

    Lebanon's principal archaeology museum with 100,000 objects spanning prehistory to medieval times. The Phoenician Gallery showcases maritime trade artifacts, exquisite jewelry, and glasswork. Borrow a free iPad at entry for audio guide.

    archaeological $
  3. 3
    🍷

    Temple of Eshmun - Phoenician Healing Sanctuary

    Visit year-round, free of charge. Access from an exit ramp off the main southern highway near Sidon's northern entrance. See the Roman processional walkway, ablution basins, and nympheum alongside Phoenician foundations.

    archaeological free
  4. 4
    🍷

    Sidon Sea Castle & Souks - Maritime Trade Heritage

    The 13th-century Crusader Sea Castle sits dramatically in the harbor. Explore the atmospheric Old Souks for traditional crafts including soap-making, another Sidon specialty. The nearby Temple of Eshmun completes the Phoenician experience.

    archaeological $
  5. 5
    🍷

    Tell el-Burak - 2,600-Year-Old Phoenician Wine Press

    Archaeological site featuring the only known intact Phoenician wine press, discovered by American University of Beirut archaeologists in 2020. This 7th-century BC industrial winemaking facility proves the scale of Phoenician wine production for Mediterranean export. Currently an active dig site - check for visitor access.

    archaeological $
  6. 6
    🍷

    Tyre Al-Bass - The Phoenician Necropolis

    UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the largest and best-preserved Roman hippodrome (over 480m long), monumental arch, necropolis with hundreds of sarcophagi, and Roman road. This site (Al-Bass) is separate from the coastal Al-Mina ruins.

    archaeological $
  7. 7
    🍷

    Tyre Al-Mina - The Ancient Port

    The second part of Tyre's UNESCO site, located on what was once an indestructible island. Roman columns, Byzantine mosaics, and Crusader fortifications overlay the Phoenician harbor that launched a civilization.

    archaeological $
  8. 8
    🍷

    Baalbek Temple of Bacchus - Roman Wine God Shrine

    UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the largest and best-preserved Roman temple complex. The Temple of Bacchus (dedicated to the god of wine) stands beside the massive Temple of Jupiter. Essential context for understanding wine's sacred status in antiquity.

    archaeological $