Mountain Biking in Lebanon: A Complete Guide

Lebanon offers a small but spirited mountain biking scene where cedar forests, limestone ridges and Mediterranean coastline collapse into a single ride. Expect short distances, big elevation and a tight-knit local community.

By the IMPT Travel desk · Updated 2026-05-30

Lebanon packs an outsized vertical relief into a country roughly 10,452 square kilometres in size. The Mount Lebanon range runs parallel to the Mediterranean coast, rising to 3,088 metres at Qurnat as-Sawda, with the Anti-Lebanon range and the Beqaa Valley sitting inland. For mountain bikers this means short transfers between sea level and proper alpine terrain, with riding that mixes loose limestone, pine and cedar forest singletrack, shepherd trails and old French Mandate-era forest roads.

The scene is small but established. The Lebanon Mountain Trail, a 470-kilometre hiking path inaugurated in 2007, has been adapted by local riders into long bikepacking lines linking villages from Andqet in the north to Marjaayoun in the south. Day-ride hubs cluster in the Beirut Mountains above the capital, around Faraya, Faqra, Baskinta and the Chouf Cedar Reserve. Trail networks are largely informal, so a local guide or a club ride with groups based in Beirut and Bikfaya is the most reliable way to find the good lines and avoid private land issues.

Riding is a four-season affair, but the windows matter. The Mediterranean climate delivers hot, dry summers from June to September, when riders shift above 1,500 metres for cooler air and shade. Spring (April-May) and autumn (October-early November) are widely considered the best windows, with wildflowers or crisp air and stable conditions. Winter storms between December and March deposit snow on the high peaks, closing upper trails but opening lower coastal and Chouf-region rides. Lebanon does not experience monsoons or typhoons; rainfall is concentrated in winter.

Practicalities require planning. Many nationalities can obtain a free visa on arrival at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, though rules change and travellers with Israeli stamps are refused entry. Check your foreign ministry's current travel advisory before booking. The local currency is the Lebanese pound, but US dollars are widely accepted in cash following the post-2019 banking crisis; bring physical USD and expect limited card acceptance. Arabic is the official language, with French and English common in tourism. There is no national rail network and public transport is limited, so most riders use private transfers, rental cars or guide-arranged shuttles to reach trailheads.

Destinations in Lebanon

• Beirut Mountains