First time in Beirut? Interested in exploring Beirut’s layers of history by foot? WalkBeirut offers the city’s only guided walking tours in English. Their tours are run by Lebanese students who know the city inside-out.

The tour offers an insider’s look into Beirut’s rich and often troublesome past, while witnessing upfront our city’s enduring spirit. Walk through Beirut’s revitalization in recent years, as we share personal experiences of tragedy and transformation.

WalkBeirut first started operating tours this past May. Their tour’s concept is simple: get to know Beirut by foot. Our city can best be explained through visual stories, and they have created a walking route that is pedestrian-friendly and brings you to neighborhoods that are critical in grasping Beirut’s diverse history. Roughly 5 hours long, the tour loops around the city and includes two breaks (one for coffee; one for a light dinner). Their Wednesday and Saturday tours take the same route, but if you’re interested in the city’s architectural history, the best would be to come on Saturdays. That day one of WalkBeirut’s tour guide, an architect by profession, includes extra stops that help explain the mysteries behind Beirut’s dizzying (and often dazzling) skyline.

The stops include Ras Beirut’s Hamra district and its former cafe and cinema culture; the preserved buildings of Clemanceu and Kantari neighborhoods; the never-completed Burj el Murr and former Holiday Inn building, and their importance during the civil war; the city’s old Jewish quarter Wadi Abu Jmeel and its soon-to-be restored synagogue; the Grand Serail; the Solidere project that has been reconstructing downtown Beirut since 1993; Martyr’s Square and its use as a rallying point during the Ottoman Empire, the French Mandate, and recent pro and anti-Syrian demonstrations; the civil war’s green line that split the city into East and West Beirut; the ghosts of Bashoura and “Khandaq al Ghamiq”; the creation of Saifi Village; the Samir Kassir garden and downtown’s old shopping street ‘Rue Foche’; Solidere’s ‘Normandy’ land reclamation; the St. George Hotel and Rafic Hariri’s memorial; and the ain el mraisseh corniche (Beirut’s seaside promenade).

All you need to bring is a bottle of water and comfortable shoes. The WalkBeirut team will take care of the rest!

Tours are offered every Wednesday and Saturday, 4:30 - 9:30 pm.
Ticket Price: 25,000 lira (includes citymap)
For reservations: walk@walkbeirut.com; +961.70.156.673
For further information: http://www.bebeirut.org/walk.html