Things to Do in Lebanon in January
January weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
January Weather in Lebanon
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
63°F (17°C)
High Temp
52°F (11°C)
Low Temp
6.1 inches (155 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Mountain roads ice over at night. Carry tyre chains and drive before 3 pm when thawing refreezes into black ice.
Is January Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + January is Lebanon's quietest tourist month. You'll have the cedar forests almost to yourself. Walk into Byblos' Crusader castle at noon without queuing. The hush feels like private access.
- + Storm-watching season on the coast. Huge Mediterranean swells crash against the Raouche rocks. Photographers love the drama. Anyone who likes their sea views raw will grin.
- + Truffle time in the Bekaa. Locals forage for wild desert truffles (terfas) after the first rains. Restaurants in Zahle serve them sautéed in local olive oil. The window lasts just a few weeks.
- + Hotel rates drop 30-40 % from December's holiday spike. Plenty of character guesthouses in Tripoli and Tyre still have availability a week out. Book late, pay less.
Considerations
- − Mountain snow can block the road to the Cedars of God at short notice. Carry chains if you rent a car. Check the Dahr el-Baidar pass status each morning. Conditions change fast.
- − Beirut's seafront promenade gets raw, wet winds in the afternoons. Outside café season. Many rooftop bars stay shuttered until March. Bring a jacket.
- − Power-cut schedule lengthens country-wide in winter. Even upscale hotels run generators overnight. The hum is hard to ignore. Earplugs help.
Best Activities in January
Top things to do during your visit
Bekaa Valley Winery Tasting Circuits
Grey January skies make the perfect excuse to stay indoors swirling Cabernet in 150-year-old cellars at Château Ksara and Château Kefraya. Vines are dormant, so winemakers have time to talk. You'll often taste straight from the barrel and leave with bottles released only on-site. Rain keeps the dust down and turns the valley a bright green you rarely see in summer photos.
Booking Tip: Email a day ahead. Small estates limit groups to eight. Taxis from Beirut are easy to arrange. But agree the driver waits so you can taste freely. The booking widget below lists licensed wine-tour operators if you'd rather not self-organise.
Tripoli Souk & Mamluk Architecture Walks
Lebanon's second city feels half-asleep in January. You can linger in the 14th-century Khan al-Saboun (soap souk) without being jostled. Photograph the lion-carved portal of the Burtasiya Mosque under soft winter light. Morning drizzle keeps the sesame-sweet scent of kahk clinging to alleyways near the copper market. Vendors have time to demonstrate how they beat trays of sesame-paste cookies in time with the call to prayer.
Booking Tip: Start at 9 am when the gold souk opens. Most lanes are covered so light rain won't matter. Licensed guides cluster outside the Citadel of Saint Gilles. Pick one with a Ministry of Tourism badge rather than a random approach.
Cedars of God Snow-Shoe Rambles
A decent snowfall usually carpets the 2,000 m (6,560 ft) ridge above Bsharri by mid-January. The ancient cedar grove is hushed, branches heavy with white. Your boots squeak on powdery paths between 1,000-year-old trunks. Afternoon cloud breaks can reveal the Qadisha valley 700 m (2,300 ft) below. A view summer hikers rarely get without haze.
Booking Tip: Snowshoes can be rented from the ski-shop strip in the Cedars village. Go mid-morning after the road crew has cleared overnight drifts. If the pass is closed, operators in the booking section run alternate cedar-view 4×4 trips from lower altitudes.
Sidon Sea-Castle & Soap-Carving Workshops
Sidon's Crusader sea-castle, surrounded by turquoise breakers in summer, stands moody and monochrome in January. Good for atmospheric photos without tourist boats cluttering the backdrop. After touring the ramparts, duck into the old soap khans where artisans still cut olive-oil bars by hand. The humid air keeps glycerine from cracking. You can try carving your own initials into a fresh block.
Booking Tip: The castle opens 9 am-4 pm. Arrive just before lunch when school groups thin out. Soap workshops happen inside Khan al-Franj. Ask at the small visitor kiosk for the daily schedule (usually 11 am and 2 pm).
Jeita Grotto Underground River Tours
January drip inside Jeita keeps the stalactites glassy and the lower-grotto river at its highest flow. Coloured lights reflect off ripples like moving stained glass. Because boats can only launch when water levels are right, winter runs feel exclusive. Outside, the mountain road is often wrapped in cloud. The cable-car descent feels like entering a secret chamber.
Booking Tip: Weekdays you'll share the boats with maybe six other visitors. Cameras are banned inside. Store phones in the free lockers before boarding. Sneakers grip the wet pontoon better than sandals.
Where to Stay in Lebanon in January
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for January travellers.
January Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early January
Feast of Saint Maron
On 8 January Maronite Christians celebrate their patron with open-air Mass at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Jounieh. Expect brass bands, cedar-branched processions, and free bowls of snobar (grilled pine-nut pudding) handed out after the service. Even non-religious visitors are welcomed.
Mid January
Zahle Winter Festival
The normally sleepy wine town strings fairy lights along its stone riverbanks for two January weekends. Local wineries set up outdoor tastings under gas heaters. Restaurants dish out kebbeh nayyeh and araq against a soundtrack of dabke dancing. Weather permitting, it's the liveliest mid-winter street party in the Bekaa.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Lebanon Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Download the Électricité du Liban app. See which three-hour blackout block your hotel sits in. Plan showers accordingly.
Order knafeh bil-kishta (warm cheese pastry) early morning at Tripoli's Al-Khan pastry. They stop baking once rain soaks the wood-fired oven. Arrive early.
Shared taxis (service) still run in January but wait times double in rain - stand under shop awnings, not the curb, and wave with palm down.
ATMs in mountain towns (Bsharri, Ehden) often run out of cash on ski-day weekends - withdraw in Beirut before heading up.
Avoid These Mistakes
Assuming 'winter' means no sunburn - days are short but bright. Shoulders and neck still burn on coastal walks.
Scheduling same-day Beirut-Cedars-Baalbek loop. Snow delays or landslides can strand you, turning a day trip into an overnight.
Wearing open sandals to restaurants. Many places crank space-heaters yet keep terrace doors open, so toes freeze.
Ready to plan your trip to Lebanon?
Now that you've got the research covered, here's where to go next.
Book Experiences in Lebanon
Top-rated things to do in Lebanon this January
Explore More Activities in Lebanon
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Lebanon.
See All Lebanon Tours on Viator