Overview
Lebanon packs Roman temples, Mediterranean beaches, mountain villages and a celebrated food culture into a country smaller than Yorkshire. For UK travellers it is a relatively short flight by long-haul standards, with Beirut acting as the single gateway for every onward destination. Before booking, it is always worth checking the latest FCDO travel advice for Lebanon, as guidance can change and affects both entry and travel insurance.
Best time to fly to Lebanon
Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) are the sweet spots: warm days, cooler evenings and clear skies for exploring Beirut, Byblos and the Bekaa Valley. July and August are hot, humid and firmly peak season, when much of the Lebanese diaspora returns home and hotels fill quickly – the When to book chart above shows how fares shift through the year. Winter is quieter and greener, with rain on the coast and enough snow in the mountains above Beirut for a day on the slopes.
Main gateway cities & airports
Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) is Lebanon's only commercial international airport, sitting around 9km south of the city centre. Whether you are bound for the capital, the ruins at Baalbek, the northern cedar forests or the southern coast at Tyre and Sidon, you will arrive here. The terminal is compact and easy to navigate, and the drive into central Beirut takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes outside rush hour.
Airlines and routes
Middle East Airlines (MEA), Lebanon's flag carrier, operates the direct route from London Heathrow to Beirut, with a typical flying time of about four and three-quarter hours. From Manchester and other regional airports you will normally connect through a single hub – Istanbul with Turkish Airlines or Pegasus, Frankfurt or Munich with Lufthansa, Paris with Air France, Amman with Royal Jordanian, or Doha with Qatar Airways. One-stop journeys from northern UK cities generally take between eight and twelve hours depending on the layover. Use the search on this page to compare direct and connecting options for flights from London to Lebanon.
Popular places to visit in Lebanon
- Beirut: a fast-moving capital of rooftop bars, Ottoman and French-era architecture, museums and a corniche made for evening strolls.
- Byblos (Jbeil): one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns on earth, with a Crusader castle and a pretty fishing harbour.
- Baalbek: the colossal Roman temples of Jupiter and Bacchus, among the best-preserved anywhere in the world.
- Jeita Grotto: a vast two-level limestone cave system north of Beirut, explored partly on foot and partly by boat.
- Qadisha Valley & the Cedars of God: a UNESCO-listed gorge of monasteries and ancient cedar trees, and Lebanon's main ski area in winter.
Top tips for finding cheap flights to Lebanon
- Avoid July, August and the Christmas and Easter holidays, when diaspora demand pushes fares up – the price charts on this page highlight the cheaper shoulder weeks.
- Compare the direct MEA service from Heathrow against one-stop European carriers; a connection is often noticeably cheaper from regional airports.
- Be flexible by a few days and look at midweek departures, which typically undercut weekend flights.
- Book roughly two to four months ahead for the best balance of price and choice, and set a fare alert so you are ready when prices dip.
Travel essentials
Most UK passport holders can obtain a free single-entry tourist visa on arrival at Beirut airport for stays of up to one month, provided the passport has at least six months' validity and no evidence of travel to Israel. The currency is the Lebanese pound, though US dollars in cash are widely used for everyday payments; card acceptance and ATMs can be unreliable, so carry enough cash for your trip. For the best fares, book a couple of months out and use the When to book chart above to time your purchase.
