Lebanon

Visa requirements for Lebanon depend on which passport you hold. Check the Traveller visa tool to see whether your passport needs a visa and, if so, how long you can stay.

April–June and September–October are ideal — warm, pleasant, and suitable for Beirut, the Bekaa Valley (Baalbek), and the cedar forests of Mount Lebanon. July–August is hot; winters are cold at altitude. Security situation fluctuates — check current advisories before visiting.

• Beirut is cosmopolitan — fashionable and diverse; casual to smart casual
• Modest dress outside Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley
• Cover shoulders and knees in mosques and churches

• Lebanese hospitality is extraordinary — meals are enormous, generous, and non-negotiable
• Mezze (dozens of small dishes shared) is the Lebanese meal format — arrive hungry
• Beirut's nightlife and restaurant scene are world-renowned — the city endures and recreates itself constantly despite crises
• The Lebanese civil war (1975–1990), the 2006 war with Israel, and the 2020 Beirut port explosion are all living memory — engage with empathy
• Lebanese people are highly educated, well-travelled, and deeply proud of their culture

• The political and security situation can change rapidly — check your government's current advisory carefully; parts of the south near the Israeli border are particularly sensitive
• LGBTQ+ activity is technically illegal under colonial-era laws; some courts have challenged this but enforcement is inconsistent — exercise caution
• Photography near military installations, the presidential palace, and some government buildings restricted