Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, a Mediterranean port of mosques, churches, Ottoman and French-mandate architecture, museums, corniche promenades and one of the Arab world's best food scenes. In October 2026 it is also a city under very restrictive government travel advisories (US Level 4 Do Not Travel; Canada avoid all travel; Australia do not travel; UK against all travel to parts of the city), so this guide leads with the security picture and then covers what is open, where to stay and eat, and how to get around.
Local currency: Lebanese pound (LBP) and US dollar (USD).
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Beirut.
- Mid-range
- ~$200/day (LBP 17.9 million)
- Luxury
- ~$600+/day (LBP 53.7 million+)
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- Dorm beds about $15-30 (LBP 1.3-2.7 million, estimate; few hostels are open, so check booking sites)
- Budget
- ~$40-80 (LBP 3.6-7.2 million) guesthouses and simple hotels in Hamra, Achrafieh or Gemmayzeh
- Midrange
- ~$90-180 (LBP 8.1-16.1 million) three- and four-star hotels such as Gefinor Rotana
- Luxury
- ~$180-600 (LBP 16-54 million) at InterContinental Phoenicia, Mövenpick and Hotel Albergo (rates not verified; check hotel websites)
Food
- Street
- $1-4 (LBP 90,000-360,000) for manoushe, falafel or a shawarma sandwich
- Local
- $6-15 (LBP 540,000-1.3 million) at casual Lebanese restaurants
- Midrange
- $20-40 (LBP 1.8-3.6 million) for a mezze dinner
- Fine
- $60-150 (LBP 5.4-13.4 million) at fine-dining restaurants
Transport
- Bus
- About LBP 100,000-200,000 ($1-2) on informal shared service taxis and LCC buses (estimate)
- Taxi
- $3-8 (LBP 270,000-715,000) per city trip by Uber or Bolt
- Airport
- $10-20 by Uber or Bolt; $20-35 by official taxi (estimates)
- Daytrip
- Private car with driver to Jeita Grotto or Byblos about $60-120 per day (estimate; check the advisory first)
Activities
- National Museum
- Reported about $5 (estimate; verify at the entrance)
- Sursock Museum
- Free or low-cost depending on exhibition (verify on sursock.museum)
- Mohammad Al Amin Mosque
- Free; women borrow a robe at the entrance
- Corniche And Pigeon Rocks
- Free
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Beirut costs end-to-end.
3 Day traveller
~$165-330 (LBP 14.8-29.5 million) per person on a budget (excluding flights)
7 Day traveller
~$385-770 (LBP 34.5-68.9 million) per person on a budget (excluding flights)
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Travel in October-November or April-May when hotels are cheaper than in July and August.
Eat manoushe and falafel breakfasts and shawarma lunches at local shops for $2-6 and save restaurant meals for dinner.
Use shared tables and mezze for sharing at mid-range restaurants; portions are large.
Use app taxis for fixed fares and avoid unpriced airport taxis.
Choose a hotel with a generator included in the rate so you are not paying for separate cooling or charging.
Walk the Corniche and visit churches and mosques for free, and limit paid museums to one or two.
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Beirut Corniche
Seafront promenade for walking, jogging and sunset.
Pigeon Rocks (Raouche)
Sea stacks viewed from the railing.
Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
Blue-domed mosque on Martyrs' Square, visits outside prayer times.