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.
Beirut's everyday street crime is moderate and visitors report that the central districts feel calm, but the national security picture is the most serious of any destination in this series. A cessation of hostilities announced in June 2026 has not ended Israeli airstrikes, which have continued mainly in South Lebanon, Nabatieh, the Bekaa and Beirut's southern suburbs, sometimes without warning. The airport is operating, but road access and flights can be cut at short notice. Power cuts, fuel shortages, kidnapping risk near the Syria border, demonstrations and unexploded ordnance in the south add to the risk. Governments advise against all or most travel, consular help is limited and travel insurance may be invalid, so anyone who travels should have an exit plan.
Current safety advisory
High Risk (Government Advisories At The Highest Level; Avoid The Southern Suburbs, The South And The Bekaa Entirely)
Lebanon is at the highest advisory level of the US (Level 4), Canada (avoid all travel) and Australia (do not travel), and the UK advises against all travel to parts of Beirut including the southern suburbs (Ghobeiry, Haret Hraik, Burj Al Barajneh, Chiyah, Mraije, Laylaki). Israeli airstrikes continued after the June 2026 cessation of hostilities. Beirut airport is open but can be disrupted at short notice. Anyone who travels should stay in the central districts, hold flexible tickets and valid insurance and avoid the south, Bekaa and Syria border.
Last updated: 2026-10-22
Official advisories
Guidance from national travel-advisory services.
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Essential safety tips
Practical advice that applies everywhere.
Read your own government's current Lebanon page before booking and again before flying: US travel.state.gov, UK gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/lebanon, Canada travel.gc.ca/destinations/lebanon, Australia smartraveller.gov.au.
Never enter Beirut's southern suburbs (Dahiyeh): Ghobeiry, Haret Hreik, Burj Al Barajneh, Chiyah, Mraije and Laylaki are under the UK's strictest warning, and Canada also names Jnah, Bir Hasan and Hazmieh. This includes passing through by taxi or service taxi.
Keep flights flexible or refundable, hold a printed copy of the booking, and leave early if strikes resume; Canada warns the airport road can be closed for hours and flights cancelled.
Choose a hotel with a 24-hour generator, a ground-floor or internal exit route and a staffed reception; state electricity cuts are routine.
Carry cash US dollars in small bills, a power bank, a paper copy of the hotel address and the embassy phone number (UK +961 1 960 800).
Take cover immediately if gunfire is heard: celebratory shooting at weddings, funerals and political events is common.
Avoid demonstrations, party offices, military sites and checkpoints; do not photograph soldiers, government buildings or security installations.
Use app taxis (Uber, Bolt) or official taxis arranged through the hotel; Canada advises against public transport.
Do not travel to the south, the Bekaa, the Israeli border zone, Palestinian refugee camps or the Syria border; they are inside the warning areas of most governments.
Emergency numbers: 112 police (Internal Security Forces), 140 Red Cross ambulance, 175 fire, 125 Civil Defence.
Common scams to avoid
Recognise and sidestep tourist-targeted scams.
Airport taxi and pickup overcharging
Drivers outside arrivals quote $40-60 for a ride that normally costs $20-35, and unofficial drivers approach arriving passengers inside the terminal.
How to avoid: Order Uber or Bolt in the app or pre-arrange a hotel transfer; if taking an official taxi, agree the full fare in dollars before getting in.
Currency rate games
Some shops and drivers give change in Lebanese pounds at a rate far below the market rate of about 89,500 LBP per dollar.
How to avoid: Ask for the dollar price, hand over exact small bills where possible, and check the rate on the receipt.
Unlicensed money changers and 'good rate' offers
Strangers offer cash exchange or card-for-cash deals at rates that look better than banks.
How to avoid: Use licensed exchange offices, OMT or Whish Money agents, or bank ATMs only.
Fake fixers and unlicensed tours to the south or Bekaa
Operators advertise day tours to Tyre, Baalbek or the border area despite government warnings and unexploded ordnance.
How to avoid: Do not buy tours to areas covered by the 'do not travel' warnings; check the current advisory first.
Nightlife bill padding
Some bars and clubs add unlisted charges or inflate bottle-service bills for foreign customers.
How to avoid: Ask to see a priced menu before ordering, keep your own tab and check each item before paying.
Health considerations
Staying healthy on your trip.
- Vaccinations
- No vaccinations are required for entry from most countries. Routine vaccines (measles, tetanus, polio) and hepatitis A are advised; check the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and your national travel health service for current advice.
- Water
- Tap water is not safe for drinking in most buildings; use sealed bottled water.
- Food
- Hygiene is good in established restaurants; choose busy places and eat freshly cooked food, especially in summer when power cuts affect refrigeration.
- Facilities
- Beirut has strong private hospitals: American University of Beirut Medical Center (Cairo Street, Hamra; +961 1 350 000, published main number), Hotel-Dieu de France (Alfred Naccache Street, Achrafieh; +961 1 615 300), Rizk Hospital (Zahar Street, Achrafieh; +961 1 200 800). Payment in dollars up front is common, so insurance with direct billing or upfront cash is needed. Call 140 for the Red Cross ambulance. Pharmacies are plentiful and many medicines are sold without a prescription, but supply shortages have occurred.
- Heat
- Summer humidity is high; drink water often, avoid midday sun, and note that air conditioning only works where a generator is running during power cuts.
Safety for specific travellers
Tailored advice for different groups.
Solo travellers
Share the hotel address, flight details and the daily plan with someone at home, and agree a check-in time each evening., Save your embassy's phone number offline (UK +961 1 960 800; Canada +961 4 726 700; US +961 4 543 600)., Carry a power bank and a local SIM or eSIM as a data backup., Stay in a hotel in Achrafieh or Hamra with reception staff at all hours and a generator., Check news and your embassy's alerts each morning before leaving the hotel.
Female travellers
Use Uber or Bolt after dark rather than hailing taxis on the street., Dress casually in the city; cover shoulders and knees for mosques and churches., Ignore street comments and walk on; report harassment to hotel reception or call 112., Avoid walking alone on empty Corniche stretches and in unlit side streets at night.
Families
Government advisories recommend against travel with children; consult them before booking and keep flights changeable., Write the hotel name, address and a phone number on a card in each child's pocket., Avoid crowds, demonstrations and the Corniche after dark; keep to central and western districts., Carry bottled water, a first-aid kit and a printed copy of children's vaccination and medical details.
LGBTQ+ travellers
Article 534 of the penal code criminalises 'unnatural' sexual relations; Beirut has a visible community and venues, but enforcement and political pressure on LGBTQ events increased in 2023-2024. Discretion in public is advised.
Emergency contacts
Numbers to know before you go.
- Police
- 112
- Medical
- 140
- Fire
- 175
- General Emergency
- 112
- Civil Defence
- 125
- Main Hospital
- American University of Beirut Medical Center (Hamra); Hotel-Dieu de France (Achrafieh); Rizk Hospital (Achrafieh)