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Voykit pocket guide · Lebanon
Tyre
صور
Give Tyre two nights: one full day for the Al-Bass ruins and hippodrome, one for the beach and the Christian quarter. Day-tripping from Beirut wastes 5 h on the road.
Tyre is a peninsula in south Lebanon, about 80 km from Beirut, with a Roman hippodrome and necropolis listed by UNESCO since 1984, plus the cleanest city beaches in the country. It is small, walkable and quiet, and most travellers never get this far south. Two nights covers the ruins, the sea and the old quarter without rushing.
- Country
- Lebanon
- Local name
- صور
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and crowded with Lebanese summer crowds); check the current security situation before any date
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- LBP
- Money
- US dollar cash is the backbone of payments: see Insurance & payments above.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$35–60 excl. bed · Mid US$60–110 excl. bed · High US$110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Red Cross ambulance 140 · Civil defence 175
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea at a beach café | US$1.50–3 |
| Fatayel or a small sandwich in the old town | US$1–3 |
| Plate of fresh fish or seafood | US$10–20 |
| Beer at a corniche bar | US$3–6 |
| Short service car ride in town | 2,000–5,000 LBP |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | US$10–20 |
| Al-Bass site entry | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BEY · Beirut–Rafic Hariri International
- About 2.5 h by road to Tyre; no airport in the south.
Typical fares
- Minibus Beirut (Cola) → Tyre
- about US$4, 2.5 h
- Shared service car Beirut → Tyre
- about US$10 per person
- Private taxi Beirut → Tyre
- US$80–90 per car
- Short service car in Tyre
- 2,000–5,000 LBP
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot. The beachfront, souq, port and Christian quarter sit within 5–10 min of each other. Al-Bass is about 2 km (1.2 mi) away: take a taxi or service. Shared 'service' cars cost roughly 2,000–5,000 LBP for short hops; agree the price and whether it is private or shared before you get in.On foot. The beachfront, souq, port and Christian quarter sit within 5–10 min of each other. Al-Bass is about 1.2 mi (2 km) away: take a taxi or service. Shared 'service' cars cost roughly 2,000–5,000 LBP for short hops; agree the price and whether it is private or shared before you get in.
See and do
Known for
- Tyre Hippodrome
- Al-Bass necropolis and Roman road
- UNESCO World Heritage listing (1984)
- Beaches and the Christian quarter
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sidon | Minibus from the Al-Bass roundabout, motorway route | About 1 h |
| Tibnin | Shared taxi or service car, inland route | About 45 min |
| Marjayoun | Service car via Nabatieh, then local taxi | 1.5–2 h |
| Jezzine | Service car via Sidon, then up into the hills | About 2 h |
| Beirut | Minibus from the Al-Bass roundabout, motorway route | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Beachfront and Rest House strip
- Sand, pools and beach cafés on the doorstep; the resort end of town.
- Old town and Christian quarter
- Thin lanes, small shops and the lighthouse at the peninsula tip; walkable to the port.
- Al-Bass side
- Closest to the ruins and the minibus roundabout; less pleasant for an evening.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | مرحباmarhaba |
| Thank you | شكراshukran |
| How much is it? | قديش؟addaysh |
| Where is the beach? | وين البحر؟wayn el bahr |
| I don't understand | ما بفهمma befham |
| Please | لو سمحتlaw samaht |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Scams and watch-outs
- Military checkpoints run on the Beirut–Sidon–Tyre roads; carry your passport and remove sunglasses and hats when stopped.
- Read your own government's travel advice for south Lebanon before booking; this desk does not plan around it.
- Touts at the Al-Bass roundabout grab luggage to load it on their minibus: hold your bag and agree destination and price first.
- Tourists are often quoted a higher minibus fare than locals; ask a fellow passenger what the fare should be.
- Beach cafés and hut restaurants can be pricey in summer; ask before ordering.
Tyre itself is small and calm, with a UNIFIL presence in the south, but the wider region is a conflict zone: check your government's advice for south Lebanon before you travel and again before you leave Beirut.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tyre yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tyre Hippodrome
- Al-Bass necropolis and Roman road
- UNESCO World Heritage listing (1984)
- Beaches and the Christian quarter
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- UNESCO — Tyre: whc.unesco.org/en/list/299/
- Wikivoyage: Tyre, revision 5320434 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5320434
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tyreصور
على هالعنوان لو سمحت
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Tyre; most are in Beirut. Check your own government's list before travelling south.
UNIFIL troops are a common sight in the south; checkpoints may ask for your passport.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tyre). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.