Practical Information for visiting Lebanon

The Lebanese pound collapsed from 2019, losing the great majority of its value, and the economy has largely dollarised. US dollars in cash are used for most transactions of any size.

Bring cash dollars. The banking system remains in crisis, international cards are unreliable, and ATMs may not dispense against foreign accounts or may do so at poor rates. Bring clean, undamaged notes in a range of denominations, and more than you expect to need.

Prices in Lebanese pounds shift with the exchange rate; quoted figures go out of date quickly. Change small amounts as needed rather than a lump sum.

Some larger hotels and restaurants take cards, but assume they will not.

Tipping is customary and matters a great deal in the current situation: around ten per cent in restaurants even where service is added, and generously for drivers and guides.

Coverage for mobile networks is reasonable across the populated areas from Alfa and Touch, with 4G in the cities and along the coast, thinner in the mountains and the Bekaa.

Power cuts are the real constraint. State electricity has been available for only a few hours a day in much of the country since the collapse, and everything else runs on private generators, which affects internet, lighting and water pumps. Hotels and restaurants generally have generator cover; simpler accommodation may not.

Local SIMs are relatively expensive by regional standards but work well; bring a passport to register.

Wi-Fi is common in hotels and cafes and is generally decent when the power is on.

Bring a power bank, and charge whenever the electricity is up.

Check your government’s current advice before booking and again before travelling. Advisories for Lebanon change, and many governments advise against travel to parts of the country or to all of it. Such advice normally invalidates travel insurance.

• Regional conflict. The southern border area and parts of the Bekaa have been affected by hostilities, and the situation can change rapidly. Areas south of the Litani river and near the Syrian border are commonly subject to advisories against all travel.
• Beirut’s southern suburbs and some Bekaa districts are usually advised against.
• Political demonstrations can occur with little warning and turn confrontational; avoid them entirely.
• Unexploded ordnance remains in the south; never walk off made paths in that area.
• Crime against visitors is comparatively low, though petty theft and opportunistic robbery have risen with the economic crisis.
• Driving is the most likely everyday danger; the accident rate is high.

Lebanese medicine was historically among the best in the region and the private hospitals in Beirut — the American University Medical Center among them — remain good. The system has been badly weakened by the economic crisis, with shortages of medicines and many staff emigrating.

Insurance is essential and should cover medical evacuation; check whether your policy is valid given the current advisory position, as many exclude countries under a warning.

Bring your own prescription medication in sufficient quantity and in original packaging — local availability is unreliable.

Vaccinations: routine cover plus hepatitis A and typhoid; hepatitis B and rabies for longer stays.

Water: tap water is not reliably safe; drink bottled or filtered, including for teeth. Supply interruptions are common.

Heat on the coast in summer, and cold and snow in the mountains in winter, are both worth preparing for properly.

Pharmacies are widespread and pharmacists knowledgeable, though stock varies.

Lebanon is plural, so read the room. Beirut’s central districts are liberal and dress is relaxed; the southern suburbs, parts of the Bekaa, Tripoli and conservative villages are not. Cover shoulders and knees outside the cosmopolitan areas.

Religious sites: shoulders, knees and for women often hair covered in mosques, where scarves are lent; remove shoes. Churches expect modest dress.

Hospitality is insistent. Refusing food or coffee outright causes offence — accept a little. Expect an argument over the bill and be prepared to lose it graciously.

Politics and religion: Lebanese discuss both freely among themselves, and a visitor is better off listening than offering views, particularly on the war, sect or the region.

Photography: never photograph military, checkpoints or security installations. Ask before photographing people.

Israel: any evidence of travel to Israel, including stamps, will be refused entry; contact with Israeli nationals is legally restricted.

Alcohol is legal and widely available.

Emergency numbers: 112 for police, 140 for the Red Cross ambulance service — which runs most ambulances in the country and is the number people actually call — and 175 for fire.

Medical. Head for a private hospital in Beirut if you have a choice; the American University Medical Center and Hotel-Dieu are among the best. Payment in cash dollars or an insurance guarantee is expected upfront.

Consular help: embassies are in Beirut. Register with your foreign ministry’s travel service if it offers one, given how quickly the situation can change.

If the situation deteriorates, the airport is the only practical way out and can close. Keep your passport with you, hold some cash in reserve, and follow your embassy’s instructions rather than improvising.

Keep offline copies of your passport, visa and insurance, and agree a check-in schedule with someone at home.