One of the primary reasons I wanted to visit Lebanon was to see the Cedars of God – the famed Lebanese Cedars. These trees hyped my up as our visit to Lebanon approached.

See the Cedars of God

The Lebanese Cedar

The Cedar, which once covered nearly the entirety of the Mt. Lebanon range, has now been reduced to a small fraction of its original expanse with only a few remaining groves in the nation – the Cedars of God being the oldest.

The Cedars are mentioned of importance across numerous cultures and religions. They gain their name from the Epic of Gilgamesh, in which the forest was protected by the Sumerian god Enlil, who lost a battle with humans. Though some say that God planted the trees himself. The Cedars are referenced over 100 times in the Bible and were used to build Solomon’s Temple. The trees are also of significance to Pagans and Druze.

The trees were held in high esteem by the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Israelites, and Turks. The wood was considered of high quality and is attributed to the Phoenicians being the first sea-faring trading civilization. The Egyptians used it in some papyrus while numerous people used it for holy buildings and offerings. In all cases though, the trees were cut down and used without being replaced. The most notable cutters were the Phoenicians, and then later the Turkish for train fuel. If you know where to look, you can even find it as far away as in Marrakech.

Only a Few Remain

Today, only a few groves remain, although the Lebanese government has enacted measures to spread the tree’s range. Interestingly, they promote natural reforestation, instead of replanting, so the forests will be wilder.

We began our way to see the Cedars of God by walking from our Airbnb in Bcharre. We intended to grab a taxi, but had no phone or way to get a hold of one beforehand. Ultimately, we were prepared to make the hike up to the forest. Thankfully, a taxi pulled up beside us a few minutes into walking. Getting in saved us from a 10 km hike with 800m elevation gain.

The drive took about fifteen minutes and $20, during which we steadily climbed the mountain. Bcharre and the Kadisha Valley shrank below us. At one point, the taxi driver pulled off to the side of the road and took our picture overlooking the valley. Jumping back in the car, we made our way to the entrance of the Cedars of God. The taxi driver kept insisting that he would wait outside for us and that it only took 30 minutes to see the forest. He then offered to come in and give us a tour (because he was also a tour operator).

If you are interested in his services though, here is his information:

Getting in to see the Cedars of God

We tried to turn him down, but he kept insisting. Briana managed to get him to understand that we did not want him to give us a tour, though he would still wait for us – we wanted to visit the Kadisha Grotto after. We also stated that we would be about an hour or so, although we kept telling him we’d rather do two. Despite our aversion to tour guides, that shouldn’t stop you from accepting his services as he was dedicated to his job.

Entry into the forest was by “donation”. There is no set fee, so you can donate however much you want. We paid 1000 LBP (~$0.66) each to enter. From there we descended a stone stairway that then led into the grove.

Exploring the Cedars of God

The fresh air was quite freeing, and cool fragrance of cedar and flowers floated through the air. The entire grove was blossoming with numerous flowers as millennia-old cedar towered above. The path wove it’s way down a gully, and then made a few switchbacks as it moved it’s way uphill.

We came across the oldest tree in the park, estimated at 3000 years old. It was very large and gnarled.

A Small Stone Chapel

We came around a turn and found ourselves at an old church. I wish I knew what the name was, but we found that most the plaques in the forest were devoid of any information. However, we ventured inside and found a stately chamber. Although it was dark, we could still see the glitter of gold on the art work.

Walking out of the church, we then made our way down a path that led towards a large central grove with a few stone ruins and some central trees.

See Jesus in the Trees

One tree, in particular, was roped off and at first, I really didn’t understand why. But Briana said there were carvings and upon a closer look, noticed that numerous trunk sections had been carved to look like Jesus. The carvings were phenomenal and you could easily look at them for a long time.

From there we then proceeded on through various winding paths through the forest for about another 45 minutes. The flowers were in full bloom. We would have liked to spend longer within the forest but had the taxi waiting. Ultimately, we spent about an hour and fifteen minutes within the forest, but you could easily spend another hour if you take your time.

Prepare to see the Cedars of God

While I wouldn’t call Bcharre remote by any means – Lebanon is not really large enough for any place to be truly remote – it is still far enough from major cities that you want to be sure you brought everything you want with you. Since the town is at a higher elevation in a rather arid zone, you’re definitely going to want to be prepared if you plan to do pretty much anything here.

If you are pressed for time or would simply like to have your visit a little more streamlined, you can book a tour here.

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Travel Pack – Carrying the right pack can make a huge difference when out and about. Our ultimate guide to choosing a travel pack will help ensure you get off on the right foot.
Water Bottles – Collapsible Water Bottles – These are some of our favorite items to bring with us. They’re really light-weight and you can also roll them up so you can store them away easily. If there is one item that is most important to bring with you, it is water.
Hiking Clothes – The Kadisha Valley is completely exposed and you are very vulnerable to the elements. But with the proper gear, you can hike in comfort. A recent addition to my wardrobe has made a big difference so that I can be protected and comfortable. For him | For her
Headlamps – Bcharre gets dark at night, so if you are wandering around after dark or caught on a trail in the evening, these will show you the way and keep your hands free. Stay safe. Foxelli Headlamp Flashlight
Trekking Poles – We did not need poles with us during our short time, but had we spent enough time to wander down the gorge we would have wanted them. The trails are steep and treacherous and some trekking poles for stability will help greatly. These are great because they can support a lot of weight, and can collapse down for easier carrying. Trekking Poles
Sun Screen – We got burned a little here. We got caught out longer than intended and didn’t have anything to do about it. If you don’t cover up with clothes, then you should wear sunscreen. We’ve used these and we haven’t been burned since, plus they are allowed in carry-on luggage. TSA Approved Sunscreen
Water Filter – One of the stupidest things we’ve ever done is head out into the mountains here, with no water at all! We were so thirsty and there was nowhere to grab a drink and no one to ask for help. In desperation, I found a little mountain spring running across the trail that I drank from. It tasted fine, but that is very dangerous to do. In emergencies, you want to be safe with your water. These drinking straws allow you to drink straight from (almost) any source of water and be safe. LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
First-aid Kit – You really need to be prepared for anything when hiking, which means you need to be prepared for injury. We don’t often get hurt, but we have. You never know what could happen so you should always carry a basic first aid kit to be able to patch up whatever may happen. First-Aid Kit