LebanonPaul Doyle
Guidebook
Lebanon
Paul Doyle · 2022
The only dedicated English-language Lebanon guidebook in print, useful for the mountain roads up to Tannourine and Baatara.
Lebanon
Baatara Gorge Waterfall
Spring snowmelt pours behind three stacked limestone bridges and vanishes into a chasm roughly 250 metres deep, high in the mountains above Tannourine. It runs hard from about March to May and dwindles to a trickle by midsummer.
Full guide Checked September 2026 by David Bussell · 34 sources
Most waterfalls end in a pool. Baatara ends in a hole. A snowmelt stream in the hills between Laqlouq and Tannourine runs off a limestone lip and drops into the Baatara Pothole, a Jurassic-era shaft about 250 metres deep. On the way down it passes behind three natural rock bridges, stacked one above the other across the throat of the chasm. The French name, Gouffre des Trois Ponts (the Three Bridges Chasm), describes it exactly. The visible cascade is roughly 90 to 100 metres. The rest of the 255-metre descent happens underground and out of sight, and the water resurfaces at a spring several kilometres away. Henri Coiffait, a French biospeleologist, brought the site to outside attention in 1952, and the Spéléo-Club du Liban mapped the cave in the 1980s.
A visit is short and vertical. You leave the car on the road near Balaa village, pay at the entrance and walk down a few flights of stone steps and a path into the gorge, about 15 minutes, to terraces and railings that look straight across at the bridges. There is no route to the bottom for visitors, and no swimming or wading. Nothing is hidden around a corner: you see all three bridges from the rim. The walk back up is the only effort, and on wet or icy stone it is slower than it looks.
Come for the geology, and come in spring. From late March to May, with snow still on the peaks, the stream arrives in a white column and the bridges drip. By July the cascade is a thread, and some summers it stops completely. The chasm itself is still worth an hour in any month. The Lebanon Mountain Trail passes the rim, the Tannourine cedar reserve is a short drive away, and the Qadisha Valley and the Cedars of God, a joint UNESCO World Heritage Site, are close enough that Baatara makes a natural first stop on a two- or three-day loop through the northern mountains.
Book this trip
All activities & prices ↓- Qadisha Valley & Cedars of God tour from Beirutfrom US$87 Check availability
- Lebanon waterfalls day trip: Afqa, Baatara & Kfar Helda Check availability
- Baatara, Aaqoura lakes & Batroun day tripfrom US$200 Check availability
Lebanon travel advisories: read this before you book
Lebanon was at war in the first half of 2026. After Hezbollah attacked Israel on 2 March, Israel carried out months of airstrikes on southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs and the Beqaa Valley, followed by a ground operation in the south. A truce in April and repeated ceasefire extensions led in mid-June to an announced end to military operations. As of late September 2026 there is a fragile ceasefire, Israeli forces remain in parts of the south, and violations continue. The three governments' advice differs, and it matters where you go. The UNITED STATES rates all of Lebanon Level 4, 'Do Not Travel' (updated 21 August 2026). It names southern Lebanon, the Syrian border, the Dahiyeh and southern Beirut, and refugee settlements as especially dangerous, and it ordered non-emergency embassy staff to leave in February. CANADA advises against all travel to Lebanon and says consular help during an active conflict is limited. The UNITED KINGDOM (updated 10 August 2026) is the most specific. It advises against all travel to the South and Nabatieh governorates, several southern Beirut suburbs west of Camille Chamoun Boulevard towards the airport road, the eastern Beqaa and much of Baalbek-Hermel, northern Akkar and all Palestinian camps. It advises against all but essential travel to parts of Tripoli, southern Mount Lebanon and the rest of Baalbek-Hermel. Baatara, Tannourine, the Qadisha Valley, Bsharri and the Cedars are not in any FCDO restricted zone, and we found no reports of 2026 strikes in these northern mountain districts. There are two exceptions. First, the pass over the mountains east of the Cedars leads down into Baalbek-Hermel, which the FCDO restricts, so do not continue that way. Second, the road from Beirut airport passes close to the restricted southern suburbs. Beirut airport stayed open through most of the fighting, and in September 2026 Middle East Airlines, Turkish, Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Etihad, Air Arabia and AJet were flying. However, flights were cancelled at short notice in June, and Canada reports that roads to the airport are sometimes closed. For US and Canadian citizens, travelling means going against your government's country-wide advice, which can invalidate travel insurance and leaves you with little consular support. Check all three advisories on the day you book and again before you fly. This page cannot replace them.
Just the chasm, or the whole mountain loop?
Baatara Gorge
The waterfall itselfBalaa, between Laqlouq and Tannourine el-Faouqa
A short, steep walk from the roadside entrance takes you to viewing terraces facing the three bridges. The whole site fits into one field of view: bridges stacked above, water falling behind them, and the shaft dropping away below. An hour covers it comfortably. The site's appeal depends on water, so time a special trip for April or May. Outside the melt it is a geology stop on the way to somewhere else, and still worth the detour.
Viewing terraces facing the three bridgesStone steps down into the gorgeLebanon Mountain Trail passing the rimVisitor café and facilities (reported added around 2017)
- Entry Paid entry at the gate, amount unverified for 2026; daylight hours; allow about an hour
- Best for Anyone in Lebanon between late March and May; photographers; a short stop on a Beirut day trip
Tannourine Cedars Forest Nature Reserve
About 12 km² of steep cedar forestAbove Tannourine el-Faouqa, a short drive north of Baatara
One of Lebanon's largest and densest cedar forests, protected since 1999, where cedars make up more than 80 per cent of the trees and cling to slopes steep enough that the forest escaped heavy logging and heavy crowds. The Ministry of Environment lists six marked trails from 1 to 4.5 km, easy to hard. It is quieter than the Cedars of God and much bigger. It is also a BirdLife Important Bird Area. This is the place to stretch your legs after Baatara.
Six marked trails, 1–4.5 kmTrail 4, a long loop through the whole forestGrottos and high-altitude spring flowersBirdlife on the migration route
- Entry Tiered entry fee by nationality (current amounts unverified); information centre historically open 08:00–18:00, April–November
- Best for Walkers, birders, a half-day pairing with Baatara
Qadisha Valley & Cedars of God
UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1998Bsharri (Bcharre), roughly an hour's drive north-east
The Holy Valley is a deep gorge lined with hermitages and cliff monasteries, one of the earliest centres of Christian monasticism. Above it on the slopes stands Horsh Arz el-Rab, the small ancient grove known as the Cedars of God. Walk down to Mar Lichaa and on to Our Lady of Qannoubine on foot, drive to the monastery of St Anthony of Qozhaya with its early printing press, then climb to the cedars and the Gibran Museum in Bsharri. This needs a full day of its own.
Mar Lichaa to Qannoubine valley-floor walkSt Anthony of Qozhaya monasteryCedars of God grove loopGibran Museum, Bsharri
- Entry Cedars of God reported at about 100,000 LBP (≈US$1) or by donation; Gibran Museum about 200,000 LBP, closed Mondays; valley monasteries free
- Best for Heritage, walking, an overnight stay in the mountains
The short answer
If you have one day, drive up from Beirut for Baatara and the Tannourine cedars and come back down via Douma to Batroun. If you have two or three days, add Qadisha and the Cedars of God, which are the stronger reason to stay overnight. Baatara takes an hour; the rest of the region takes much longer to see.
When to go
April and May give the most reliable full flow; March depends on the roads, June on how much snow is left, and from July you will mostly see the chasm without the waterfall.
Snowmelt decides everything. Baatara has no big river feeding it. When the snowpack is melting, the cascade is full. When the snow has gone, and farmers upstream draw water for irrigation, the waterfall largely stops.
Snowmelt
March – MayThe waterfall at full strength: a white column dropping behind all three bridges into the shaft, with spray on the terraces and the gorge loud with water. April and May are the safest bets; early March can still bring snow on the approach roads. The high country is green, the Tannourine reserve's information centre reopens in April, and Qadisha is at its best for walking.
Open
- Baatara at full flow
- Tannourine reserve trails (from April)
- Qadisha Valley walks
- Cedars of God
Closed or compromised
Early summer
JuneFlow drops week by week as the last snow disappears. In a snowy year there is still a respectable cascade in early June; in a thin year it may already be a trickle. Every other part of the loop is at its easiest, with long days, open roads and warm walking, so this still works well for a combined mountain trip if the waterfall is not your only goal.
Open
- Baatara (reduced, variable flow)
- All trails and reserves
- Coast at Batroun
Closed or compromised
Late summer and autumn
July – NovemberVisitors in July report only a trickle, partly because water is diverted upstream for irrigation, and by late summer there may be nothing falling at all. The bridges and the chasm are still there and are clearer to see without spray, but you are visiting a rock formation, not a waterfall. Autumn rain can bring back a thin flow. Walking in the reserve and in Qadisha is good through October.
Open
- Baatara chasm and bridges (little or no water)
- Tannourine reserve (to November)
- Qadisha and the Cedars
Closed or compromised
- The waterfall itself, for practical purposes
Winter
December – FebruarySnow on the roads between Laqlouq and Tannourine, and visitors report the path into the gorge buried and slippery. Flow is weaker than in spring because the snow is still frozen on the slopes. With the right car and a driver who knows the mountain roads it is possible, and the chasm in snow looks different, but check road conditions first and do not count on the steps being clear.
Open
- Baatara, snow and road permitting
- Cedars ski area near Bsharri
Closed or compromised
- Tannourine reserve information centre (seasonal)
- Reliable road access in heavy snow
Why the waterfall varies so much
Baatara depends on one winter's snowpack, and different sources give different months: some say November to April, others March to June, and one reviewer found only a trickle in July. All of them are describing the same thing, which is that the waterfall runs while snow is melting above it. A heavy winter pushes the good weeks into early June; a dry one can end them in early May. If the waterfall is the reason for your trip, ask a Tannourine guesthouse or a Beirut driver how much snow is left before you set off.
Everything you can do here
Tour prices are 2026 advertised rates in USD from Viator, Expedia, Tripadvisor and operator websites. Site fees in Lebanese pounds were converted at the official rate of about 89,500 LBP to the dollar. Entry fees in Lebanon have changed repeatedly since the 2019 currency crisis, so treat any figure here as approximate, and treat the advisory section as more important than any price.
Walk down to the Three Bridges viewpoints
site entry fee paid at the gate; current amount unverified
This is the main visit. From the entrance near Balaa, stone steps and a path drop about 15 minutes into the gorge to terraces facing the bridges, with the shaft falling away below the railings. Spend time on the lower terraces, where you can see all three bridges and the water sliding behind them at once. The stone is slippery with spray in spring and ice in winter, so wear shoes with grip. The walk back up is the hard part.
Year-round; waterfall flows roughly March–May
No booking needed.
Lebanon waterfalls day trip: Afqa, Baatara & Kfar Helda
listed on Tripadvisor from roughly US$75–95 per adult depending on group size; we could not confirm the exact current rate; Baatara ticket and lunch not included
A small-group day trip, maximum 10 people, from Beirut in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver. It stops for about an hour each at three different waterfalls: Afqa, which comes out of a cave mouth in the Adonis valley; Baatara and its bridges; and the Kfar Helda falls below Tannourine. Pickup from Beirut hotels, apartments or Martyrs' Square. This is the easiest way to see Baatara without driving the mountain roads yourself, and reviews from 2025 and 2026 show it was running.
Runs year-round; book in spring for Baatara at full flow
Check availability
or compare on GetYourGuide
Baatara, Aaqoura lakes & Batroun day trip
US$200per adult as listed on Expedia in September 2026; Baatara ticket, lunch and tips extra
A different route from the same operator. It drives up through the high Aaqoura plateau and its lakes to Baatara, then comes down to the old Phoenician port town of Batroun for a late lunch by the sea at your own cost. That puts the mountains and the coast into one day. It is priced much higher than the waterfalls tour and had very few reviews when we checked, so compare the two before you book.
Best March–June
Check availability
or compare on GetYourGuide
Tannourine Cedars Forest reserve trails
entry fee tiered by nationality (Lebanese / Arab / foreign / under-12); amounts not published online when we checked
The Ministry of Environment lists six marked trails from 1 to 4.5 km through one of Lebanon's densest cedar forests. Cedars here grow on slopes so steep they look close to vertical, with grottos, springs and high-altitude flowers along the way. Trail 4 loops through the whole forest. The reserve asks walkers to stay on marked trails, and it has few facilities, so bring water and food. Birders should know that 156 migratory species have been recorded passing through.
April – November (information centre season)
No booking needed.
Lebanon Mountain Trail past the Baatara rim
free to walk independently; guided sections priced by arrangement
The Lebanon Mountain Trail runs the length of the mountain range from north to south, and it passes right by the Baatara chasm. Walking in along the trail, rather than driving to the gate, lets you see the gorge in the context of the karst plateau that feeds it: limestone pavements, sinkholes and the snowfields that supply the waterfall. Walk it with a guide or a good GPS track, because trail marking in the high sections varies.
April – November
No booking needed.
Qadisha Valley & Cedars of God tour from Beirut
US$87from, per person on Viator; includes Gibran Museum and Cedars entry; non-refundable
A small-group day (maximum 15 people, starting 8:30am from Martyrs' Square) that combines the main sights of the Bsharri area. It includes a view into the Qadisha Valley, the monastery of St Anthony of Qozhaya, the Gibran Museum and a guided walk through the Cedars of God. Entry fees are included, which is convenient given how often Lebanese site prices change. It was rated 4.9 from about 100 reviews when we checked. It does not include Baatara; pair it with a separate waterfall day.
Year-round (snow can affect winter access)
Check availability
or compare on GetYourGuide
Small-group Qadisha Valley, Cedars & Bcharri tour
US$149per adult; US$139 for children 4–12; lunch and entrance tickets included
A more expensive alternative that includes lunch. It follows the same core route: the Qadisha Valley, Bsharri and the Gibran Museum, the Cedars of God and Qozhaya monastery. Pickup from Beirut hotels and Airbnbs, groups of up to 15, departing at 8:30am on Sundays and Thursdays only. Choose this if you want everything paid in advance and a sit-down meal in the mountains rather than looking for lunch yourself.
Sundays and Thursdays
Check availability
or compare on GetYourGuide
Walk the Qadisha valley floor: Mar Lichaa to Qannoubine
free; monasteries welcome donations
This walk goes into the UNESCO-listed valley itself rather than looking down on it. From Mar Lichaa (the monastery of St Elisha), below Bsharri, a path follows the valley floor past hermit caves and chapels to Our Lady of Qannoubine, a monastery built into the cliff and reachable only on foot. The monasteries are active religious sites, so dress modestly and keep your voice down. The climb back out is the hard part. Start early in summer, because the valley floor gets hot.
April – November
No booking needed.
Cedars of God grove and the Gibran Museum
Cedars reported at about 100,000 LBP (≈US$1) or by donation; Gibran Museum about 200,000 LBP (≈US$2); sources disagree
Horsh Arz el-Rab is a small walled grove of old cedars above Bsharri, some of them among the oldest in Lebanon, with an easy loop of about 1.4 km, or 45 minutes on foot. It is the image on the flag, and it is busy at weekends. Down in Bsharri, the Gibran Museum occupies the old hermitage where Khalil Gibran is buried and holds his paintings and manuscripts. Reported hours are 9am to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
Year-round; museum closed Mondays
No booking needed.
Rock climbing at Tannourine el-Tahta
no verified commercial operator or price; climbers usually go with Lebanese clubs or bring their own gear
The limestone that formed Baatara also makes good climbing. The cliffs above the El Joz river at Tannourine el-Tahta hold an established crag with a hotel at its foot. The gorge itself became famous among climbers in 2015, when the Austrian climber David Lama put up Avaatara (9a / 5.14d) across its bridges. That route was a professional project and is not something visitors can do, and we found no one offering guided climbing inside Baatara. Tannourine el-Tahta is where to climb.
April – November
No booking needed.
Where to stay
Stay in Tannourine for Baatara and the cedar reserve, in Bsharri or the Cedars for Qadisha, or in Douma or Batroun if you would rather drive up from a lower village or from the coast. Many of these are small family-run guesthouses, so confirm they are open before you travel.
Beit el Deek
A two-room guesthouse on the Tannourine valley road by the river. It has a garden, terrace, shared kitchen, fireplace and barbecue, and serves a local breakfast. It is about 8 km from both Baatara and the cedar reserve. There is no front desk, so arrange check-in ahead.
Eco Dalida Guesthouse
A hilltop house at about 1,850 m in the upper village. Its terrace looks straight over the Tannourine Cedars reserve, and the living room has an open fireplace. It is the closest base we found to the reserve trails. Our information on it is several years old.
Eyes Tannourine Hotel (formerly Laze Fountain)
An eco-hotel at the foot of the climbing cliffs on the El Joz river. It includes ZenDen, a set of cave-style rooms built into the rock, and a large open-air terrace restaurant serving Lebanese breakfast and dinner. It is the obvious base for climbers.
Beit Douma
A restored 19th-century mountain house in Douma, one of Lebanon's best-preserved old stone villages at over 1,000 m. It is on the road between Tannourine and the coast, so it suits travellers doing Baatara and Batroun on the same trip.
Villa Paradiso
A renovated heritage mansion in the old town of Batroun, with a guesthouse, lounge and events space. It is a coastal base about an hour below the mountains, with the Phoenician sea wall, fish restaurants and beach bars within walking distance for the evening.
Hotel Chbat
A long-established hotel in Bsharri with a pool and restaurant. It is well placed for an early start down to Mar Lichaa and Qannoubine and a short drive from the Cedars of God and the Gibran Museum.
La Maison des Cèdres
An upmarket chalet-style guesthouse at the top of the valley, near the Cedars of God grove and the ski slopes. Choose it for a quiet night at altitude and an early walk in the cedars before the tour buses arrive.
Tiger House Guest House
A backpacker guesthouse in Bsharri and the cheapest bed we found in the northern mountains. It is a useful place to ask about drivers and shared transport if you are travelling without a car.
Search all Tannourine accommodation
Getting there & getting in
BEY
Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport
The only practical international gateway. It is about 100 km and roughly 2 hours by road from Baatara. It stayed open through most of the 2026 fighting, and in September 2026 Middle East Airlines, Turkish Airlines, AJet, Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Etihad and Air Arabia were operating, with routes including London, Paris, Istanbul, Amman, Cairo and the Gulf. Schedules can change at short notice, so confirm your flight close to departure.
Beirut is the only realistic entry point. Most visitors from North America or the UK connect through Istanbul, Paris, London or a Gulf hub, or fly Middle East Airlines direct from London or Paris.
You need a car, a driver or a tour
One travel writer called public transport to this area 'pretty much impossible', and that is about right. There is no useful bus to the gorge, and taxis are scarce in the mountains, so if you take one up, agree the return journey with the same driver. Most people hire a car with a driver in Beirut, rent a car, or join a day tour. The drive is about 2 hours. Either go north on the coastal highway to Jbeil (Byblos) and climb through the mountains to Laqlouq, with Baatara about 4 km beyond, or continue to Batroun and go up via Douma and Tannourine. If you drive yourself, the US government says you need an International Driving Permit. Mountain roads are narrow, often unlit and snowbound from about December to March. Do not enter or leave by land from Syria: the border area is at the highest advisory level for all three governments.
Visas & entry
- United States — visa on arrival
Free Lebanon's General Security includes US citizens on the list for a free one-month tourist visa on arrival, extendable to three months. The State Department lists a tourist visa as required, and its summary is less clear about getting it on arrival, so confirm with the Lebanese embassy before you fly. Your passport needs at least 90 days' validity beyond arrival and one blank page per stamp. - Canada — visa on arrival
Free Canada says Canadians need a visa and can get it on arrival at any port of entry. General Security lists it as a free one-month visa, extendable to three months. Canada asks for a passport valid at least six months beyond your planned departure, and you need a Lebanese entry stamp in order to leave. - United Kingdom — visa on arrival
Free British citizens can normally get a free single-entry tourist visa on arrival at Beirut airport. It is valid for one month and can be extended to three months at General Security offices. The FCDO asks for a passport valid at least three months from entry. Overstay fines are paid in Lebanese pounds when you leave. - EU nationals
Free for listed nationalities Most EU nationalities, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Sweden, are on General Security's list for the free one-month visa on arrival. Check that your nationality is listed before you travel.
Any sign of travel to Israel in your passport, such as an Israeli visa or stamp, or an Egyptian or Jordanian stamp from a crossing with Israel, can get you refused entry, and US guidance warns of possible detention. The three governments give different passport-validity requirements (three months, 90 days and six months), so follow the strictest. Confirm current rules with a Lebanese embassy, since they have changed at short notice before.
Ways to spend the time
1 day from Beirut
One day: the waterfall and the cedars
- Leave Beirut by 7:30am and drive north to Jbeil, then climb through the mountains to Laqlouq, about 2 hours in total.
- Arrive at Baatara by mid-morning, before the spray-soaked steps get busy. Allow an hour on the terraces.
- Drive on to Tannourine el-Faouqa and walk one of the shorter trails in the Tannourine Cedars reserve (April–November).
- Descend via Tannourine el-Tahta and Douma to Batroun for a late seafood lunch or early dinner by the Phoenician wall, then take the coastal highway back to Beirut, about an hour.
3 days / 2 nights
Three days: the northern mountains loop
- Day 1: Beirut to Baatara via Jbeil and Laqlouq, then the cedar reserve in the afternoon. Sleep in Tannourine.
- Day 2: Cross to Bsharri (about an hour; confirm road conditions). Walk the Qadisha valley floor from Mar Lichaa to Qannoubine and back. Sleep in Bsharri or at the Cedars.
- Day 3: Walk the Cedars of God early, visit the Gibran Museum in Bsharri (closed Mondays) and stop at Qozhaya monastery, then drive back down to the coast and Beirut via Chekka or Batroun. Do not take the pass east of the Cedars into Baalbek-Hermel.
2 days / 1 night
Two days from the coast
- Day 1: Spend the day in Batroun's old town and on the seafront. Sleep in Batroun or up the hill in Douma.
- Day 2: Drive up through Douma and Tannourine to Baatara early, walk in the Tannourine reserve, then return the way you came or go on to Beirut via Laqlouq and Jbeil.
Practical notes
- Safety, by region The US and Canada advise against all travel to Lebanon. The UK restricts specific areas, and none of them are in the Batroun–Tannourine–Bsharri mountains. Keep your route north of Beirut and west of the mountain crest, avoid Beirut's southern suburbs, and do not go over the pass east of the Cedars into Baalbek-Hermel. Check the advisories on the morning you travel. Emergency numbers: 112 police, 140 ambulance.
- Money Lebanon uses two currencies. US dollars are widely accepted, and many prices are quoted in them, while small entry fees are often in Lebanese pounds. The official rate has been about 89,500 LBP to the dollar since 2024. Carry small USD notes (US$1–20) and some LBP, because card acceptance is unreliable in mountain villages and at site gates.
- Entry fees Baatara charges an entry fee at the gate, but we could not verify the 2026 amount. The only published figure we found, 3,000 LBP, predates the currency collapse and is now meaningless. Day tours do not include it. Take cash in both currencies and expect a small amount; Lebanese site fees have changed repeatedly since 2019.
- The walk The walk is short but steep: stone steps and a path of about 15 minutes each way, with railings at the viewing terraces. In spring the stone is wet with spray, and in winter visitors report it covered in snow. Wear shoes with grip. There is no route to the bottom for visitors and no swimming, so stay behind the barriers, because the chasm is about 250 metres deep.
- Timing Come in April or May, on a weekday if you can, because Lebanese families and tour minibuses arrive at weekends. Arrive by mid-morning to have the terraces to yourself. Ask your guesthouse how much snow is left before you set off: the flow depends on the snow, not on the date.
- Insurance Many standard travel policies exclude claims when your government advises against all travel, which applies to Lebanon for US and Canadian travellers. Before you book, check that your policy covers Lebanon specifically, or buy from a specialist insurer that covers high-risk destinations. UK travellers should check whether their policy follows the FCDO's regional map.
- Accessibility The viewing terraces are reached only by steps, so the site is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Visitors with limited mobility can see part of the gorge from near the top, but the classic view of all three bridges needs the full descent. The Cedars of God loop is flatter and easier.
How it compares
This waterfall
Baatara Gorge Waterfall
Lebanon
Height255 mWidth—
Most similar
Chumi Gyatse Falls
India
Height250 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in India
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
250 m
255 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsChumi Gyatse FallsBaatara Gorge WaterfallEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 3.8× taller than Baatara Gorge Waterfall. It drops 2.4× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Baatara Gorge Waterfall yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
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On the map
Questions people actually ask
When is the best time to see Baatara Gorge Waterfall?
April and May, when snow on the mountains above is melting fastest and the cascade drops behind all three bridges at full strength. March can be good but the roads may still have snow. June depends on how much snow the winter brought. From July onwards expect a trickle or nothing, because the snow has gone and water is taken upstream for irrigation.
How tall is the Baatara waterfall?
It is usually quoted as 255 metres, but that is the total descent into the pothole, much of it out of sight. The cascade you actually see falling behind the bridges is about 90 to 100 metres. The chasm itself is roughly 240 to 258 metres deep, depending on the source.
Is it safe to visit Baatara Gorge in 2026?
Baatara is in the northern mountains, away from the areas most affected by the 2026 conflict, and it lies outside every UK FCDO restricted zone. However, the US (Level 4) and Canada advise against all travel to Lebanon, and the ceasefire is fragile. Read all three advisories before you book, check your insurance, and check again before you travel.
How do I get to Baatara Gorge from Beirut?
By car, about 2 hours and around 100 km. Drive north to Jbeil (Byblos) and climb through the mountains to Laqlouq, or go via Batroun and Tannourine. Public transport is not practical. Most visitors hire a driver or join a day tour; Beirut Trip runs small-group waterfall day trips that include Baatara.
How much does it cost to enter Baatara Gorge?
There is a paid entry at the gate, but we could not confirm the 2026 price. Older sources quote 3,000 LBP, which dates from before Lebanon's currency collapse. Tours from Beirut list the Baatara ticket as an extra. Take cash in small US dollar notes and Lebanese pounds.
Can you go down into the Baatara sinkhole?
No. Visitors see the gorge from terraces and a path partway down, and there is no route to the bottom. The shaft was explored by the Spéléo-Club du Liban with technical caving equipment in the 1980s. You cannot swim, wade or climb there as a visitor. Stay behind the barriers.
Do I need a visa for Lebanon?
US, Canadian, UK and most EU citizens can get a free one-month tourist visa on arrival at Beirut airport, extendable to three months, according to Lebanon's General Security. Any evidence of travel to Israel in your passport can get you refused entry. Passport-validity requirements vary between three and six months depending on which government you ask, so follow the strictest.
What else is near Baatara Gorge?
The Tannourine Cedars Forest Nature Reserve, one of Lebanon's largest cedar forests, is a short drive away. About an hour north-east is the Qadisha Valley, full of cliff monasteries, and the Cedars of God grove above Bsharri, which together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The coastal town of Batroun is about an hour downhill.
Where is Baatara Gorge Waterfall?
Baatara Gorge Waterfall is in Lebanon (Tannourine). The nearest base is Tannourine and the closest airport is BEY. Its coordinates are 34.1737, 35.8706.
Sources (34)
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- global.almosafer.com/en/hotel/details/atg/beit-el-deek-2225214?lang=en
- whc.unesco.org/en/list/850/
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- placetobeirut.com/listing/bcharre/sightseeing/cedars-of-god-bsharri/
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- www.expedia.com/things-to-do/beirut-to-hidden-gems-baatara-waterfall-akoura-lake-and-batro…
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- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lama
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