{"id":6459,"date":"2026-10-25T07:52:28","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T12:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.madeinliban.com\/general-travel-in-dhour-choueir-a-any-duration-trip-for-general-audience\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T14:37:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T19:37:03","slug":"general-travel-in-dhour-choueir-a-any-duration-trip-for-general-audience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.madeinliban.com\/ar\/general-travel-in-dhour-choueir-a-any-duration-trip-for-general-audience\/","title":{"rendered":"Dhour Choueir Travel Guide: Metn Summer Town and Day Hikes"},"content":{"rendered":"

A classic Metn summer town at 1,200 metres, with stone lanes, spring water and a good day hike to a historic monastery.<\/em><\/p>\n

Place Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Region<\/th>\nMetn, Mount Lebanon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best time to visit<\/th>\nJune to October<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Time needed<\/th>\nHalf a day to a full day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Good for<\/th>\nHiking, heritage walks, summer escapes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Getting there<\/th>\nUnder 1 hour by car from Beirut via Baabdat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Dhour Choueir (Dhour el Choueir, or Dhour Shweir) is a mountain town in the Metn, about 30 km east of Beirut at roughly 1,200 metres. For generations it was one of Mount Lebanon’s favourite summer resorts: Beirut families rented houses here for the season to escape the coastal heat, and the town still fills up in July and August. From its ridges you look down over Beirut and the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

It is not a place of big monuments. It is a place for slow walks through an old stone souk, spring-fed paths, cool evenings and one of the best day hikes in the Metn, ending at a monastery where the first Arabic printing press in the region began work in the 1730s.<\/p>\n

What to see<\/h2>\n

The old town and souk<\/h3>\n

The heart of Dhour Choueir is its old quarter, with stone-paved passages, traditional houses with triple arched windows, old mills and small bridges over the streams. Walk slowly and look up: red-tiled roofs, balconies and small gardens.<\/p>\n

Springs and caves<\/h3>\n

The town is known for its water. Springs such as Ain al-Khassis feed the paths around town, and the countryside hides caves like Mgharit el Za’im.<\/p>\n

Saint John’s Monastery, Khenchara<\/h3>\n

Just north of town, the village of Khenchara is home to the Monastery of Saint John (Deir Mar Youhanna, also known as Deir el Shuwayr), motherhouse of the Basilian Choueirite order, a Melkite Greek Catholic order founded in 1696 to 1697. Here the monk Abdallah Zakher of Aleppo set up an Arabic printing press in 1733. Its first book came out in 1734, and the press kept working until 1899. The monastery is a peaceful place to visit, with forest all around.<\/p>\n

Famous names<\/h3>\n

Dhour Choueir punches above its weight in Lebanese history. It is linked with the political thinker Antoun Saadeh, the poet Khalil Hawi and the historian Asad Rustum. Edward Said’s family spent summers here, and he married in the town in 1962. Tanios Bou-Nader Khneisser, remembered as the father of the sword and shield folk dance, also came from Dhour Choueir.<\/p>\n

A suggested day<\/h2>\n

Morning: the Khenchara hike<\/h3>\n

A popular route of about 10 km runs from the main square of Dhour Choueir to Saint John’s Monastery in Khenchara. It passes three springs, including Ain al-Khassis, the Mgharit el Za’im cave and the water sources of Ain el Hanout and Horsh Khenchara. Local hiking groups rate it as moderate. Start early in summer, carry water, and arrange a car to bring you back from Khenchara.<\/p>\n

Afternoon: lunch and the souk<\/h3>\n

Back in town, take a long lunch of mezze on a shaded terrace, then walk the old souk and the lanes around it. In the late afternoon, find a viewpoint on the ridge to watch the light change over Beirut and the sea.<\/p>\n

Evening: the Metn villages<\/h3>\n

On your way back to Beirut, the Metn villages make good stops. In Bikfaya, Bachir<\/a> has been scooping stretchy mastic and pistachio booza for decades. Broummana has the chocolate atelier Le Noir Chocolat<\/a>, and in Baabdat you can buy olive oil soaps from bil\u00e0di<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Who it suits<\/h2>\n

Dhour Choueir works best for people who like to walk and potter rather than tick off sights. Hikers can do the Khenchara trail and come back for a late lunch. Families with young children get cool air and space without a long drive from Beirut. Readers of Lebanese history will enjoy following the names of the writers and thinkers who grew up or spent their summers here. Outside July and August the town is much quieter, and many summer houses stay shut.<\/p>\n

Where to eat<\/h2>\n

Dhour Choueir’s food is classic Lebanese mountain fare: kibbeh, grilled meat, tabbouleh with mountain parsley, labneh with olive oil and seasonal fruit from the orchards. Restaurants and caf\u00e9s in town change hands often, so ask locally for the current favourites. For a bottle to take home, look for Metn wines such as Nabise Mont Liban<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Events<\/h2>\n

Every August the town holds a carnival honouring Lebanon’s emigrants, the families who left for the Americas and Australia and still come back for the summer. It is the liveliest time of the year to visit, with parades and music in the streets. Dates are set each year by the municipality.<\/p>\n

Practical tips<\/h2>\n