Things to Do in Beirut in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
December Weather in Beirut
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
66°F (19°C)
High Temp
55°F (12°C)
Low Temp
5.6 inches (142 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Heavy December storms flood low streets and coastal underpasses within minutes. Never drive through standing water. Avoid the Corniche sea wall entirely when waves crash the barrier.
⚠ Mountain roads to Faraya, the Cedars, and Qadisha Valley ice over without warning in December, after dark. Renting a car? Confirm winter tyres. Carry chains. The Faraya road above 1,500 m (4,900 ft) closes regularly after snowfall. Wait for the plough.
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + December hits Beirut's sweet spot. Daytime temperatures hover around 19°C (66°F), warm enough for the Corniche without sweat, cool enough to change the city's smell. Roasting chestnuts from carts along Rue Hamra. Woodsmoke drifting from the hills above Broummana. Salt spray from winter waves against the Raouche cliffs. You can spend hours outdoors. The punishing humidity of June through September is gone.
- + December is low season. Beirut belongs to the Beirutis again. Crowds at Byblos thin to a handful wandering the Crusader castle. You can linger over three-hour lunches in Gemmayzeh. No competition for tables. Accommodation rates drop noticeably from summer peaks. Genuine negotiating room exists at guesthouses and mid-range hotels. They would have laughed you off in July.
- + The Lebanese holiday calendar stacks December with energy. Christmas preparations turn Achrafieh and Downtown Beirut into lights, decorated facades, and open-air markets. Less commercial than European equivalents. More like neighbourhood celebrations that welcome outsiders. The culinary calendar shifts too. Seasonal dishes like mouloukhieh and kibbeh bil laban appear. Menus skew lighter the rest of the year. Bakeries load counters with meghli, the spiced rice pudding for celebrations.
- + December rain greens the mountains visible from nearly every rooftop bar. First snowfall on Mount Lebanon's peaks, usually mid-to-late December above 1,800 m (5,900 ft), creates Lebanon's famous split-screen. Ski at Faraya-Mzaar in the morning. Drink arak by the sea in the afternoon. Less than an hour apart. The landscape transforms from parched autumn brown into something photographers wait all year for.
Considerations
- − Rain is the defining variable. December averages about 142 mm (5.6 inches) across roughly ten days. When it arrives, it arrives seriously. Beirut's poorly drained streets become ankle-deep rivers within minutes. The city's infrastructure does not handle heavy downpours gracefully. Certain underpasses flood. Traffic gridlocks. Coastal promenades become slippery. You will lose at least two or three full days to rain. Outdoor sightseeing becomes impractical.
- − Daylight shrinks to roughly ten hours. Sunset arrives by 4:45 PM. Photographing ruins or hiking the Qadisha Valley? The window is tight. Golden-hour light on Ottoman-era facades lasts about twenty minutes. Then the city drops into shadow. Outdoor day trips require early starts. This clashes with a city whose restaurants rarely fill before 9 PM.
- − Safety conditions in Lebanon remain fluid. They have been since 2019. Beirut itself is generally navigable for tourists. The situation can shift with little warning. Certain areas south of the Litani River or near the eastern border carry real risk. Travel advisories from multiple governments remain in effect as of 2026. Complete travel insurance covering political instability is not optional. Check your government's current advisory within a week of departure. Not a month before.
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
December in Beirut is moody, damp, and the wettest month. Temperatures linger in the high teens Celsius. The Corniche greets you with a bracing sea breeze, wet pavement, roasting chestnuts, and pine. Locals move indoors. Cafe windows fog. Espresso machines hiss against winter rain. Strings of lights appear in Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, soft on weathered stone. The Mediterranean turns steel-gray. Waves crash with a muffled roar against Pigeon Rocks. December is made for interior worlds: history, kitchens, sheltered excursions. Rain and cool air beat the May-to-September furnace for archaeological walks and rich stews. Answers to "what to do?" lie in Achrafieh lanes and private cooking sessions that examine local food culture.
Paragliding Trip Over Jounieh bay
adventurelaunches above winter grays. December's crisp winds carry you over the full curve of Jounieh Bay, deep azure even now, white wakes below, pine scent rising. Cool air rushes past. Villages and marinas glide beneath silent wings.
Few ever see this living map of terrain and sea.
Insider tip: Book morning for stable, clear air before afternoon clouds.
This month: Cool, dense winter air gifts smooth, stable flights.
Pigeon Rocks Boat Ride Beirut (Raouche Rocks)
cruiseputs you at the base of the city's icon. Waves increase through sea caves. Spray hits your face. Looking back, modern towers and bullet-riddled walls frame the waterfront.
Only from the water do scale and acoustics hit home.
Insider tip: Choose late afternoon. Low sun throws long shadows and gold across the arches.
This month: Winter swells add thrill. Routes adjust daily for safety.
PRIVATE Beirut Historical Walking Half Day Tour
culturalwalks scars and resilience. Bullet-pocked Barakat Building, restored Ottoman Sursock quarter, uneven Martyrs' Square stones. Mosque and church bells overlap. Cranes rise above ruins.
Fragments merge into one coherent, poignant story.
Insider tip: Ask for the tucked-away Saint Nicholas Staircase in Achrafieh, tiled and quiet.
This month: December's cool, overcast weather keeps long walks comfortable.
Lebanon Tour Jeita Grotto -Harissa & Byblos Castle, pickup+Guide
guided_experiencebundles three northern essentials. Silence and damp limestone inside Jeita Grotto, panoramic bay view from Harissa's statue, millennia-old stones at Byblos port while fishermen mend nets.
One efficient loop captures natural, spiritual, and ancient pillars.
Insider tip: Skip the first market stalls. Head straight for the crusader castle and older Phoenician walls.
This month: Jeita's interior stays constant and cool, a refuge from December damp.
Jeita Grotto, Byblos and Harissa Full-Day Tour from Beirut
day_tripcovers the same big three. Taste warm mana'eesh from a wood-fired oven in Byblos, see colored stalactites in Jeita's lower chamber, feel the cable car sway through pine air to Harissa.
Classic intro to subterranean and coastal beauty.
Insider tip: Wear layers. Cave humidity gives way to windy overlooks.
This month: December crowds are thinner, allowing quieter exploration.
Private Lebanese Cooking Class in Beirut with Amal + Transfers
foodstarts with toasted pine nuts in butter, caramelized scent filling the kitchen. Grind chickpeas for silky hummus, feel markouk dough, taste lemon brightness, hear family stories.
Hands-on knowledge, not restaurant plates.
Insider tip: Arrive hungry and request winter stews or stuffed vegetables.
Where to Stay in Beirut in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early December through Late December
Beirut Christmas Markets and Achrafieh Holiday Celebrations
Achrafieh, the historically Christian quarter of east Beirut, transforms in December. The celebration mixes French-colonial heritage with Levantine warmth. Sassine Square and the streets around ABC Mall fill with open-air market stalls selling Lebanese wine from the Bekaa, handmade soaps from Tripoli, and roasted chestnuts whose sweet smoke cuts through the cool air. The atmosphere is less polished than a European Christmas market. It is more genuine for it: families linger, arak flows freely, and the decorations on the historic stone buildings feel like neighbourhood pride rather than municipal obligation. Several churches in the area hold midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Even for non-religious visitors, the candlelight spilling out of Saint Nicolas Church onto Achrafieh's narrow streets at midnight is moving. The celebrations peak in the week before Christmas and carry through to New Year's.
Late December
New Year's Eve on the Corniche and Zaitunay Bay
Beirut's New Year's Eve is famously excessive by regional standards. The Corniche fills with people from dusk. The waterfront promenade from Manara to Zaitunay Bay becomes a mile-long street party where the crack of fireworks starts well before midnight and does not stop for hours. Zaitunay Bay, the marina development in the Downtown district, hosts formal events at its restaurants and bars. The real energy is on the street, where families set up chairs on the sea wall and teenagers light Roman candles while the bass from a dozen different sound systems thumps from the buildings behind. It is loud, chaotic, occasionally startling if you are not expecting the volume, and unmistakably Beirut: a city that has decided, against a great deal of evidence, to celebrate anyway.
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View Beirut Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Beirut runs late in December. Later than you expect. Restaurants that list an 8 PM opening might not have the kitchen fully running until 8:45, and the best tables at weekend dinner spots in Gemmayzeh fill between 9:30 and 10 PM. If you show up at 7 PM expecting dinner, you will eat alone and the kitchen will not be at its best. Adjust your body clock or you will miss the city's real rhythm entirely.
The service taxi system still operates. Those battered old Mercedes sedans run fixed routes and pick up passengers along the way. It is by far the cheapest way to move along the main arteries. Hold your hand out, state your destination when the driver slows, and negotiate briefly. It is not a scam. It is how half of Beirut commutes. December rain makes these harder to flag because everyone wants one simultaneously, so expect waits during downpours.
December's rain creates a window for the Qadisha Valley and the Kadisha hiking trails that closes by summer. The valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site carved 300 m (984 ft) deep into the mountains about 120 km (75 miles) north of Beirut, is green and flowing with waterfalls in December. The Maronite monasteries carved into the cliff faces look more dramatic against wet stone and grey cloud than they ever do in the flat light of dry season. The trails can be muddy and slippery, so this is not a casual walk. The reward is a landscape that most summer visitors never see.
Weekend in Beirut with clear skies? Drive southeast 50 km (31 miles) to the Chouf Cedar Reserve. The cedars on Lebanon's flag still stand in ancient groves. December brings empty trails, resin on the air, wet earth underfoot, and total silence at 1,800 m (5,900 ft). Beirut's noise disappears. The reserve stays open year-round. Winter visitors are rare. Call ahead. Check trail conditions first.
Avoid These Mistakes
Do not assume Beirut feels warm in December. It does not. Night temperatures drop to 12°C (55°F). Wind chill on the Corniche bites harder. Pack for Dubai and you will shop for overpriced sweaters in Downtown Beirut by evening. The Mediterranean climate surprises. Dress accordingly.
Grey skies scare you off the mountains? Mistake. December brings Mount Lebanon's first serious snow. Faraya and the Cedars open by mid-month, often earlier. Ski above 2,000 m (6,560 ft). Eat seaside that same night. This combination defines Lebanon in winter. Skip the mountains and you miss what makes December different. Go up.
Never treat Beirut as one uniform city. It is not. Hamra, Achrafieh, Gemmayzeh, and Mar Mikhael welcome tourists at most hours. Southern suburbs and zones near the port demand caution. Some areas warrant avoidance. Ask your hotel staff for current advice. Guidebooks age fast here.
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