Tripoli is 80km north along the coastline from Beirut, and the second largest city in Lebanon. One of the main reasons for visiting is to discover the vast amount of Mamluk architecture here, as well as the large Crusader castle that sits in a commanding position above the centre of town. Tripoli is also home to some of the most authentic souks in the country, where you can see fruit and vegetable sellers alongside cobblers thumping away on old sewing machines and traditional bakeries firing discs of dough into ovens.

A half-day tour is all you need to discover the highlights of Tripoli, and we recommend doing this in the morning from the Byblos and Batroun area as the souks are more lively in the early hours. The city has a high population of Sunni Muslim community and is more conservative than other towns further down the coast, so it’s recommended to wear longer layers on your arms and legs here, particularly important – alongside a headscarf – if you want to visit any of the mosques.