Jeita Grotto, Limestone cave system in Keserwan District, Lebanon.
Jeita Grotto is a limestone cave system in Keserwan District, Lebanon, extending roughly nine kilometers through underground chambers. The complex divides into an upper gallery with walkways and a lower section navigated by boats.
American missionary William Thompson became the first to venture roughly 50 meters (164 feet) into the lower cave in 1836 and reached the underground river. Later expeditions over the following decades mapped the further tunnels and gradually opened the site to visitors.
The cave has been featured on Lebanese stamps since 1961 and ranks among the most visited sites in the country, familiar to travelers across the region. Local families come here to combine the visit with a picnic in the surrounding gardens and to enjoy the cool air during summer.
Guided tours take visitors first into the upper cave, where you walk through lit passages, and then into the lower level, where small boats glide across the water. A cable car connects the entrance to the upper parking areas, and an electric train shortens the walk between the two cave sections.
The underground river supplies drinking water to more than one million people in the surrounding area and flows year-round through the lower cave. In winter the water level rises so high that boat tours pause, while the upper gallery remains open.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
