Rafting - Canoe - Kayak in Lebanon

Discover Lebanon in its wildest form. Calm or boiling, the river breathes. Whitewater is an outdoor sport that seduces nature oriented people as well as seekers of the ultimate. Our packages take you to one of these 2 rivers: Al-Assi (10 km) or Litani (36 km).

After a briefing by the raft instructors, you will engage in a ride through breathtaking scenery. Each person will receive a life jacket, a helmet and paddles. Remember however to bring your tennis shoes, long sleeve shirt, a bathing suit and a towel. You WILL get wet!

Rafting Camp in Al Assi River  Price per person US$90

Unlike other rivers, Al-Assi offers enough water depth all year round. This package includes an overnight and gets you to a camp in Al-Zwaytineh village of Hermel, located at 150 km from Beirut (2h30). It is run by professionals from various rafting clubs of Lebanon. The ride is 7 km long; you will follow the white stream for about 2 hours and a half and cross 3 waterfalls that will pump high your adrenaline.

Camp facilities: Large rooms for groups with beds and mattresses, igloo tents, bungalows, bathrooms with showers, restaurant and cafeteria serving traditional food, playground for basket-ball and volley-ball, fishing, campfire at night, visits to neighboring historical sites in Hermel.

Price includes: Dinner at the camp (traditional food or BBQ), accommodation, breakfast from fresh and natural products, rafting gear, raft ride with instructor, lunch (trout and region specialties). Price does not include: Transfer to the camp, insurance and drinks. You have to bring your own sleeping bags or sheets, towels and swim-suits.

NB: A one-day trip option for US$50 is also available if you don't want to spend the night. It includes rafting and lunch.

The Ultimate Ride in Litani River Not available for 2008 

Litani kayaking and rafting camp falls only 1h30 minutes south of Beirut and is known for its exciting water streams and rapids. Rides are offered all week long. After learning the basics, you will enjoy rafting down the river for about 2h30. Starting mid-May, the water becomes shallower and you will be able to use kayaks.

Price includes: Rafting gear and one ride with the instructor or kayaking by yourself. Price does not include: Transfer to the site and insurance.

Calm Waters of Dog River

The Dog River (Nahr Al-Kalb) is the closest to Beirut, 15km. The surroundings are simply breathtaking because it flows in a very deep valley from the snowy peaks till sea level. Rides are usually smooth and water is shallow.

Photo Gallery

Safety

Risks in whitewater rafting can result from both environmental dangers and from improper behavior. Certain features on rivers in Lebanon and elsewhere are inherently unsafe and have remained consistently so despite the passage of time. These would include "keeper hydraulics", fallen trees, dams (especially low-head dams, which tend to produce river-wide keeper hydraulics), undercut rocks, and of course dangerously high waterfalls, but these do not exist in Lebanon.

Rafting with experienced guides are the safest way to avoid such features. Even in safe areas, however, moving water can always present risks -- such as when a swimmer attempts to stand up on a rocky riverbed in strong current, risking foot entrapment. To combat the illusion that rafting is akin to an amusement park ride, and to underscore the personal responsibility each rafter faces on a trip, rafting outfitters generally require customers to sign waiver forms indicating understanding and acceptance of the risks. Rafting trips often begin with safety presentations to educate customers about problems that may arise. Having said all this, the overall risk level on a rafting trip with experienced guides using proper precautions is low. Thousands of people safely enjoy raft trips in Lebanon every year.