Sustainable Travel · Lebanon
Eco-Friendly Hotels in Cedars of God — Your 2026 Guide to Sustainable Stays
The Cedars of God — Arz el-Rab in Arabic — is the last surviving grove of the ancient cedar forests that once covered the mountains of Lebanon, and the tree itself is the country's symbol, stamped on its flag. High above the town of Bsharri at around 2,000 metres, a protected stand of several hundred trees includes specimens estimated at over 1,000 years old, their massive gnarled trunks standing in snow for half the year. The grove is inscribed by UNESCO as part of the Qadisha Valley heritage site, and the surrounding mountains offer some of the best hiking in the Middle East, from the Qadisha gorge trails to the peaks of the Cedars ski area. Every IMPT booking removes 1 tonne of CO₂ at the same rate as Booking.com.
Where to Stay in Cedars of God
Bsharri Guesthouses & Chalets
Bsharri, the mountain town below the cedars, has a growing number of guesthouses, family-run hotels, and winter chalets — stone-built, wood-heated in winter, with views down the Qadisha Valley. In summer it is a cool base for hiking; in winter, the Cedars ski area is minutes away. Rates are modest, and IMPT lists the full range, all with 1 tonne of CO₂ removed per booking.
The Cedars Ski Resort Area
At the top of the road to the cedars, the Cedars (Arz) resort area offers hotels and chalets right by the forest and the ski lifts. In winter it is Lebanon's main snow destination; in summer the same infrastructure serves hikers and mountain-bikers. Staying here puts the forest at your doorstep for dawn visits before the day-trippers arrive.
Qadisha Valley & Ehden Stays
The Qadisha (Holy) Valley — a UNESCO-listed gorge of monasteries, hermits' caves, and terraced villages — winds below Bsharri, with guesthouses in Ehden, Hasroun, and Douma offering traditional stone architecture and some of Lebanon's best mountain restaurants. These villages are a quieter, more atmospheric base than the resort area.
Every Cedars of God-area booking on IMPT retires 1 tonne of verified carbon credits on-chain — funded from our commission, never added to your rate. Search Cedars of God hotels now →
The Sacred Grove and the Qadisha Valley
The Cedars of God is the most famous remnant of the cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) that supplied timber to the temples of Solomon, the fleets of Phoenicia, and the palaces of the ancient world. Over millennia of exploitation the forest shrank to isolated stands, and this grove above Bsharri — protected since the 19th century — is the most celebrated survivor. The oldest trees are estimated at 1,000 to 2,000 years old. A fence now protects the grove, with walkways allowing visitors to circle the ancient trees without damaging their root systems.
The grove sits within the UNESCO-listed Ouadi Qadisha (Holy Valley) and Cedars of God site, and the surrounding mountains form a naturalist's playground: the Qadisha gorge with its cliff-face monasteries, the Horsh Ehden nature reserve with its endemic flora, and summit trails rising above 3,000 metres on Qurnat as Sawda, Lebanon's highest peak. The best seasons are May–October for hiking and December–March for snow. Visit early or late to avoid crowds, stay on paths, and — as with all IMPT bookings — your stay removes 1 tonne of CO₂ on-chain.
How IMPT Makes Your Cedars of God Stay Carbon-Negative
Here's the maths. An average hotel night produces roughly 35 kg of CO₂ — from air conditioning, laundry, lighting, and food service. When you book any Cedars of God hotel through IMPT, we retire 1,000 kg of UN-verified carbon removal credits. That's 28 times what your stay produces. Not carbon-neutral — carbon-negative.
The cost to you? Zero. IMPT funds the removal from its booking commission. You pay the standard nightly rate — in fact, IMPT offers the same rate as Booking.com on the same room, with carbon removal built in. The carbon credits are tokenised on Ethereum, retired against a named project, with a public retire code anyone can verify. No double-counting. No greenwashing. Just verified carbon removal, every night.
- €5 free credit when you sign up — applied to your first Cedars of God booking
- 5% back on every stay — 3% funds carbon projects, 2% as travel credit
- 8M+ hotels worldwide, 195 countries — Cedars of God is just the start
- Free cancellation on most rates, typically up to 48 hours before check-in
Beyond Hotels — More Ways IMPT Works in Cedars of God
Shop through IMPT's 25,000+ retail partners for cashback on purchases that also offset carbon. Send someone a trip credit gift to visit Cedars of God — IMPT plants trees with named farmers, GPS-tagged and photo-verified.
For business travel, IMPT's B2B Corporate Travel platform gives you exclusive rates, automatic ESG reporting, and a single dashboard tracking every booking's carbon impact. Companies with CSRD compliance needs get automated sustainability reporting out of the box.
Interested in running IMPT in Lebanon? Country Ownership offers 50% revenue share on every transaction from Lebanon-registered users, with 8% APY staking yield. Book a call →
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Cedars of God and how do I get there?
The Cedars of God is about 25 km southeast of Tripoli, high above the town of Bsharri in northern Lebanon, at roughly 2,000 metres. From Beirut it's a 2.5–3 hour drive; from Tripoli about an hour. The road to the grove continues up to the Cedars ski area.
How old are the trees in the grove?
The oldest cedars in the grove are estimated at between 1,000 and 2,000 years old. The grove contains several hundred trees, including the most photographed ancient specimens in Lebanon. A fence and walkways protect the root systems.
Is the Cedars of God a UNESCO site?
Yes — the grove is inscribed as part of the Ouadi Qadisha (Holy Valley) and Cedars of God, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nearby Qadisha gorge, with its cliff monasteries and hermit caves, is included in the same inscription.
When is the best time to visit?
May to October for hiking and clear views; December to March for snow, when the grove is often dusted white and the Cedars ski area operates. Spring brings wildflowers, and autumn offers crisp air and golden light. Mornings are best to avoid tour groups.
Are there eco-friendly places to stay nearby?
Yes — guesthouses and chalets in Bsharri, the Cedars resort area, and the Qadisha valley villages like Ehden and Hasroun. IMPT lists these properties and removes 1 tonne of CO₂ per booking at the same rate as Booking.com.
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