The Best Time to Visit Faqra, Season by Season
6 MinThe best time to visit Faqra: ski weeks (Dec–Mar), pool season (mid-June to 30 Sep), the quiet green months, and which weeks book out first.
Written by the host of The Nest, a one-bedroom chalet in Faqra at RedRock, 8 minutes from the Mzaar lifts. Rates and dates.
What to Know
- February is the reliable ski month; lifts typically open mid-December.
- Pools run mid-June to 30 September; late June and September are warm but quiet.
- Lowest rates: 26 March to 31 May and 16 September to 30 November. Empty trails.
- Christmas, New Year, Easter and festival weekends book out months ahead.
Faqra has two headline seasons and two quiet ones, and the quiet ones are underrated. At 1,600 metres the plateau gets real winter, a genuinely cool summer, and shoulder months where you can have the mountain nearly to yourself.
December to March: ski season
The Mzaar lifts typically open mid-December, snowfall permitting, and February is the reliable month. Weekends are busy; weekdays are quiet enough that you can park at the base after 9 AM. Snow tyres are recommended December to March, and the RedRock road is cleared all season.
This is peak demand. Christmas and New Year book out months ahead and carry a three-night minimum at most chalets; The Nest keeps one only over New Year.
April to June: the green window
The snow melts, the plateau turns green, and the walking is at its best. The Chabrouh Dam loop and the routes around the ruins are comfortable all day. The low rate, the lowest of the year, is charged 26 March to 31 May and 16 September to 30 November, and midweek the villages are close to empty. If you want the mountain without the crowds, this is it.
July and August: pool season
Beirut is humid; Faqra is not. Evenings at 1,600 metres need a jumper more often than air conditioning. RedRock's shared infinity pools run mid-June to 30 September, 10:00 to 19:00, and the Faqra Kfardebian festival brings the plateau to life from late July into early August. July and August weekends fill early. Book those ahead.
September to November: the quiet shoulder
September keeps the pools (until the 30th) and loses the crowds. October and November are for walkers and stargazers: clear air, autumn light, and the lowest rates. It is also the easiest time to get a weekend on short notice.
The weeks that go first
- Christmas and New Year: book by September, three-night minimum.
- Easter week: same pattern as New Year, smaller scale.
- February ski weekends: the safest snow, so the fullest car parks.
- Festival weekends, late July to early August.
- July–August pool weekends.
If your dates are flexible, aim for a weekday arrival in any season, or the June and September edges of summer. The chalet calendar shows live availability and the exact total. Check your dates.
Common questions
What is the best month to visit Faqra?
For skiing, February. For the pools, late June or September, warm but quiet. For walking, May, June, October or November; the low rate is charged 26 March to 31 May and 16 September to 30 November.
When does the ski season start at Mzaar?
Typically mid-December, snowfall permitting, and it runs to early April in a good year.
Is Faqra worth visiting in summer?
Yes. It is the escape from Beirut's humidity. Evenings are cool at 1,600 metres, and the shared pools at RedRock run mid-June to 30 September.
How far ahead should I book?
Christmas, New Year and Easter by September. February and festival weekends a month or two out. Most other weeks a week or two is fine.
