Traveling to Lebanon soon and wondering what is the best way to stay connected? Don't waste money on high roaming charges or slow overseas data plans. This is a complete guide for finding the best sim card for traveling to Lebanon in 2024.
Find out everything you need to know about buying a prepaid sim card in Lebanon, with where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per April 2024, the best e-sim cards for Lebanon, info about buying a sim card at Beirut Airport, the best 4G/5G network in Lebanon, my recommendation, info about international sim cards and much more.
A couple years ago Lebanon was my port of call for my trip to Syria and before that trip I had a great time visiting Beirut.
On arrival I wanted to get connected straight away but prepaid sim cards for tourists at Beirut Airport were like a tourist trap. Super expensive for nothing. So back then I bought a prepaid sim card in Beirut city center in a phone store.
Depending on the length of your trip to Lebanon a prepaid sim card or an e-sim card is the best way to stay connected and save money on high roaming charges. One of the first things I do when planning my next trip abroad is figuring out what is the best way to stay connected and whether to order an e-sim card on the internet or buying a local prepaid sim card on arrival.
Having internet on your phone while traveling makes life so much easier. In the past I always used to buy a prepaid sim card on arrival but nowadays I mostly order an e-sim card on the internet.
E-sim cards are simply so convenient that I happily pay a couple dollar extra to be online as soon as the plane lands and have internet on my phone like at home without paying high roaming charges.
As Traveltomtom is on a mission to travel to every country in the world I get to about 30 - 40 different countries every year and therefore I use about 30 different sim cards per year. As I am already traveling full time since 2012 buying prepaid and e-sim cards became part of life and that is how Traveltomtom became the ultimate specialist in providing info about sim cards for tourists.
Because I love to document all my travel tips you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all over the world: USA, New York, Canada, Mexico, Dubai, Jordan, Amman, Istanbul, Turkey, Gabon, Europe, Italy, Greece, Austria, UK, Vienna, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Milan, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and many more.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Touch sim card for Lebanon. They have the most extensive 4G/LTE network and a good prepaid sim card deal for tourists.
If you want to save money then don't buy a sim card for Lebanon at Beirut Airport but wait till you get to the city center and go to a Touch store.
Traveltomtom recommends using e-sim cards for traveling to Lebanon. However, for some reason all the e-sim providers stopped selling e-sim cards for Lebanon. !!!UPDATED April 2024!!!
Unfortunately the same counts for international sim cards. However, there is a physical prepaid sim card for Lebanon that you can order online but you only get 1 GB data for $49.90 USD.
Best e-sim cards for Lebanon
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Lebanon in 2024 is an e-sim card. You arrange everything online in just a couple clicks. No more visiting a phone store and swapping physical prepaid sim cards.
You order an e-sim card for Lebanon on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a Lebanon e-sim card installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Lebanon it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
Make sure your phone is e-sim compatible before ordering an e-sim card for Lebanon.
UPDATE APRIL 2024:
ALL THE MAJOR E-SIM PROVIDERS LIKE AIRALO, SIMOPTIONS, HOLAFLY, NOMAD, ETC. STOPPED SELLING E-SIM CARDS FOR LEBANON.
Mobile internet operators Lebanon
There are only two mobile internet providers in Lebanon: Alfa and Touch. A Lebanon prepaid sim card with data is pretty expensive and Alfa and Touch offer pretty much the same prepaid data plans.
As of April 2024 it is also possible to opt for an e-sim card as well as a physical prepaid sim card when buying a sim card for tourists in Lebanon. However, you can only get an e-sim in an official Alfa or Touch store.
Where to buy a Lebanon sim card
There are a bunch of mobile internet shops scattered around Beirut, but for the best prices, data plans and service you want to go to an official retail store of Alfa or Touch. Both operators have a store in Beirut Downtown. Unfortunately in Hamra for example you won’t find them.
Therefore if you are not fuzzy about getting an e-sim you might want to buy your sim card for Lebanon in a random phone shop nearby. They charge you a little service fee, but it is not much. These phone shop guys are very friendly and also willing to set up everything for you.
Just bring your passport for the registration process. Your new Lebanon sim card will be registered on your name and passport number, that is standard procedure.
Buying a sim card at Beirut Airport
On arrival I went to the Airport Information Desk and they told me that there is only one shop that sells a prepaid sim card for Lebanon at Beirut Airport: CityFone.
You can’t miss this Beirut airport shop as it will be on your right hand side straight after you walk out into the Arrivals hall. I checked everything for you and I strongly recommend you NOT to buy a Lebanon sim card at Beirut Airport, unless you don't care how much it costs.
At the CityFone shop you can buy a Touch Lebanon sim card for tourist for $44 USD and you only get:
- 60 minutes calls or 60 sms
- 500 MB data
This sim card for Lebanon is valid for 30 days and only in Lebanon. That is right... $44 USD for 500 MB data? CRAZY!!!
Best 4G/5G network coverage in Lebanon in 2024
As of 2024 there is no 5G yet in Lebanon however, 4G/LTE is pretty wide spread and at most tourist attractions in Lebanon you will find a good 4G/LTE signal. Let's have a look at the Lebanon 4G/LTE coverage maps.
Alfa 4G/5G network coverage map
Touch 4G/5G network coverage map
Although the above mobile data network coverage maps are updated for 2024 they are not 100% accurate. However, they are a great reference to compare the 4G/5G networks of the mobile internet providers in Lebanon in 2024.
From the above updated network coverage maps we clearly see the difference. After comparing the Alfa and Touch mobile data coverage Traveltomtom comes to the conclusion that Touch has the best 4G/5G network coverage in Lebanon in 2024.
Prices prepaid sim cards in Lebanon in 2024
All the info below is updated as per April 2024 and prices are in USD. As of April 2024 it is possible to get an e-sim card as well as a physical prepaid sim card for tourists, but only in official Touch and Alfa retail stores.
Alfa Lebanon
An Alfa Lebanon prepaid sim card costs $12 USD: $7 USD for the new line and $5 for a plan that gives you 2 GB data for 7 days. (VAT excluded)
For the more info check the Alfa Lebanon website.
Touch Lebanon
A Touch prepaid sim card costs $13 USD and gives you 10 GB data for 2 weeks including 100 local minutes and sms.
For all the exact details check the Touch Lebanon website.
Best sim card for Lebanon in 2024
Let me urge you to buy a prepaid sim card in Lebanon and NOT rely on public WiFi or slow overseas data roaming plans. From my own experience I can tell you that is shit! Investing a couple dollars in a local prepaid sim card with 4G/LTE connection will be worth it and saves you a lot of stress and as you have seen a prepaid sim card in Lebanon is not going to break the bank.
Traveltomtom comes to the simply conclusion that Touch is the best prepaid sim card in Lebanon in 2024.
Touch has the best prepaid sim card for tourists and they also have the best 4G/LTE network coverage in Lebanon.
Order a prepaid sim card for Lebanon online
If your phone is not e-sim compatible but you would like to order a sim card for traveling to Lebanon online before your trip then check out the following.
Arrive prepared in Lebanon with an international prepaid sim card. You order them online and a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address. You put this sim card in your phone and it automatically connects to an available network upon arrival in Lebanon, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions is the only sim card provider that sells physical prepaid sim cards for Lebanon:
- 1 GB data for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order this international sim card for Lebanon via SimOptions.
Traveltomtom is an advocate for ordering sim cards for traveling abroad on the internet, but as you can imagine Traveltomtom does not directly recommend the above international sim card for Lebanon. Although it is the only Lebanon sim card available on the internet it is simply extremely overpriced.
I traveled to Lebanon to depart for my overland trip to Syria. Interested in reading about this extraordinary journey then head over to my Syria travel blog in this link.
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of April 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
I am sure some of these tips for buying a sim card in Lebanon were helpful for your upcoming trip. May you have any more questions leave me a comment below.
Enjoy your trip to Lebanon!
Some links in this article about the best prepaid sim cards for traveling to Lebanon are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you.