8 Fun Hobbies You Can Pick Up In Beirut

If you’re a Beirut dweller or someone who frequents the capital city, we thought we’d show you some interesting hobbies that are both excellent conversation starters and a fun way to spend your day!

1. Foreign snack rating

Ever since we started our TikTok series of trying different snacks from across the world, we’ve significantly upgraded our snack game. We’re sure you love the Gandour classics or everyone’s favorite childhood staples, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to outside-the-box snack flavors.

@beirut.com Go on a snackventure of global flavors 🇰🇷🇺🇸🇯🇵🇨🇳in Hamra! Don’t forget to check out their instagram for more yummy snacks! #beirut #lebanon #ImportedSnacks #SnackVenture #BeirutDelights #TasteTheWorld #SnackObsession ♬ Strike (Holster) – Lil Yachty

This is a fun hobby that could be beneficial to you and your friends. Being responsible for the snacks at any get-together is one of the hardest but most fulfilling jobs to be assigned, but at least now you’ll be ready with some unique (and delicious) bites.

2. Art gallery scouting

Do you ever imagine being that person who finds random art galleries and decides to see what lies inside? This engaging hobby is a great way to make friends and learn to appreciate different forms of art. It’s also an easy way to romanticize your life in the city just a little bit.

@beirut.com Exploring the vibrant art scene in Mar Mikhael at the LT Gallery 🎨🌟 #beirut #art #lebanon #marmkhael #fyp ♬ Mort / Fine – Vendredi sur Mer

There are so many art galleries across Beirut with different audiences. Being an art lover doesn’t mean limiting yourself to complicated paintings or abstract sculptures. Beirut’s art scene is a vibrant one, and as soon as you enter it, there’s no going back! Check out our Arts & Culture section for inspo!

3. Café hopping

A hobby that most of us probably do already, especially if you’re one to get a lot of work done while at your favorite Beirut café. The city is home to many hidden gems, and we’re welcoming new coffee spots every other day! You would know if you kept up with our #CoffeeSpots and #WhatsNew sections.

@beirut.com Do your senses a favor and stop by at Le Menagerie 💐☕️🎨🥖#speciality_coffee#lamenagerie#lebanon#gefinor#hamra#livepastastation#beirut#flowershop#boutique#breadrepublic#cafe#beirutcityguide#art#lebanesetok#foryoupage#wheretogo ♬ CUFF IT – Beyoncé

Whether you love book cafés or pet-friendly spots (or both!), Beirut has many excellent cafés for you to hop between. This hobby is a variation of one of our favorite activities in the city, which is bar hopping.

4. Shawarma testing

And this is why we called bar hopping only one of our favorite activities. Shawarma testing has to be the best hobby to pick up while in the city, where you’ll find some of Lebanon’s oldest and most delicious shawarma joints.

Make it your goal to try any and every shawarma joint around (and trust us, there’s a lot) and find the best shawarma in the city. Once you’re done with Beirut, you can move on to other areas, or maybe do another round because you can never have too much shawarma. Oh, and of course we have a shawarma section.

5. Vintage item collecting

For some reason, being someone with one-of-a-kind vintage items is such a flex. If you want to pick up being a collector as a hobby, then you’re in luck! Beirut has some of the most amazing vintage shops that are filled to the brim with jaw-dropping collectibles from Lebanon and the world.

And of course, one of our favorite spots is Hamra Vintage. Though we usually stop by to scour the loaded shelves, we also love chatting with the amazing owner! You can also check out these 6 other places in Beirut that will indulge your vintage fantasies with their unique items.

6. Sculpting (and other artsy stuff)

Are you into art? This can go hand in hand with your new art gallery scouting hobby (Check #2). There are many wonderful spots in the city that let you test your art skills and leave the floor open for creativity, like art studios Naïve by Emné and CreativeNass!

And this newfound hobby will come in handy more often than you think. Making your friends a present from scratch for their birthday, recreating cool and quirky decor you saw on Pinterest, or just releasing some stress by getting down and dirty with a blob of clay.

7. Cute pet photographing

Not all heroes wear capes—some of them photograph Beirut’s adorable pets. You’d be doing everyone a favor if you picked up this hobby, and it’s the easiest (and most pocket-friendly) out of all of the ones we suggested on this list. All you need is the camera app on your phone!

@beirut.com Show Lola some love 💕 #dog#officepet#lebanontiktok#lebanesetok#foryoupage#lebanesecheck#officelife#viral#officepetiktok#dogsofttiktok ♬ Happy Dog – DJ Moody

Every time you stroll down the street, visit a pet-friendly spot, or bump into Beirut’s friendly dog walkers, pull out your phone and snap a picture. Bonus points if you upload it on a social media platform for others to see and make someone’s day.

8. Cycling

For our more active readers, cycling is a very underrated yet fun hobby, especially in Beirut. With its narrow streets, our capital city is actually the perfect place to pick up cycling because you can skip out on all the traffic.

@beirut.com Biking my way Downtown! 🚲🇱🇧 #beirut#lebanon#cyclo#fyp ♬ Massive – Drake

CycloSport is a very affordable bike rental spot in Gemmayze. Stop by with your friends and bike the day away! Though you don’t necessarily need a plan, it would be great to have someone who knows Beirut like the back of their hand to guide you through the narrow and busy streets.

So, which of these fun hobbies in Beirut will you be picking up?