Syria: Suggested Tours

Land at Damascus International Airport under your own arrangements (We recommend the flights offered by BMI from London Heathrow). On arrival you will be met by a Corinthian Travel representative and assisted with the immigration and customs formalities, then transferred to your hotel located in the heart of the Old City.

Accommodation: Stay for 3 nights at the Talisman Al Ameen Hotel (Deluxe Room) / Al Pasha Hotel (Junior Suite).

Today there will be a full day walking tour of the old city of Damascus - one of the longest inhabited places on earth. Starting at the Umayyad Mosque, the great 8th century architectural jewel of the Syrian capital you will immediately plunge deep into the city’s fascinating past. Next, visit the tomb of the great Crusader period general Saladin and the Azam Palace – the beautiful 18th century residence of one of the city’s Ottoman governors. In the afternoon delve into the ancient maze of streets that comprise the Christian quarter and visit the lively, colourful ancient souqs (markets). This evening enjoy a typical Syrian meal at one of the finest restaurants in Damascus.

Today travel to the south of Damascus to visit the Hauran, a region notable for its many ancient towns constructed out of a distinctive black basalt stone. The often overlooked ruins at Shahba (ancient Philippopolis) will be your first stop. The town was the birthplace of the 3rd century Roman emperor Philip the Arab and today is inhabited by the Druze – a minority community who divided from mainstream Islam in the 11th century. Further south, visit the extensive remains at Bosra one of the most important sites from the Roman period in Syria. The town is particularly notable for its amazingly well preserved Roman theatre. Late this afternoon return to Damascus.

After breakfast drive to the Crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers. This stunning piece of military architecture was described by T.E. Lawrence as: ‘the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world’. Its fortifications are the easternmost of a chain of five castles sited to secure the Homs Gap – the easiest access between the Mediterranean and the Syrian interior. This afternoon continue your journey to Aleppo stopping en route to see the enormous wooden waterwheels (noria) at Hama.

Accommodation: Stay for 2 nights at the Beit Salahieh (Standard Room) / Mansouriya Hotel (Suite).

This morning drive to St Simeon’s Monastery. A masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, the monastery was built to support the cult of St Simeon – an aesthete who is remembered for having lived on top of a column for 42 years. Return to Aleppo for lunch (payable locally). This afternoon visit Aleppo Citadel, then plunge into the great covered souqs. This evening there will be a short walking tour of the ancient twisting lanes of Aleppo’s Armenian quarter ending one of Aleppo’s finest restaurants.

Following breakfast drive to Serjilla, a Byzantine site that is arguably the finest of Syria’s ‘dead cities’, a grouping of settlements dating from the World of Late Antiquity which in our opinion are one of the country’s great unsung wonders. Next continue to Apamea, a city founded by Alexander the Great’s general Seleukos Nikator. The extant ruins of this stunning city date to the Roman period and are amongst the most attractive in Syria. This afternoon drive east across the Syrian Desert to Tadmor, ancient Palmyra.

Accommodation: Stay for 2 nights at the Tadamora Palace Hotel & Spa (Standard Room) / Tadamora Palace Hotel & Spa (Standard Room).

Today there will be a full day tour of Palmyra. The spectacular oasis contains one of the Middle East’s greatest archeological treasures. Under its rulers in the 2nd and 3rd century A.D. Palmyra rose to become the premier caravan city in the Middle East, achieving its apogee under the great Queen Zenobia. The Temple of Bel is Palmyra’s greatest monument and dominates the site. A colonnaded street of more than 1.2 kilometres leads from here through a grand Monumental Arch into the heart of the city. An unusual feature of the main thoroughfare is that it is not paved, making it easier for horses and camels to negotiate. In the late afternoon the view of the site from the 17th century castle of Ibn Maan is magical.

This morning leave Palmyra for Damascus. The Monastery of Mar Musa will be your first stop. It was founded in the 6th century AD and is magnificently sited on a cliff overlooking the desert wilderness. From here continue to Ma’alula in the Anti-Lebanon hills. The Byzantine Monastery of St Sergius and Bacchus here dates to the 4th century AD and is said to be one of the oldest in the world. Aramaic – the language of Christ - is still spoken in Ma’alula. Next, continue to the Convent of Our Lady of Seidnaya. This attractive fortress-like compound was founded by the emperor Justinian and at one time the most famous centre of Christian pilgrimage in the East after Jerusalem. Following your visit drive on to Damascus.

Accommodation: Stay for 2 nights at the Talisman Al Ameen Hotel (Deluxe Room) / Four Seasons Hotel (Deluxe Room).

Today complete your sightseeing of Damascus. The day will start at the National Museum with its superb collection showcasing more than 50 centuries of Syria’s rich past. Next, drive to the old city entering at the Eastern Gate. Here you will walk in the footsteps of St Paul along the famed and ancient Street Called Straight to the Chapel of St Ananias. Continue to the Chapel of St Paul which purportedly marks the spot from where Paul was lowered down from the city walls in a basket one night to escape persecution. The afternoon will be at leisure or free to continue exploring Damascus with your guide.

Transfer to Damascus International Airport and check-in for your onward flight.