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 and assisted with the immigration and customs formalities by a Corinthian Travel representative, 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 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.

Complete your sightseeing of Damascus today. 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.

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 a lunch (payable locally). This afternoon visit Aleppo Citadel, then plunge into the great covered souqs. Said to be over 15 kilometers in length, exploring the souqs is a total immersion into the Middle Eastern experience. This evening there will be a short walking tour of the ancient twisting lanes of Aleppo’s Armenian quarter ending at 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. This spectacular oasis, contains one of the Middle East’s greatest archaeological 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 1 night at the Talisman Al Ameen Hotel (Deluxe Room) / Al Pasha Hotel (Junior Suite).

Today you will be driven to Amman. En route visit the wonderful site of Bosra with its amazingly well preserved Roman theatre.Next, cross the border into Jordan and drive to ancient Jerash, one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Middle East, then continue your journey to Amman.

Accommodation: Stay for 1 night at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (Guest Room) / Four Seasons Hotel (Deluxe Room).

After breakfast drive to Mt. Nebo the site where Moses first saw the Promised Land. The church here has fine Byzantine mosaics and commands wonderful views over the Dead Sea. Close by at the bustling market town of Madaba, visit the Church of St George with its fascinating 6th century mosaic map. From here continue to Kerak for lunch, visit the town’s huge Crusader and Mamluk castle, then drive to Petra.

Accommodation: Stay for 2 nights at the Movenpick Petra (Standard Room) / Movenpick Petra (Junior Suite).

Today there will be a full day visit to ancient Petra. The site is approached via the Siq, a dramatic long gorge of striking beauty hemmed in by cliffs up to 80 metres in height. After 1.5 kilometres the stunning edifice of the Treasury (El Khazneh) emerges dramatically through a narrow gap. Further on the intricately carved Royal Tombs, Street of the Facades, High Place of Sacrifice, Qasr al Bint and the enormous Monastery (El Deir) all wait to be discovered. A buffet lunch will be provided within the site. This evening experience the unforgettable spectacle of Petra by Night (operates Mon, Wed, Thu only) when the Siq and forecourt of the Treasury are bathed in the soft flickering light of thousands of candles.

This morning visit the stunning desert valley of Wadi Rum. Rum is a vast, timeless and starkly beautiful place where uniquely shaped mountains rise out of the rose-red desert. Here you will take a 4WD jeep excursion to see the most dramatic desert scenery in Jordan. Following your visit drive to the Dead Sea.

Accommodation: Stay for 2 nights at the Kempinski Ishtar Spa & Resort (Ishtar Superior Room) / Kempinski Ishtar Spa & Resort (Ishtar Deluxe Room).

Today will be at leisure at the Dead Sea. Here you may experience the unique sensation of floating cork like in the waters of the sea, indulge in spa treatments, and benefit from the regions special dry climate with its weakened ultraviolet radiation and high oxygen content.

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