Syria
| country: | Lebanon, Syria |
| trip type: | Potentially dangerous. Check Foreign & Commonwealth office advice for Syria and Lebanon |
| departures: | This trip is no longer running |
| price: | From £729 - £819 (9 days) including flights from the UK, from £389 excluding flights, plus local payment US $120. Optional single supplement £100 |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Few places offer such diversity and interest in such a small space as Lebanon. We are captivated by the aromatic landscapes and wonderful antiquities of a region whose peoples scribed the world's first written alphabet. Plus Syria's ancient capital, Damascus.
We start our journey in Damascus, Syria's 3000-year-old capital, and one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Our walking tour through the Old City bears this out revealing layers of history from Roman periods and through the Islamic and Ottoman periods. Entering Lebanon we climb into the mountains to the Ottoman palace of Beiteddine then descend to Sidon whose sea-castle has for years stood sentry against those that may try to invade.
Once a playground for the rich and famous Lebanon's capital of Beirut has in recent years again blossomed into one of the eastern Mediterranean's great cities, regaining its stature as the region's most vibrant city. After exploring it's National Museum we travel on to Byblos, a gem of a town with a rich history and wonderful setting, where fishing boats bob in a traditional harbour backed by Crusader fortifications. After seeing something of Tripoli we head into the mountains.
From Bcharre we spend a day walking among the churches and monasteries of the beautiful Qadisha Valley. This region is also one of the last bastions of Lebanon's famous cedar trees, treasured for their durable, sweet-scented wood. Crossing into the fertile Beqa'a Valley we come to the magnificent temples of Roman Baalbeck. Here, amid the vast sea of fallen marble and porphyry columns, we'll explore the Temple of Bacchus and Venus and gaze in wonder at the monumental colonnade of the Temple of Jupiter with its spectacular mountain backdrop. Finally we cross back into Syria and the end of our journey
We start our journey in Damascus, Syria's 3000-year-old capital, and one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Our walking tour through the Old City bears this out revealing layers of history from Roman periods and through the Islamic and Ottoman periods. Entering Lebanon we climb into the mountains to the Ottoman palace of Beiteddine then descend to Sidon whose sea-castle has for years stood sentry against those that may try to invade.
Once a playground for the rich and famous Lebanon's capital of Beirut has in recent years again blossomed into one of the eastern Mediterranean's great cities, regaining its stature as the region's most vibrant city. After exploring it's National Museum we travel on to Byblos, a gem of a town with a rich history and wonderful setting, where fishing boats bob in a traditional harbour backed by Crusader fortifications. After seeing something of Tripoli we head into the mountains.
From Bcharre we spend a day walking among the churches and monasteries of the beautiful Qadisha Valley. This region is also one of the last bastions of Lebanon's famous cedar trees, treasured for their durable, sweet-scented wood. Crossing into the fertile Beqa'a Valley we come to the magnificent temples of Roman Baalbeck. Here, amid the vast sea of fallen marble and porphyry columns, we'll explore the Temple of Bacchus and Venus and gaze in wonder at the monumental colonnade of the Temple of Jupiter with its spectacular mountain backdrop. Finally we cross back into Syria and the end of our journey
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Damascus |
| Day 2: | Walking tour of Old City; free afternoon |
| Day 3: | Drive into Lebanon; visit Beiteddine Palace & Sidon; drive Beirut |
| Day 4: | Visit National Museum; drive to Byblos; visit castle and ancient site |
| Day 5: | Optional visit to Jeita Grotto; drive to Tripoli; visit citadel and old-town; drive Bcharre |
| Day 6: | Day walk in the Qadisha Valley |
| Day 7: | Visit Cedars of Lebanon; drive to and visit Baalbeck |
| Day 8: | Drive to Aanjar for visit; drive to Damascus |
| Day 9: | Fly to London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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As a company we aim to encourage interaction with local communities while showing respect for local culture, beliefs and traditions, as well as the importance of respecting the natural surroundings in order to protect places for generations to come. This helps break down cultural barriers and fosters a spirit of mutual respect and understanding.
All accommodation is locally owned and in which you experience great food and lovely wine, all sourced locally. This not only provides direct employment within the hotels we use, but also has the effect of percolating money beyond to small businesses that supply the hotels and in this way money is spread throughout the region we visit. Besides hoteliers a large number of people benefit from this trip, from restaurateurs to local guides, bus drivers and our local handling agent's staff. This means that unlike a more conventional holiday where you stay in just one place the money we spend contributes towards generating an income for a great number of people. In addition we specify travel by small charter bus, not large coach, thus reducing our impact on the environment. Our Tour Leaders are trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. Entrance fee paid contribute towards ongoing maintenance at archaeological sites as well as helping to pay for site staff. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |