Syria holidays, tailormade
| country: | Syria |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests and requirements as necessary |
| price: | From £1649 (11 days) excluding international flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 2 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
Planning a honeymoon with a little added spice? Want to take the family on a journey of a lifetime? Or simply prefer to travel on your own, with a partner or a few close friends? Whatever the reason Syria won’t disappoint.
Bordering Turkey, Iraq, the Lebanon and Jordan, Syria is one of the Middle East's most interesting and historically rich countries. It boasts the oldest inhabited city, the best preserved Roman amphitheatre and the fabulous crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers, described by Lawrence of Arabia as 'the finest castle in the entire world'.
A visit to Syria will transport you back to a time of ancient civilisations and will show you a diverse range of history, cultures and politics.
Bordering Turkey, Iraq, the Lebanon and Jordan, Syria is one of the Middle East's most interesting and historically rich countries. It boasts the oldest inhabited city, the best preserved Roman amphitheatre and the fabulous crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers, described by Lawrence of Arabia as 'the finest castle in the entire world'.
A visit to Syria will transport you back to a time of ancient civilisations and will show you a diverse range of history, cultures and politics.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Overnight flight from London to Damascas. |
| Day 2: | Damascus. Arrival in Damascas. Afternoon to get orientated with the city and take a wander through the spectacular Souk – the long covered market that leads into the heart of the old city. Accommodation - Afamia Hotel (breakfast included) |
| Day 3: | Damascus. Full day city tour of Damascus begins at the Omayyad Mosque. This site of worship stretching back over 3000 years contains a Byzantine basilica with a casket said to contain the head of St. John the Baptist. After several other historic sites and lunch you can take a leisurely stroll through the Souq with its network of small streets and alleyways. After a visit to Anania’s church, the National museum and the handicraft market, drive up to Kasioun Mountain for the panoramic view over Damascus. Accommodation - Afamia Hotel (breakfast included) |
| Day 4: | Damascus - Palmyra. Departing Damascus head east towards Palmyra (Tadmor), where the impressive remains of the ruined city rise up out of the inhospitable terrain - arguably one of the most impressive sights in the Middle East. There is plenty of opportunity to wander through the rows of marble arches in the City of Palms, clamber up the towers and drink in the striking desert scenery. Accommodation - Heliopolis Hotel (breakfast included) |
| Day 5: | Palmyra - Dura Europas & Mari - Der Ezur. Heading deeper into the barren heart of the Syrian Desert, you travel on to explore the archaeological sites of Dura Europas & Mari. Your journey then takes you on to the lively market town of Der Ezur where local people travel from surrounding villages to buy and sell their produce. Accommodation - Ziad Hotel (breakfast included) |
| Day 6: | Der Ezur - Rasafa - Al Thawra Reserve. Driving west from Der Ezur you follow the river to the ancient fortress town of Halabieh, and then to the abandoned walled Roman city at Rasafa. This is an eerie but fascinating place to explore. Then cross wild desert plains and wooded hills to Al Thawra Reserve on Lake al-Asad where we’ll set up camp for the night. The perfect opportunity to go for a walk in the reserve or cool off with a swim in the clear water before watching the sun go down. Accommodation - camping |
| Day 7: | Al Thawra - Aleppo. In the morning you will take a short boat ride out to the ruined citadel Qala’at Ja’abar (subject to availability) before heading on to the ancient and fascinating city of Aleppo. Deserving of its status as a “World Heritage Site” Aleppo has a very traditional feel to it, and offers visitors a glimpse of a by-gone era. Accommodation - Diwan Rasmi Hotel (breakfast included) |
| Day 8: | Aleppo. Take a full day city tour of Aleppo and explore the legendary Souq, which is still the main centre of commerce and regarded as one of finest souks in the Middle East. In the evening we recommend taking a taxi over to the famous Baron Hotel to follow in the footsteps of Agatha Christie and T.E.Lawrence and relax in the bar with a sundowner! Accommodation - Diwan Rasmi Hotel (breakfast included) |
| Day 9: | Aleppo - Ebla - Apamea - Hama. Departing Aleppo you will head south, visiting the sites of Ebla and Apamea en route. Your night stop will be in the picturesque town of Hama, home to several huge ‘norias’ – giant, creaking waterwheels up to 20m high that have been used for centuries to divert water out of the Orontes River to irrigate surrounding farmland via aqueducts. Accommodation - Orient House (breakfast included) |
| Day 10: | Hama - Krak de Chevalier - Maaloula - Damascus. Perched on a hilltop with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, Krak de Chevalier is a highlight of any trip to Syria. En route to Damascus you will stop at the picturesque village of Maallula, nestled in the foothills of Jebel Liblan. This settlement built into the rock face is one of the few places left on earth where people still speak Aramaic (the language of Christ). Accommodation - Afamia Hotel, Damascus (breakfast included) |
| Day 11: | Damascus - London. |
travellers' tales
Absolutely first class. From a tourist point of view, Syria does not deserve its reputation. The people are charming and very welcoming... The ruins can be truly impressive. Damascus and Aleppo are cosmopolitan cities.
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how this holiday makes a difference
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In Syria we use local ground handlers who in turn book locally run hotels, providing employment for a number of members of staff and support families. The ground handlers also use local drivers and camp staff, and ensure that all supplies are purchased locally for the journey. This means that all the operational costs go directly into the local economy.
We have a strict environmental policy to make sure that the fragile eco-structure of the desert is not damaged or spoilt in any way. Our guides are trained to uphold this policy and all clients are fully briefed on appropriate/responsible behaviour whilst in wilderness areas. Our “Leave No Trace” ethic is applied to all trips in all regions, and as tour operators is something we are careful to promote. In each area we employ and develop close relationships with drivers, camp staff and guides. We feel the interaction between our friends and our clients offers both parties a valuable understanding between cultures. When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Carbon Clear” – an organisation who work with hundreds of organisations to measure their carbon footprint and reduce their carbon emissions. We also support several NGOs around the world such as the Hope Foundation, A-Cet and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit. |
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. |