Syria
Because of continuing political upheavals, all our trips to SYRIA are on hold until further notice.
Home to Byzantine monasteries, marbled mosques, palaces and richly atmospheric souks, 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'. To give you a little history, the modern state of Syria was formerly a French mandate and attained independence in 1946, but can trace its roots to the fourth millennium BC. Its capital city, Damascus, was the seat of the Umayyad Empire and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Empire.
From the rocky Mediterranean shores in the West, through olive groves and mountains, valleys and plains to the Syrian desert in the East and the river Euphrates, today the delight of Syria lies in the diversity of her landscapes. In Aleppo you can walk paved streets once trod by Cleopatra, and in Damascus discover buildings older than the Old Testament.
A trip to Syria will transport you back to a time of ancient civilisations and will introduce you to a diverse range of history, cultures and politics based around bustling cities and vast desert.
How to book a trip
Group Tours
We currently have no group tours scheduled to Syria
What to do in Syria
Picnic in a Dead City
Aleppo
The Dead or Forgotten cities of the limestone Belus massif, North of Aleppo, date back to before the 5th century AD and apart from the remains of seven hundred settlements, haunting ruins and crumbling Byzantine churches offer a spot for a truly unforgettable picnic. Although few locals understand their historical significance, such as the Church of St Simeon Stylites, he of contemplating God atop a pilar, they are always welcome to visitors and with the help of our guides you can discover some truly remote gems.
Delve into Aleppo souks
Aleppo
This morning enjoy a half day guided tour of Aleppo. Discover the Citadel, the Great Mosque and Souks. Inside the citadel one can visit the Ayyubid Palace, the palace baths, a throne room and two mosques. The Great Mosque of Aleppo is one of the largest mosques in the world, founded in 715 by the Caliph Al-Walidi. Don't miss the minbar, the beautiful pulpit on which the Sheikh stands when preaching. The remainder of the day is at leisure to visit the Aleppo National Museum or the famous labyrinthine souks.
Visit St Simeons Monastery
Aleppo
The highlight today is an excursion to the well- preserved Byzantine monastery of St Simeon 42 km northwest of Aleppo and dating from the 5th century AD. The life of St. Simeon is well documented and his fame spread far and wide during his life. In order to get nearer to God, this hermit spent 37 years of his life on top of a column 12 metres high and two metres in diameter. As a mark of respect when he died a beautiful church was built around the sacred column.
Cooking Class In Aleppo
Aleppo
Take a cooking course in AleppoDiscover the secrets of Syrian cuisine, with a cooking class lead by an expert private chef. You will learn to make Syrian gourmet specialties, vegetarian dishes and typical homemade food. You will tehh cook what you eat! The class normally last for approximatley 2 hours in the early evening and in this time you may make a local kind of soup, a typical salad, 2 - 3 types of appetiser and a main course. This is a great way to spend some time with the locals and pick-up some interesting local customs.
See Bosra vast amphitheatre
Damascus
On your full day excursion visit the sites to the south of Damascus visit Bosra, the second most important Roman city in Syria after Palmyra. A World Heritage Site, Bosra was once a capital of the Nabateans and, under the Roman Empire, it was capital of the Arabia Petraea province. See the magnificent 2nd-century black basalt Roman amphitheatre seating almost 17000, early Christian ruins and several mosques before returning to Damascus.
Explore Damascus old town
Damascus
Your guide will collect you this morning for a full day tour of the historic city of Damascus. The first highlight is Saladin's Mausoleum, set in a garden of myrtles and lemon trees. Then walk to the Umayyad Mosque, a spectacular building whose west wall rises 100 metres high. Nearby you also visit the Azem Palace with a beautiful square courtyard, surrounded with fragrant orange trees and marble fountains. Walk along Straight Street and visit the church of Ananais followed by the National Museum in the afternoon.
Explore Krak des Chevalier
Damascus
Leaving Damascus, your driver and guide will take you to the best preserved crusader castle in the Middle East, the imposing Krak des Chevaliers. Set on a high, windswept hill, the castle was built by the Knights Hospitallers during the holy Crusades in the 12th century AD. Krak des Chevaliers is part of a string of Crusader castles which can be found throughout the Middle East, which protected the route to the Holy Land for Christian pilgrims and knights.
Enjoy a tour of Palmyra
Palmyra
The day is spent exploring the impressive sights of Palmyra. One of the best preserved of the city's monuments is the Baal Temple, built in 32AD and dedicated to the Palmyrene supreme deity Bel. There is also a monumental Arch of Triumph and Colonnaded Street, along which lie Roman baths and a theatre. Also visit the nearby Valley of the Tombs, Diocletian's camp, the Congress Council and the Cemeteries. If you have the energy, be sure to climb the nearby 17th century citadel of Fakhredin Al Maany on a nearby hill overlooking Palmyra; this is a great location to watch the sunset over this the extensive ruins of this ancient city.
Walk around Saladin's Castle
Damascus
North-west of Damascus visit Saladin's Castle (Qalaat Saladin or Saone), which is one of the greatest romantic crusader castles. Its location was chosen for its natural defensive position and the crusaders could command the entire coastal plain to Latakia. This is the largest of the Crusader castles almost twice the size of Krak des Chevaliers, although not as well preserved as the latter.
Stay with bedouin family
Palmyra
The Bedouin are a nomadic tribe who live in the desert regions of the Middle East. You will have the chance to spend the night with a Bedouin family in one of their tented camps. Meals will be taken with the family under the stars and your accommodation for the night will be a basic Bedouin camp. Although amenities are basic and washing facilities may consist of a bowl of water this is a once in a lifetime, magical experience that should not be missed.
How to book a trip
Group Tours
We currently have no group tours scheduled to Syria
Where to stay in Syria
Beit Ak Bik Hotel
Damascus
This traditional Damascus town house, originally built in the 17th century, has been restored to its former glory and...
Talisman Hotel
Damascus
The Talisman Hotel is ideally located about 200 metres from the Via Recta (Straight Street). Tastefully converted from...
Villa Palmyra Hotel
Palmyra
The welcoming Villa Palmyra is a small three star hotel located in the centre of the city, just a few minutes' walk...
Al Mamlouka Hotel
Damascus
Tucked away in a cobbled backstreet of the Christian Quarter of old Damascus, this delightful boutique hotel is set...
Al Pasha Hotel
Damascus
Stunningly appointed throughout with traditional furnishings and beautiful ornate tile-work, this luxury boutique hotel...
Beit Wakil Hotel
Aleppo
A charming hotel situated just outside the old city walls, in the Armenian Quarter, the Beit Wakil hotel is a fine...
Mansouriya Palace
Aleppo
The Mansouriya is a unique, top class luxury boutique hotel which is the best of its kind in the region. The original...
Martini Dar-Zamaria Hotel
Aleppo
Dating back to the 17th century, the Martini Dar-Zamaria is a charming boutique hotel located in the in the heart of...
Orient House Hotel
Hama
Built in 1890, the Orient House is an Ottoman style boutique hotel ideally located in Hama's old town.The private...
Yasmeen d'Alep House
Aleppo
Yasmeen d'Alep House is a beautifully restored 17th century Arabic house within walking distance from the famous Aleppo...
Dedeman Palmyra Hotel
Palmyra
Located just outside town, the Dedeman Palmyra enjoys splendid views over the world-famous archaeological site and...
Afamia Rotana
Latakia and the Coast
The five star Afamia Rotana Resort is located on a sandy peninsula 2 km from the Latakia city centre. The rooms have...
How to book a trip
Group Tours
We currently have no group tours scheduled to Syria
Suggested Itineraries
How to book a trip
Group Tours
We currently have no group tours scheduled to Syria
Syria Travel Guide
Aleppo
Aleppo, with a history going back to the early second millennium BC, competes with Damascus on being the oldest inhabited city in the world. In the middle centuries of that millennium Aleppo was the capital of the Amorite kingdom of Yamkhand and throughout its history has been on the trading routes with Europe, the Middle East and Asia and has flourished due to trade. Its central bazaar winds through an amazing 20 km and is covered by stone archways, with narrow cobbled passages. There are many separate souks and leading off from the bazaar are many caravanserais and Khans, such as the famous Khan al Gumruk built in 1574, consisting in over 300 shops arranged around a central courtyard. Look out for Khan al Wazir, a 17th Century caravanserai, which is beautifully decorated; especially the black and white stoned door, and the ornamented outer window frames.
Damascus
With a population of 3.5 million inhabitants, Damascus is considered to be the oldest continually inhabited capital in the world. Lying between the Anti-Lebanon Mountains and the desert, it was one of the great caravan cities and religious centres of the Middle East. Damascus consists of two parts - the central walled old city and the surrounding modern town.
Bosra
First mentioned in the Hieroglyphics of Thutmos III and Akhnatoun in the 14th century BC, Bosra later became the capital of the Nabatean kingdom. Under the Romans it grew significantly but its real heyday came after 632 AD when it became the first Byzantine city to fall to the Arab Muslims. It flourished greatly as a point on both the trade route and the pilgrimage route between Damascus and Mecca. Bosra survived the Mongol invasion, and later under the Mamelukes the main pilgrimage routes moved westwards and this left Bosra quite abandoned, until the Druze moved here from Lebanon in the 18th and 19th centuries. Bosra is most famous for its magnificent Roman amphitheatre, which was later converted into a fortress by the Ayyubids.
Hama
Situated on the banks of the Orontes River, Hama is an attractive and traditional provincial city, famous for its medieval water wheels or "Norias". Along the banks of the river are attractive parks. Some of the Norias are up to 20 metres in diameter and local children like to ride the wheel to the top before diving off. Other things to see in Hama include the old city, the 18th century Azem Palace, the Great Mosque and the Al-Nouri Mosque. For local colour, visit the Souk al-Hader al-Kibir, outside the city centre where country people come to sell their produce.
Krak des Chevaliers
Described as “the epitome of the dream castle of childhood fantasies of jousts and armour and pennants” by Paul Theroux, Krak des Chevaliersis quite simply one of the finest castles in the world. Nestled between two mountain ranges, it looks much as it would have done 800 years ago when Saladin considered it prudent to pass by without an attack. In a commanding position atop a high ridge the fortress has never been breached. With its towers, inner and outer fortification walls and Knights’ Dining Hall with a vaulted roof, it is the quintessential castle complete with its carvings of lions, the symbols of Richard The Lionheart.
Deir-Ez-Zor
Situated on the banks of the Euphrates, Deir-Ez-Zor is the most important urban center in the East of Syria. The citry stands guard to the five bridges that span the river, the lifeline of the regional economy and navigable corridor of civilization through the ages. Countless armies, conquerors and merchants have come and gone leaving behind a legacy of cultural and architectural diversity in public and private stone buildings and flower gardens.
Latakia and the Coast
The Jebel Al-Sariya Mountains separate Syria's interior from the Mediterranean coast and provide a total change of scenery with slopes covered in forests of oak and pine. The Crusaders built a string of castles in these mountains the most famous of which is Krak des Chevaliers.The two main towns on the coast are Latakia and Tartous. There are some good beaches in the holiday resorts just north of Latakia and nearby is also the archaeological site of Ugarit. Tartous is a pleasant seaside town with a fine Crusader citadel and cathedral. It is worth taking the 3km boat trip to the island of Arwad just off the coast.
Palmyra
Located at the heart of the Syrian Desert, this oasis city was the stronghold of the great Arab Queen Zenobia who dared to challenge the power of Rome. Built in Roman style in the 1st century AD, Palmyra is located near a hot-water spring called Afqa and in ancient times was an ideal resting place for caravans moving between Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, trading in silk from China to the Mediterranean. The ruins of the ancient city cover a huge area and are one of the world's great archaeological sites and it is easy to conjure up images of Palmyra in its Roman heyday as a great caravan city. During the first century AD, Palmyra was incorporated into the Roman province of Syria and Roman skills went into the construction of this grandiose city, justifiably cited today as reason alone to visit Syria.
The Euphrates
The Euphrates River was one of the great waterways of the ancient world and the cradle of civilisation. Many great cities grew up along the banks of this long and tranquil river, the most important of which are Mari, which is over 3000 years old and Doura Europos from the Graeco Roman period. Unfortunately the ruins of most sites, although precious in historical terms, are not very well preserved and are mostly appealing for those with a keen interest in archaeology. Other places of interest by the Euphrates are Ressafa, a Byzantine city the summer capital of Haroun Al Rashid, the ancient city of Zenobia named after the Queen of Palmyra.
Rasafa
This remote stronghold (inhabited in Assyrian times) was once a thriving city but after numerous attacks, was finally abandoned when the Mongols invaded in the 13th century. The site of the martyrdom of the Roman soldier St. Sergius the city is enclosed by still-standing sparkling walls of light-reflecting gypsum. It is now an eerie but fascinating place to explore.
How to book a trip
Group Tours
We currently have no group tours scheduled to Syria
Syria Travel Information
Visa Information:
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of your trip, and it must have at least one blank page for each visa required. Please ensure the passport details we hold for you are correct.
Please note it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa documentation when starting your trip. Country entry regulations can alter daily and it is always best to check with the relevant embassies for any changes.
N.B. If you have an Israeli stamp in your passport you will NOT be allowed entry.
Before departure UK passport holders require visas for Syria. If you are travelling on one of our tours we can arrange for your Syrian visa to be obtained on arrival. You will need to bring 2 photocopies of your passport photo page to do so.
If you would prefer to obtain your visa before arrival - this can be arranged through:
Travcour (UK)
Tempo House
15 Falcon Road Battersea
London
SW11 2PJ
Tel: 020 7223 5295
Fax: 020 7738 2617
Email: info@travcour.com
Website: www.travcour.com
If your are obtaining your visa before arrival you should apply no sooner than 8 weeks before departure. Should you wish to do this please let us know and we will supply you with all the relevant information.
Insurance:
Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours.
You should be aware that many standard insurance policies may not cover you adequately for all aspects of a Wild Frontiers trip and so we strongly recommend that you purchase a suitably designed insurance policy.
One such policy is the "Wild Frontiers" policy underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE " firm reference 202803), which is available to EU residents (which excludes Norway & Switzerland) through our website or via the insurance company direct on 0845 345 3456. Under this policy there are two different levels of cover available.
Standard policy: a comprehensive travel insurance policy that provides cover for all Wild Frontiers activities, including trekking up to 6,000m. This policy does not provide cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel.
Elite policy: provides the same comprehensive level of cover as the standard policy. In addition the Elite policy also provides cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel. The policy will not provide cover for any claims arising from or relating to the reasons why the FCO is advising against travel.
If purchasing the Elite policy you also have the option to extend the cover provided by the policy to include cover for claims arising from a terrorist act in an area where the FCO is advising against travel. You can add this cover to your policy when purchasing online or over the telephone.
These policies are only available to those travelling on a Wild Frontiers holiday.
For more information and to purchase your policy online please visit the Insurance section of our website.
The cover is underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE), and is arranged by Travel & General Insurance Service Limited. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Wild Frontiers Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Travel & General Insurance Company plc, details of which can be foun
Health and Vaccinations:
There are no mandatory immunisations for travellers to Syria though you should be up-to-date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A. We recommend you seek advice from your local GP or travel centre as to the correct immunisations and preventative treatments.
We also recommend:
• A dental check-up prior to travelling.
• You inform us now of any pre-existing medical conditions or medication.
To be on the safe side you can also check on www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
How to book a trip
Group Tours
We currently have no group tours scheduled to Syria
