Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival to Damascus - Visit Damascus - O/N

   • Pick up time of your choosing from Beirut, Lebanon. Transfer to the Syrian border for exit/entry formalities.
   • Continue onto Damascus by private car.
   • Visit the National Museum of Syria.
   • Explore the Handicraft market at Souk Al-Hamidiye for some of the best handmade goods in the Middle East;
   • Mausoleum of Saladine & Umayyad mosque (a place of worship since the first millennium B.C); The Umayyad Mosque - is famous for its incredibly decorative mosaic walls.
   • Visit Azem Palace, a perfect example of a traditional Damascene house. Caravanserai, Via Recta, and Ananias Church.

2. Day 2: Damascus- Maaloula - Homs- Aleppo O/N

   • Drive onto Maaloula, a small Christian town almost entirely decimated by ISIS in 2014. It’s one of the most scenic villages in Syria and is the only place in the world where Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ, is still used as a living language. 
   • We’ll visit a destroyed Catholic church that has already been largely rebuilt. 
   • Depart for Aleppo. There will be many checkpoints along the way as the main road between Homs and Aleppo runs very close to areas controlled by the Syrian Free Army. 
   • We avoid most of it by taking the more scenic route to Aleppo. 
   • Arrive in the early evening. 
   • Free time for dinner and the rest of the evening to explore yourself.

3. Day 3: Aleppo-O/N

   • Aleppo was arguably one of the worst affected cities during the Syrian war. Here, you’ll get the chance to see some of the terrible destruction as well as the opportunity to witness the early stages of the massive rebuilding projects that Syrians are now undertaking. 
   • Our first stop in the morning will be the famous Aleppo Castle.
   • We’ll also be able to see the partly destroyed old souks. 
   • Some date back to the 14th century and still sell authentic Bedouin handicrafts. 
   • Drive into the old town – one of the most affected areas by the war. 
   • See the towering citadel and caravanserais.

   Dinner and overnight in Aleppo.

4. Day 4 : Aleppo-Hama-Krak des Chevaliers -Almeshtaya-O/N

   • After breakfast, drive to Hama, famous for its historic wooden waterwheels. 
   • According to Lawrence of Arabia, drive on to Krak Des Chevaliers – “The most wholly admirable castle in the world.” After touring the castle.

5. Day 5: Almeshtaya -Palmyra-Damascus-O/N

   • Early departure to Palmyra. 
   • Full day visit to the destroyed city. 
   • See the Arch of Triumph, the Great Colonnade, the Theatre, the Agora and the Tombs. 
   • Drive back to Damascus.

6. Day 6: Damascus-Bosra -Damascus-O/N

   • After breakfast, drive to Bosra
   • a very ancient city, already mentioned in the inscriptions of Akhenaton, in the 14th century BC. The most important of its monuments is the famous Roman theater (2nd century AD), the one of the most beautiful and best preserved in the world. It is 45 meters long and has a depth of 8 meters. It can accommodate seventeen thousands spectators.
   • Back to Damascus

   Departure to Beirut