Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Damascus
Meet your guide at Damascus International Airport. Transfer to your Old City boutique hotel. Afternoon orientation: walk the ancient alleyways, discover the hidden courtyards, and take in the view from Mount Qasioun. Welcome dinner featuring Syrian mezze — hummus, mutabbal, fattoush, and grilled kebabs. Overnight in Damascus.
Day 2: Damascus Old City
Full day exploring Old Damascus. Umayyad Mosque — built in 715 AD, one of the oldest and largest mosques in the world. The tomb of Saladin in a quiet garden beside the mosque. Walk Straight Street, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Explore the Al-Hamidiyah Souq with its bullet-scarred but still magnificent Ottoman-era architecture. Visit Beit Nizam, a stunning 18th-century Damascene house. Afternoon at the National Museum — artifacts spanning 11 millennia. Evening: sunset from Mount Qasioun overlooking Damascus glowing in golden light.
Day 3: Damascus → Maaloula → Krak des Chevaliers
Depart for Maaloula — a mountainside village where Aramaic survives. Visit the cliff-carved Saint Thecla Convent and hear the ancient language of Jesus. Continue through stunning mountain passes to Krak des Chevaliers. This Crusader castle, built by the Knights Hospitaller, is a fortress of staggering scale — walls 30 meters thick, a moat cut from solid rock, and views stretching to the sea. Spend the afternoon exploring its ramparts, great halls, and chapel. Overnight near Krak.
Day 4: Krak → Saladin’s Castle → Latakia
Morning visit to Saladin’s Castle — a Crusader fortress on a knife-edge ridge between two gorges, with a 28-meter moat carved by hand from solid rock. Drive through the coastal mountains to Latakia, Syria’s Mediterranean city. Afternoon at the beach overlooking the Eastern Mediterranean. Visit the ancient port area. Evening seafood dinner. Overnight in Latakia.
Day 5: Ugarit & Tartus
Visit the ruins of Ugarit — where humanity invented the alphabet. See the royal palace and the library where scribes first wrote letters that would become every alphabet you see today. Continue to Tartus, a Phoenician port that became a Crusader stronghold. Visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa — one of the best-preserved Crusader churches in the Middle East. Afternoon on the coast. Overnight in Latakia.
Day 6: Latakia → Hama → Aleppo
Drive inland to Hama — the “City of Waterwheels.” See the famous norias, giant wooden wheels up to 20 meters in diameter that have irrigated the Orontes River valley since the Middle Ages. Lunch by the river. Continue to Aleppo, arriving in the late afternoon. Evening walk through the rejuvenated Old City. Overnight in Aleppo.
Day 7: Aleppo — Citadel, Souqs & Heritage
Full-day exploration of Aleppo. The Citadel — a fortress on a hill that has been defended for 5,000 years. The Grand Serail and the Al-Madina Souq — one of the largest covered markets in the world. Visit the Aleppo Soap Museum — the city has been producing olive oil and laurel soap for over 2,000 years. Afternoon at the Baron Hotel, the legendary hotel where Lawrence of Arabia, Agatha Christie, and Charles Lindbergh stayed. Evening in the beautifully restored Al-Jdeida Christian quarter. Overnight in Aleppo.
Day 8: Palmyra — Desert Queen
Long but rewarding day trip to Palmyra. Walk the Great Colonnade, visit the Temple of Bel, stand before the Monumental Arch, and explore the Valley of the Tombs. Climb to the Arab Castle for the breathtaking panorama of the ruins in the desert light. Lunch with Bedouin hosts. Return to Damascus. Farewell dinner in the Old City. Overnight in Damascus.
Day 9: Departure
Morning at leisure for final exploration and souvenir shopping. Transfer to airport or Lebanon border. Ma’a salama.
