Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Damascus
Welcome at Damascus International Airport. Transfer to your Old City hotel. Afternoon exploration: the Umayyad Mosque — one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world, built on a site sacred to three religions. Saladin’s tomb, quiet in its garden beside the mosque. Walk Straight Street, browse Al-Hamidiyah Souq, and climb Mount Qasioun for the famous sunset view over the city — “Damascus, pearl of the Orient, sea without water, nest of stars,” as the poets wrote. Welcome dinner of traditional Syrian cuisine. Overnight in Damascus.
Day 2: Damascus → Maaloula → Krak des Chevaliers
Morning departure to Maaloula, the cliffside village where Jesus’ language survives. Visit the monastery of Saint Thecla — a young woman who fled persecution, and tradition says the cliff miraculously opened to shelter her. See the sacred cave chapel. Hear the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic. Continue north through dramatic mountain scenery to Krak des Chevaliers — the most magnificent castle of the Crusader era and arguably the greatest medieval fortress in the world. Spend the afternoon exploring every corner: the great hall, the chapel with its Crusader-era frescoes, the wind-swept ramparts with 360-degree views. Overnight near Krak.
Day 3: Krak des Chevaliers → Palmyra → Damascus
Sunrise at Krak des Chevaliers — the morning light on these ancient stones is unforgettable. Depart east across the Syrian Desert to Palmyra. Walk the Great Colonnade — 1,100 meters of Roman imperial grandeur in the middle of the desert. Visit the Temple of Bel, the theater, the tetrapylon, and the agora. Explore the Valley of the Tombs — the distinctive tower tombs where Palmyra’s elite built elaborate eternal homes. Climb to the Arab Castle for the definitive panorama of the ruins with the desert stretching to infinity beyond. Return to Damascus. Farewell dinner in the Old City. Overnight in Damascus.
Day 4: Departure
Final morning in Damascus — one last walk through the Old City, last photos of the Umayyad Mosque, last cardamom coffee in a courtyard cafe. Transfer to Damascus International Airport. Ma’a salama.
