tourist syria

How to Travel to Syria as a Tourist

Can you visit Syria as a tourist? Yes, you can! Many people get surprised when they realize that Syria used to be one of the most popular destinations in the Middle East before the war. Tourists were flocking to the country – not surprisingly, as its home to many historic treasures and incredible people.

Syria re-opened for tourists once again a few years ago. The process to get a tourist visa to Syria is similar to what it used to be before and you are still required to have a local guide. However, there are more ways to visit now, as the airport reopened.

Why Visit Syria?

When it comes to traveling to certain places like Yemen or Syria many people ask questions about the ethical aspects of traveling to Syria . These places, not so long ago were war zones and many people have been forced to escape in order to save their lives.

Some people call it “dark tourism” and instantly shame those who travel there. I think that people are so focused on places like Chernobyl, Syria, or Yemen as they happened recently, they quickly forget that technically speaking visiting the Colosseum in Rome would be a prime example of dark tourism… especially considering the fact that everyone acts like a goof there and takes cutesy photos. Just saying.

Syria is a place full of history. When you travel there respectfully, you can learn a lot about the recent crisis and the history before and after it. You won’t learn that from the news.

Considering the fact that Syria used to be a prime tourist destination, many people were forced out of their jobs because of the lack of tourists. Many Syrians are simply trying to live their lives.

My own guide was a multi-lingual educated man with years of experience in tourism. Nowadays, being a guide is a side job, because there are not many visitors so he drives a school bus. Syrians are very happy to see that tourists are coming back.

Is Syria safe now?

The capital city, Damascus is very safe as any other city in the Middle East. Damascus is a very vibrant city that didn’t get affected by the war like Aleppo or Homs. But the economy isn’t obviously good, so frequent power cuts are a problem in the winter.

I drove around the country and felt like Tartus was a quiet beach town. Aleppo was safe but you had to take precautions just in case. I haven’t spent the night in Homs, just visited during the day so I cannot speak for that. I stayed in Hama and it was completely safe. I was told, “there was no fighting there, so not an issue”.

For safety in Palmyra read the section “Visiting Palmyra”.

The fighting is practically done and people want to live their lives. You’ll see children playing football, people selling souvenirs and returning to markets while rebuilding everything, and adults enjoying themselves at cafes and restaurants… just like anywhere else in the world.

How to Get a Visa to Syria

In order to visit Syria, you will need to obtain a visa. As you cannot travel completely independently (like you can in Iran ) you will currently need a special security clearance that needs to be organized through a travel agency in Syria.

Note: You could go to Syria with an invitation letter from a local who’s not an official guide but that only applies to Damascus. Traveling anywhere else around the country is basically impossible due to the huge amounts of checkpoints, where you need to show your Ministry of Tourism documentation.

Obtaining a security clearance through your operator takes about 2 weeks, so you must plan in advance. It’s included in your tour cost. With that, you can, or should I say your guide, will obtain a visa for you at the border.

However, now (2024) you can also just get your visa at Syrian embassies and consulates. It takes about 4-6 weeks. It is only a sticker and your guide with a security clearance will welcome you at the border and then you get an actual stamp – it costs 100 EUR for Europeans now.

You cannot just show up without clearance and hope for the best. Even if you somehow got the visa at the border (but you cannot), you wouldn’t be able to drive anywhere without security clearance – you get stopped multiple times every day and your guide needs to show your paperwork.

IMPORTANT (recent changes in 2024): If you have a stamp from Sharm El Sheikh in Egipt you will not enter Syria. Syrian border officials assume you may have entered Israel by being there. Change your passport before you go. Same goes for Aqaba in Jordan naturally.

Money in Syria

When you get your visa at the border ask to exchange money immediately as it’s the easiest place to do so. In Syria, they use the Syrian Pound (SYP) . Bring € or USD because you obviously cannot pay for anything with a card or withdraw more while in Syria.

How to Get to Syria

Your agency will inform you about possible options to get to Syria, potential border closures, and possible flights. When I was going the only reliable option was driving from Beirut.

The journey from Beirut to Damascus takes about 3-4 hours, depending on the traffic.

Nowadays you can also opt for flying directly to Damascus from Erbil, Moscow, Tehran or Cairo (with Syrian Arab Airlines). As Iraq now issues visas on arrival it’s super easy to do it from there, but most tour operators prefer to bring your from Lebanon either way.

Can You Visit Syria Independently?

Not anymore. Technically you could in the past and I know people who did that by jumping through some hoops. It’s also costly because the security clearance alone was $500+ per person.

You still need a driver to get around and that counts as a tour.

I’ll be real, just because the rules say you need a guide, it doesn’t need to be a loud tour of foreigners if you’re not into it, as it can be isolating from the actual local experience. I get it.

How to Find a Guide or Tour

I traveled to Syria solo. It was just me and my guide/driver and sometimes a few other locals (eg. in Palmyra I had to be escorted by a few soldiers).

It was as authentic as it could have been and I could still wander around Damascus on my own. That way I was able to see parts of Syria that are not possible for independent travelers, like Palmyra.

I highly recommend Golden Target Tours. The contact is Khaldoun +963 944 372700 (WhatsApp) or email address is [email protected] . Everyone I met at the company is professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. My guide was Bilal is you would like to book the same one, but I’m sure any guide from the company will be great.

You pay for your tour in USD cash upon arrival in Damascus, as there are obviously no ATMs or card readers. You must bring extra USD to exchange at the border for your own expenses such as food, drinks, souvenirs and extras.

Internet in Syria

I was surprised that I was able to connect to wifi pretty much at every hotel I stayed. You could also buy a SIM card, but I felt like I had no need for that.

Food in Syria

Syrian food is absolutely delicious. Similar to Lebanese with local twists. Hummus, kibbeh, kabobs, salads, fresh bread – everything was very tasty.

I also got to try Syrian kanafeh when in Hama and lots of svehha in Damascus. The latter is sort of like a Syrian pizza.

Visiting Palmyra

Palmyra, a UNESCO heritage site pictured here used to be one of the most important attractions. Built in 3rd BC, it was incredibly preserved.

Many visitors skip Palmyra as it requires extra driving time, extra permit and naturally cost. Others say “Palmyra has been destroyed”. As you may have heard, sadly, Isis destroyed Palmyra but it doesn’t mean that it’s completely wiped out.

Personally, I still found it incredible so I can only imagine how impressive it was before the destruction.

Is Palmyra safe to visit?

Hotels and restaurants nearby don’t really exist anymore so the closest place to stay is Homs, and you now need to visit it with the military – until they clean up the grounds completely, so it’s not 100% safe but it’s relatively safe.

Are All Cities Destroyed?

Damascus – The city center has been intact, but a small area outside of Damascus is still off-limits.

Aleppo – Lots of people wonder about Aleppo as it was always on the news. Part of the Old Souk is completely destroyed but people are actively rebuilding it. Parts of the old town are gone, but many places are intact.

Homs – The most destroyed city in Syria out of all. Over half of it is completely gone.

Hama – Entirely intact.

Palmyra – Most things are at least damaged and functional buildings are gone, but it’s still impressive to see.

Krak de Chevaliers – Partially damaged, but as the castle is from the XIIth century it’s not fully preserved.

Tartus – Most places are intact, just a small part of town has some damage.

Useful Tips for Visting Syria

1 – my most useful tip is to try going in the summer months..

I visited in March and I surely underestimated how freezing it was. I didn’t think how cold could it be as I’ve been to neighboring Lebanon before. I was freezing the whole trip despite two sweaters and a coat.

I also had to cut my visit to Krak de Chevaliers short, because it was so windy and cold that I could barely hear my guide. The night in Damascus when the electricity and heating went out I was a frozen ice cube, so come prepared.

2 – I suggest you fly to Damascus ( Cham Wings Airlines and Syrian Air ) or cross the border between Beirut and Damascus.

I crossed the border above Tripoli on my way to Tartus and it was a bit of a hiccup. The guide had my security clearance, but the staff had no idea how to issue my visa, how much do I pay and I spent a long time walking from one booth to another building to figure it out.

It was extremely windy and cold, so this wasn’t the best experience.

3 – I recommend bringing a friend with you.

I don’t mind traveling entirely solo, but in places like Syria or South Suda n where you spend long hours in the car, it’s nice to have a friend to keep you company. Otherwise, it does feel a bit lonely.

4 – Don’t be disrespectful.

I cannot underline this enough, as I actually saw a blogger going to Syria and acting like he was visiting Disneyland. Don’t be that person who poses in front of the ruins.

5 – Photos are allowed everywhere minus checkpoints.

There are no restrictions on taking photos in Syria. As long as it’s not a checkpoint you can take selfies everywhere (apart from the point. 4, obviously). Locals do that too, especially at the umbrella street in Damascus or at the tomb of Zaynab – the daughter of Fatima, at Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque.

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15 Best Things To Do In Syria in 2024

When I decided to travel to Syria the first thing everyone said was of course: ‘are you crazy!?’. An understandable reaction but it didn’t change my mind. I realized that for me it was safe to visit Syria and their outstanding tourist attractions were on my bucketlist for a very long time.

For many years this country was topping the bucketlist of many travelers and no wonder because there are so many amazing things to do and places to visit in Syria. But when the Syrian war in 2011 started, everything changed...

First I will list the best things to do in Syria before I tell you more about my trip, about the safety issues traveling to Syria in 2024 and also give you some more Syria travel tips and an ultimate Syria itinerary to start planning your own trip to Syria.

Apart from Palmyra and Latakia, all the Syria attractions and tourist destinations listed below I was able to visit myself on a 1-week Syria itinerary. At the end of this blog I will also show you my Syria itinerary and tell you more how I traveled around and got passed all the checkpoints.

For many years this was the most iconic Syria tourist attraction, but unfortunately it suffered heavily during the Syrian War and a lot of this historical site got destroyed. This archeological site and the most popular tourist attraction in Syria was built in 200 AD by the Romans. The ruins of this city are so iconic that I remember them from one of the first travel books I once got when I was a kid. Palmyra was one of the reasons I badly wanted to visit Syria.

In 2024 you are able to visit Palmyra again, but unfortunately I did not get a permit to travel to Palmyra in 2019. Yes, you needed a special permit, which can be arranged by the travel agency. This has nothing to do with your visa, this permit has to be personally approved by the high officials in the military.

Recently several tourists have been lucky enough to get a permit to visit Palmyra (at no extra costs, just safety measures). For me it is another reason to travel to Syria again in the future.

2. Krak des Chevaliers

One of the most preserved medieval castles in the world can be found in Syria on a hill not too far from the city of Homs. It was built in the 11th century and its size is truly impressive. It endured the Syrian war pretty damn well, but looking at its majestic size I am pretty sure it will still be there another thousand years from now. Krak des Chevalier was one of my Syria highlights.

When I caught the first glimpse of Krak de Chevalier I was in awe and after taking many photos from outside we toured for almost 2 hours inside the castle. Our guide was telling one interesting story after the other.

There are many hidden rooms and the view from the top is amazing. Read more about it in my Krak des Chevalier blog .

4. Damascus

Now that I first told you my 3 favorite things to do in Syria I can start with the capital. Being one of the oldest capitals in the world, Damascus obviously is a meltpot of cultures and a piece of ancient history can be found on every street corner. Small doors opening to amazing courtyards, hidden underground churches, the big Damascus souk and of course the the most impressive Umayyad Mosque, one of the best things to do in Damascus. Also don’t forget to get lost in the narrow streets in the Christian quarter and for a good rooftop restaurant with views over the city go to Naranj.

One of my best Damascus travel tips is to go on a guided city tour and I can recommend you the following guide: Ghassan +963 933 334 416. This amazingly friendly and patient guide was a legend, so kind and calm. He is a Christian living in Damascus all his life, who can tell you the hidden corners in the Christian quarter as well as in the Muslim areas.

On top of that one of my Syria travel tips is to go out at night! Yes go party in the Christian Quarter in Damascus, there are many bars and even some rooftops. It is totally safe in Damascus to walk around on your own at night. At least that was my experience!

See here the videos on my Instagram story about Damascus here including the party, sleeping in a mosque, the churches and getting lost in the narrow streets.

The second biggest city and a major Syria tourist attraction before the war. Not that long ago it reopened its doors to international tourists and when you are visiting Syria try to add this to your Syria itinerary. Unfortunately two of the best things to do in Aleppo got completely destroyed during the war: the Aleppo Great Mosque and the Aleppo Souk. The mosque is closed for visitors as it is one big construction site, but the souk is open, although only reconstructed for about 10% at the moment.

So why bother going you might ask yourself when it is almost completely destroyed in the Syrian War? Right now the Aleppo great Mosque is under construction and they are rebuilding it from the ground. The Aleppo souk was in total 12 kilometers long and is a living history. Here I met several people, sat down and had tea with them while listening to their stories about the past, the war and the future. Strolling through the remains of the Aleppo souk was one of my Syria highlights, an emotional experience.

Aside from the destruction there is the Aleppo citadel, a castle on top of a hill. The Aleppo castle is survived the war and is an amazing place to visit in Aleppo. You can climb all the way to the top of one of the watch towers which will give you a 360 view over this massive city.

At night the area around the citadel is extremely lively and the walk around the castle walls is like a boulevard with tea houses and restaurants dotted along the way. We went out partying, see my Instagram stories . Visiting Aleppo on you trip to Syria will be totally worth it and don’t forget to eat traditional Aleppo Kebab.

6. Beehive Houses at Al Jaboul Lake

Because of the ongoing war in the Northwest of Syria the highway between Hama and Aleppo is closed. To visit Aleppo you have to make a detour through the desert, but that will bring you to the remains of the famous Beehive Villages. These mud houses were designed for life in the desert but deserted already for a long time. These deserted villages now became one of the Syria tourist attractions. You can find them around the Al Jaboul Lake.

7. Salt Lake (Al Jaboul Lake)

Syria has its own salt lake worth adding to your list of things to do in Syria. It is located just an hour Southeast of Aleppo and perfect to add to your itinerary together with the Beehive villages. The highway towards Aleppo follows along the Salt Lake for a bit and you can’t miss it. The friendly workers will surely invite you for a tea when you stop here.

Personally I was not a really big fan of Hama. Not saying it is not worth visiting, but it is not topping my list of best things to do in Syria. Hama is famous for its impressive waterwheels and historical irrigation system. The wooden water wheels can reach lengths up to 30 meters in diagonal. The city is dotted with a lot of them.

The narrow streets in the old city are also worth strolling through and there you will find a restaurant hidden in an amazing courtyard. It reminded me a bit about my trip to Iran where I found loads of these kind of places. The name of the restaurant is Aspasia. When visiting Hama definitely go here for dinner or lunch, see the videos on my Instagram Stories 2.

At night the streets of Hama were like one big night market, almost like Thailand style. It also was the most conservative place I have ever been after Iran.

Unfortunately Homs is one fo the places that suffered a lot in the Syrian War and many Syria tourist attractions got destroyed. I definitely don’t encourage you to visit remains of a war zone, but what I saw in Homs was unreal. Strolling through the endless destruction in Homs, made me rethink about a lot of things in life. The sad reality of what people do to each other…

In the middle of the destruction in Homs there is a beautiful restored mosque. It was one of the most impressive things to do in Syria. While sitting inside a beautiful restored mosque in the heart of the most worst destructive area in Syria I simply lost it. Visiting Homs will be emotional, though worth it on your trip to Syria!

10. Sednaya

Visiting Sednaya was put on my Syria itinerary instead of going to Palmyra. Looking back Sednaya was a great place to visit in Syria. This mountain village located 1,500 meter above sea level is most famous for its Greek Orthodox Monastary on top of a hill. According to the legends of the Christians AND the Muslims Holy Virgin Mary appeared here at the Our Lady of Saidnaya Monastery. Climb up to the top of the monastery for amazing views over this mountain village.

Sednaya is located only 30 kilometers north of Damascus and easy to visit on a day trip from Damascus.

11. Maaloula

According to many Syria travel guides similar to Sednaya, but to me visiting Maaloula was even more interesting. To me visiting Maaloula felt like a fresh wind. Most places to visit in Syria are Muslim orientated, but Maaloula is more about the history of Jesus Christ. Maaloula is one of the only 3 remaining villages where they still speak the Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ.

There are several things to do in Maaloula, like visiting the Saint Sarkis Monastery, the Saint Thecla Monastery, the statue of Virgin Maria, a walk through a narrow canyon and the taking in the view over this beautiful mountain village from one of the viewpoints.

All these amazing places to visit in Maaloula made it one of the best things to do in Syria for me! It is about 30 minutes north of Sednaya, fairly close to Damascus as well.

The religious music that was coming from the speaker of the Saint Sarkis Monastery on top of the hill and blasting over this mountain village literally gave me goosebumps. You should see my Instagram Story about Maaloula . Another amazing moment was a lady that came came to pray in Aramaic inside the church. So many magical moments, I really loved visiting Maaloula!

12. Latakia

Because of the way our Syria itinerary was created we had to skip Latakia and I got a lot of ‘shit’ for it from Syrians. Just for fun of course, but according to many of my followers this is one of the best places to visit in Syria. Fancy some days at the Mediterranean Sea then visit Latakia. The 4th biggest city in the country houses several historical buildings in the city center, but is more famous for its beautiful bays, beaches and delicious seafood.

The city of Tartus was my first stop in Syria, regarded the safest city during the Syrian War. This Mediterranean coastal city is your base for visiting Amrit, the best preserved temple in the world of the Phoenacians dating back more than 4,000 years ago. Our guide himself did not visit this famous archeological site in more than 9 years. You can also find several tombs here in the countryside close to Tartus. Read more about visiting this Syria tourist attraction in my Tartus travel blog .

Unfortunately some amazing things to do in Syria are not safe to go at the time of writing this article.

14. Qalaat Al Madiq

In Qalaat Al Madiq you would be able to find amazing Roman ruins of an old city that has a similar feel to Palmyra. There is also a castle on top of a hill worth visiting. Only in May 2019 the Syrian Armed Forces retook this town from the rebels. Tourists have been back visiting Qalaat Al Madiq. It is one my list of places to visit in Syria when I return.

Unfortunately due to time restrictions I had no time to visit Daraa on my trip to Syria. But if you after all the dusty desert towns also want a slice of green nature then make your way South to Daraa. Here you will find canyons, green hills, waterfalls and more spectacular nature just 10 kilometer from the Jordan border.

Just like Busra it has not been visited by foreign tourists for many years. Im not saying it is safe to visit at the moment, I would leave that up to your Syria travel agency to decide. Daraa is where the Syrian conflict got sparked with the arrest of 15 youngsters when they painted anti-government slogans on buildings.

In case you get a chance and you feel it is safe to visit I would add this highlight to your Syria itinerary.

Is it safe to travel to Syria?

Of course that is the first question I would like to discuss. Obviously I didn’t wanna risk my life to see all the Syria attractions so I did a little research. Mainstream media are not the places to do your research. When you are ready to travel to Syria in 2024, Im pretty sure you are aware of that already.

I reached out to people that lately took a trip to Syria. How? Social media, blogs, etc. These are the people that can really tell you if it is safe to travel to Syria. Instagram is a good source, but you have already found my Syria travel blog and I can tell you I did NOT feel uncomfortable or whatsoever on my week long trip to Syria.

Syria travel advice

Yes there is a negative travel advice for Syria and that is because officially there is still a war ongoing. Well, let me tell you that is not where you want to go and you won’t even be able to of course. All the things to do in Syria that I am showing you are safe to visit. My advice is to go travel to Syria with a reputable local travel company.

The company I used to travel to Syria with Golden Target Tours. The company is run for more than 30 years by a Syrian man called Khaldoun Alamy . If you contact him tell him you are referred by Traveltomtom and he will have a nice offer for you!

My trip to Syria

This Syria travel blog is written based on MY OWN experiences on my trip to Syria at the end of 2019. It was MY OWN idea to travel to Syria, no one has forced me to go, nor did anyone force me to write travel blogs about Syria.

To date it is the most expensive trip I have ever done in 7 years around the world as a full time traveler. My tour was arranged with an independent Syria travel agency running Syria tours for more than 30 years.

All my videos about my trip to Syria can be found in my Instagram Stories highlights , I recommend you to have a look to see the good, the bad and the ugly about traveling to Syria in 2019. There are 3 different stories on my Instagram @traveltomtom : Syria 1, Syria 2 and Syria 3.

The reason I wanted to visit Syria was not only to see all the fabulous places to see in Syria, but also to get in touch with the amazingly friendly Syrian people and show the world that NOT everything about Syria is negative!

Yes I feel deeply saddened for those Syrians that had to run for their lives and are not able to go back to their homeland. But let me assure you that I travel to learn, to become a better person from all that I experience on the road. The only people I wanted to support with my trip to Syria are those Syrians I met on the street, the locals.

Best itinerary for Syria in 2024

To tick off all the above mentioned safe things to do in Syria I recommend you travel to Syria for at least 1 week. At the moment almost all trips to Syria start from Beirut, Lebanon.

Day 1: Beirut to Tartus/Latakia - (A,B)

Day 2: krak des chevalier - homs - salt lake (c,d,e), day 3: aleppo (f), day 4: hama - palmyra (g,h), day 5: sednaya - maaloula (i,j), day 6: damascus (l), day 7: busra - daara (k), syria travel blogs.

I hope all my Syria travel tips, places to visit and things to do were helpful for your upcoming trip to Syria. I also wrote a couple more personal Syria travel blogs about my first days. In my blog about Tartous you can read about my first impressions of Syria and the border crossing from Lebanon to Syria. In my Krak des Chevalier blog you can read all about my visit to one of my favorite things to do in Syria.

Curious with which Syria travel agency I arranged my trip or any other questions about my trip to Syria then please send me a message on my Instagram @traveltomtom and I am happy to help you out sending you my contact and help in any way I can planning your trip to Syria.

My Instagram is also where you can find more about my journey to visit every country in the world . As of January 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries!

Enjoy your trip to Syria!

How to Travel to Syria in 2024 – Everything You Need To Know

Are you planning to travel to Syria? If so, this blog is written just for you.

You will find everything you need to know about Syria before you go.

Hi, we’re Rach & Marty!

We’ve visited every country in the world and want to help you get the most out of your travels!

Whether you need an expertly planned itinerary , some experienced hints and tips , or just craving a delicious food adventure , we’ve got you covered!

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Post updated Jan 2024

Our travel to Syria was a very memorable experience. We travelled overland from Lebanon in September 2019.

Syria used to be one of the most popular destinations in the Middle East, and now is finally opening up for travellers again.

While general tourism to Syria is probably still a few years away, curious travellers are waiting to see this magnificent country.

Let’s cover how travelling to Syria is possible and the steps you must take to make it happen.

How to get Syria Visa

Can you travel to Syria right now? Are tourists travelling in Syria at the moment?

Yes, and yes. To travel to Syria, you must obtain a visa unless you are one of the few Arabic nations that don’t require a visa for Syria.

So, how do you get a Syrian tourist visa?

Your Syrian visa can be obtained from your nearest Syrian Embassy or at the border. However, to get your visa, you will currently need a special security clearance that needs to be organised through a travel agency in Syria.

Important: US passport holders can now visit Syria again (March 2023), but the process can take longer. You must travel with a tour operator; no independent travel is currently allowed .

If you decide to travel to Syria with a travel agency on a tour (see more on that below), this security clearance will be included in your tour cost and it usually takes only a week or two, unless you have a US passport.

You will then be able to obtain your visa at the border. The cost of the visa depends on nationality; some examples are listed below:

Syrian Visa fee at the border:

Australians and New Zealand is 130 USD
European passport holders pay 50 – 100 USD (Slovak passport was 70 USD)
Americans 160 USD
British 140 USD

When you leave Syria, you will also have to pay an exit fee of 2,500 SYP, around 5 USD.

You cannot get your visa at the border if you don’t have security clearance.

If you try to visit independently, this security clearance cost varies from USD 270 – 500 per person and is obtained through the travel agency.

The Syrian Visa at the border is a stamp only, valid for 15 days from entry.

Please Note: you will not be eligible to get an ESTA visa for the USA if you have visited Syria .

You must apply at the US embassy for a different type of tourist visa and pay a fee of USD 160. You also cannot have an Israel stamp in your passport; you will be refused entry.

And if you are trying to visit every country as we have , note that with a Syrian stamp in your passport, you might not be allowed to enter Libya.

Recommended Tour Agency for Travel in Syria

We travelled in Syria with Golden Target Tours and would highly recommend this local tour operator.

Contact Khaldoun at +963 944 372 700 (WhatsApp) for more information, or you can contact him via email: [email protected]

Make sure you get Travel Insurance before hitting the road. We recommend Heymondo & SafetyWing Travel Insurance.

Click here and get 5% off Heymondo from us!

Check out our Visa Page for helpful information on how to get a visa for some countries

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How to get a Syrian Visa – A Helpful Guide

18 Comments . Leave new

Aside from all the helpful information, I really appreciate the focus on supporting the local economy and being safe and respectful. It seems very easy for travelers to forget that sometimes, in pursuit of the best story or the most-liked instagram photo.

Spending some time in Syria is on my SO and my list for next year! Tons of great info that will help us make our plans, thank you Marty!

Thanks, Fred, glad you found the information useful. 🙂

Syria is still my favourite country in the world due primarily to its people, the most hospitable you can imagine. I lived there for 3 years as a student in Damascus and can’t wait to return. You post is very encouraging. I hope I can take my 9 year old there in the near future!

A very interesting blog post content quality is also good .Thanks for sharing with us.

Hi, We are group of five friends, planning for Syria trip this April 2020. I am just seaching on google and found your blog with detailed information. Really helpful. Keep writing.

Visited Syria in 2009 (before the war) and fell in love with it – the history, the kindness and hospitality of the people and the food – the best hommus and the pomegranate molasses! I think we may have even stayed at the same hotel in the Old Town, I recognise the courtyard where we were greeted with a glass of juice as we signed in. We visited Paul’s church and saw where he was hoisted over the old city wall in a basket to escape the Romans, tried the ice cream in the souk and visited the museum in Damascus. We did a big loop from Damascus to Palmyra, Aleppo, Resafah, the Dead cities (including St Simeon’s stone), Apamea, Homs and Hama, Krak de Chevalier, Maaloula and Sadanya and back to Damascus. We were fortunate to see and photograph so many sites that are now damaged or destroyed. In a grotto at Maaloula there was a painting of Mary, painted by Luke that was very sacred to the local Christians, I wonder what happened to that? I remember a local shopkeeper in Damascus inviting us into his shop where he and his buddies were having fresh, warm bread and zata’ar, he pulled up a chair and made more tea and shared their mid-morning snack with us. Everyone went out of their way to help us with directions even though we didn’t speak Arabic, they took us to where we needed to go, even though it was out of their way. We walked around in the wee hours of the morning and never felt unsafe. I am so happy to hear that things are returning to normal and maybe one day we can revisit this beautiful country and have another cup of Berber coffee with cardamom at Cafe 66 on the route to Aleppo. Thank you for this post and the hope that Syria will recover and the many refugees may be able to return home

Thank you for this lovely report. I travelled to Syria in 2019 and plan to go back this Easter holiday and I am actually looking for travelcompanion. One must for me is Palmyra, which I did not visit in 2019 since we did not have the time. I am Austrian and a very experienced traveller

Thanks, Heidi, we would love to see Palmyra one day too. Safe travels.

They are very beautiful hearts and hospitalet people in world , their country is destroyed but they still warm welcome u the scam rate is 0% and there is no theft around. I didn’t travel but o heard from my pakistani friends and recently some of indians went there And also im planing to go there on ‘jun’ im from pakistan and i speak fluent arabic and working here in hongkong living with my family If any one who watching this comment and want to travel to syria we can travel together because im alone i need someone im 29 years old and working in hk airport +85255444181

Hello!!! Thanks for this article !! I am actually planning to go to Damascus in a few week, without a private guide. Bus the problem is that I can’t find any accommodation in Damascus online. Even Beit al Mamlouka didn’t answer me when I sent them an email. Do you know how can I do to deal with this problem ?

Hello, we assume you’ve already secured a visa for Syria then? If the hotel isn’t answering your emails, we’d recommend asking a taxi driver to take you to a hotel that is popular with visitors. They usually have a few good ideas.

You need to update your report because an American passport holder is not allowed in Syria. So if you are a dual citizen and not on the banned list then you can be qualified for security clearance.

Hi Kay, thank you so much for pointing this out. All updated. 🙂 Happy Travels. Marty

Hello all, sorry in case I overread it but do you have a recommendation on budget hotels where they still speak English? I will travel Syria end of September and I am so much looking forward to it. I am a solo female traveler and so grateful for all your insights you shared – so much appreciated! Greeting from Germany, Veronika

Hi Veronika, No, we don’t have that information for you about budget hotels in Syria. At the time of our visit to Syria, we had to travel with a driver/guide and all hotels were pre-booked for us as part of our package. We recommend you search online on Wikipedia or perhaps some traveller groups on Facebook may have some of this information. We wish you all the best 🙂

Hi, many thanks for this usefaul information 🙂 Could you recommend a tour operator?

Yes, we can. We travelled in Syria with Golden Target Tours and would highly recommend this local tour operator. Contact Khaldoun at +963 944 372 700 (WhatsApp) for more information, or you can contact him via email: [email protected] . I’ve updated our blog post with this info too.

Everything You Need to know about traveling to Syria | Is Syria Safe Now?

By Author Christian L.

Posted on Published: November 2, 2019 - Last updated: October 7, 2021

Categories Syria , Asia , Destinations , Middle East

People often have many reservations about traveling to Syria. They wonder: is Syria safe now? It might sound strange to some people, but this Middle-Eastern country is ready to receive foreign tourists once again.

Syria re-opened at the beginning of October 2021 for tourists once again after been closed for 18 months, due to COVID. The process to get a Syrian tourist visa takes around 15 days and you are still required to have a local guide.

A fantastic country with one of the richest histories in the world. I was one of the very first tourists to visit in 2017. Here’s your complete guide to how you can travel to Syria as a tourist.

Syria Tourism

Syria is one of the most historical destinations in the world and one of the most popular travel destinations in the Middle East, with 8.5 million foreign tourists visiting Syria back in 2010, just one year before the civil war broke out in March 2011. In comparison, 6.6 million tourists visited the Philippines in 2017.

Since late 2018, western tourists can once again cross the border to Syria from Lebanon or Jordan to discover one of the friendliest and most beautiful places in the Middle East.

Yes, I know this is very hard to believe. But you should go and see for yourself.

The Syria tourist visa is now straightforward to obtain, but you are required to have book a tour through an official Syrian Travel Agency, and you are required to have a guide with you all the time.

When I visited Damascus in October 2017 and again got the visa in April 2018. The visa process was a pain. It usually took 10-12 weeks, but a lot of things have changed since then. Since November 2018, most people can get a visa in less than a week and often in less than 72 hours.

And you don’t even need to visit a Syrian Embassy; you just need to send a copy of your passport to a Government Licensed travel Agency, and they will take care of the rest.

The visa process still takes a bit longer for citizens from the USA, Philippines, India, Thailand, Afghanistan, and some African countries.

After a few western tourists didn’t follow the rules over the last few years, so now everyone is required to book a tour to Syria.

Any Syrian tour agency giving a tourist visa without a tour guide now will be closed down.

Every tourist has to get through security clearance to be able to get a tourist visa, which takes 2-5 days.

The easiest way to get a visa is to go to a Travel Agency that is licensed by the local government in Syria to handle and to get your Visa Application Approved.

The Current price charged is $270 – $550 by the travel agency, be aware that you also will have to pay a visa fee at the border and that the visa fee is different from nationality to nationality.

Most Europeans pay $300, the British pay $500, and Americans pay $550.

You can enter Syria at any official border and at Damascus airport when the papers are ready.

Currently, there are only three land borders that are open for foreigners: the border close to Damascus and one close to Krak des Chevaliers with Tripoli in Lebanon.

The land border with Jordan is also open for foreigners.

There are currently NO open borders between Iraq and Syria, and the occupied Kurdish parts are also not accessible for foreigners.

An Israel stamp in your passport or proof of visit to Israel will get you denied entry to Syria. Despite different rumours online on various travel forums and Facebook groups, you are NOT able to buy the visa at the border unless your Security Permission is approved and you are registered in the system of the Immigration Department.

This Is what the local Travel Agency will arrange for you and take care of.

Visa Fee for international tourists at the border to Syria:

Australians and New Zealand is $130
European passport holders pay $72
South American countries $20-$40
Hong Kong $75
Thailand $35
Malaysia Free

The border crossing and immigration are very smooth and easy when your papers are ready, and it takes no longer to cross than other borders in the Middle East. The border is open 24/7.

Depending on the number of people in the queue, but it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes of processing.

The immigration counter furthest to the right is the one for foreigners.

You will have to pay the visa fee in the window to the backside of the big immigration room.

You also has to pay 2500 Syrian pounds for exit tax you will have to pay when departing Syria.

A person you can contact are: (You don’t need to contact both, it’s two different travel agencies) Tell them Christian from Norway sent you:)

Ayoub from Marrota Travel; [email protected] +963954840021 WhatsApp.

Sawsan Joumaa +963933753839 WhatsApp.

I do not recommend people to use Basel / The Travel King to arrange their trip to Syria.

There have been many reports of him scamming people.

When your application is approved, will you have three months to enter the country.

The visa is just a small stamp in your passport and is valid for 10/15days.

Just be aware that a Syrian stamp in your passport will make you no eligible for the American Visa waiver program for five years, and you might get questioned in some countries when entering; I’ve personally been questioned by the Immigration in both Dubai and Oman because of the Syrian visa in my passport.

Travel to Syria from Lebanon and Jordan

Depending on your budget, so are the different options available on travel from Syria.

Driving Through Syria From Lebanon

A private taxi from Beirut airport to Damascus costs $100.

A shared taxi from Beirut to Damascus costs $20-$35, be sure to agree on the price before leaving!

There are different shared Taxi Services in Beirut that you can use, VIP Taxi, Allo Taxi (which has an online booking). They offer pick-up service all over Beirut; get your hotel to call them if you are staying in Beirut before going to Syria.

There’s currently NO bus service between the two countries. But for the cheapest shared taxis, head to Charles Helou bus station (It’s the big one under the overpass road in Beirut).

Shared taxis from there to Damascus are cheaper than VIP Taxi and Allo Taxi but not as comfortable as the two.

A local shared taxi costs %20 and leaves Charles Helou bus station whenever it’s full, shouldn’t take more than 30min.

If you want to save money, can you take a local bus from Beirut to Majdal Anjar, the last town before Syria, It should cost you $1-$2. There are also some old Roman Ruins in Majdal Anjar.

A shared taxi from Majdal Anjar to Damascus should cost you less than $10.

The drive from Beirut to Damascus is 116KM/72Miles, and takes 2hour to 4hours, heavily depending on the notorious traffic jams when leaving Beirut.

If going from Tripoli in northern Lebanon to Tartous, will it take you 2-3 hours. $10 for a shared taxi.

The tour company you arrange your tour with can also arrange a private driver to pick you up in Beirut or Tripoli.

Jordan To Syria overland

The Jaber Border Crossing between Jordan and Syria is open from 7 am to 15.00 every day.

And it can get very crowded, especially on Mondays and Sundays.

From Amman, there is a daily bus from Abdali Terminal with Jett Bus to Damascus.

From Amman to the border is only 1hour and 15min. And from the border to Damascus is around 2 hours.

Be aware that your Syrian tour guide will have to pick you up at the Syrian side of the border once you are through immigration and have entered the country and be with you until you leave the country again.

Can You Fly to Syria? Latakia Airport & More

The connection to Damascus International Airport (DAM) is currently not very good from outside the Middle East, but it’s improving.

Just be aware the Israeli Airforce is occasionally bombing Damascus airport; the last time it happened was the 15 September 2018, so the airport sometimes has to shut down for a short time.

Flights to Syria

Currently, these are the flights to Damascus International Airport that are operating:

Cham Wings Airlines flies from Damascus to Amman (Jordan), Sharjah (UEA) , Moscow (Russia), Kuwait, Muscat( Oman ), Erbil (Iraq Kurdistan), Yerevan (Armenia), Beirut (Lebanon), Baghdad , Basra , Najaf (Iraq), Khartoum (Sudan) and Tehran (Iran).

Syrian Air: flies from Damascus too: Dubai (UEA), Kuwait, Doha (Qatar), Cairo, Algiers (Algeria), and more destinations getting added.

UPDATE December 2020. There are now 3 international airports working in the country

Aleppo international airport reopened 21 December 2020 with weekly flights to Beirut, Ebril, and Cairo.

Latakia International Airport has also reopened with flights to Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Damascus, Dubai–International, Kuwait, Sharjah.

Getting Around Syria

Since you are required to have a local tour guide to travel around the Syrian government-controlled parts of the country.

So are transportation included in the tour package you will have to book before you are allowed to visit.

In some parts of Syria, you will have to get a permit which takes +/- 5 days; Maaloula is one of the places that require a permit.

Same with the Roman ruins at Palmyra and far eastern Syria.

But things change fast in Syria. Places can be open one day, then closed the next day, depending on the security situation. And, of course, are the front line around Idlib off-limit, it’s also there still ongoing cleaning operation from the Syrian Army against ISIS around Swedia and the desert close to Palmyra. There are still a lot of military checkpoints around Syria, so it will take time to travel around.

Money in Syria

There are currently NO ATM/Cash Machines in Syria working with foreign bank cards; this is because of Americans and European sanctions against Syria.

So you will have to bring hard cash with you when you visit Syria. Everything in the country will you have to pay in cash. Euro and USD is the currency to take. I exchanged all my Euro for Syrian Pounds at the hotels I stayed at.

Most ATMs/cash machines in Beirut and Lebanon has a USD withdrawal option.

Just be aware that exchange shops cant exchange back USD / EURO for your Syrian Pounds, So be sure not to exchange too much the days before leaving.

All hotels accept payments in USD/EURO.

The exchange rate changes almost daily, but around 450 Syrian Pounds for $1 And 550 Syrian Pound for Euro was about “normal” when I visited in 2017, now in 2020, the Syrian pound has collapsed, and $1 is around 3400 Syrian Pounds.

Prices have increased quite a lot since my visit to Syria in October 2017 to now in late 2018. The price for most of the hotels has increased by almost 30% in one year.

ETC. The hotel I stayed in 2017 charged $75 a night with breakfast; now it’s $135 for the same.

Getting Online In Syria

Most hotels and higher-end restaurants and coffee shops/bars have free WIFI, while the connection is not super fast, so have the speed and stability increased a lot over the last year.

If you want to buy a local Simcard will you have to visit a proper MTN or Syriatel office (the small shops on almost every corner cannot sell you), ask your hotel where the closest one is located.

Bring your passport.

The price is $8 for a local sim card with 5 GB data of data. All the small local phone shops can recharge.

Where to Stay in Damascus, Syria

Like I mentioned back in my post in 2017, so where most of the hotels were already up and running back then.

Now a year later, even are more hotels are up and running, you will be surprised by how many foreign tourists you will see in Syria and 2020. It’s actually not rare that the most popular hotels get fully booked these days.

The is hotels for every budget in every city.

Damascus: You want to stay around Bab Toma, the old part of Damascus.

If you are staying in other parts of the town, a taxi will cost you $1-$2 around the city, no meters, agree on the price before going.

Beit Al Wali is the best hotel in the old city of Damascus; It is a beautiful five* hotel in a traditional building in Bab Toma, the old part of Damascus.

I’ve stayed here four times here myself during April – October, the best season for Syria. This is the hotel every foreign that was visiting Syria during the middle of the war was staying in; it was not rare to see famous western journalists here.

The price is $125-145 a night, with a great breakfast buffet. I can not recommend this hotel well enough.

This is one of the best hotels I’ve stayed in anywhere in the world, and I stayed here the first time when the war was less than 3KM away. The staff here is fantastic.

The bar street is less than 5min walk away. You will be surprised that the nightlife in Damascus is as good as anywhere in Europe, and this bar street did never shut down during the war, even when rockets were falling down less than 1km away!

Hotel Al Majed is a cheaper option right outside Bab Toma. A popular budget option. $$33 for a double room.

A bit outdated. But a great choice, there are more hotels on the same street with similar prices.

You can try the spots below in Aleppo .

Park Hotel: located in the middle of the city center on Baghdad Station Street, a bit run down but a good option.

I’ve stayed here in October 2017 and again in late 2018. Around $70 a night,

Other travels are recommending: Riga Hotel for $100 a night.

Junada Hotel, one of the biggest hostels in Syria. I stayed here in October 2017. Private beach, numerous restaurants. $145 a night.

Travelers are reporting that Hotel Cleopatra on Althoura street is an excellent option for $20 a night.

Is Damascus Safe?

One of the most frequently asked questions is “Is Syria safe to visit?”. Many people wonder is it safe to travel to Syria because the war has now been raging for more than nine years.

Most parts of Syria today are completely safe to visit, especially the capital Damascus, and Aleppo is just as safe as big European cities.

Don’t believe me? Go on traveling forums and Facebook groups and read the daily reports from other western travelers visiting Syria these days.

But there are a few things you should absolutely not do while traveling in Syria now. But you should always check the latest travel advice and the current security situation in Syria before you decide to travel.

Do NOT TAKE Photos of any Military bases, checkpoints, Soldiers, etc. this includes Russian, Iranians, and Hezbollah.

While the situation is improving daily, so are soldiers very suspicious of foreign spies even now in 2020.

I know of a few examples of a foreign tourist being stupid and taking photos of checkpoints and army stuff, this resulting in getting all their photos deleted and getting questioned for hours.

Tourists Sites Destroyed Because of Syrian Civil War

With a war that now has lasted more than nine years around the country, is there no surprise that some of the architectural masterpieces that once stood around Syria is destroyed or heavily damaged, but far from everything is destroyed.

And even somethings are completely unharmed, but you do have sited like the Roman ruins of Palmyra that was almost entirely destroyed by ISIS, same is it with Aleppo’s Great Umayyad Mosque , and the historic souq (Reconstructing heavily going on), the dead cities in Idlib are also long gone.

Krak des Chevaliers, one of the most famous castles in the world, got minor damage; reconstruction is going on and should be finished by late 2019.

The Christian temples in Saidnaya were looted and damaged by terrorists, but rebuilding is already completed.

The waterwheels in Hama is also still standing unharmed.

The historical part of Bab Touma. Damascus was hit by rockets and mortars, but every site have been prepared; the National Museum of Syria once again opened for the public again in late October. Bosra Roman Ruins in Southern Syria is entirely unharmed and is now possible to visit.

If you have any questions about visiting this amazing country, feel free to comment, and I will try to answer as well as I can.

Syria’s Economic Collapse in 2020

The Syrian pound has fallen, since the beginning of April 2020, to a level not seen in its history before, so that the Syrian market is affected in one way or another by these consecutive setbacks of its currency, which led to a new rise in prices, and the deterioration of the already tense living situation.

Causes of decline:

The drop in oil prices on the international market, which has negatively affected countries supporting the system due to their heavy dependence on oil trade in their economies.

As a result, Iran’s cash assistance to Syria decreased.

The Syrian Central Bank is free from foreign exchange and gold, as the presence of foreign currency reserves and gold are the main pillars upon which national currencies are based.

The central bank has become empty of foreign exchange reserves due to the stoppage of the revenues of land, sea, and air transit transport and the stopping of the export movement, the largest contributor to foreign currency revenues.

US and European sanctions imposed on key figures over the local government.

The exchange rate is now 2,700 liras per dollar
The exchange rate was 1050 liras in March
The income of the Syrian citizen became $ 20 a month.

Final Thoughts on Tourism in Syria

Hopefully, this post has answered all of your questions on traveling in Syria and gotten rid of some of your reservations about visiting. Now that you know it is safe to travel to Syria, you can have a perfectly pleasant time in the country. Be sure to spend a night at one of the Syrian hotels recommended above. Fly safe and have a great journey.

Wednesday 19th of October 2022

What to do if I want to stay at some friend's home?

Christian L.

Saturday 5th of November 2022

Hello. It depends on your nationality, if you can visit without a guide, then its no problem. If you need a guide then it's not possible unfortunately at least by the law

David Holland

Saturday 29th of January 2022

Amazing, 500K Syrians have died, some becuse of chemical weapons and there are 2 million Syrian refugees sitting outside of Syria and yet people want to spend money there and support the Assad regime. Doesn't matter if it's safe or not. you are supporting evil people.

Not Your Average American

Friday 9th of June 2023

@David Holland, In case you didn't know, it was Assad (with the help of Russia, Hezbollah, and Iran) who liberated the areas held by terrorists...NOT Trump. Look at the map. Are you saying Assad killed half a million people and terrorist groups like ISIS and Al Nusra killed 0? They are called "terrorists" for a reason. Don't give Assad too much credit on the deaths. Look at how many civilians we killed during OUR invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan...or even Vietnam and Laos. As your president would say..."C'mon man!"

Average America

Saturday 8th of April 2023

@David Holland Support for Syria is a kick in the ass to sadist-state Israel. God bless Assad and all of Syria for standing strong against the phoney Khazar feces. Long live Syria!

Margrit Hertenstein

Saturday 12th of June 2021

Hello, I am a german citizen and I'd like to visit Syria in august 21. I will live with some syrian friends and don't need a hotel or a guide. Do I still have to book a guide and does the visa still cost 500 Dollar? Thank you for your answer.

Thursday 29th of July 2021

Hello. The border is still closed for western tourists. Unfortunately, so are you required by law to stay in a hotel and have a guide, even if you have local friends, up tp 2019 we could travel freely, but one Australian tourist screwed up and now everyone require to have a guide with them all the time. The visa is cheaper than 500 usd

Sunday 2nd of May 2021

Hello...Im from cape town south africa...a very beautiful city...but would love to visit syria...our hearts are with all the syrian people to be blessed in stability and prosperity in their lives...we are continuously praying for u all Some day we will visit.. Blessings In Jesus Almightiest Name Love you all to bits n pieces

God Bless n Shalom

Thursday 28th of January 2021

Hello. I came across this blog and I thought it was very interesting bit of information. Thank you. I am American and I saw that the travel ban has been lifted for Syria. I know that Lebanon and Syria have been experiencing a rise in COVID cases but I don't know how restrictive Syria has been in obtaining a travel visa. I'm planning to travel to Lebanon in February. I hope that I can have a chance to experience this beautiful country.

Tuesday 11th of January 2022

@Christian L., Hi, long time no see....well I did not see your email. I did contact an Ayoub from Morrata and he said he would help me get my visa but he said that he also never did one for an American before. -_-hmm.. I also did not travel because of the COVID situation here in the US. Now in 2022, I am hoping that I can travel here, even for a few days.

Friday 30th of July 2021

Did you manage to visit Syria during your visit to this part of the world?

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Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist

16th July 2022
10 minute read

This will be, without a doubt, one of the most difficult destination blogs to compose. On the other hand, I personally feel a duty to share the notion of travel being possible in Syria – even amidst the internal and external battles that the country still currently faces today. Depending on your travel experience, it’s common to realise that the reality of most countries can be very different to the perception that mainstream media outlets try to convey… This applies to (many areas of) Syria too.

Why should you travel to syria, travelling to syria as a female, what is it like travelling syria, in my experience…, how much spending money will you need, should you tip in syria, accommodation in syria, food in syria, internet in syria, weather in syria, what to wear in syria.

Don’t have time to read this now? Pin this blog for later .

Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist 15

Syria could be one of the most emotionally difficult destinations you can visit today. It is clear to see that most of the landscapes, towns and characters have been shaped by the most recent war. Personal stories will continue to break your heart on a day-to-day basis. And as a consequence, military checkpoints patrol most corners of the road network and most of what remains to be visited by tourists.

Still and all, contrary to what much of the mainstream media would have us believe, Syria has many other stories to tell, especially to those who are courageous enough to visit.

Before 2011, popular hotel rooms and tour operators would be fully booked. Tourists from all around the world would flock in numbers to explore the incredible ancient structures, such as Palmyra and Krak des Chevaliers. So, whether you believe it or not, Syria once had a booming tourism industry. This is understandable because Syria has some of the richest histories and ancient sites in the world!

This personal insight is not a suggestion that Syria is ready for mass tourism yet. After all, for any open-hearted individual who is willing to cross the Syrian border and especially for the vast population of Syria, I can only have hope and faith that they will be able to host larger numbers again someday soon. Inshallah!

Is It Safe to Travel to Syria?

During the time this blog was written (July 2022) , it would be against foreign advice to travel to Syria. It’s also near impossible to find travel insurance that will cover your visit, due to the economic sanctions that multiple nations have placed on the country.

The intention of this blog is not to inform travellers that visiting Syria is completely safe – it’s not. In fact, there are many areas of the country that are still active conflict zones and undisputed territories. Nevertheless, the complete war zone that mainstream media outlets portray the entire country to be in, is simply misleading.

In fact, most curious locals generally point out their own personal concerns about how their country is perceived by other nations through the mainstream media. Therefore, I personally feel a duty to share their strong message of humankind, that the overwhelming majority of Syrians are not dangerous and are instead, very peaceful and loving people. By spending time with these local people from various areas of Syria, I was one thousand per cent assured by their heartwarming smiles that would grant peace to anyone with compassion that was blessed to be around them.

Of course, like in many other countries, things can change quickly. Therefore, I would urge everyone to do research and their own risk assessment before travelling. There are plenty of governments advising against travel to Syria, but similarly, a great amount of positive trip reports from western travellers on Facebook groups, forums and YouTube vlogs. All in all, it’s important that you travel to Syria with a trustworthy local contact in case the situation on the ground changes in an instant. If you are planning to travel with a reputable tour company, then keep in contact with their employees. They will be able to better advise you on the current security situation.

In all honesty, my experience in Syria as a female foreigner (with a local guide) felt very safe. From the countless welcoming encounters at the military checkpoints to the interactions with boys, guys and other women on the streets, I personally had zero threatening experiences.

Talking about what still stands in Syria today is almost unavoidable without also mentioning what has been lost, destroyed or taken over the years. It’s heartbreaking to hear and painful to see the devastation in any guide’s face whilst they tell the stories of destruction in what once stood before them. This is massively overwhelming to make sense of as a visitor.

Travel to Syria: En Route to Palmyra in Syria

How to Get a Tourist Visa to Enter Syria

It’s important to note that foreigners cannot explore Syria 100% independently. Visitors need to obtain a visa with security clearance beforehand. This can be organised through a travel agency within the country. Once you arrive, the travel agency will provide you with a local guide that should accompany you over the entirety of your stay.

Gaining your security clearance through a local tour company is straightforward; the process will usually take less than 2 weeks, or in my case, 10 days. Normally, all that should be required is an image of your passport, employment status and occupation. This paperwork is important as it will be shown multiple times a day as you pass the many roadside checkpoints.

At the time of writing this (July 2022) , visas are not permitted for those with an Israeli stamp on their current passport.

I, and two other Brits, were driven across the border between Lebanon and Syria by an employee of the tour company we were in contact with beforehand. Overall, the border crossing was surprisingly smooth. We did not encounter any issues and were pleasantly startled by the extremely warm welcome and plentiful smiles from both the immigration officers and military staff on guard. In addition to our payment to the tour agency for a visa, we also paid $140 at a border office to enter the country. Our driver was very organised as he ushered us around the necessary desks on foot. There were some for our passports, a check of vaccine certificates, visas and what seemed to be another for his vehicle. Before we drove away, some uniformed officers briefly, but respectfully, checked the contents of our luggage too.

Exchanging Money in Syria

The currency in Syria is the Syrian Pound (SYP). You should bring either Euros or US Dollars to exchange in the country because, due to European and American economic sanctions against Syria, you will not be able to use any card to withdraw or spend money.

It is unlikely that you will be able to exchange Syrian Pounds back to US Dollars or Euros. Therefore, you should be sure not to exchange too much during your stay.

As a point of reference, I exchanged 100 USD to spend across seven full days in Syria. This is doable if you just need to pay for dinner, and you are not including alcohol or souvenirs. However, I’d recommend exchanging about 120-150 USD to be more comfortable. The exchange rate was approximately 3400 SYP to the dollar, but this figure is extremely volatile.

Small tips are welcome in Syria, but they are by no means mandatory. If you appreciate the time any local has spent with you at sites, telling you stories or taking your photograph, then I would suggest leaving a tip or small donation to contribute towards any restoration, rebuilding or loss of income.

Places to Visit When You Travel to Syria

Syria isn’t too geographically widespread. This means that you will not have to travel far to pack plenty into your itinerary. The typical Syrian road trip route is from the south (Damascus) to the north (Aleppo) with a day trip slightly to the east (Palmyra). If you would like to deviate from this common route, then you should arrange this with your tour operator beforehand. Once you arrive, the security clearance for each location cannot be changed.

If you have any doubt about your travels to Syria, the Old City of Damascus will immediately reassure you that your venture will be worth any initial anxieties. This will likely be your first destination, and I personally, have no doubt that you will be greeted with ear-to-ear smiles and warm hospitality.

Thankfully, much of the Old City of Damascus still remains today. So as you arrive, you’ll quite naturally be eager to explore the lively and narrow cobblestoned streets that lead towards the hustle and bustle. I wouldn’t blame you! The journey is inviting, exciting and very tasty!

Krak des Chevaliers is one of the most famous castles in the world! It’s reasonably easy to visit considering the site is a 45-minute drive from the city of Homs. In English, ‘Krak des Chevaliers’ translates to ‘Castle of the Knights’ which is incredibly fitting considering that this is one of the greatest fortresses built by European crusaders. In addition, it’s almost certainly one of the better preserved too. Without the distractions of information boards, unsightly barriers, excessive lights and shuffling crowds, it’s so much easier to try visualising what life could have been like in the confines of these walls.

Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist 16

The population of Aleppo are bound to sing to you!… If not directly, then you’ll hear the melodic local songs as you explore the citadel and souks. They’re beautiful!

Aleppo’s Old City is one of the oldest in the world. This faced a severe amount of destruction during the conflict. For instance, the Great Mosque was completely destroyed. But fortunately, there are visible signs of the most restoration you are likely to witness in Syria. Nevertheless, a day of exploration in Aleppo can be very emotional as it will take years for the city to return to a similar condition it once was.

Visit Syria: Walking Above the Souk Ruins in Aleppo

This historical site was once among Syria’s top attractions. Now, a visit to Palmyra comes with great sadness as considerable damage was inflicted by ISIS in 2016. The destruction is vast, though there are signs of reorganisation and restoration.

Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist 20

Maaloula is an ancient Christain town, hidden in the mountains of Syria. It’s one of the few places remaining in the world where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, has survived as a spoken dialect. The entire language is being kept alive by the parents of Maaloula who continue to use the language around their children every day.

Hama is a popular place to stretch off the car journey between Damascus and Aleppo. Plus, the numerous waterwheels in Hama are famous in Syria. Fortunately, they have managed to remain intact.

Bosra is approximately a 2-hour drive from Damascus. The area is an anomaly to the other cities as there aren’t constant photographs of the president scattered around the streets. Instead, you’ll find green Syrian flags draped across the ruins or painted on walls. Needless to say, there is still no visible animosity from either side in the area, and tourists are able to visit with the appropriate paperwork.

Bosra was once a major stopover along the ancient caravan route to Mecca. Now, it’s a major archaeological site that includes monuments, churches, mosques and a magnificent Roman theatre. Fortunately, the theatre escaped too much damage from the recent conflicts. In fact, just before the war, events were still being held inside.

There are many amazing hotels in Syria; some that could even tell a thousand stories! It is likely that you’ll begin your Syrian adventure at the Beit Al Wali Hotel in Damascus. Three traditional 18th-century houses were renovated and combined to create a grand space with a warm atmosphere for visitors to relax after exploring the nearby chaos of Damascus’ Old City.

Accommodation in Syria: Damascus Hotel Room

The Laures Hotel is another example of accommodation in Syria.

Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist 22

You may want to consider visiting Syria for the food alone! Syrian cuisine is fresh, healthy and extremely tasty. You aren’t going to want to skip any meal here, no matter where you are in the country.

Syria is also an easy destination for vegetarians or vegans as there are always plenty of salads, bread, falafel and hummus. Popular dishes include tabouleh, fatoush, shwarma and baklava.

Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist 24

Syrians typically eat a variety of foods for breakfast. This was clear to see during the very colourful spreads we would be presented with every morning. Platters normally include pitas, a variety of cheeses, eggs, olives, hummus, vegetables and labneh. The food would come accompanied by either coffee or tea (and even a shisha – if you’d prefer) .

Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist 26

Most hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and bars in Syria have free wifi. The connection may not be the fastest, but it’s certainly enough to check your socials and emails or to message home.

If you require a constant connection, ask your tour operator for a local SIM card. They tend to have a reasonably reliable connection and signal strength.

The most ideal time to visit Syria would be between March and May when the temperature is around 20°C. Similarly, but without as many blossoming flowers, between September and October is also a reasonable period to visit Syria.

Summer temperatures can reach 45°C whilst winter can be wet, cold and with the possibility of snowfall. Yes, snow!.. It might be hard to imagine, with Syria being in the Middle East, but snow can cause the road between Beirut and Damascus to be closed from time to time.

It is recommended that women dress modestly in Syria. Loose-fitting clothes would ideally cover your shoulders and knees. However, it is also likely that you’ll notice local Syrians not following this custom, especially in Damascus.

You could also take a scarf to cover your hair or body parts in any mosque, but alternatives are often provided upon entering. Hence the cloak that can be pictured below…

Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist 28

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Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Travelling Syria on a Tourist Visa

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Hello, i want to go to Syria which company you chose? I am in a tight budget. Please tell me, i go in January!!

Really interesting post, would you recommend the tour agency you went with? If so would you be able to share their name please?

How to Travel Syria – All You Need to Know (2023)

Table of Contents

How to travel Syria? The purpose of this article is essentially to clear up the doubts I have been asked. The questions range from security to logistics. So be sure to read the post to the end!

I traveled to Syria in March 2023 , with 100Rota , and for 11 days I had the opportunity to see the current reality of the country, meet people who live there and feel the millennial culture still so present in the territory.

Disclaimer: I use affiliate links here, which means that if you buy something through my affiliate links, I receive commission at no additional cost to you! My views and opinions are never influenced by that! I only recommend products and services that I use! Read my disclosure for more information.

Syria is not a common place, nor is it a destination of choice in the eyes of most travelers. Most of us have in our minds the news we have been seeing over the last decade in the media.

Because it is such an “out of the box” destination, a more careful preparation is required on the part of those who want to get to know the country. It is important to have a previous notion of its history in terms of its recent past. And even its actuality.

It is necessary to understand that this is not a place where we can walk around at will and do as we please, under the risk of something going wrong.

Above all, you have to realize that there is a whole ethical issue about traveling in a country that is in a state of post-war recovery and whose people are struggling daily to rebuild their lives.

Is it possible to visit Syria?

Most of the official websites of the governments around the world, will tell you no. There is an international opinion of deterrence in visiting Syria.

We should, however, be cautious when it comes to the information available. I give as an example the site of the Portal of the Portuguese Communities, whose update (at the time of this post) was November 9, 2021.

The portal says, and I quote: “Syria is experiencing a violent war situation. There are no security conditions in the country. Foreigners are viewed with suspicion by both the regime and the various factions of the opposition. Any gesture or movement by foreigners can be viewed as suspicious.”

This is not to say that you should be careless when it comes to the information provided by the official websites. I only warn you to be properly informed as to the actual situation on the ground, as the sources may not be up to date.

Logically, you need to be careful and, above all, be aware of what you are doing, but yes, under the right conditions, it is possible to visit Syria. So much so that I have been there!

Is it ethical to travel to Syria?

I have been asked these questions a few times, “Are you going to travel to a country that is experiencing post war?”, “Are you going on vacation to see misery?”, “Do you think it is correct to go on vacation to a place that is so destroyed?”

The answer is not straightforward, just as the destination is also not!

It is certain that anyone traveling to Syria knows (if you don’t you should know), that you will find immense destruction, the result of a civil war that has brought the country to its knees.

Whoever travels to Syria must be aware that there are minimums to be respected. And these minimums include the conduct that a conscientious traveler should have in such place.

Don’t go to Syria to take selfies with the spoils of war, as if they were trophies. It is not right there, just as it is not right in any part of the world that is experiencing a similar reality.

Remember to respect the context. You are not in an amusement park, you are in a post-war zone!

Logically, in most situations it is impossible to photograph without illustrating the surroundings. But between that and being intrusive, there is an abysmal distance.

On the other hand, to visit Syria is to help boosting the local economy and, underlyingly, helping the communities you pass through.

Seen from this perspective, if the visit is made with conscience, there is no harm in traveling to Syria. Quite the opposite!

Traveling to Syria is about giving the country and the people a chance to show how great the experience there can be. It is giving each of us the opportunity to demystify our idea of the region and the people!

Should you get a tour?

Yes, in fact you must have a local tour operator in order to move around the country. Independent travel in Syria is not permitted at this time!

The Syrian Ministry of Tourism determines that all travelers wishing to obtain a tourist visa must book a trip with an operator. This obviously implies that you take an “organized trip”.

As I said earlier, my trip to Syria was with a group from 100Rota, which operates with their local partner, Golden Team Syria . No reservations whatsoever, I recommend this fabulous team to everyone!

In fairness, having an operator does not make your trip worse, quite the opposite. In our case, not only did they handle all the logistics, but they were great with us and provided us with amazing experiences.

How to get to Syria?

By land – from beirut (lebanon) to damascus.

Traveling to Damascus from Beirut is the easiest way to get to Syria. Beirut is only 115 km from Damascus and the trip takes between 3 to 4 hours, including the border process.

As far as we were concerned, because we were in charge of all the logistics, we went to Damascus by bus and the process of crossing the border went smoothly.

If you are going to the Syrian border by yourselves, there is the possibility of taking a cab. Shared cabs from Beirut to Damascus run all day long with a regular and acceptable frequency.

The information available says the cost per person is 20 USD (18 if a 7-seater car). In case you are traveling alone, you will pay 100 USD.

Crossing the land border between Lebanon and Syria is quite simple.

On the Lebanese side they check your passport, and on the Syrian side they first check your security clearance, then you buy the visa at the bank counter and give the receipt to the immigration officer.

After obtaining your Syrian visa and resume the journey, you will pass through several military checkpoints, but in principle you will not have any problems.

It is also possible to get to the country by plane. The problem is that Damascus International Airport doesn’t have many connections, and those that do are very expensive, so it will always be easier to fly to Beirut.

In any case, check the websites of the companies operating to Damascus. These companies have occasional flights from Dubai, Sharjah and Doha.

How to get a visa?

Currently, obtaining a visa for Syria is a fairly simple process, but it is something that cannot be done on your own. The Ministry of Tourism stipulates that all travelers who wish to obtain a Syrian tourist visa must book a trip with an operator.

In addition to the Visa, it is necessary to have a security clearance to move around the country.

But let’s go in parts!

The first thing you need to know is that travel agencies do not issue a tourist visa for Syria, but a security clearance (a background check), which will be presented at the border. Consider it as a kind of invitation letter.

With the security clearance in hand, you will be able to acquire the Syrian tourist visa at the border.

However, always keep in mind that travel agencies today are not allowed to issue a security clearance unless you book a visit with them.

How much does the tourist visa for Syria cost?

Note that prices tend to fluctuate based on the exchange rate, but on average:

EU passport holders: 60€ Canada: 90USD UK, Australia and New Zealand: 140USD USA: 150USD – As of March 2023, Americans can also apply for a visa. Remaining passports: 60 USD

Try to take the exact amount for the visa. Otherwise, change will be given in Syrian pounds, using the bank’s official exchange rate.

Not to be forgotten: You will also have to pay an exit fee of 2,000SYP.

Other stamps in the passport

Also on the note of entry restrictions to Syria, keep in mind that if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport or any travel document, you will most likely be refused entry into the country, regardless of your nationality.

The same is said to happen to those who have a stamp from Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt. Border agents assume that you may have entered Israel.

Is it SAFE to travel Syria?

Before I start talking about the subject that raises the most questions when someone shares their journey through Syria, I would like to make a few points clear.

Despite all they have been through during the years of crisis, Syrians are extremely affable, welcoming, friendly, and hardworking people. They struggle daily for a better future, to rebuild their lives and to have peaceful lives. Above all, they struggle to be looked upon as equals by the international community.

Everywhere I went in the country, all the people I met and had the opportunity to interact with were extraordinarily friendly.

The capital center was not affected by the conflicts, like the cities of Aleppo or Homs, so when you walk through the historic center you don’t notice the infra-structural damage.

However, it is easy to see that the economy is fragile, if only because of the frequent power cuts.

Even though Aleppo and Homs have been severely affected, their inhabitants are slowly resuming their lives. The markets are full of people, children are playing in the streets, local businesses have opened their doors, and as far as possible, reconstruction of buildings is beginning to be seen.

Cities such as Latakia, Tartus, or Hama, are still practically intact and free of the scars of the conflictive past. They are, therefore, good pictures of what Syria would have been in times of peace.

The Palmyra region, however, is a different story. It is still necessary to apply for a specific permit to visit the area. The region is still in a volatile situation and requires military monitoring.

Is it safe? Yes, it is safe to visit Syria, but you need to be aware that you are in a country still recovering and with still volatile regions.

Is it SAFE for WOMEN to travel to Syria?

Absolutely! The Syrian people are extremely respectful and a woman, even if traveling alone, will not have any kind of problem.

Respect the culture and religion. Be modest in the way you dress, especially when it comes to showing little skin.

Syrian women are elegant, very proud of their femininity, they like to groom themselves, put on make-up and dress nicely.

See how they do it and do it too. There is nothing like integrating into your surroundings to be part of it!

Visiting Palmyra

In times gone by, Palmyra, a UNESCO heritage site, was one of the country’s most important attractions. Built in the 3rd century B.C., it has come down to our times incredibly well preserved.

Unfortunately, it was badly destroyed by the attacks it suffered, but that doesn’t mean that it is not still a place of undisputed historical value.

Personally, I still find it amazing, so I can only imagine how impressive it was before the destruction.

Many travelers don’t visit Palmyra because it requires more travel time, an additional permit and, of course, costs. Others say, “Palmyra is completely destroyed, it’s not worth going there.”

As you may have heard, unfortunately, the conflict left Palmyra in very bad shape, yet that doesn’t mean it was completely destroyed.

The modern urban agglomeration of Palmyra is also an area badly affected by the destruction, so there are no hotels and restaurants nearby. Thus, the closest place to stay is Homs.

To visit the archaeological site, you have to have military accompaniment. I figure that will be the case until they completely clear the land of any danger. So it is not 100% safe to visit Palmyra. It is relatively safe, taking the proper measures.

Are tourists welcomed?

The Syrian people are one of the most welcoming people I have ever met. However, don’t think that you go to Syria to be greeted on the streets like a movie star.

Before the crisis, Syria was an internationally recognized tourism destination and its people are used to seeing “outsiders”. Besides, and in general terms, the Syrian people are quite cultured and well educated, which makes them have a broad notion of the world.

Perhaps because their recent history is still very vivid in their memories, it seemed to me that Syrians are reserved people. However, they do not skimp on affection and the art of hospitality! They will do everything to make you feel at home and will make sure you feel welcome.

They also don’t shy away from a good party, from celebrating life, and they make a point of showing you their traditions. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself in the middle of a party, a karaoke or some other celebration!

From the way everyone welcomed us, it is quite evident that the Syrian people want to see tourists in their country and are happy to welcome anyone who comes for the sake of it.

How to manage your money?

In Syria, the currency used is the Syrian pound (SYP) and the exchange rate fluctuation of it has been crazy for the last 10 years.

Consequently, Syria is experiencing huge inflation and the problem is that most salaries have not increased accordingly.

Remember that due to international sanctions, in Syria you cannot pay by credit card or use ATMs. You should bring all your money in cash.

If you are traveling from Lebanon, I advise you to stop before the Syrian border and exchange money. That way, when you get to the border crossing, you have working capital in case of need. Obviously, if you travel with 100Rota, you have nothing to worry about since they know all these details!

Take Euros or US dollars, both are accepted in the exchange houses and in the “ parallel market “. As I said before, but I cannot remind you enough, you cannot pay anything by card, nor withdraw any more money while in Syria.

If you still have Syrian pounds when you leave, you can exchange them for Lebanese pounds or US dollars at most exchange offices in Beirut at the banks’ official exchange rate, or on the “ parallel market ” (at a more favorable rate).

Forget everything you’ve heard about the “best cuisines in the world.” The food in Syria is epic, another level of perfection!

From the classic hummus, to manakish, to kibbeh, to different types of grilled meat or a typical Aleppo dish consisting of meatballs with cherry sauce (for me one of the best dishes ever).

Each region of the country has its own characteristics that make themselves felt in the flavors of its dishes, so the food in Syria is very varied.

Logically, Syrian cuisine reflects all the influences of the countless people and cultures that have passed through this country and left pieces of their legacy.

Unquestionably, for me, it is one of the best cuisines I’ve had the opportunity to try while traveling!

In conclusion

Syria is a fascinating country with an ancient history worth knowing, fantastic landscapes to be dazzled by, and absolutely amazing people. Not to mention the food, which is to die for.

The Syrian people received us with open arms and unparalleled generosity.

So have no reservations about exploring this phenomenal country and giving these people a chance to show how spectacular Syria is!

Como viajar na Síria? O propósito deste artigo é essencialmente esclarecer as dúvidas que me colocaram. As questões vão desde a segurança até à logística. Por isso, não deixem de ler o post até ao fim!

Aviso: Utilizo links de afiliação, o que significa que se comprarem algo através dos meus links de afiliação, recebo comissão sem custos adicionais para vocês! Os meus pontos de vista e opiniões nunca são influenciados por isso! Apenas recomendo produtos e serviços que utilizo! Leiam a minha divulgação para mais informações.

Viajei para a Síria em Março de 2023 , com a 100Rota , e durante 11 dias tive a oportunidade de ver a realidade atual do país, de conhecer pessoas que lá vivem e de sentir a cultura milenar ainda tão presente no território.

A Síria não é um lugar comum, nem tão-pouco um destino de eleição aos olhos da maioria dos viajantes. A grande maioria de nós tem bem presente na memória as notícias que fomos vendo ao longo da última década nos meios de comunicação.

Por ser um destino tão “fora da caixa”, é necessário uma preparação mais cuidada por parte de quem quer conhecer o país. É importante que haja uma noção prévia sobre a história no que respeita ao seu passado recente. E até mesmo à sua atualidade.

É necessário entender que este não é um lugar onde possamos andar à nossa vontade e fazer o que bem entendemos, sob pena de que alguma coisa corra menos bem.

Mas acima de tudo é preciso interiorizar que há toda uma questão ética sobre viajar num país que se encontra em estado de recuperação pós guerra e cujo povo se esforça diariamente por reconstruir as suas vidas.

É possível visitar a Síria?

A maioria dos sites oficiais dos governos do mundo, vão dizer-vos que não. Há uma opinião internacional de dissuasão em visitar a Síria.

Devemos, no entanto, ser cautelosos quando às informações disponibilizadas. Dou como exemplo o site do Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas, cuja atualização (à data deste post) era de 9 de novembro de 2021.

Diz o portal que, passo a citar: “A Síria vive uma situação de guerra violenta. Não existem condições de segurança no país. Os estrangeiros são vistos com desconfiança quer pelo regime, quer pelas várias fações da oposição. Qualquer gesto ou movimentação por parte de estrangeiros podem ser vistos como suspeitas.”

Não quero com isto dizer que devem ser displicentes no que toca à informação prestada pelos sites oficiais. Apenas alerto para que se informem devidamente quanto à situação real no terreno, já que as fontes podem não estar atualizadas.

Logicamente que é necessário ter alguns cuidados e, acima de tudo, ter a noção do que se está a fazer, mas sim, nas condições certas, é possível visitar a Síria. Tanto que eu estive lá!

É ético viajar em turismo para a Síria?

Colocaram-me algumas vezes estas questões: “Vais viajar para um país que está a viver um pós guerra?”, “Vais de férias para ver desgraça?”, “Achas correto ir de férias para um lugar que está tão destruído?”

A resposta não é linear, tal como o destino também não o é!

É certo que quem viaja para a Síria sabe (se não sabe devia saber), que vai encontrar imensa destruição, fruto de uma década de guerra civil que deixou o país de rastos.

Quem viaja para a Síria tem que ter, obrigatoriamente, a noção de que há mínimos a respeitar. E esses mínimos passam pela conduta que o viajante consciente deve ter num lugar assim.

Não vão para a Síria tirar selfies com os despojos de guerra, como se de troféus de tratassem. Não é correto ali, da mesma forma que não o é em qualquer parte do mundo que esteja a passar por uma realidade similar.

Lembrem-se de respeitar o contexto. Vocês não estão num parque de diversões, estão numa zona de pós-conflito!

Logicamente, na grande maioria das situações é impossível fotografar sem que isso ilustre o que está em redor. Mas daí a ser-se intrusivo, vai uma distância abismal.

Por outro lado, visitar a Síria é ajudar a impulsionar a economia local e, subjacentemente, ajudar as comunidades por onde passarem. E visto por esta perspectiva, se a visita for feita com consciência, não há mal nenhum em viajar para a Síria. Muito antes pelo contrário!

Viajar para a Síria é dar uma oportunidade ao país e às pessoas de mostrarem o quão fantástica pode ser a experiência por lá. É dar a oportunidade a cada um de nós de desmistificar a ideia que tem da região e do povo!

Devo ter um operador turístico?

Sim, é necessário ter um operador turístico local para poder circular no país. Neste momento não é permitido viajar na Síria de forma independente!

O Ministério do Turismo da Síria determina que todos os viajantes que pretendam obter um visto de turista devem reservar uma viagem com um operador. Isso implica, obviamente, que façam uma “viagem organizada”.

Como disse anteriormente, a minha viagem à Síria foi com um grupo da 100Rota, que opera com o seu parceiro local, a Golden Team Syria . Recomendo a todos esta equipa fabulosa!

Em abono da verdade, ter um operador em nada torna a vossa viagem pior, muito pelo contrário. No nosso caso, e para além de terem tratado de toda a logística, foram inexcedíveis conosco e proporcionaram experiências incríveis.

Como chegar à Síria?

Por terra – de beirute (líbano) para damasco.

Viajar para Damasco a partir de Beirute é a forma mais fácil de viajar para a Síria. Beirute fica apenas a 115 km de Damasco e a viagem demora entre 3 a 4 horas, incluindo o processo fronteiriço.

No nosso caso, e por termos toda a logística a cargo da agência, fomos de autocarro até Damasco, tendo o processo de atravessamento da fronteira decorrido sem qualquer constrangimento.

Caso vão por vossa conta até à fronteira com a Síria, há a possibilidade de o fazerem de táxi. Os dados disponíveis referem que os táxis partilhados de Beirute para Damasco funcionam durante todo o dia, tendo uma frequência regular e aceitável.

É também mencionado na informação disponível que, o custo por pessoa é de 20 USD (18 se for um carro de 7 lugares). No caso de viajarem sozinhos, vão pagar 100 USD.

A passagem da fronteira terrestre entre o Líbano e a Síria é bastante simples.

Do lado libanês, verificam o passaporte e, do lado sírio, primeiro, verificam a sua autorização de segurança, depois compram o visto no balcão do banco e entregam o recibo ao funcionário dos serviços de imigração.

Depois de obterem o visto sírio e retomarem a viagem, vão passar por vários postos de controlo militar, mas em princípio não vão ter qualquer problema.

Também é possível chegar ao país de avião. O problema é que o aeroporto internacional de Damasco não tem muitas ligações, e as que tem são caríssimas, pelo que será sempre mais fácil partir de Beirute.

Em todo o caso, consultem os sites das companhias a operar para Damasco. Estas companhias efetuam voos ocasionais a partir do Dubai, Sharjah e Doha.

Como obter o Visto?

Atualmente, obter um visto para a Síria é um processo bastante simples, mas é algo que não se pode fazer por conta própria. O Ministério do Turismo determina que todos os viajantes que pretendam obter um visto de turista sírio, devem reservar uma viagem com um operador.

Para além do Visto, é necessário ter uma autorização de segurança para circular no país.

Mas vamos por partes!

A primeira coisa que tem de saber é que as agências de viagens não emitem um visto de turista para a Síria, mas sim uma autorização de segurança (um inquérito pessoal), que será apresentado na fronteira. Considerem-no como uma espécie de carta convite.

Com o certificado de segurança em mãos, poderão adquirir o visto de turista sírio na fronteira.

No entanto, tenham sempre em mente que, hoje em dia, as agências de viagens não estão autorizadas a emitir uma autorização de segurança, a não ser que se reservem uma visita com elas.

Quanto custa o visto de turista para a Síria?

Note-se que os preços tendem a flutuar com base na taxa de câmbio, mas, em média e à data deste post:

Titulares de passaportes da UE: 60 euros Canadá: 90USD Reino Unido, Austrália e Nova Zelândia: 140 USD EUA: 150 USD – A partir de Março de 2023, os americanos também podem solicitar um visto. Restantes passaportes: 60 euros

Tentem levar o montante exato para o visto. Caso contrário, o troco será dado em libras sírias, utilizando a taxa de câmbio oficial do banco.

A não esquecer: Vão ter também que pagar uma taxa de saída de 2.000SYP.

Outros carimbos no passaporte

Ainda na nota das restrições de entrada na Síria, não se esqueçam de que, se tiverem um carimbo israelita no vosso passaporte ou qualquer documento de viagem, é muito provável que vos seja recusada a entrada no país, independentemente da vossa nacionalidade.

Consta que o mesmo acontece a quem tiver um carimbo de Sharm El Sheikh no Egito. Os agentes fronteiriços partem do princípio de que podem ter entrado em Israel.

É seguro viajar na Síria?

Antes de começar a falar sobre o assunto que levanta mais questões quando alguém partilha a sua viagem pela Síria, gostava de deixar alguns pontos esclarecidos.

Apesar de tudo o que passaram durante os anos de crise, os sírios são pessoas extremamente afáveis, acolhedoras, simpáticas e trabalhadoras. Lutam diariamente por um futuro melhor, por reconstruir as suas vidas e por que as mesmas sejam tranquilas. Acima de tudo, lutam por serem olhados como iguais pela comunidade internacional.

Por todas as regiões do país por onde passei, todas as pessoas que conheci e com as quais tive oportunidade de interagir, foram de uma simpatia extraordinária.

A capital não foi afetada pelos conflitos, como as cidades de Aleppo ou Homs, por isso, quando andamos pelo centro histórico não nos apercebemos dos danos infra estruturais. No entanto, é fácil perceber que a economia é frágil, mais que não seja pelos cortes energéticos frequentes.

Mesmo tendo Aleppo e Homs sido severamente afetadas, os seus habitantes retomam aos poucos as suas vidas. Os mercados estão cheios de gente, as crianças brincam na rua, o comércio local abriu as portas e, na medida do possível, começa a ver-se a reconstrução dos edifícios.

Cidades como Latakia, Tartus ou Hama, continuam praticamente intactas e sem mazelas do passado conflituoso. São, por isso, bons retratos do que teria sido a Síria em tempos de paz.

Já na região de Palmyra a história é outra. Ainda é necessário solicitar uma autorização específica para visitar a área. A região ainda se encontra em situação volátil e requer acompanhamento militar.

É seguro? Sim, é seguro visitar a Síria, mas é necessário ter consciência de que estamos num país em recuperação e com regiões ainda voláteis.

É seguro para uma mulher viajar na Síria?

Absolutamente! O povo Sírio é extremamente respeitador e uma mulher, ainda que a viajar sozinha, não vai ter qualquer tipo de problema.

Respeitem a cultura e a religião. Sejam modestas na forma de vestir, especialmente no que respeita a mostrar pouca pele.

A mulheres sírias são elegantes, muito orgulhosas da sua feminilidade, gostam de se arranjar, maquilhar e de andar bem vestidas.

Vejam como elas fazem e façam também. Nada como integrarmo-nos no meio para fazermos parte dele!

Visitar Palmyra

Em tempos idos, Palmyra, património da UNESCO, era uma das atracções mais importantes do país. Construída no século III a.C., chegou aos nossos tempos incrivelmente preservada. Infelizmente, ficou bastante destruída com os ataques que sofreu, mas isso não significa que não continue a ser um lugar de indiscutível valor histórico.

Pessoalmente, continuo a achá-la incrível, por isso só posso imaginar o quão impressionante era antes da destruição.

Muitos viajantes não visitam Palmyra porque exige mais tempo de viagem, uma autorização adicional e, naturalmente, custos acrescidos. Outros dizem: “Palmyra está completamente destruída, não vale a pena ir lá”.

Como já devem ter ouvido, infelizmente, o Isis deixou Palmyra em muito mau estado, mas isso não significa que tenha sido completamente destruída.

O aglomerado urbano moderno de Palmyra é também uma zona muito afetada pela destruição, por isso não existem hotéis e restaurantes nas proximidades. Assim, o sítio mais próximo para ficar é Homs.

Para visitar o sítio arqueológico, é preciso ter acompanhamento militar. Calculo que assim será até limparem completamente o terreno de qualquer perigo.

Por isso não é 100% seguro visitar Palmyra. É relativamente seguro, tomando as medidas adequadas.

Os turistas são bem recebidos?

O povo sírio é um dos mais acolhedores que alguma vez tive oportunidade de conhecer. No entanto, não julguem que vão para a Síria ser recebidos nas ruas como vedetas de cinema.

Antes da crise, a Síria era um destino de turismo reconhecido internacionalmente e o seu povo está habituado a ver “gente de fora”. Para além disso, e em termos genéricos, o povo sírio é bastante instruído, culto e educado, o que faz com que tenha uma noção lata do mundo.

Talvez pela sua história recente ainda estar bem vívida nas suas memórias, pareceu-me que os sírios são pessoas reservadas. No entanto, não se poupam nos afetos e na arte de bem receber! Vão fazer de tudo para que vocês se sintam em casa e vão assegurar-se que se sentem acolhidos.

Também não se poupam a uma boa festa, a celebrar da vida e fazem questão de vos mostrar as suas tradições. Não se admirem de darem por vocês no meio de uma festarola, de um karaokê ou de outra celebração qualquer!

Pela forma como todos nos receberam, é bastante evidente que o povo sírio que ver turistas no seu país e que tem todo o gosto em recebem quem vier por bem.

Como gerir o dinheiro?

Na Síria, a moeda utilizada é a libra síria (SYP) e a flutuação de câmbio da mesma tem sido uma loucura nos últimos 10 anos.

Consequentemente, a Síria está a sofrer uma enorme inflação e o problema é que a maioria dos salários não aumentou em conformidade.

Lembrem-se que devido às sanções internacionais, na Síria não é possível pagar com cartão de crédito, nem utilizar as caixas multibanco. Devem trazer todo o dinheiro em numerário.

Se viajarem a partir do Líbano, aconselho-vos a pararem antes da fronteira com a Síria e a fazerem câmbio. Assim, quando chegarem ao posto fronteiriço, já têm fundo de maneio em caso de necessidade. Obviamente que se viajarem com a 100Rota , não têm com o que se preocupar, já que eles sabem destes pormenores todos!

Levem euros ou dólares americanos, ambos são aceites nas casas de câmbio e no “ mercado paralelo “. Como já disse, mas nunca é demais relembrar, não podem pagar nada com cartão, nem levantar mais dinheiro enquanto estiverem na Síria.

Se ainda tiverem libras sírias quando partirem, podem trocá-las por libras libanesas ou dólares americanos na maior parte das agências de câmbio em Beirute, à taxa de câmbio oficial dos bancos, ou no “ mercado paralelo ” (por uma taxa mais favorável).

Esqueçam tudo o que ouviram falar sobre as “melhores cozinhas do mundo”. A comida na Síria é épica, um outro nível de perfeição!

Desde o clássico húmus, à manakish, ao kibbeh, passando por diferentes tipos de carne grelhada ou por um prato típico de Aleppo que consiste em almôndegas com molho de cereja (para mim um dos melhores pratos de sempre).

Cada região do país tem características próprias que se fazem sentir nos sabores dos seus pratos, por isso, a comida na Síria é muito variada.

Logicamente, a cozinha síria reflete todas as influências dos inúmeros povos que por este país foram passando durante séculos e deixando pedaços do seu legado.

Inquestionavelmente, para mim, é uma das melhores cozinhas que até hoje tive oportunidade de experimentar em viagem pelo mundo!

Em conclusão

A Síria é um país fascinante, com uma história milenar que vale a pena conhecer, paisagens fantásticas para nos deslumbramos e pessoas absolutamente incríveis. Já para não falar na comida, que é de comer e chorar por mais.

O povo sírio recebeu-nos de braços abertos e com uma generosidade impar.

Por isso, não tenham reservas em explorar este país fenomenal e em dar uma oportunidade a estas pessoas de mostrarem o quão espetacular é a Síria!

Our Story

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Top 6 Tourist Attractions of Syria

Just what are the main tourist attractions of syria.

Syria is a country rich in heritage. As one of the oldest civilisations in the world, it’s up there with one of the most fascinating places to visit in the Middle East. Now that this war torn country is trying to rebuild. Tours are open and travellers are welcome back to what was once one of the most visited countries in the region. So what are the main tourist attractions of Syria?

6 -Al Azem Palace

The Azem is a 17th Century Palace built as a residence for As’ad Pasha al-Azm, the governor of Damascus. During the French occupation of Syria and Lebanon it became the headquarters of the French Institute.

It is now home to the Syrian museum of Arts & Traditions. A welcome reprieve from The hustle and bustle of Damascus and a perfect place to enjoy some tea.

5 - Krak des Chevaliers

krak Des Chevaliers seen on a Syria Tour

Krak des Chevaliers is an imposing former crusaders castle. Located not far from the city of Homs, the Krak was constructed in the 11th century. It is widely regarded as one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world. Its location is important as during the first crusade the castle overlooked a valley that was the sole route from the city of Antioch to Beirut and the Mediterranean.

Krak des Chevaliers is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4 - Umayyad Mosque

Also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, the Umayyad is one of the oldest mosques in the world. It was built in the 7th Century after the muslim conquest of Damascus. Nowadays it is seen as a masterpiece of early Islamic architecture.

It is part of Damascus Old Town which is World Heritage Listed.

3 - Al-Hamidiyah Souq

The Al-Hamidiyah Souq is the largest and central souq in Syria. Located in the heart of Old Damascus it makes a perfect day of exploration along with the citadel and Umayyad Mosque. Leave all your last minute shopping for this place!

Travel to Syria!

2 - the aleppo citadel.

Aleppo’s citadel is a huge fortified palace in the centre of the Old Town. Usage of this site as a fortification hill dates all the way back to the 3rd millenium BC.

The Castle as gone through several occupations and renovations over the years. Most recently in 2017 when it reopened to visitors after the battle for Aleppo during the civil war. Unfortunately the citadel is one of the only attractions in Aleppo to survive the war. The Grand Mosque of Aleppo and the souk were completely destroyed.

Aleppo Citadel is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list along with Aleppo Old Town.

1 - Palmyra

Probably the most famous of all tourist attractions of Syria, Palmyra was one of the greatest cities in the ancient world. Having existed for millennia, the city came into its own as a trading stop for caravans on the silk route. The tolls charged allowed for it to build the finest building projects in the world at the time. It reached it zenith as a Roman city state in the 3rd Century.

Palmyra is a UNESCO protected heritage site. Reconstruction projects are currently in operation after the removal of the ISIS occupation in 2017.

See it and all of these other tourist attractions of Syria on one of our group tours .

About Post Author

Shane Horan

When Shane is not endlessly writing award winning content for Rocky Road, he's usually kayaking to and from the beer garden along Berlin's River Spree.

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Syria Tours

Join one of our tours in syria.

After nearly a decade of unfortunate conflict, some areas of Syria are finally gaining certain safety and stability, allowing intrepid adventurers to discover its many Christian monasteries, bustling souks, and ancient Roman ruins.

From Palmyra to Bosra, Krak de Chevaliers, Aleppo, and more, our tours focus on Syria’s highlights but what makes us truly unique is that we put a lot of attention to the human side of Syria. This means that we will interact and get to know kind-hearted Syrians, while witnessing their struggle and desire to return to normality.

We already have a large experience in running tours in Syria and we only work with the best local team, the reason why this is our top-selling destination.

We have many, many scheduled group expeditions for Syria all year long, plus we can also organize any sort of private, tailored adventure.

why join a Syria tour with Against the Compass

Here’s what makes our expeditions to Syria are so unique.

what travelers say about us

Need to know for your Syria travel tour

How to get a visa.

In order to join a tour in Syria, you must first obtain a security clearance (Letter of Invitation). We will take care of that, so you don’t need to visit the embassy.

Is it safe?

As of today, the areas which are controlled by the Government (the ones we visit) are perfectly safe. We’d never take a group of travelers to a risky area. Moreover, know that our team in Syria is continually monitoring the area and has the latest security updates.

Which nationalities can join our Syria tours?

We can apply for pretty much any nationality worldwide, including US citizens (2024).

Our scheduled group tours for Syria

We have two types of scheduled Syria tour packages:

On the one hand, we have our classic 8-day trips , typically composed of 12 people, always led by a tour leader, either myself (Joan Torres) or someone from my team, besides a Syrian tour guide.

On the other hand, we also schedule shorter, budget versions of 5 days . The main difference versus the 8-day expeditions is that they are obviously cheaper, and the Western tour leader will not attend.

Upcoming Syria Tours

These are all our upcoming tours in Syria

Syria: classic itinerary with Bosra

Our classic 8-day itinerary during the best month of the year

Syria with Marmarita festival

Come to Syria to experience the annual Marmarita Festival, while enjoying the Syrian coast, Aleppo and Damascus

Full Syria in 13 days

From Latakia to Golan Heights, Palmyra and Aleppo, this is the most complete itinerary for Syria.

Syria in October

Syria Classic Itinerary for Christmas

Our classic itinerary during Christmas time!

Syria during Ramadan

Our classic itinerary during the holiest month of the year in Syria

Syria for Easter (in Spanish)

Our classic itinerary during the magic of Easter

All our Syria Group Tours include

Transfer to and from Beirut

Accommodation

Security clearance (needed for the visa)

Private transportation and driver around Syria

Breakfast and lunch (in 8-day expeditions, otherwise, just breakfast)

Special permit for Palmyra & Bosra

English-speaking Syria tour guide

Western Tour leader (in 8-day expeditions)

Entrance fees to the places listed in the itinerary

Private, tailored trips for Syria

Do you want to travel solo, or with a group of friends?

From 1-day trips to Damascus (from Beirut or Amman) to compelling multi-day itineraries, we are able to design any sort of adventure based on your needs, 365 days a year.

If you can’t afford a private, solo trip, we can also help you find other partners to travel with.

Tell us your dates

When do you want to travel to Syria

Which places do you want to visit

We will design the perfect itinerary based on your needs

Where do you want to start from

Beirut, Amman or Damascus?

Sample itinerary for our Syria vacations tours

Here’s the standard 8-day tour we offer on most of our expeditions.

Day 1 – Beirut and Damascus

Starting in Beirut at 8am, from where we will drive towards the Syrian border and Damascus.
Check-in at the hotel in Damascus, followed by a traditional welcoming lunch
Strolling around the old city, beginning to assimilate that we are truly in Syria
Night out. The Christian district is particularly vibrant, filled with bars and restaurants.

Day 2 – Full day in Damascus

With more than 5000 years of history, Damascus might easily be the oldest capital in the world, a city absolutely packed with historical sites, as well as lively souks and bazaars.
We will visit all highlights, including Umayyad Mosque (where Yahya is buried, John the Baptist for Christians), Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque, the bazaars and more.

Day 3 – Maaloula, Mar Musa, and Aleppo

Drive towards Aleppo, stopping in Maaloula, one of the most important Christian towns in the Middle East, and one of the very few places in the world where people still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus.
Maaloula was occupied by Al-Nusra, and it was largely destroyed due to the recent war, but its most important churches and monasteries have been rebuilt
Visiting two of its most important churches, where we will get the chance to meet nuns who were kidnapped and held as hostages for three months.
Then, visit to Mar Musa, a mind-blowing, skyscraper-shaped, 6th-century monastery raised in the middle of rocky mountains.
Overnight in Aleppo.

Day 4 – Aleppo

Once the most populated city in Syria, Aleppo was one of the most affected cities by the Syrian war.
Life, however, is coming back to Aleppo, visible in the ongoing reconstruction and all the people who are slowly returning to their beautiful home city.
Among other things, we will visit the Citadel of Aleppo – the last Syrian Army stronghold – as well as the historical souk and vibrant Christian district, which remained pretty untouched from the war, and is today filled with absolutely delicious restaurants serving Lebanese wine.

Day 5 – Hama, Krak de Chevalier, Al Mishtaya

On the way to Krak, stop in Hama, a pretty photogenic town, famous for its water wheels, all over the city.
Then, we will head for Krak des Chevaliers, once described by Lawrence of Arabia as the most wholly admirable castle in the world , absolutely gorgeous and surrounded by lush green hills.
Lunch in a restaurant with stunning castle views
Evening and overnight in Al Mishtaya, a lovely Christian town with a pretty nice evening atmosphere.

Day 6 – Palmyra and Homs

Palmyra is rich in both ancient and contemporary history, since the archaeological site was taken by ISIS on two separate occasions during the war.
ISIS blew up the most important temple, but the site is huge and most of its structures are still standing.
We will visit the ancient place escorted by a member from the Syrian Army
After a picnic lunch inside the ruins, we will head back to Damascus and, on the way, we will stop in Homs.
Overnight in Damascus

Day 7 – Bosra

Day trip to Bosra, an ancient city home to one of the most admirable Roman amphitheaters in the whole world, as well as other important monuments.
In Bosra, the local Syrians are culturally different, similar to Bedouins.
We will have lunch in a traditional Bedouin tent, with locals from Bosra.
Overnight in Damascus.
Day 8 – New Damascus and goodbye
Visiting the new part of Damascus, including the National Museum and the handicraft market
Strolling around the souks, for shopping, buying souvenirs, etc.
After lunch, back to Beirut, around 8pm.

Join a tour in Syria: FAQ

What makes against the compass different from other companies.

Show, not tell. You can check our latest documentary below.

In order to come to Syria , you must first obtain a security clearance (Letter of Invitation). We will take care of that, so you don’t need to visit the embassy.

How much does the visa cost?

These are the latest visa fees updated in 2024.

Price varies depending on nationality:

European passport holders: 75 USD
Canadian passports: 100 USD
British, Australian, and Argentinian passports: 150 USD
US passport holders: 200 USD

The visa fee is paid at the border, to the respective authorities.

Which nationalities can join this tour?

All nationalities, and that includes US passport holders.

Syria started issuing visas for Americans in March 2023, so US citizens are welcome to join too.

Are there ATMs in Syria?

Your credit card can’t be used in Syria. You must bring all your money in cash.

Which currencies do they accept?

Mostly US dollars ($) but € can be exchanged too.

If I want to join a Syria tour, where does it usually start?

Our scheduled group tours into Syria generally start in Beirut. It’s just easier, since flights into Damascus get canceled often and Amman is further.

However, for a private Syria tour, you can start from anywhere you like, including Beirut, Amman, and Damascus International Airport.

Do you recommend a specific travel insurance?

Either you are joining one of our trips, or you are traveling by yourself, you might want to look for proper travel insurance. Against the Compass has been a partner with IATI for several years already, recommending it to all readers, as well as covering all Joan Torres’ personal trips.

We like it because It covers all the countries where the FCDO advises against all travel, it offers budget plans and covers all sorts of adventure activities.

Against the Compass readers can benefit from a 5% discount .

Get a quote here to claim your discount

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Passports, travel and living abroad
Travel abroad
Foreign travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ( FCDO ) advise against all travel to Syria. British nationals in Syria should leave by any practical means.

Military activity in the region.

On 13 April 2024 Iran carried out military action against Israel.

On 19 April, there have been reports of explosions in Iran, and unconfirmed reports of explosions in Syria and Iraq.

Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast. Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . You can also get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.

Read FCDO advice on how to deal with a crisis overseas.

A major earthquake (7.8) hit the Gazientep region of Southeast Turkey on 6 February 2023, severely impacting cities in Northern Syria including Idlib and Aleppo. A further earthquake (7.5) was felt later in the day and there have been several aftershocks. The risk of further aftershocks remains.

Before you travel, check the ‘Entry requirements’ section for Syria’s current entry restrictions and requirements. These may change with little warning. Monitor this advice for the latest updates and stay in contact with your travel provider.

If you plan to pass through another country to return to the UK, check the travel advice for the country you’re transiting.

It is more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover. See the FCDO ’s guidance on foreign travel insurance.

Consular support is not available from the British government from within Syria, as all services of the British Embassy in Damascus are suspended and all diplomatic and consular staff have been withdrawn. If you need to speak to a consular officer in the UK, call the FCDO in London on +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

The situation in Syria remains volatile and dangerous owing to a decade of ongoing conflict and insecurity. The Syrian regime does not exercise control of parts of the country, notably in the north west where fighting has caused significant civilian casualties and displacement. Daesh, formerly known as ISIL, continues to operate as an insurgency and conducts regular attacks, especially in north east Syria and other terrorist groups are also active. Throughout Syria, local security situations are fragile and can deteriorate into armed clashes without warning. See Civil unrest/political tension and Terrorism

Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Syria. Continued attacks across Syria including in major cities, have left large numbers of people dead or injured. There is also a very high threat of kidnapping throughout Syria. There have been a number of kidnappings, including of British nationals and other Westerners, by Daesh and other groups. See Terrorism

If you choose to travel to Syria against FCDO advice, you should make sure you and any dependents have valid exit stamps on your travel documents if you need one and take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance .

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Update April 12, 2024

Information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

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Syria Travel Advisory

Travel advisory july 13, 2023, syria - level 4: do not travel.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. 

Do not travel to Syria due to  terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict,  and  risk of unjust detention .

Country Summary:  The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in February 2012. The Czech Republic serves as the protecting power for the United States in Syria. The U.S. government is unable to provide any emergency services to U.S. citizens in Syria.

Syria has experienced active armed conflict since 2011. No part of Syria is safe from violence. Kidnappings by armed groups, unjust arrests and/or detentions, the use of chemical warfare, shelling, and aerial bombardment of civilian centers pose significant risk of death or serious injury. The destruction of infrastructure, housing, medical facilities, schools, and power and water utilities has also increased hardships inside the country.

The U.S. government particularly warns private U.S. citizens against traveling to Syria to engage in armed conflict. U.S. citizens who undertake such activity face extreme personal risks, including kidnapping by armed groups, unjust arrests, injury, or death. The U.S. government does not support this activity. Our ability to provide consular assistance to individuals who are injured or kidnapped, or to the families of individuals who die in the conflict, is extremely limited.

Protests and demonstrations are quelled by government forces through aggressive tactics and protestors, activists, and political dissenters are routinely detained without access to legal representation or communications with friends and family.

Terrorist groups are active in Syria. Parts of Syria have experienced recent increases in incidents of bombings, IEDs, and assassinations. Fighting on behalf of or providing other forms of support to designated terrorist organizations, including ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates, can constitute the provision of material support for terrorism, which is a crime under U.S. law that can result in penalties including prison time and large fines.

There is an ongoing risk of kidnapping and detentions of U.S. citizens and Westerners throughout the country. U.S. citizens remain a target. U.S. citizens are also targets of abduction and/or unjust detention by the Syrian government and while in detention do not have access to due process or medical attention. Government detention centers are known to be unsanitary facilities where widespread cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of detainees has been documented, as well as torture and extrajudicial killings. Minors, persons with physical, sensory, or mental disabilities, and elderly have frequently been victims of unjust detention. The Syrian government has also been implicated in the enforced or involuntary disappearance of more than 100,000 citizens, including medical and humanitarian workers, journalists, human rights activists, political opposition, and additionally those suspected of affiliation with these groups and their family members. Note: Only the Syrian government can issue a valid entry visa to Syria. Failure to obtain a legitimate entry visa directly from the Syrian government could result in detention.

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Syria, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) and/or a  Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) , which says that heightened military activity associated with the Syrian conflict may result in the risk of GPS interference, communications jamming, and errant long-range surface to air missiles straying into adjacent airspace within 200 nautical miles of the Damascus Flight Information Region. These activities may inadvertently pose hazards to civil aviation transiting the region. It also has the potential to spill over into the adjacent airspace managed by neighboring states and eastern portions of the Mediterranean Sea.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Syria.

If you decide to travel to Syria:

Visit our website on  Travel to High Risk Areas .
Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
Share important documents, login information, and points of contact with loved ones so that they can manage your affairs if you are unable to return as planned to the United States. Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them.
Establish your own personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organization or consider consulting with a professional security organization.
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The U.S. issues new travel guidelines, warning that Iran will avenge the killings of senior commanders.

The State Department has barred its employees from traveling to large parts of Israel. Iran has repeatedly vowed to strike back over the deadly bombing this month of an Iranian Embassy complex in Syria.

By Liam Stack and Eric Schmitt

April 12, 2024

Several countries including the United States have issued new travel guidelines for Israel and the surrounding region, as the Israeli military said its forces were “highly alert” for a possible Iranian strike in retaliation for the killings of several commanders.

Iran has repeatedly vowed to strike back at Israel over the bombing of an Iranian Embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, this month that killed three generals and four other military officers. An American official said on Friday that Washington expects an attack by Iran against Israel that would be bigger than recent attacks in the long shadow war between the two countries, but not so big that it would draw the United States into war. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The U.S. State Department on Thursday barred its employees from traveling to large parts of Israel, the first time the U.S. government had restricted the movement of its employees in this way since the war in Gaza began more than six months ago.

On Thursday, Britain told its citizens that they “should consider leaving” Israel and the Palestinian territories “if it is safe to do so.” On Friday, India told its citizens “not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice,” while France advised people not to travel to Israel, Iran or Lebanon and evacuated the families of French diplomats from Iran.

Asked about the U.S. travel warning , Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, said at a news briefing Thursday: “We have seen Iran making public threats against Israel in the past few days.” He declined to provide details about any specific information that prompted the warning.

The new guidelines bar U.S. government employees and their families from traveling to locations outside the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba metropolitan areas “out of an abundance of caution” until further notice. The State Department said U.S. personnel could move among those areas for personal travel.

The top American military commander for the Middle East, Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, traveled to Israel to coordinate a response to possible Iranian retaliation, U.S. officials said.

“Our enemies think that they will divide Israel and the United States,” the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said in a statement on Friday after meeting with General Kurilla. “They are connecting us and are strengthening the relationship between us.”

If Iran attacks, he added, “we will know how to respond.”

On Thursday, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that the armed forces were “highly alert and prepared” for any action Iran might take, even as the timing and scale of any response remained unclear. Analysts say that Tehran, which has long used a network of proxy forces to project power across the Middle East, wants to avoid igniting a full-fledged war that could drag in the United States and threaten the survival of Iran’s regime.

“For years, and even more so during the war, Iran has been financing, directing and arming its proxies — in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Yemen — to attack the state of Israel,” he said. “An attack from Iranian territory would be clear evidence of Iran’s intentions to escalate the Middle East and stop hiding behind the proxies.”

Liam Stack is a Times reporter covering the Israel-Hamas war from Jerusalem. More about Liam Stack

Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times, focusing on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism issues overseas, topics he has reported on for more than three decades. More about Eric Schmitt

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U.S. restricts travel for Israel staff as Iran attack fears rise

The United States has restricted travel for its staff in Israel , as fears grow of an imminent retaliatory attack by Iran .

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security alert Thursday restricting its employees and their family members from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva areas until further notice “out of an abundance of caution.”

The warning comes as Israel’s military vowed it would defend the country and respond, with expectations mounting that Tehran will soon strike back for the attack on its embassy in Syria that killed a number of senior commanders. The exchanges have raised fears that the Israel-Hamas war that has devastated the Gaza Strip could escalate into a wider conflict.

Israel never claimed responsibility for the airstrike on its rival’s consulate in Damascus, but Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said earlier this week that Israel “must be punished and it shall be,” for what he considered an effective attack on Iranian soil.

The U.S. has promised support for its ally in the face of Iranian threats and worked to persuade Tehran to avoid significant escalation, but Israel has signaled its readiness for whatever retribution may be coming.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday that a direct Iranian attack will require “an appropriate Israeli response” against Iran, while an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that the country was “alert and highly prepared” for a variety of scenarios.

“Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said Thursday as he visited an air base. “We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the state of Israel, both defensively and offensively,” he added.

Netanyahu vowed Thursday that Israel was prepared for scenarios beyond Gaza.

The growing tensions in the Middle East come as Palestinians in Gaza marked somber Eid celebrations this week amid severe food shortages despite Israeli promises to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that famine in Gaza was “imminent,” after USAID Administrator Samantha Power said a day earlier that it was “credible” to assess that famine had already begun in the territory.

More than 33,600 people have now been killed in Gaza, the enclave’s Health Ministry said, in the six months of war since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which killed an estimated 1,200 people.

The militant group’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said Hamas was still seeking a cease-fire deal despite the deaths of his three sons in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza earlier this week, but talks to secure a truce and the release of remaining hostages remain deadlocked .

It remained unclear whether Iran’s retaliation would come in the form of a direct attack or through some of the web of Tehran-backed groups that have already waged attacks from Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen in recent months.

Tehran has so far avoided direct confrontation with Israel or Washington. But Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Thursday that “legitimate defense with the aim of punishing the aggressor” was a necessity in the wake of the consulate strike, accusing Israel of targeting diplomatic premises in violation of international law, according to Iranian state-run news agency IRNA.

The Pentagon said Thursday that top U.S. commander for the Middle East, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, had moved up his trip to Israel so he could meet with Israeli military leadership and discuss “current security threats.”

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Iran was threatening to launch a “significant attack on Israel,” and that the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies remained “ironclad” despite growing criticism from Washington of its ally’s actions in Gaza.

The White House also said Thursday that the U.S. has communicated to Iran that it had no involvement in the strike in Damascus, and warned Iran not to use this attack as a pretext to escalate further in the region, or to attack U.S. facilities or personnel.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei looks at the coffins of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Tehran

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held telephone conversations with his Chinese, Turkish and Saudi counterparts “to make clear that escalation is not in anyone’s interest” and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate.

“We have also engaged with European allies and partners over the past few days and urged them as well to send a clear message to Iran that escalation is not in Iran’s interest, it’s not in the region’s interest, and it’s not in the world’s interest,” spokesman Matthew Miller said Thursday .

British Foreign Minister David Cameron said he had made it clear to his Iranian counterpart that the Islamic Republic must not draw the Middle East into a wider conflict.

“I am deeply concerned about the potential for miscalculation leading to further violence,” Cameron said on X .

France warned its citizens Friday to “imperatively refrain from travel in the coming days to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian Territories.” German airline Lufthansa and its subsidiary Austrian Airlines, the only two Western carriers flying into Tehran, extended a suspension of flights to the Iranian capital.

Yuliya Talmazan is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London.

Israel on edge for Iranian retaliation after embassy strike

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An excavator clears rubble after a suspected Israeli strike on Iran's consulate, in Damascus

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People walk on Naqsh-e Jahan Square, after a reported Israeli attack on Iran, in Isfahan Province

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US House to vote on long-awaited $95 billion Ukraine, Israel aid package

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday is set to vote on, and expected to pass, a $95 billion legislative package providing security assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, over bitter objections from party hardliners.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi meets his Indonesian counterparts Retno Marsudi in Jakarta

A man was arrested in Denmark on Saturday in connection with a bomb threat at Billund Airport, the country's second largest aviation hub, police said in a statement.

Aftermath of a person covered in flames outside NY courthouse of former U.S. President Trump's criminal hush money trial

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Israel's war cabinet, chaired by Benjamin Netanyahu, meets in Tel Aviv to discuss the drone attack launched by Iran.

Iran missile and drone attack on Israel – what we know so far

Israel’s military has reported minor damage after Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles towards it late on Saturday

Iran attack on Israel – live updates
Full report: Iran launches drones and cruise missiles against Israel

Iran launched hundreds of drones as well as cruise missiles towards Israel , in the Islamic Republic’s first ever direct attack on the Jewish state, in response to the 1 April strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital, Damascus, which killed a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards and eight other officers.

Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, said that Israel will exact a price from Iran in response to its mass missile and drone attack when the time is right. His comments came ahead of a war cabinet meeting alongside Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the country’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

Tehran has warned it will strike again with greater force if Israel or the US retaliate for the Iranian strike on Israel by more 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night. The air raids , the Islamic Republic’s first ever direct attack on the Israeli state, brought a years-long shadow war into the open and threatened to draw the region into a broader conflagration as Israel said it was considering its response.

However, the attack, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel as most were shot down with the help of the US, Britain and Jordan. An air force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal and a seven-year-old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. There were no other reports of serious damage. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that 99% of the launches had been intercepted.

Most of the Iranian drones flying over Syria’s airspace during Tehran’s strikes overnight were downed by Israeli and US jets before reaching their targets in Israel, two western intelligence sources told Reuters .

The UN security council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday at the request of Israel’s ambassador to the UN, the council’s president said in a statement.

Iran informed Turkey in advance of its planned operation against Israel, a Turkish diplomatic source has told Reuters . The source also said that the US conveyed to Iran via Ankara that its operation must be “within certain limits”. These reports come after Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian , said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran that Iran had informed the US that its attacks against Israel will be “limited” and for self-defence only.

John Kirby, the White House’s top national security spokesperson, told ABC’s This Week programme on Sunday that the US will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran. “We don’t seek escalated tensions in the region. We don’t seek a wider conflict,” Kirby said. News outlet Axios reported that Joe Biden , the US president, had told Netanyahu that he would oppose an Israeli counterattack against Iran and that the prime minister should “take the win”.

UK Royal Air Force fighter jets and refuelling aircraft were also involved in Israel’s defence, taking off from bases in Cyprus. Their role, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, was to fill in for the US air force in the sorties against Islamic State normally carried out over Iraq and north-eastern Syria, but also to intercept Iranian drones if they came into the UK area of operations.

World leaders have condemned Iran’s attack, with regional powers including Saudi Arabia and Egypt calling for restraint. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said: “I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.”

Explosions seen over Israel and West Bank after Iran launches drones and missiles – video

Jordan’s prime minister, Bisher Khasawneh , warned that any escalation in the region would lead to “dangerous paths”, joining a chorus of condemnation from world leaders to the attack. Other countries including the UK, Spain, the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and China, have called for restraint amid fears of a regional escalation of conflict across the Middle East. Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the UK , France , and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labour news agency reported .

Major airlines across the Middle East, including Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways , announced they would resume some of their operations in the region after cancelling or rerouting some flights in response to Iran’s attack on Israel. Israel said it had reopened its airspace as of 7:30am local time on Sunday morning, with Beirut airport also reopening this morning. Several Iranian airports, including Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International, however, have cancelled flights until Monday.

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Israel’s canceled ski season reveals a ripple…

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Subscriber only, israel’s canceled ski season reveals a ripple effect of war.

Hermon CEO Refael Nave has been on military reserve duty since the outbreak of Israel's Oct 7 war. He's also a member of the security squad in his hometown on Neve Ativ, in the foothills of the Hermon, April 4, 2024. Photo by Uriel Heilman

(JTA) For each of the last four winters, Mount Hermon ski area CEO Refael Nave spent practically every day at the mountain whose peaks straddle the borders of Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

As the only place in Israel to see regular snowfall, the Hermon’s Israeli recreation area drew 400,000 visitors in the winter of 2022-’23. Some skied, but most came simply to experience snow, ride a gondola up to a lookout point at an altitude of 7,300 feet, sled and ride the Hermon’s mountain coaster. Over the summer, management invested in myriad upgrades in anticipation of even more visitors.

But this winter not a single paying visitor was able to come to the year-round attraction in the northern Golan Heights. The Hermon was shut down by military order on Oct. 7, the day Hamas terrorists flooded into southern Israel and set off a war that quickly spread to northern Israel. The mountain still hasn’t reopened to the public.

Nave still spent much of this winter shuttling back and forth between the Hermon and his home in Neve Ativ, the alpine-style village that is the highest-altitude Jewish town in Israel. Except he did so armed with an automatic weapon and wearing military fatigues as a soldier in the reserves and a member of Neve Ativ’s security squad.

The Hermon, which doubles as a military zone and even in normal times has soldiers stationed at chairlifts, has come under frequent attack by Hezbollah over the last six months – including during Saturday’s attack by Iran. Nave is at the mountain almost every day, supervising maintenance work and coordinating with the army.

“The outposts in the Hermon come under fire all the time,” Nave said in an interview in Neve Ativ, his automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. “We’ve had winters before with a day closed here or there, but not like this.”

This is the first time since the ski mountain opened in the winter of 1968-’69 after Israel captured the area from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War that the Hermon has missed an entire season. As a consequence, the entire economy dependent on the mountain is suffering, affecting not just the 300 Hermon employees who have been furloughed but also the hotels, restaurants, sports shops, roadside vendors and other area businesses that depend on tourists.

“We’re 100% down from a regular year,” said Talia Welli, the owner of a sports store in the nearby Druze town of Mas’ade that sells sleds, winter coats, gloves and ski hats in addition to bicycles and other year-round equipment.

“In a regular winter there’s nonstop traffic here every morning and evening,” said a Welli employee who identified himself only as Hamed. “There would be lines at the restaurants. The Friday outdoor market that sells tourists everything from perfume to vegetables would be packed. This year there was nothing. Even the snow didn’t come.”

Instead of looking for snow, residents of Mas’ade scan the skies for attacks by rocket or drone. Authorities installed concrete shelters on some streets to provide protection to the residents of Mas’ade, who typically don’t have bomb shelters in their homes, but during attacks most bystanders stay outside looking up, according to Hamed.

“People go outside to see what will fall,” he said. “A month ago we saw a drone shot down.”

On Saturday night, when Iran used over 300 ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles to attack Israel, the air raid siren in Masa’de sounded four times over the course of 10 minutes, all around 2 a.m. And on Wednesday, 18 people were injured in an Arab town in Israel’s north, though 60 miles west, when a rocket fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon struck a community center.

Closer to the Hermon, the town of Majdal Shams serves as the capital of the Golan’s Druze. According to the dictates of their opaque religion, Druze pay fealty to their home country — and because the Golan was seized from Syria during the 1967 war, local Druze ostensibly remain loyal to their “native country” of Syria. (Druze who live elsewhere in Israel are loyal Israelis, and many serve in the country’s military.)

But over the decades and particularly since the Assad regime stepped up its killing of Syrian civilians in that country’s civil war, enthusiasm for the principle of loyalty to Damascus has dwindled. Many Golan Druze, especially young people, have taken Israeli citizenship.

Shahbaa Abu Kheir runs the View Hotel in Majdal Shams, a two-year-old boutique hotel that overlooks small agricultural fields, cherry orchards and the Syrian border. Last winter, the 13-room hotel was fully booked almost every night, with rooms going for over $350 per night, including breakfast.

Then came Oct. 7.

“I had full bookings and everyone canceled to run to reserve duty that very day,” Abu Kheir recalled. Since then, the hotel has seen very few guests.

“People are scared to come here because it’s a border area,” she said. “We have sirens only about once a week but there’s frequent booming from Israeli artillery fire toward Lebanon.”

As she was speaking, a Druze family of 10 from Daliyat al-Carmel, just south of Haifa, arrived for check-in. They were the only guests expected that night.

“The Druze are the only ones who come now,” Abu Kheir lamented. “We have no way of moving forward. It’s horrible.”

Israel’s government provides some compensation for some affected businesses and residents. However, eligibility and the amount depends on a number of factors, including location and type of business, and the compensation often is minimal, nonexistent or late to arrive.

For example, only in early April did the government announce it was extending its business compensation program for the months of January and February. Tourism- and agriculture-related businesses have easier eligibility requirements than other businesses. Businesses in the Golan aren’t eligible for the same compensation levels as businesses in the evacuation zone of the northern Galilee. Other determinative location criteria include what kinds of Homefront Command restrictions are in place there, the quantity of military activity, road closures, the presence of artillery batteries in the area and more.

At the Hermon, any government aid that the furloughed workers receive constitutes only a fraction of their regular salaries, according to Nave.

“It’s a small amount. It’s not enough to live off of,” Nave said. “I just received my own payments for November and December and it barely covers my property taxes.”

In Nave’s case, he is able to receive the balance of his regular compensation because he is in active army reserve duty. That’s not the case for the vast majority of the Hermon’s regular workers, most of whom are Druze.

For these workers, as for everyone in northern Israel, the economic future is uncertain. It’s not clear how long the war and its aftereffects will last, and the government’s compensation criteria are in constant flux.

Sania Abu Saleh has a Druze restaurant in Majdal Shams at one of the last bends on the windy road that leads to the Hermon, next door to a ski equipment rental shop that stayed closed throughout this winter.

“Normally everybody stops by here to buy Druze pita. They eat hot corn. They sip tea and buy warm sachlav” — a thick milky drink made from corn starch, sugar and spices. “Now I have nothing. There are no people. There’s no work. Soldiers stop in from time to time but not many,” she said.

The gate to the Hermon sits just a few hundred yards up the road, and the military traffic in and out is constant.

The Hermon doesn’t use snowmaking equipment, so skiing depends entirely on the fickle weather. Last winter the mountain was able to open its ski runs for 27 days during the season. This winter, the chairlifts ran only when members of the Israel Defense Forces’ alpine unit needed to train. When a fierce snowstorm hit, members of the unit went out in the driving wind and snow to practice reaching their outposts by foot in the harshest conditions.

By early April, the only snow left on the mountain was at high altitude and mostly in Syrian territory, but the snowy summit was visible from most of the Golan and a big chunk of the northern Galilee. Because of the terrain, there’s no actual border fence in the area separating Israel from Syria and Lebanon.

At a ski expo in Europe that the Hermon’s CEO attended a couple of years ago, a snowmaking equipment company invited him to dinner along with some ski industry people from Lebanon. At first the Lebanese were taken aback to be dining with Israelis, Nave recalled, but they warmed up over the course of dinner.

After a long meal, Nave said, the Lebanese confessed that they had been taught from birth that Jews are evil and should be hated but that the experience of the evening had showed them otherwise. They finished the night with a l’chaim toasting a vision that one day peace might enable a joint ski pass connecting ski mountains in Lebanon, Israel and Syria.

These days Nave isn’t sanguine. On Saturday night during Iran’s attack, Israel took fire both from Lebanon and Syria.

“We want peace, but the reality is we have neighbors who don’t want us,” he said. “They’ve been training for years and years for this — to conquer all of the Galilee.”

Nave still has big dreams for the Hermon, the most ambitious of which would be the opening of a ski-in/ski-out hotel so guests can stay in the area overnight. But for now he’s setting his sights on something more mundane: reopening. It doesn’t seem like it will happen anytime soon.

“In my conversations with the military command I was told, ‘Let’s talk after the summer,’” Nave said. “How can we go on like this?”

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Syria Travel Advisory. Travel Advisory. July 13, 2023. Syria - Level 4: Do Not Travel. O K U T. Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed. Do not travel to Syria due to terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict, and risk of unjust detention. Country Summary: The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in February 2012.
Syrian Ministry Of Tourism
Under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism and in cooperation with the General Sports Federation and the Tartous Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Union of Fine Artists in Syria opened on Friday an exhibition of 50 paintings and 25 sculptures of 37 artists. 07. 08 - 2017. Al Qadmous with its tourist, archeological and natural resources ...
U.S. Issues New Travel Restrictions Over Possible Iranian Strike
The U.S. issues new travel guidelines, warning that Iran will avenge the killings of senior commanders. ... Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Yemen — to attack the state of Israel," he said. "An attack ...
Syria: Mass death, torture and other violations against people detained
People detained following the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (IS) armed group are facing systematic violations and dying in large numbers due to inhumane conditions in north-east Syria, Amnesty International said in a new report. Aftermath: Injustice, Torture and Death in Detention in North-East Syria documents how the region's autonomous authorities are responsible for […]
Top Tourist Spots in Syria 2024: Things to Do & Places to Go
In Hama, Syria they are still using the famous old Roman Water Wheels or called: Norias in Arabic. The exact building dates have a bit of a small dispute as many believed that there were built during the 12th century, but a discovery of a Roman Tiles and Mosaics in the Roman Town of Apamea, some 55 kilometers or 30 miles downstream from Hama were discover and were date back to 469 BC.
U.S. restricts staff travel in Israel as Iran attack fears rise
April 12, 2024, 4:44 AM PDT. By Yuliya Talmazan. The United States has restricted travel for its staff in Israel, as fears grow of an imminent retaliatory attack by Iran. The U.S. Embassy in ...
Israel on edge for Iranian retaliation after embassy strike
Israel on Friday braced for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of retaliation for the killing last week of a senior officer in Iran's embassy in Damascus.
Iran missile and drone attack on Israel
Most of the Iranian drones flying over Syria's airspace during Tehran's strikes overnight were downed by Israeli and US jets before reaching their targets in Israel, two western intelligence ...
Israel's canceled ski season reveals a ripple effect of war
This is the first time since the ski mountain opened in the winter of 1968-'69 after Israel captured the area from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War that the Hermon has missed an entire season. As a ...
Israel vs. Iran: What an All-Out War Could Look Like
April 18, 2024 at 11:38 AM PDT. Iran's massive missile and drone attack on Israel, which began in the late hours of April 13, pushed the conflict between the two countries into a potentially ...

How to Travel to Syria as a Tourist

Why Visit Syria?

Is Syria safe now?

How to Get a Visa to Syria

Money in Syria

How to Get to Syria

Can You Visit Syria Independently?

How to Find a Guide or Tour

Internet in Syria

Food in Syria

Visiting Palmyra

Are All Cities Destroyed?

Useful Tips for Visting Syria

2 – I suggest you fly to Damascus ( Cham Wings Airlines and Syrian Air ) or cross the border between Beirut and Damascus.

4 – Don’t be disrespectful.

5 – Photos are allowed everywhere minus checkpoints.

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15 Best Things To Do In Syria in 2024

2. Krak des Chevaliers

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4. Damascus

6. Beehive Houses at Al Jaboul Lake

7. Salt Lake (Al Jaboul Lake)

10. Sednaya

11. Maaloula

12. Latakia

14. Qalaat Al Madiq

Is it safe to travel to Syria?

Syria travel advice

My trip to Syria

Best itinerary for Syria in 2024

Day 1: Beirut to Tartus/Latakia - (A,B)

How to Travel to Syria in 2024 – Everything You Need To Know

Hi, we’re Rach & Marty!

How to get Syria Visa

Syrian Visa fee at the border:

Recommended Tour Agency for Travel in Syria

Travel Planning Resources

Tasty Food Adventures

Expert Travel Guides

Trusted Hints & Tips

9 Must-Try Food in Syria

How to get a Syrian Visa – A Helpful Guide

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Everything You Need to know about traveling to Syria | Is Syria Safe Now?

Syria Tourism

Travel to Syria from Lebanon and Jordan

Driving Through Syria From Lebanon

Jordan To Syria overland

Can You Fly to Syria? Latakia Airport & More

Flights to Syria

Getting Around Syria

Money in Syria

Getting Online In Syria

Where to Stay in Damascus, Syria

Is Damascus Safe?

Tourists Sites Destroyed Because of Syrian Civil War

Syria’s Economic Collapse in 2020

Final Thoughts on Tourism in Syria

Top Things to Do in Syria

Top Attractions in Syria

What travellers are saying

Travel to Syria: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting as a Tourist

Table of Contents

Is It Safe to Travel to Syria?

How to Get a Tourist Visa to Enter Syria

Exchanging Money in Syria

Places to Visit When You Travel to Syria

Did You Know…

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