Syria – July Budget Tour

Itinerary

Saturday 15 July – Beirut (Lebanon) – Damascus

• 8:30 AM – Meet the group and departure to Damascus from Beirut.
• Lebanon / Syria border crossing.
• Drive to Damascus, the capital of Syria.
• Via Straight Street we walk to the House Chapel of Ananias. He was one of the first Christians in Syria.
• Highlight: The Great Mosque, also known as the Omajaden Mosque.
• See the famous Al Hamidieh Grand Bazaar (also known as the Al-Hamidiyah Souk). The perfect place to get acquainted with daily life in Damascus.
• Walk through the old centre of Damascus.
• Overnight stay in Damascus.

Sunday 16 July – Damascus – Maaloula – Mishtaya

• We drive to Maaloula. A beautiful village against the mountains. Here the language of Christ is still spoken (Aramaic).
• Visit the monasteries of St. Thecla, Sergio’s and Bacchus.
• Drive to Krak des Chevaliers.
• Highlight: Visit to Krak des Chevaliers. This famous castle is the symbol of the Crusades and was the base for the Hospitallers.
• Drive to Mishtaya, up in the mountains.
• Overnight stay in Mishtaya.

Monday 17 July – Mishtaya – Hama – Apamea – Aleppo

• Drive to Hama.
• Visit to the famous waterwheels in the Orontos River.
• We continue towards Apamea.
• Highlight: We visit the old Roman city of Apamea. If you’ve been to Baalbek in Lebanon you will notice the resemblance between both places.
• Drive to Aleppo. It was the largest city in the country and since the civil war it is the second largest city in the country.
• Overnight stay in Aleppo.

Tuesday 18 July  – Aleppo

• City tour of Aleppo, one of the oldest cities in the world still inhabited.
• Highlight: Visit to the well-known Aleppo Citadel. A medieval fortress in the middle of the city.
• Walk through the old covered souk. It is still being renovated.
• Overnight stay in Aleppo.

Wednesday 19 July  – Aleppo – Homs

• Group A: returns to Beirut. End of the tour upon arrival in Beirut.
• Group B + C continue:
• We drive to Ebla for a visit to an old settlement from the Bronze age.
• Drive to Homs. Here you have free time to explore a bit on your own.
• Overnight stay in Homs.

Thursday 20 July – Homs

• Walking tour through Homs. Here you’ll see a lot of destruction from the recent war.
• See the church of the belt of virgin Mary and the Khaled Bin Al-Walid Mosque.
• Night tour through the city.
• Overnight stay in Homs.

Friday 21 July – Homs – Al Nabek – Damascus

• Group B: returns to Beirut. End of the tour upon arrival in Beirut.
• Group C continues:
• We leave Homs and head South towards Damascus.
• On the way we stop at Al Nabek to visit the St. Moses Al-Abyssinian monastery, here you’ll find some ancient frescoes.
• Arrival in Damascus for some last minute shopping.
• Overnight stay in Damascus.

Saturday 22 July – Damascus – Bosra

• Drive to Bosra.
• Highlight: Arrival in Bosra, after which we go to the Roman Amphitheatre. A 45m long and 8,5m deep theatre that is remarkably well preserved.
• Walk through the old centre of Bosra, with e.g. the cathedral and the basilica.
• Drive to Damascus.
• Free time to explore the old town of Damascus on your own.
• Overnight stay in Damascus.

Sunday 23 July – Damascus – Beirut

• Return to Beirut.
• End of the tour.