Syria – May Coastal Tour

Itinerary

Sunday 19 May – Beirut (Lebanon) – Damascus

• Morning pick up of the group by the driver in Beirut.
• Meet your guides at the border 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.
• Overnight in Damascus.

Monday 20 May – Maaloula – Krak des Chevaliers – Mishtaya

• We drive to Maaloula. A beautiful village against the mountains. Here the language of Christ is still spoken (Aramaic).
• We take a look at the famous monasteries Mar Sarkis and Mar Taqla.
• Highlight: Visit to Krak des Chevaliers. This famous castle is the symbol of the Crusades and was the base for the Hospitallers.
• We will drive into the mountains of Syria, close to Homs.
• We will stay in the village of Mishtaya. Here you can wander around and see what rural life is in Syria.
• Wine and rakia tasting on a farm.
• Overnight stay in Mishtaya.

Tuesday 21 May – Tartous – Latakia   

• We say goodbye to Mishtaya and continue towards the coast.
• Arrival in the city of Tartous, with a small city tour.
• Highlight: Boat ride to Arwad Island. A unique visit, as it has seen barely any tourists since the re-opening of Syria.
• Upon return in Tartous we will drive to Latakia.
• Overnight stay in Latakia.

Wednesday 22 May – Latakia

• Highlight: Walk around Latakia and enjoy the view of the Mediterranean Sea.
• Visit to Salah Al-Dein castle, a medieval castle located high up in the mountains.
• See the Tomb of Hafez Al-Assad, up in the mountains around Latakia.
• Overnight stay in Latakia.

Thursday 23 May – Latakia – Homs   

• Drive to Apamea, an old Greek Roman city, there are still many buildings visible.
• 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 Hama.
• Visit to the famous waterwheels in the Orontos River.
• Check out the Azem Palace in Hama.
• Drive to Homs.
• Walking tour through Homs. We will see the neighbourhood that was completely damaged by the war. But we’ll also visit the new souk of Homs.
• Visit to the historical Bei Al Agha / Julia house, this house was a head quarter of Al Nusra during the civil war.
• Overnight stay in Homs.

Friday 24 May – Homs – Palmyra – Damascus

• Drive to Palmyra. Although IS has destroyed much here, there is still a lot to see.
• Highlight: We see the remains of the Temple of Bel, the Triumphal Arch, the colonnades, the theatre, the agora and the tombs.
• After Palmyra we return to Damascus.
• Assad Basha Khan, the biggest caravanserai in downtown Damascus. (if time permits)
• Check out Azem Palace, a typical old house from Damascus. (if time permits)
• Overnight stay in Damascus.

Saturday 25 May – Damascus

• Visit the October War Museum to learn more about the conflict with Israel.
• Drive towards the Golan Height, and more precisely the city of Al Qunaitera. This city was heavily damaged during the war in 1973.
• Highlight: We will make a tour to the hill from where we have a view on the Israel city of Majdal Shams.
• Return to Damascus.
• Drive to the border with Lebanon
• Border crossing Syria / Lebanon.
• Drive to Beirut.
• End of tour.