7-Day Syria Trip » Damascus + Aleppo + Apamea + Palmyra

Depart Beirut early in the morning for a 7:00 am pickup and proceed toward the Syrian border, reaching the crossing by 9:00 am. After border procedures, continue to Damascus and check in at the hotel by around 11:00 am. The afternoon is dedicated to an introduction to the capital’s historical landscape.

Begin with the National Museum of Damascus, home to archaeological finds from Ebla, Mari, Ugarit, and Palmyra. Then continue to the Takiyya Suleimaniah Souq, an Ottoman-era market established under Sultan Suleiman in the 16th century. Visit the nearby Damascus Citadel, a fortified complex with roots in the 11th century, then end the day with a panoramic view from Mount Qasioun overlooking the entire city.

This afternoon offers a structured introduction to Damascus’s layers of civilizational history.

Travel Distance & Time: Approx. 120 km – 3 hours (including border procedures)

Historical Context:

• National Museum: Founded 1919; includes artifacts from Neolithic to Islamic periods.
• Damascus Citadel: Heavily rebuilt under Ayyubids in the 12th century.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• The Takiyya complex was originally both a mosque and a lodge for dervishes.
• Mount Qasioun is associated with several prophetic traditions in local folklore.

5 Key Highlights:

• Border crossing from Lebanon into Syria
• Visit to Damascus National Museum
• Ottoman-style Takiyya Souq
• Fortified Damascus Citadel
• Sunset panorama from Mount Qasioun

Important for you:
Ottoman Damascus, archaeological museum Syria, Qasioun mountain view

Spend a full day exploring Damascus on foot. Begin with early Christian landmarks including the underground Chapel of Saint Ananias and the Church of St. Paul, commemorating his escape from Damascus. Also visit the Zaitoun Church before continuing to Maktab Anbar, a 19th-century wealthy merchant house and school.

Walk through the Al-Hamidiyeh Souq to reach the 18th-century Khan Assad Basha, a restored caravanserai. Visit Al Azem Palace, a prime example of Ottoman domestic architecture in Syria. The tour culminates with the Umayyad Mosque—built on the site of a Roman temple and Byzantine church—and nearby Saladin’s Mausoleum. Finish the day at the Sayyidah Ruqayya Shrine, a major Shia pilgrimage site.

This visit helps you see how history, religion, and daily life connect here.

Travel Distance & Time: Local tour – minimal driving

Historical Context:

• Umayyad Mosque: Commissioned by Caliph Al-Walid I; completed in 715 CE.
• Maktab Anbar: Financed by a Jewish businessman; nationalized in the 20th century.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• Al Azem Palace’s iwan design reflects traditional courtyard house styles in Syria.
• The Shrine of Sayyidah Ruqayya was rebuilt with Iranian assistance in the 1980s.

5 Key Highlights:

• Saint Ananias underground chapel
• 19th-century Damascene mansion
• Grand Umayyad Mosque complex
• Ottoman-style caravanserai
• Shia shrine with modern tilework

Important for you:
Umayyad mosque Syria, Old Damascus walk, early Christian churches

Depart early from Damascus and head to Maaloula, one of the last places where Western Aramaic is still spoken. Visit the Church of Saints Sergios and Bacchos and walk through the narrow Eastern Gorge linked to the legend of Saint Thecla. Stop at the Saint Thecla Convent before continuing toward Homs.

In Homs, visit the Church of Um Al-Zenar, believed to house a relic of the Virgin Mary’s belt and one of Syria’s oldest Christian churches. Afterward, drive north to Idlib for a short coffee stop and city walk, then continue to Aleppo, arriving by evening for hotel check-in.

You’ll walk through places that still carry the marks of past empires.

Travel Distance & Time: Approx. 370 km – 6.5 hours drive

Historical Context:

• Maaloula churches date from the 4th–6th centuries CE.
• Um Al-Zenar Church has been a key Christian site since the 1st century CE.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• Aramaic is still used in liturgical ceremonies in Maaloula.
• Idlib province was once home to the ancient city of Ebla.

5 Key Highlights:

• Aramaic-speaking village of Maaloula
• Hike through the Saint Thecla Gorge
• Visit to Um Al-Zenar relic church
• Coffee stop in central Idlib
• Arrival in historic Aleppo

Important for you:
Maaloula Aramaic village, Christian relics Homs, Saint Thecla Gorge

Begin the morning with a short drive into the countryside to visit the Church of Qalb Lozeh, a 5th-century Byzantine basilica considered a model for Romanesque churches in Europe. Return to Aleppo for a full walking tour of the city.

Explore the Khan al-Saboun (Soap Factory), where traditional laurel soap is still made using centuries-old methods. Walk through the Silk Khan and Old City areas, stopping at the Armenian Forty Martyrs Cathedral. End the day at the monumental Aleppo Citadel, which dominates the city from a natural hilltop, with fortifications dating to the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods.

This stop gives context to how ancient trade shaped the region.

Travel Distance & Time: Approx. 80 km – 2 hours total driving

Historical Context:

• Qalb Lozeh Church was built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Leo I.
• Aleppo Citadel: In use since the 3rd millennium BCE; major expansions in the 12th–13th centuries.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• The Armenian cathedral was restored after significant war damage.
• Aleppo’s soap is made from only olive oil, laurel oil, and soda ash.

5 Key Highlights:

• Early Byzantine church at Qalb Lozeh
• Local soap-making factory visit
• Walk through the reconstructed Silk Souq
• Visit to Armenian church
• Tour of Aleppo’s ancient citadel

Important for you:
Dead Cities Syria, Aleppo soap, Byzantine Qalb Lozeh

Leave Aleppo early for the Roman city of Apamea, founded in the 3rd century BCE by Seleucus I. The site’s grand colonnaded avenue and theater ruins are among the largest in the region. Afterward, drive south to Hama, where you’ll see the Al Jamea Alkabir (Great Mosque), the Saint George Cathedral, and the iconic medieval norias along the Orontes River.

In the afternoon, continue to Krak des Chevaliers, the Crusader fortress built by the Knights Hospitaller starting in 1142. Explore its ramparts, inner halls, and chapel before heading to the nearby Christian village of Al-Mishtaya for overnight.

The day connects Roman imperial infrastructure with Crusader military architecture.

Travel Distance & Time: Approx. 330 km – 6 hours drive

Historical Context:

• Apamea housed over 500,000 people in the 2nd century CE.
• Krak des Chevaliers was captured by Mamluk Sultan Baibars in 1271.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• Hama’s norias were engineered for agricultural irrigation as early as the Byzantine period.
• Krak’s cisterns collected enough water to support sieges lasting months.

5 Key Highlights:

• Roman ruins of Apamea
• Norias and cathedral in Hama
• Full tour of Krak des Chevaliers
• View from Crusader watchtowers
• Overnight in Al-Mishtaya

Important for you:
Apamea ruins, Crusader fortress Syria, Hama norias

Depart Al-Mishtaya early and head east through the Syrian desert toward Palmyra. Arrive by midday to explore this ancient caravan city, known for its blend of Greco-Roman and Eastern architecture. Walk the colonnaded street, visit the Roman theater, and see the remains of the Temple of Bel and funerary towers.

Though parts of the site were damaged in recent years, many structures remain visible, including the agora and tetrapylon. In the late afternoon, continue by road to Damascus for overnight.

This visit brings direct insight into the scale of Roman influence in the Syrian desert.

Travel Distance & Time: Approx. 330 km – 6 hours drive

Historical Context:

• Palmyra flourished under Roman control in the 1st–3rd centuries CE.
• Queen Zenobia led a rebellion and declared independence from Rome in 270 CE.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• The Temple of Bel’s layout aligns with astronomical directions.
• Palmyrene inscriptions often include both Aramaic and Greek text.

5 Key Highlights:

• Ancient city walk through Palmyra
• Roman theater and agora remains
• Temple of Bel site overview
• Desert drive across central Syria
• Evening arrival in Damascus

Important for you:
Palmyra ruins, Roman desert cities, Queen Zenobia

After breakfast, depart Damascus by 8:00 am. Arrive at the Syrian border around 9:00 am for exit formalities and continue back to Beirut, reaching by midday around 12:00 pm.

This day concludes the overland journey through Syria’s most significant historical and religious locations.

Travel Distance & Time: Approx. 120 km – 3 hours (including border procedures)

5 Key Highlights:

• Departure from Damascus
• Border exit from Syria
• Return to Lebanon
• Scenic road journey
• End of services in Beirut

Important for you:
Beirut return road, Syria exit, overland transfer