5-Day Syria Trip » Damascus + Aleppo + Palmyra + Krak

Depart Beirut at 7:00 am and head east to the Syrian border, arriving around 9:00 am for entry formalities. After crossing into Syria, continue to Damascus, where you’ll check in at your hotel by 11:00 am. By midday, begin exploring the city’s key historical sites.

Start with the National Museum of Damascus, home to artifacts from ancient cities like Ugarit and Palmyra. Continue to the Takiyya Suleimaniah, a 16th-century Ottoman religious complex and souq. Visit the Khan Assad Basha Caravanserai, one of the most impressive examples of Ottoman commercial architecture in the region. Then walk through Al-Hamidiyeh Souq to the Al Azem Palace, a traditional Damascene residence. Conclude the day with a visit to the Umayyad Mosque, built in 715 CE over earlier Roman and Byzantine structures.

This day provides a clear introduction to the political, religious, and commercial legacy of Damascus.

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

Historical Context:

• Umayyad Mosque: Constructed under Caliph Al-Walid I, using Roman columns and Byzantine foundations.
• Al Azem Palace: Built in the 18th century by As’ad Pasha al-Azem, then governor of Damascus.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• Khan Assad Basha once hosted merchants from as far as Central Asia.
• The museum’s collection includes the world’s oldest alphabet tablets from Ugarit.

5 Key Highlights:

• Entry into Syria and hotel check-in
• Archaeology at Damascus National Museum
• Caravanserai walk-through at Khan Assad Basha
• Visit to the Umayyad Mosque prayer hall
• Covered shopping street in Al-Hamidiyeh Souq

Important for you:
Ottoman urban architecture, Roman-Islamic continuity, Damascus museum heritage

Depart Damascus in the morning and drive northward through inland Syria. Stop briefly in Idlib for a coffee break and short city walk, giving you a chance to see a typical Syrian provincial capital in the northwest. Continue directly to Aleppo, arriving around midday.

Begin your Aleppo visit with the Khan al-Harir (Silk Souq), part of the restored covered market network. From there, explore the Old City and visit the Armenian Forty Martyrs Cathedral, originally built in the 15th century. Continue to the Aleppo Citadel, rising above the city on a natural mound and fortified extensively in Ayyubid and Mamluk times. End the day at a traditional soap factory producing olive and laurel soap using age-old methods.

This day connects modern cities with ancient trade and religious routes across northern Syria.

Travel Distance & Time: Approx. 370 km – 6 hours drive

Historical Context:

• Aleppo Citadel: Used as a fortress since the 3rd millennium BCE; rebuilt by Saladin’s successors.
• Khan al-Harir: Part of the network of souqs that formed one of the largest pre-modern markets in the world.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• Aleppo’s laurel soap is cured for up to 6 months and exported globally.
• The Old City is a UNESCO-listed site with layered Islamic and Armenian architecture.

5 Key Highlights:

• Midway coffee break in Idlib
• Covered souq in Aleppo’s historic market
• Visit to Aleppo Citadel and panoramic view
• Armenian Forty Martyrs Cathedral
• Laurel soap production tour

Important for you:
Aleppo Citadel history, Armenian Christian presence, Syrian trade routes

Depart Aleppo early and drive south to Hama, where you’ll visit three main sites. Start with Al Jamea Alkabir, a large Friday mosque rebuilt in the Ayyubid period. Then stop at Saint George Cathedral, and finally walk along the Orontes River to see the famous norias—large medieval wooden waterwheels once used for irrigation.

Continue west into the mountains to Krak des Chevaliers, a Crusader castle built and expanded by the Knights Hospitaller from the 12th century onward. The fortress includes multiple defensive walls, a Gothic-style chapel, and underground storage halls. Arrive in the Christian village of Al-Mishtaya in the late afternoon for overnight.

This day ties medieval military strategy to early urban infrastructure in the Orontes valley.

Travel Distance & Time: Approx. 300 km – 5.5 hours drive

Historical Context:

• Krak des Chevaliers: Held by Crusaders for over a century; captured by Mamluk Sultan Baibars in 1271.
• Hama’s norias date back to the Byzantine period, with surviving ones from the 13th century.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• The Orontes River was historically crucial for agriculture in central Syria.
• Krak’s design features concentric defensive walls, unusual for its era.

5 Key Highlights:

• Riverside walk past Hama’s medieval norias
• Visit to Saint George Cathedral
• Full fortress exploration at Krak des Chevaliers
• Inner chapel and halls of the Crusader castle
• Overnight stay in Al-Mishtaya

Important for you:
Hama waterwheels, Crusader fortress design, Orontes River agriculture

Depart Al-Mishtaya in the morning and travel east across the desert to reach Palmyra by midday. Begin your visit with a walk along the colonnaded street, then explore the Roman theater, agora, Tetrapylon, and the remaining structures of the Temple of Bel. Despite the site’s partial destruction, much of its urban layout and sculptural detail remain visible.

Continue exploring funerary towers and the Valley of the Tombs to better understand Palmyra’s burial traditions. After a comprehensive site walk, depart in the afternoon for Damascus, arriving in the evening.

This visit brings direct exposure to the cultural and economic impact of Palmyra’s position on the ancient Silk Road.

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

Historical Context:

• Palmyra peaked in the 2nd–3rd centuries CE; declared independent under Queen Zenobia in 270 CE.
• Temple of Bel: Constructed in 32 CE, destroyed in 2015 but partially reconstructed.

Curiosities & Local Facts:

• Palmyrene architecture blends Greco-Roman orders with local Semitic motifs.
• The Valley of Tombs held multi-story tower graves belonging to noble families.

5 Key Highlights:

• Walk along Palmyra’s Roman colonnaded street
• Visit to the Temple of Bel remains
• Theater, agora, and Tetrapylon ruins
• Tower tombs and desert burial sites
• Arrival in Damascus by evening

Important for you:
Palmyra Silk Road hub, Roman desert architecture, Queen Zenobia legacy

After breakfast, depart Damascus at 8:00 am for the drive to the Syrian–Lebanese border, reaching by 9:00 am for exit procedures. Continue to Beirut, with arrival expected around 12:00 pm.

This final journey completes your structured exploration of Syria’s historic heartlands.

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

5 Key Highlights:

• Departure from Damascus
• Border crossing exit
• Scenic drive through Anti-Lebanon mountains
• Arrival in Beirut
• End of itinerary

Important for you:
Syrian border logistics, overland return, Beirut arrival coordination