Syria travel guide

From the first mouthful of fattoush to the last, tentative, silty sip of your coffee, our Syria travel guide is with you all the way through the country’s mezze of delights. We have all the information about what to do during your visit, plus advice from our expert partners on the ground in Damascus, including the question everyone asks – is it safe?

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Syria travel guide

Syria is resilient. Home of one of the oldest civilisations in the world, it continues to be spectacular, even in the face of the civil war that started in 2011, and in the aftermath of 2022’s devastating earthquake. The country is renowned for the hospitality of its people, the beauty of its cities, the pleasures of Levantine cuisine, and the wealth of its hundreds of archaeological sites – to which more discoveries are added all the time.

Syria’s story has many volumes – fitting for a country with one of the world’s oldest libraries. There have been some dark chapters in recent years, but the country is ready to turn the page.

Its history looms large – to the north are enormous crusader castles, whilst, in its desert oasis, Palmyra, a city made rich by the Silk Road, still stands as a symbol of the country’s endurance. Here’s another: The Norias of Hama – a series of 17 medieval waterwheels, some over 17 metres tall, which lift water out of the Orontes River. It was on Syria’s rich plains that civilisations first started to farm. Modern droughts threaten to take that all away again: the fate of the nation keeps turning, but the country stands strong.

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Syria is…

a country where every city has its own specialty dessert.

Syria isn’t…

destroyed by civil war.

Best time to visit Syria

Autumn brings fantastic harvests of lemons and walnuts, and Syria’s beautiful pomegranates – for refreshing juices and warming molasses.

Because of the hot, dry desert climate, the best time to go to Syria is in the pleasant months of spring and autumn. In May, the landscape is still beautifully green before the summer heat. Summer is dry, with drought an increasing problem, and the hottest month, July, brings temperatures above 30°C to Damascus. In autumn, it cools. October is the start of the wetter months, and November is noticeably colder. You should also consider winter – it might be chilly in the mornings, especially in the mountains, but the weather is mild and you can do a Christmas tour.

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Damascus Weather Chart

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Things to do in Syria…

You must travel with a local guide, but it’s no hardship. This is a fantastic way to get to know the country. Visit Syrians at home for dinner as part of your tour, with your guide brokering your new friendship. You’ll probably get roped into chopping the ingredients for tabbouleh, and by the meal itself you’ll all be sharing stories. Put pomegranate molasses on everything. This dark, sweet condiment is a staple on the tables of restaurants and at home, alongside olive oil. There’s no better representation of Syria’s rich cuisine than a dark thread of molasses looped over a shawarma. Speak with people, and you’ll hear about Syrian experiences in their own words – a privilege when the rest of the world is hearing it from news outlets. You’ll meet local wine producers, speak to monks who live in mountain monasteries. And you might pick up a few words of Arabic, Armenian – or even Aramaic. Syria is a country with a Muslim majority which has long had a reputation for religious tolerance. The Valley of the Christians (Wadi al-Nasara) is home to many Greek Orthodox Christians, whilst Damascus has a large Christian population. You should consider visiting at Christmas – winter festivities have been celebrated again in the capital after a period of enforced hiatus. The whole city celebrates, there are trees, lights, a fair and parade, and lots of Santa hats.

Things not to do in Syria…

It can be expensive, and difficult, to fly direct to Syria as there aren’t many countries that offer the route. It’s much easier to enter via Beirut, Lebanon or Amman, Jordan. The drive from Beirut to Damascus takes three to four hours, including the border crossing. You’ll be met by your driver in Beirut, and then meet your guide at the Syria border. The road to Damascus down from the Anti Lebanon mountains onto the Syrian plain – shrouded in cloud, or in brilliant sun – will be very memorable. It would be wrong to ignore Syria’s recent history. The civil war saw the life expectancy of its people drop to the age of 55, killed 350,000, and displaced half the population. In Aleppo, two million people left between 2012 and 2016; 25,000 died. All the city’s major monuments were damaged, alongside large areas of the cities of Bosra, Homs and Daraa. Archaeological antiquities were lost – only to resurface on the black market. As the country rebuilds, it’s the stories of the resilience of its people – who endured years of shortages, siege warfare, shelling, and snipers – that resonate. That being said, travelers shouldn’t avoid Syria. The government has won back most of the country from rebel forces. These areas are considered safe to visit if you travel with a knowledgeable operator.

Syria travel advice

Eat well

“Syria has a very rich kitchen,” says Rami Nawaya from our partner Syrian Guides. A lot of his advice about visiting his home country revolves around the food.

Levantine cuisine is one of excess. Meals involve a flurry of mezzes – small plates – and every city is famous for a different dessert. “For example,” says Rami, “Damascus is famous for barazeq – a cookie made from semolina, with sugar and sesame.” Then there’s the mind-boggling number of ways to serve kibbeh, meat mince mixed with bulgar wheat. “It’s a really significant part of the Syrian kitchen,” says Rami, “We barbecue it, we fry it, we have 100 types!” The best accompaniment is pomegranate molasses, which is used on most dishes, “It’s on the table when you go to any restaurant. When you add it to shawarma it changes everything! Sorry, am I making you hungry?”

Use a guide

“Having a guide will really enrich your experience,” says Rami, “They change everything.” Whilst having a guide is essential for visiting Syria, it is also a pleasure. Meeting people is one of the main draws of visiting the country, and is the best way to support ordinary communities with their continued difficulties, which extend to leaving: “Syrians need a visa to enter Lebanon and we have some difficulties with this so instead we meet our guests at the border,” says Rami, “We send them a driver who meet them in the airport or in their hotel and bring them all the way to Damascus.”

Is it safe?

You should always refer to your country’s government travel advice when going abroad. In the UK, this is the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which is updated daily. Daily life in Syria – and the vacations that experience it – are a far cry from what is depicted in news headlines.

“When tourists come to Syria they are shocked by the reality of what they see,” says Rami “They are told that Syria is torn apart, Syria is devastated, Syria is destroyed, that the locals are lost and that they have no hope – they give the image that Syria is devastated and that it is a failure.

But when they come here, they see how lovely it is – how civilised it is, how friendly the people are. They see that the majority of Syria is safe, despite the economic hardship. They see how resilient we are – and how our resilience is the strongest thing. And they notice how safe the country is.”

Syria travel guide