Syria is a land rich in exquisite ancient wonders and modern complexities, and the Syrian people’s warm hospitality never fails to impress. When the great adventurer Gertrude Bell visited Syria, she feared she would “spend the rest of [her] life traveling in it. Race after race, one on top of the other, the whole land strewn with the mighty relics of them.” Our custom journeys have included looks at these exquisite relics including the black basalt ruins of Bosra; Palmyra’s long avenues of columns and temples; the Bronze Age settlement of Ugarit, home to one of the world’s earliest alphabets; and the ancient suqs of Damascus and Aleppo, all the while admiring extraordinary scenery from the coast to the desert, and meeting people renowned for eager and open hospitality. Top guides, top accommodation including lovingly restored courtyard hotels, and meetings with local leaders in Damascus, private music and dance performances, round out the list of exhilarating possibilities.
- Walking tours in the old cities of Damascus and Aleppo
- Fairy tale castles including famed Krak des Chevaliers and Qala’at Salah ad Din
- The legendary Euphrates river valley
- Sprawling Roman ruins of Palmyra and Apamea
- Other Syria Trips
- Other Custom Journeys
Best times to go:
March - May
Great Reading
- Syria, A Historical and Architectural Guide by Warwick Ball
- Roman Arabia by G.W. Bowersock
- Mirror to Damascus by Colin Thubron
- The Gates of Damascus by Lieve Joris
Great Viewing
The Syrian Bride
