Syria with Luxury & Style (9 Days):
Sample Itinerary Outline
ID #: DT-S-9-6-25-10-RAIJ
DAY
1: Arrive Damascus, SYRIA
You are met upon arrival and taken to your luxury hotel. Damascus,
the capital of Syria, is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the
world, dating back to 4000 B.C.
►Some suggested Damascus hotels (in alphabetical order): Beit Al Wali Four
Seasons Hotel, Damascus
►Together, we will find the best choice for you!
DAY 2: Damascus, SYRIA
Your full day of sightseeing starts with the National Museum of
Damascus, with its large collection of ancient Syrian and classical
antiquities. Next visit the Christian quarter to see the underground
St. Anannias Chapel and St. Paul’s Church, both situated behind Bab
Keissan, one of the gates in the old wall encircling Damascus. See
the infamous “Street Called Straight” where Judas once lived, and
the Window of St. Paul, where he was lowered in a basket out of the
window to avoid arrest. After lunch, explore the Old City. See the
Azem Palace; with a simple exterior that contrasts sharply with the
beautiful interior, it is a wonderful example of an 18th century
Damascene house. Visit Umayyad Mosque, built in 705 A.D. when
Damascus was the capital of the Arab Islamic Empire, and the
adjacent Tomb of Salah al-Din (Saladin’s Tomb), built in the 12th
century with beautiful marble mosaics inside. Continue to the old
covered souqs (markets) of Damascus, with their fragrant scents,
spices, and exotic colorful merchandise. At sunset, drive up 1,150
feet to Quaison Mountain, for panoramic views of the city.
►For Damascus hotel suggestions, see above.
DAY 3: Damascus to Lattakia, SYRIA
This morning drive to Crac des Chevaliers, the Castle of the
Knights, a stately 12th century Crusader castle, and one of the most
famous medieval citadels in the world. After lunch drive to the
Mediterranean city of Tartus, a major Christian stronghold during
the 4th-century. Visit the Cathedral of Tartus before continuing on
to Lattakia, an important historic and modern-day port city.
►Suggested hotel: Afamia Rotana Resort, Lattakia
DAY 4: St. Simeon & Aleppo, SYRIA
This morning drive to the capital of the Ugarit Kingdom, the ancient
city of Ras Shamra. In its prime, 1450 to 1200 B.C., the city
produced great royal palaces, temples and shrines, and it is where
the first known alphabet was created in 1400 B.C. Next drive up into
the limestone hills and visit the 5th century A.D. pilgrimage
cathedral dedicated to St. Simeon. He preached here, from the top of
a pillar, for 42 years. Four Basilicas are arranged in the shape of
a cross, with an octagon at the center where the base of his pillar
is still seen. Continue to Aleppo, one of the great Middle Eastern
trading centers.
►Suggested hotel: Sheraton Hotel, Aleppo
DAY 5: Aleppo, SYRIA
Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Syria’s second largest city,
renowned for its stone architecture. See the Great Mosque, built in
the 12th century it represents a pinnacle of Arab Islamic
architecture. Visit the Citadel, a site dating back to the 1st
millennium B.C. and a marvelous example of Arab military
architecture. Next, tour the National Museum, containing exhibits
from the Stone Age through modern times. After lunch, explore the
over 7-mile long labyrinthine of old covered souqs. Dating back to
the 15th century, they are living museums depicting medieval Arabian
life and a wonderful place to shop – find everything from djalabiyas
(a long loose Arabic coat) to carpets to rows and rows of gold
jewelry.
►Suggested hotel: Sheraton Hotel, Aleppo
DAY 6: Ebla, Apamea, Hama & Palmyra, SYRIA
Today visit the Kingdom of Ebla, where recent archaeological
discoveries reveal the old Syrian civilization that flourished in
the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C., including a library containing more
than 17,000 clay cuneiform tablets, the earliest written documents
in Syria. Noriahs in Hama Drive on to the ruins of Apamea, a city
distinguished for its high walls and mile-long thoroughfare.
Surrounded by columns with twisted fluting, walk along the avenue
Anthony and Cleopatra once strolled. View Apamea’s extraordinary
mosaic panels in the Mudiq Citadel; built in the 12th century, with
huge towers that overlook the Ghaab plain. Then continue to the
beautiful city of Hama, well known for its enormous 90-foot
waterwheels (noriahs), which have scooped water from the Orontes
River and poured it into irrigation canals for millenniums. Continue
through the middle of the Syrian Desert to arrive at Palmyra.
►Some suggested Palmyra hotels (in alphabetical order): Dedeman Palmyra Semiramis Hotel, Palmyra
►Together, we will find the best choice for you!
DAY 7: Palmyra, SYRIA
Today explore Palmyra, the “Queen of the Desert,” and oasis city and
link on the ancient Silk Road between the Mediterranean and
Euphrates. Visit the archeology museum, the Tudmor Museum, rich in
art of various periods from Palmyra and the Syrian Desert. See the
Temple of Bel, enclosed with a double row of limestone columns on
each side, and the mile long colonnaded street and monumental Arch
of Triumph. In the late afternoon drive up to visit the Arab castle
citadel of Fakhereddin Al Ma’an, built in the 16th century, for
spectacular views of Palmyra at sunset.
►For Palmyra hotel suggestions, see above.
DAY 8: Baalbek Lebanon & Damascus, SYRIA
This morning drive across the Syria/Lebanon border, to one of the
world’s greatest historical sites, Baalbek. A World Heritage Site,
this city’s awe-inspiring city ruins and its temples are among the
largest and finest examples of Roman architecture in the world. The
Temple of Bacchus is the best-preserved Roman temple in the Middle
East and larger than the Parthenon in Athens. Explore this ancient
city, appreciating the grand columned temples and their intricately
carved stonework. After lunch, return to Syria and Damascus.
►For Damascus hotel suggestions, see above.
DAY 9: Depart Damascus, SYRIA
Today you are taken to the airport for your flight home or on to
your next destination.