More Info:

WHERE?

Starting & finishing in the Lebanese capital, Beriut, we will take a private transfer, 100km’s to Damascus, the capital of Syria, and one of the oldest cities on Planet Earth.

We will, of course, visit all the major sights throughout the country! From the oldest cities on earth; Damascus and Aleppo, to the ancient city of Palmyra, the medieval castle of Kraak des Chevileers, the village of Maloula (one of the only places where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken today!) to Homs, the city most affected during the devastating 10 year civil war.

What makes this journey so unique however, is the local experiences; from eating with a local family in Homs city, to actually visiting real a SYRIAN VILLAGE WEDDING in the mountains!

WHEN?

• This trip will be in September 2023, the weather in Syria during this time is perfect, not to hot in the desert areas and not too chilly in mountains.

HOW LONG IS IT?

• The entire trip will be 9 days (8 nights), starting and finishing in Beirut, Lebanon (the full itinerary is below)

WHO IS GOING?

We want this experience to be special & personal, therefore;

• The group will be limited to 12 people.

• We (Matt and Julia) will be on the trip the entire way, ensuring we are all having the best trip possible and become best friends :)

• Our Local Guide will be with us the entire time

FULL ITINERARY

Tour length: 8 days / 7 nights

Matt and I can’t put into words how excited we are about this tour! We’ve done our best to combine, visiting the most fascinating and famous destinations in this beautiful country with having local experiences, so you get the real feel of Syria.

This is a unique tour where you will see and experience everything there is to Syria! You are going to see such historical sites as Damascus, Maloula, Palmyra, Aleppo, etc. You are going to attend a local wedding in the village of Rabah! You are going to have a heartwarmimg evening with Syrian family and get the feeling of what it’s like to be a part of a Syrian family and so much more than that!

A private pick up will be arranged for you (either, straight from Beirut International Airport, or any preferred location)

Day 1

Arriving in Damascus

After an 8AM pick up in Beirut (location to be given nearer the time), and crossing the land border from Lebanon into Syria, we will head to the hotel in Old Damascus to meet our incredible guide and relax a little.

The tour will start by heading to the old city of Damascus, visiting the pearl of Damascus, the Grand Umayyad Mosque (a place of worship since the first millennium B.C), and then Salah-din shrine. The tour will also include a stroll through the old Souks of Damascus, to enjoy the oriental fragrance, before visiting the incredible Al-Azem palace and elaborate 12-century As’ad Pasha Khan.

Later, we will celebrate our first night together, with a traditional meal in of the best local restaurants in the city and spend the night in the hotel.

Day 2

Maloula, Kraak des Chevaliers, Rabah Village

Today we are going to have an incredible day packed to the brim with mind-blowing experiences!

We will start the day with breakfast in the hotel in Damascus, before heading out of town straight to the old city of Maloula, where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken to this day!

After exploring the city of Maloula, we are going to visit Al-Hisn Castle (also known as, Krak des Chevaliers) a medieval castle considered to be one of the most important & well preserved medieval castles in the world.

After that we will head in to the mountains, to Rabah village, west of Homs. There we will get to participate in a local wedding (SO EXCITED!) and view the traditions & customs that accompany local weddings in this particular village! After the celebrations, we will spend the night in village of Rabah itself.

Day 3

Homs, Palmyra

After breakfast we will head to the city of Homs, where we are going to spend the night.

After checking-in to the hotel, we are going head straight to Palmyra!

Palmyra is known as, the pearl of the desert. It is an ancient city that dates to around 2000 BC. It once was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. The temple of Bel, in particular, is one of the biggest temples in the world.

During the civil war, in 2015, Palmyra hit world news headlines, when ISIS entered the ancient city, and destroyed many parts, together we will witness the damage and the efforts to restore this sacred site.

After exploring Palmyra, we will head back to Homs to spend the evening with a local Syrian family, where we will have local meal cooked for us.

Day 4

Apamea, Aleppo

After breakfast in Homs, we are going to visit Apamea; the ancient Greek and Roman city founded in 300 BC!

After Apamea, we will head north to the beautiful oriental city of Aleppo, to soak up the atmosphere of this unique city, one of the oldest on Planet Earth!

There is so much to see and do in Aleppo & we will have some free time in the city today, before exploring fully tomorrow.

In the evening, we will have a lovely meal together, before spending the night in the hotel.

Day 5

Aleppo

After having breakfast, it’s time to fully explore one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world!

We will visit its mighty citadel, in addition to its mansions, khans and its historical souks; try its amazing food & meet its friendly people.

Aleppo is honestly one of our favourite cities on Earth, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

We will spend the night in the same hotel in Aleppo.

Matt&Julia, [25/04/2023 16:31]

Day 6

Hama, Tartus

After breakfast in the hotel, we are going head to the city of Hama, to visit the seventeen large Noria’s famous throughout Syria, as well as, heading down the old alleys and to Al-Azem Palace which is considered one of the most beautiful urban monuments in the Ottoman era.

Afterwards we will drive west, to Tartus, on the beautiful Mediterranean coast, where we will spend the night. After arrival, we will explore the city itself, before heading to the hotel on the coast, where we will have some free time, and even have a dip in the sea!

Day 7

Mar Moussa Monastery, Damascus

After breakfast in Tatus, we will head to Mar Moussa Monastery a monastic community of the Syriac Catholic Church. It is located near the town of Nabk and it is the main church of the monastic compound hosts precious frescoes dating back to the 11th and 12th century.

We will end our day back in Damascus, where for our last night, we will head out to experience the night life in the city, have our last meal together as a group, and toast to the trip of a lifetime!

Day 8

Departure

After breakfast in the hotel, we have some free time in to explore Damascus, before getting picked up and driven back to Beirut, Lebanon, where the tour will finish.

What’s Included

• Transfer from and to Beirut in a private vehicle

• All transportation during the tour

• Accommodation in the 3* hotels, including breakfasts

• Local Professional Tour Guide throughout the trip

• We will also be there the entire trip, cant wait!

• All Entrance fees

• Full Visa & Security Clearance; (This document allows you to get the ‘Visa on Arrival’)

What’s Not Included

• International flights in & out of Beirut

• Tips for the guides and driver.

• Visa fee, paid at the border on arrival (price depends on your nationality, you can ask us)

• Single Person Supplement ($300)

• Lunches and dinners

• Accommodation and any other services in Lebanon before and after the tour commences

• Personal expenses such as souvenirs, drinks or any optional activities

IS IT SAFE?

…

MORE ABOUT SYRIA

After years of being ravaged by civil war, Syria is finally a country rebuilding itself. We have designed this itinerary with safety in mind and only include places which are currently deemed safe to visit.

There is a huge amount of ancient and modern history waiting to be explored. We’ll start of in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut and travel to Damascus , Homs, Aleppo and the magnificent Krak des Chevalliers. We’ll cover a huge amount of ground with our expert local guide explaining all as we go. Depending on the security situation on the ground, the itinerary is subject to change.

HOW TO JOIN US? 

Send an email to mattandjulia@humankindexpeditions.com & let us know a little bit about yourself & why you want to come with us!

Once we receive your email, we will reply to confirm a space is available, and let you know how you can pay your deposit to secure your spot :)

**ONLY 12 SPOTS AVAILABLE** 

Terms and Conditions

Cancellation Policy:

All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective as of the date of receipt by us. 

Your deposit is non refundable.

For the balance of your payment, we can provide you a refund (minus your deposit) up to 8 weeks before the trip begins should you have an emergency, an illness, or need to cancel.

Anything closer than 8 weeks, unfortunately, we cannot refund you. 

We highly reccomend you take out travel insurance that covers trip cancellations, therefore if something should occur like you get Covid, you will get a full payout from your insurance company.

We can provide a tour cancellation confirmation letter so you are able to claim any losses with your travel insurance provider.

Please don’t hesitate to email us, should you have any questions about payment methods, payments schedule etc.

Please note:

• Customer is liable for any transaction charges associated with the refund process.

• In the event of us incurring non-refundable costs and expenses, including, but not limited to flight booking and hotel reservations this shall be deducted from any refund due to the customer.

Extra information:

We are one of the only companies currently offering group trips to Syria and our places are limited to 12!