YPT Tours to Syria

Young Pioneer Tours is excited to announce our Syria Tours program for 2025 and 2026, offering a mix of group tours and independent travel packages to the Syrian Arab Republic. With a deep historical legacy, breathtaking ruins, and incredible culture, Syria is one of the most fascinating destinations in the Middle East.

As one of the first travel agencies to reintroduce tours to Syria in 2017, we have continually provided travelers with safe, insightful, and immersive experiences. Now, following the fall of the Assad regime, we are proud to launch a comprehensive travel program that includes newly accessible sites previously off-limits to visitors.

Our updated itineraries feature must-visit locations such as Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra, and the historic Krak des Chevaliers, alongside newly opened sites like Sednaya Prison and Idlib city – offering rare insights into Syria’s recent history and cultural transformation. Travelers will have the opportunity to engage with locals, explore bustling souks, visit ancient archaeological wonders, and witness the country’s remarkable resilience firsthand.

Group Tours to Syria

Here are our upcoming group tours to Syria. Unless stated, they all start and finish in Beirut, Lebanon.

Syria Revolutionary Tour – May 1st – 8th 2025 – $1595

Our Syria Revolutionary tour commences and concludes in Beirut, Lebanon. This tour perfectly syncs up with our Whole Iraq tour.

Syria Marmarita Carnival Tour – August 12th – 19th 2025 – $1595

Marmarita Carnival is one of the largest celebrations held in the country! Syrian Christians gather on the streets of Marmarita, known as the “Valley of Christians”, to dress up in bizarre, crazy and hilarious costumes and dance, drink and party!

Syria Autumn Tour – August 31st – September 7th 2025 – $1595

Our first tour after the summer. This trip has us going to all the main site including Aleppo, Palmyra and Busra. This tour can also be combined with our Ultimate Lebanon Tour.

Syria Feast of the Cross Festival Tour – September 12th – 19th 2025 – $1595

The second of our back-to-back Syrian tours in September, with this one also linking up with Lebanon.

Christmas in Syria Tour – December 23rd – December 26th 2025 – $895

Looking for somewhere unique to spend your Christmas this year? Join us in Syria and create your unique Christmas tale for your family and friends back home. We’ve designed this tour to be short, sweet… and easy on the wallet after those hefty Christmas expenses!

Syria Spring Tour – February 19th – 26th 2026 – $1595

Our Syria Spring tour commences and concludes in Beirut, Lebanon. Make the most of your Middle East experience and continue your adventure on our Iran Revolutionary tour.

Every facet of the Syria visa process is taken care of by YPT – no need to send your passport away anywhere. You can read more about it here.

Independent tours to Syria

In case our group tour dates do not fit your schedule, if you would like to travel alone, or if you would like a bespoke Syria itinerary, then Young Pioneer Tours can help arrange the perfect Syria tour for you. Prices depend on the number of people and the level of accommodation you require, but YPT can arrange everything you wish for an independent tour to Syria.

Independent Syria tours can start in Beirut (Lebanon) or Amman (Jordan), or from Damascus International Airport.

Example of a Syria Itinerary (8 days)

Day 1 – Beirut, Lebanon – Damascus, Syria

• Pickup by your driver at your named time and location in Beirut (or Amman, Jordan for an extra fee), and begin the drive to Syria.
• Drive towards the Syrian border, which takes roughly two hours.
• The border crossing usually takes 1-2 hours, with the border guards being very friendly.
• Once you’ve cleared Syrian customs, you will continue onward to Damascus, which will take about an hour.
• After checking into your hotel in old Damascus, you will stop for lunch. You have not truly visited Damascus unless you have tried their shawarma, or falafel if you are a vegetarian.
• Lunch will be followed by a one-hour walking tour of the old part of Damascus with our first stop being the Ananias Church – Damascus’ oldest church which happens to be underground, and the Ummayad Mosque – the main mosque located in the center of the city.
• You will then explore the Old Town’s bazaar and shopping areas. This is a great spot for sampling local ice cream and some of the best street food in the Arab world. Shisha is widely available here as well.
• You will then head to Naranj for dinner. This is one of the most famous and best restaurants in Damascus – this is a true feast and for those inclined, you will be able to try local Arak as well as Syrian Wine.
• After dinner, you can choose to play games at a local cafe, visit the bars of Old Damascus, or simply return to your comfortable hotel to relax.
• Overnight at hotel in Damascus.

Day 2 – Damascus

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• After breakfast, you start heading towards the outskirts of the city and will get your first glimpses of the destruction caused by the recent conflict.
• The day continues with a visit to the National Museum.
• Following this, you will go on a full city tour of Damascus which includes all the main churches, mosques, and places of historical interest.
• Depending on availability, you have the option of attending a performance by the Syrian Wind Orchestra at the newly reopened Syrian Opera House. Very few foreigners get to have this unique experience. If the Opera is unavailable, or if you are not interested, you can attend a classic Syrian dance performance.
• You’ll be hungry after attending the performance, so you will head over to a family owned restaurant, which is an incredible home cooked meal!
• Following dinner, you will go next door to our favorite bar in both Damascus and the world. We won’t spoil the surprise by giving away its quirks, but rest assured it is well worth it.
• Overnight at hotel.

Day 3 – Damascus – Maaloula – Homs – Aleppo

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Today will be a long day on the road, since the main route between Damascus and Aleppo runs very close to areas controlled by the Al Nusra Front, so you’ll be going on a more lengthy but also more scenic route.
• The first stop of the day will be Maaloula, a small Christian town that was nearly obliterated by ISIS in 2014.
• This town is one of the last in the world where people speak the Aramaic language – the same language Jesus spoke, and it’s possible to hear the Lord’s prayer being spoken using it.
• Then you will walk through a canyon to the St. Sergious and Bakhous Monastery where you’ll have the chance to meet nuns who were kidnapped and held hostage for several years.
• This is also a great place to stop for a coffee, snack, or even to buy wine produced by the Christians of the area (and yes, they offer free samples).
• Then you will walk through a canyon to the St. Sergious and Bakhous Monastery where you’ll have the chance to meet nuns who were kidnapped and held hostage for several years.
• The next stop on the way to Aleppo is Homs.
• The first stop in Homs is the St. Mary Church of the Holy Belt, the Seat of the Syriac Orthodox Church, where the Virgin Mary’s belt was kept until shortly before the war. Fortunately the belt had already been removed by the time the church was looted and all of its icons and artwork got burned or stolen.
• You will have your first chance at the Safir Hotel properly explore the destruction that is now commonplace in Syria. Until 2014, it was a 4-star hotel that accommodated many international guests. Now it is a shell filled with rubble. Among the rubble, you will find “do not disturb” signs, menus, folders of guest information, time sheets, crockery, and all sorts of other hotel items.
• Visit the grave of Frans van de Lugt – a Dutch Jesuit priest who established a community center and farm in Homs where he worked with the homeless, disabled, sick, and hungry. He is also notable for working towards harmony between Christians and Muslims. Greatly respected by locals, he was shot dead in the garden in 2014 by members of the Al-Nusra Front. The garden is now a memorial to him and his honorable work.
• The drive to Aleppo then continues, and you will arrive in the late afternoon.
• On arrival, you will stop at the best falafel and kebab restaurant in the city before checking into the centrally-located Aleppo Palace Hotel.
• After a quick freshening-up, you will begin an evening tour of Aleppo.
• For dinner, you will go to a restaurant serving delicious Aleppian cuisine, which is walking distance from the hotel. Popular favorites include the Aleppo Kebab and lamb testicles for the truly adventurous.
• After dinner, you can choose to return to your hotel, or you can visit a rooftop bar to take in the view. Being an independent tour, you may also ask your guide to take you anywhere else people hang out.
• Overnight in Aleppo.

Day 4 – Aleppo

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Aleppo was arguably one of the worst affected cities during the Syrian war. Here you’ll get the chance to see some of the terrible destruction as well as the opportunity to witness the early stages of rebuilding that Syrians are now partaking as they slowly return to their homes.
• Your first stop of the day will be the famous Aleppo Citadel, or Aleppo Castle. This is a truly amazing experience and you will spend a few hours exploring here. During the Syrian Crisis army troops were blockaded in the citadel for over a year and you will still see bullets strewn around.
• When you hit the summit, you can take some amazing pictures of Aleppo City before exiting by VIP secret passage, something only YPT can offer!
• You will have lunch at the imaginatively titled Citadel Cafe, where you get some tea with Syrian sandwiches called muhammara kashkawan. This is the perfect place to engage in some people-watching.
• A flourishing metropolis since the 3rd millennium BC, Aleppo has been contending with Damascus for the title of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. This old city has some of the most beautiful souks in the Middle East. Visiting the formerly bustling souks is not only one of the highlights, but also probably the saddest part of visiting Aleppo. The souks here were previously the biggest and most profitable in the Arab world, but now lie in ruins. Here you will witness the slow rebirth after a period of painful destruction.
• While visiting the souks, you will visit a Syrian institution in the Aleppo Soap Company where they have making soap the same way for 800 years, stopping only during the years the company was under ISIS control. Not only will you get to see how the soap is made, but you will also get the chance to buy some – they make excellent gifts and souvenirs.
• The next stop is another sober highlight featuring true living history – the oldest hotel in Syria: Baron Hotel. Though not currently operational, it is still worth a visit. Previous guests have included Lawrence of Arabia and Agatha Christie among countless others. The manager here is very open to sharing his story, which includes surviving an attack while drinking on the balcony.
• You will then experience the Syrian sunset at one of our secret spots overlooking Aleppo before heading back to the Aleppo Citadel area for dinner.
• Overnight at Aleppo Palace Hotel.

Day 5 – Aleppo – Hama – Almishtaya

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel
• Before departing Aleppo, you’ll stop at the “I Love Aleppo” sign for a photo op!
• You will stop in Hama City, which is famous for its water wheels. You will have lunch down by the riverside, giving you another great opportunity to witness everyday Syrian life.
• After lunch, you will visit yet another highlight of Syria: Krak des Chevaliers. This former castle was built for Christians to house them on their way to the crusades. In addition to its rich and ancient history, it also boasts a darker contemporary one, with our guide being held hostage and tortured by Al Nusra during its occupation.
• This highlight is followed by yet another highlight: the nearby Christian village of Almishtaya. After checking into your quaint hotel, you will head out for the night.
• Dinner at Le Monde, after which you can either go back to the hotel, or further explore the nightlife.
• A short drive from here is the village of Marmarita and the trendy Couples Bar. The trendy kids of the town hang out here. If you’re a trendy kid, you can end up dancing with them.
• Overnight in Almishtaya

Day 6 – Almishtaya – Palmyra – Damascus

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Visit Palmyra, one of Syria’s most famous sites. Once a lush city on the Silk Road, Palmyra was even briefly its own empire in the 3rd Century, stretching from Turkey to Egypt. Although the old city was ruined, it was famously in spectacular condition and exceptionally well preserved. Sadly, it fell under the control of ISIS in 2015, and a lot of the buildings were brought to the ground.
• Here you will visit the formerly unreachable ancient sites while enjoying a picnic lunch.
• After lunch, the long drive back to Damascus begins. You will stop on the way for dinner of lamb ribs, also known as Kastalita.
• Check back into hotel in Damascus.
• Overnight in Damascus

Day 7 – Damascus – Busra – Damascus

• Breakfast in hotel
• Today will involve a lot of driving, but the ends will certainly justify the means as you visit the seldom seen Busra. This is on the way to the Golan Heights, as well as Jordan. You will be able to stop for numerous picture opportunities.
• Once you arrive at Busra, you will first visit the truly amazing Busra Colosseum, the most complete Roman amphitheater in the world.
• There is still lots to see in this old Roman town, such as the oldest Mosque in Syria, but there has been much looting and there are hawkers trying to sell “treasure.”
• You will have a late lunch, but it is very much worth it, being a classic Arabic tent feast followed by lots of dancing.
• Long drive back to Damascus.
• You will head for tea or drinks at the home of Professor Abdul Homsi, the most famous tour guide in Syria. He not only has very interesting views, but was also the guide for President Carter, as well as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the latter of which even gave him a kiss!
• You will then have your last dinner in Syria before either heading back to the hotel. If you’d like, you can also experience an expensive night club, or have your guide take you somewhere else.
• Overnight in Damascus

Day 8 – Damascus – Beirut, Lebanon

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Last chance to do some last minute exploring of Damascus, including a stop at the iconic “I love Damascus” sign and a drive past and stop at the Presidential Palace.
• You will also stop at some special souvenir shops, where you can buy everything from a national football jersey, to Independence flags.
• Then you’ll head back towards the Lebanese border. Times are flexible to ensure you get back to Beirut in time if you have a flight to catch.
• Tour concludes – your driver can drop you off either at the airport or a hotel in Beirut.

Bespoke Syria Tours

We do not list all of our bespoke Syrian tour itineraries, but we can offer some examples, such as the following;

• Explore Syria Independent Tour – Our standard independent tour to Syria that takes you to all of the main sites of Syria. This tour can be extended or shortened in accordance to your needs.
• Cultural Syria Tours – While all of our tours to Syria have a cultural element, we can also plan things around certain elements of particular interest, be it religion, archeology or anthropology for example.
• Weekend Holidays to Syria – We can arrange very short getaways to Syria, which can be done over a weekend that focus on Damascus and Aleppo..
• Aviation tours to Syria – With Syrian Air and Cham Wings Air both being airlines active in Syria, we can arrange your aviation tour. For more information on our Syrian Aviation tours, please get in touch.
• Beach tours to Syria – Syria is no Ibiza, but it is secular and has beaches. It is possible to have an all out beach tour in Syria particularly in the summer months when people are partying, or it can merely be added as an extra day for independent tours to Syria.
• Tours to Rojava – YPT can now offer travel packages to Rojava for both journalists and independent special interest tours. These require a different visa to mainland government controlled Syria. Please contact us for more details about travel to Rojava.
• In depth Syria Tour: Why not spend 2 weeks exploring the beauty of Syria? You can visit all the highlights plus more places not usually included in our regular itineraries!

Lebanon Tours

Since most of our Syrian group tours begin and finish in Beirut, this gives you the best opportunity to combine with our Lebanon tours. Our Lebanon tours can be done as part of a Syria tour, as part of a group tour, individually, or as a standalone tour independent of our group tours to Syria.

Frequently asked questions about travel to Syria

Below are what we are frequently asked about Syria for those interested in traveling to the country. We feel that we answered pretty much everything you might need to know before you go to Syria, but please feel free to get in touch about your Syria tour, or to ask any additional questions.

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