Beginning and ending in Lebanon’s vibrant capital, Beirut, this tour is your opportunity to see Syria at a unique point in its history. Until the recent war, the only thing most people knew about Syria was Palmyra, and now Syria’s famous but for all the wrong reasons.

Travelling in Syria is truly a surreal experience, on one hand we’ll get to experience the famous cosmopolitan nightlife that has returned to the centre of Damascus – where the streets are lined with cool bars and cafes, and young locals smoking shishas and drinking cocktails, and then on the other hand we see the truly harrowing effects of full scale war – destroyed hospitals, schools and houses.

We’ll make our way to the war-torn old town of Aleppo, once considered a pearl in the Middle East, now it’s a city divided between the destroyed west and the still standing east with the famous Aleppo castle marking the border.

Driving around Syria is an experience itself as we stop on the way at charming coffee stands where we’ll get a chance to mingle with locals while also passing destroyed villages. In Syria we often have to take the long route to avoid rebel controlled areas, but this just means seeing more of the amazing countryside.

Shrouded in a coat of destruction, we’ll then visit Palmyra, which now requires special permission to get into, but despite its tragic recent history, is still a breath-taking site.

Syria also has an vibrant strong Christian community who were particularly persecuted during the recent conflict, however they have rebuilt and regrouped at an incredible rate and we’ll stop in several Christian towns where they are incredibly happy to have us and show us around.
A couple of Assad souvenirs, an afternoon relaxing in a hammam, and no doubt some of the most amazing Syrian hospitality you could imagine later, we’ll return to Damascus, before ending the tour in Beirut.

For a tour of this nature, security is the most important factor and the itinerary is subject to change depending on the situation on the ground and the information we receive from our local partners. The local guide and YPT guide’s decision on eventual itinerary changes is final and done with your safety in mind.