VISITSYRIA
Menu
Can I go?checked [DATE]
VisaOn arrival in Damascus, cash in USD
Pre-approvalRequired · 3 days to 1 week
Online e-visaNot in operation
Fee25 to 400 USD, by passport
Israeli stamp in passportNo entry
Direct flightsDüsseldorf, Berlin to Damascus
PayingCash in USD, cards as backup only

Rules change. We check this list against the embassy and our partners on every booking and date it.

Plan a tripStart pre-approval
StayTableGuide & tourFlightRideCareSIM
[N] stays · [N] tours · drivers in 6 cities · [N] clinicsDamascus Old CityAleppo, 3 daysAirport ride DAM
When to goDamascus and inland · coast stays milder
  1. Jancold, near 0 °C at night
  2. Feblow season
  3. Marturning green
  4. Aprbest
  5. Maystill green, warm
  6. Junhot from mid-month
  7. Julabove 35 °C
  8. Augabove 35 °C
  9. Sepcooling
  10. Octbest
  11. Novmild, quiet
  12. Deccold, low season
Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year. Many restaurants close by day and fill up after dark. [ENTER DATES FOR THE YEAR]
Where, in what order

Eight days, seven places, one driver.

Adjust the route →
  1. DAY 1 TO 2DamascusOld City, souk
  2. DAY 3MaaloulaAramaic, monasteries
  3. DAY 4AleppoCitadel, souks
  4. DAY 5HamaNorias on the Orontes
  5. DAY 5KrakCrusader castle
  6. DAY 6PalmyraDesert ruins
  7. DAY 7BosraRoman theatre
  8. DAY 8DamascusDeparture
DamascusOne of the oldest capitals on earth. Souk al-Hamidiyya, the Street Called Straight, courtyards behind small doors.
AleppoCitadel, rebuilt souks, and the kitchen chefs call the finest in the Arab world.
The coastLatakia and Tartus. Sea, mountains behind, Ugarit nearby. The part of Syria nobody pictures.
PalmyraRuined city in the desert. Leave before sunrise, private driver, back via Homs.
What you'll eatBook a table →
Kibbeh كبةBulgur shell, lamb, pine nuts. The national dish, in dozens of forms. As kibbeh labanieh, in yoghurt with tarragon.
everywhere
Kebab karaz كباب كرزLamb meatballs in sour-cherry sauce on warm flatbread. Only Aleppo does it like this.
Aleppo
Muhammara محمرةRoasted pepper, walnut, pomegranate, Aleppo pepper. With bread, before anything else.
Aleppo
Fattoush فتوشSalad with toasted flatbread and sumac. Arrives unasked, gets finished anyway.
everywhere
Halawet el-jibn حلاوة الجبنSoft cheese-semolina dough rolled around clotted cream, syrup, pistachio. Hama and Homs both claim it.
Hama · Homs
Booza بوظةStretchy mastic ice cream, pounded with a wooden mallet. At Bakdash in Souk al-Hamidiyya, since 1895.
Damascus

Every partner menu is in English with Latin numerals, translated from the owner's Arabic. Scan the QR code at the table for the same menu.

Get around

Fixed-price rides. The fare shows before you book.

Registered drivers with photo, name and languages. Airport to Old City, city to city, or a full day. No meter, no bargaining, checkpoint waiting included.

Get a fareRent a car
Health & safety

Private clinics with English-speaking doctors, on a map.

Visited by us, dated. 24-hour lines, pharmacies, what insurance covers Syria. The page you hope not to need and are glad exists.

See clinicsInsurance notes
MoneyCash in USD. Cards are a bonus, not the plan.

Sanctions kept cards and ATMs offline for years. Since May 2026 Syrian banks may work with Visa and Mastercard. Plan as if they don't: clean, new dollar notes, exchange the rest locally.

CurrencySyrian pound, new since Jan 2026
Redenomination100 old = 1 new
Rate[DAILY RATE] per USD
What things costCheap, once you know what normal is.
Visa on arrival25 to 400 USD
SIM, Syriatel, 15 GB45 USD, with passport
Riad room, Old City[PRICE] / night
Driver, full day[PRICE]
Dinner for two, Old City[PRICE]
Booza at Bakdash[PRICE]
Verified reviewsOnly guests who booked can rate. Four things, 1 to 5.
  1. 01Cleanliness
  2. 02Punctuality
  3. 03English spoken
  4. 04Value for money
Partners above 4.5 carry the Verified Top Partner mark and rank first.
Where you'll sleep

Courtyard houses, not lobby hotels.

All 5 stays →
Damascus · Old CityTop partner
[HOUSE NAME]18th-century riad, 8 rooms around a fountain courtyard. Breakfast on the roof, five minutes to the Street Called Straight.
from [PRICE] / night3 left
Aleppo · Al-Jdayde[HOUSE NAME]Town house, 12 rooms
from [PRICE]7 left
Latakia · Coast[HOUSE NAME]Seaside hotel, 40 rooms
from [PRICE]sold out
Start hereSend us your dates and passport. We handle pre-approval, driver and the first night.
Plan my tripBuild it myself
Run a hotel, restaurant, clinic or a car?List your business. One annual plan, sized to your business, no commission.Manage in Arabic. Guests see English. Menus get a printable QR code. Ratings above 4.5 earn the Top Partner mark and 15 % off next year.Partner plans →