Every civilized man has to consider that he has two homes, his native home and Syria’ said Andre Pareau a French Archaeologist. Situated on trade and military routes between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, among other countries, has always been an object of foreign conquest.
Settled (in 2100 BC) by the Amorites, a Semitic people from the Arabian Peninsula, it fell during centuries to the Hittites, the Assyrians and Babylonians, the Persians and the Greeks (all BC).
Syria was Hellenized by the Seleucids and had fallen to Rome, the after a period of Byzantine rule Syria was conquered by Muslim Arabs. Most Syrians converted to Islam, and Damascus, as the usual capital of the Umayyad caliph (661–750), became the center of the Islamic world. Christians also came to Syria on the Crusades.
It was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1516 until the end of World War I, and in 1920 France received a League of Nations mandate over the Levant States (roughly modern Syria and Lebanon). All these eras have left their Cultural ‘hand-mark’ on these Lands, for us to admire and enjoy.
Your Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Damascus
Upon arrival at Damascus International Airport, we are welcome by our guide and transferred to hotel. No activities are planned for today, so we may arrive at any time and have the rest of the day free. Overnight: Hotel Fardoss Tower, Damascus (3 nights) (Dinner)
Day 2: Damascus
After breakfast we will start exploring the oldest inhabited capital in the world, visiting the National Museum, the Takiyah Sulaimaniyah, the Umayyad Mosque - The Great Mosque of Damascus, the first monumental work of architecture in Islamic history; the building served as a central gathering point after Mecca to consolidate the Muslims in their faith and conquest to rule the surrounding territories under the Umayyad Caliphate - the Tomb of Saladin, the Azem Palace - located south of the Umayyad mosque near Suq al-Buzuriyya, built in 1750 by the Ottoman governor of Damascus As'ad Pasha al-Azem - and the Straight Street.
We then proceed to the Christian quarter where we are going to visit the St. Anannias chapel, St. Paul’s window & Bab Sharki - the easternmost of the Damascus’ eight gates. We end our tour by walking through the old & famous bazaars of Damascus, the “Hamidiyah”. Before sunset we drive to Qassion Mountain-top, 350 meters above the city level, for a delicious Dinner served at one of the restaurants, with panoramic view of the city. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 3: Damascus / Baalbeck / Anjar / Damascus (drive)
After an early breakfast we leave for the Syrian / Lebanese border. Following a smooth and fast visa procedure we continue drive to Baalbeck, entering the Al-Biq'a (Bekaa or Beqaa) Valley. Baalbeck houses Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure, which can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world.
We’ll be entering through the Propylaea (monumental entrance) and hexagonal forecourt, and proceed to the Great Court with two altars, and to see the Temples of Jupiter, Bacchus & Venus. En route back to Damascus, we’ll also visit the famous Umayyad ruins at “Anjar”. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 4: Damascus / Maaloula / Amrit / Tartous / Latakia (drive)
After breakfast we leave Damascus and drive northbound to Maaloula, the virgin village, whose native language is the Aramaic, the very language of Jesus Christ. Colorful houses are built here on the cliff-face, just like nests. After visiting the churches of St. Tekla and St. Serkis, we drive trough Crac des Chevaliers to Tartus.
Tartus was founded by the Phoenician colony on Arwad and remained an important settlement through the Hellenistic and Roman times. It became a major Christian stronghold and during the fourth century a chapel but was built here which is claimed to be the first dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
We’ll visit its museum, which is known as the church of ‘Notre Dame of Syria’ and we’ll have a panoramic view to the only Phoenician Island on the eastern cost of the Mediterranean Sea, “Arwad”. Later we arrive to Latakia, the main port in Syria. Overnight: Hotel Liche, Lattakia (1 night) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5: Latakia / Ugarit / St. Simeon / Aleppo (drive)
After breakfast we leave Latakia for the ‘Kingdom of Ugarit’, where it is believed that the first alphabet was created, then we drive through the green coastal mountains to one of the most charming dead cities, the Monastery of St. Simeon.
This church became famous because the Stylite, who lived here, stayed atop a column for 37 years, in prayers and meditation. We continue from here to Aleppo, the second largest city in Syria. Overnight: Hotel Mirage Palace, Aleppo (2 nights) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 6: Aleppo
Cradled in a bowl of dry hills in northern Syria, the city of Aleppo presents an austere facade to those entering her ancient gates. Serious and sober are the adjectives often applied to this city and its peoples and it is - with Damascus and Sana'a - the oldest existing city in the world. Though eclipsed by the political and economic hegemony of modern Damascus, Aleppo preserves more purely the essence of a traditional Arab city.
On our full-day tour we’ll visit the Archaeological Museum, the Citadel of Aleppo - which is the most prominent historic & architectural site in Aleppo, and was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Its majestic stature forms the center of the city; in fact the city wraps around it, extending a spider-like infrastructural web of streets forming the city's organic urban shape.
From here we go the Grand Mosque, then to see the Caravansaries, known as Khans, and later in the afternoon, to the old covered souks of Aleppo, which are the longest covered bazaars in the world (12 km). (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 7: Aleppo / Euphrates Dam / Rassafa / Halabia / Deir Ez Zor (drive)
After breakfast we leave Aleppo and drive towards Deir Ez Zor along the banks of Euphrates River. En route we’ll have a short stop at Assad Artificial Lake, locked by the Euphrates Dam, and at Rasafa (Sergeopolis), a 5th century Christian Holy town.
Then we continue our drive via Raqqa to Halabia, a Fort built by the Palmyreans to look after their affairs in the east, arriving late in the afternoon to Deir Ez Zor, the Petrol capital city of in Syria. Overnight: Hotel Badia el Cham, Deir Ez Zor (1 night) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 8: Deir Ez Zor / Dura Europos / Mari / Palmyra (drive)
After breakfast we will continue to drive along the banks of the Euphrates River and have a short stop at the ruins of Dura Europos, a historical town built by Seleukos Nikator.
From here our route takes us to the archaeological site of Mari, where a great kingdom flourished in the third millennium B.C, then we go to the highest archaeological point of Syria, Palmyra. Overnight: Hotel Heliopolis, Palmyra (1 night) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 9: Palmyra / Damascus (drive)
One of the greatest cities of antiquity, situated in the Syrian Desert halfway between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates, sometimes called the ‘Queen of the Desert’; this oasis city was the stopping place for the many caravans en route to the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.
After breakfast we will start exploring the ancient city, visiting the Museum, the Temple of God Bel – with its double row of columns, the second row in the Corinthian style, running on all sides and the monumental arch joining the Temple of Bel with the Temple of Nebo, the Senate-House, the Amphitheater, the Tetrapylon, the Funeral Temple and the Temple of Baalshamin.
Then we will visit Ibn Maan castle and enjoy the sunset over the ruins. Later in the evening, we drive through the Syrian semi-desert road back to Damascus. Overnight: Hotel Fardoss Tower, Damascus (1 night) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 10: Damascus / Shahba / Suweida / Bosra / Jerash / Amman (drive)
After breakfast we start driving to the south of Syria, visiting first the Roman Archaeological Site of Shahba & the Byzantine ruins of Qanwat. From here we continue to Suwieda, the city of Druz, visiting its famous mosaic Museum, followed by Bosra, whose enormous edifices built of hard basaltic stones reveal a glorious past as it was one of the ten prominent Roman cities.
We will stop here and visit the Roman Gate of the Wind, the Lantern Gate, the Islamic Castle, the Great Roman Theater & walk through the underground market to the Nabatean Gate and to the Byzantine Cathedral & the Church of monk Bahira, who met prophet Mohammed & predicated his mission. Later we cross the Syrian border into Jordan and proceed to Jerash.
Hidden for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years, Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates.
We later arrive to Amman for our overnight stay. Overnight: Hotel Amman West (1 night) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 11: Amman / Madaba / Nebo / Petra (drive)
We will start the day by a city-tour of Amman, also known as Philadelphia. Originally the city spread over seven hills like Rome, but now covers 19 hills. We will visit first the most important ruins of the Greco-Roman Empire, the Citadel and the Roman Amphitheater.
Here are located the Jordan Archaeological Museum at the Citadel, and both the Jordan Museum of Popular Traditions and the Jordan Folklore Museum at the Roman Amphitheater. After leaving Amman we drive south to the city of Madaba, an ancient Moabite town, which was the center for the mosaics during the Byzantine period. We will observe a large selection of the world-famous Byzantine mosaics and visit the well-known Saint George's Church with the 6th Century mosaic map of the Holy Land. Few minutes’ drive from Madaba is Mount Nebo, Moses’ last camp after the Exodus.
From this mountaintop he surveyed the Holy Land before he died, and also here is the 4th Century memorial church for Moses, one of the reputed sites of Moses' burial. From here we continue drive on the desert highway to Petra. Overnight: Hotel Petra Panorama (2 nights) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 12: Petra
We start our day touring the most spectacular site in the south of Jordan, the rose-red city of Petra, the name being derived from the Greek word for “Rock” Entrance to Petra is after 1200 m walk for 20 minutes through a winding snake-like Siq (canyon). The Siq is from 80 m to 100 in height, and on either side of the canyon are rock-cut channels of water.
In 560 B.C. the Nabateans were the first to move to Petra, and in 332 B.C. when the Greeks arrived, the Nabateans were assimilated, along with their culture, curving their temples and tombs with a Greek design. The Nabatean Kingdom, once great and powerful, used to control the caravan trade of frankincense from southern Arabia to Petra, Damascus, Gaza and Egypt.
While walking through the “siq”, one is dazzled by the spectacular view of the “Treasury”, the most famous monument of Petra. Several hours will be spent walking / horseback riding through the canyon viewing the temples, tombs, and other extraordinary places to be found here. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 13: Petra / Wadi Rum (drive)
The road south from Petra leads us to Wadi Rum, another site of nature’s wonderland that has attracted human beings for thousand of years. Wadi Rum is an unusual desert terrain that resembles a pastel pink lunar landscape, with towering limestone and granite cliffs shooting out of the sandy desert floor.
In Wadi Rum, which was known as “Lawrence of Arabia Land”, we’ll have the chance to experience a jeep safari (for two hours) and in the evening have a Bedouin party around the campfire. Overnight: Jabel Rum Camp, Wadi Rum (1 night) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 14: Wadi Rum / Dead Sea / Amman (drive)
Early in the morning we drive through the ‘Araba Road’ to the Dead Sea shores, the lowest spot on earth, around 400 m (1306 feet) below Sea level. We’ll enjoy the bizarre but delightful experience of “floating” on the surface of the buoyant waters, which are four times saltier than the regular seawater, before we return to Amman. Overnight: Hotel Amman West, Amman (1 night) (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 15: Departure
This morning we are transferred to Amman International Airport in time to reach our flight back home. After a journey showing eight World Heritage Sites and pre-biblical history, we leave with soul-enchanting and mind-bending memories.
- End of our tour and services -
Tour highlights & World Heritage Sites (WHS):
- Rose-red city of Petra (WHS)
- ‘Decapolis’ city of Jerash and Amman
- Ancient City of Damascus (WHS)
- Site of Palmyra (WHS)
- Ancient City of Bosra (WHS)
- Ancient City of Aleppo (WHS)
- Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din (WHS)
- Anjar (WHS)
- Baalbeck (WHS)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Tour price for 2008
USD: 2,270.00 / CAD: 2,380.00 per person in double occupancy.
Single supplement, USD: 400.00 / CAD: 420.00
Price includes:
- Entry visa support to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan
- Meals as mentioned (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- All transfers and sightseeing according to itinerary
- Local English-speaking guides on each site
- Permanent English speaking escort cum driver
- Entrance fees to the sites mentioned
- All hotels as mentioned, including hotel taxes
- Horse ride in Petra
- Portage
Price does not include:
- International flights and all airport taxes
- Photo and video tickets on some sites
- Lunches and meals not specified
- Drinks / beverages with meals
- Any kind of insurance and visa fees
- Departure taxes (if any)
- Tips and other such costs for guides and drivers
- Any other expenses not mentioned above
Also see tour packages in:
Middle East
Syria
Lebanon
Jordan
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
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