Travel to Syria
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Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in old Damascus: the mosaic treasury on columns, the north arcade, and the Minaret of the Bride

Independent guidebook

Visit Syria independently

You can visit Syria independently in 2026. Most ordinary Western passports collect a visa on arrival at the land borders with Lebanon and Jordan, and at Damascus airport when the airline will board you. If it will not, fly to Beirut or Amman and enter by land. This is a guidebook, not a tour company.

The citiesPlan
The cities

Where to go

All cities
Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in old Damascus: the mosaic treasury on columns, the north arcade, and the Minaret of the BrideDamascusThe capital of Syria. Stay in the old city. Walk the souq to the Umayyad Mosque.Visitors walking the arched bridge to the restored south gate of the Aleppo CitadelAleppoThe second city of Syria. Stay by the citadel. Walk the mound, then the souq.Visitors walking Palmyra’s Great Colonnade toward the desert hillsPalmyraA day from Homs, Syria. Independently. Ask that morning.Krak des Chevaliers on its green ridge: pale limestone walls, sloped inner glacis, and visitors on the pathKrak des ChevaliersA day trip from Homs, Syria, not Damascus. Walk the castle. Cash pounds at the gate.Visitors in the black basalt Roman theatre at Bosra, cream columns against the stage wallBosraA day south from Damascus, Syria. Walk the theatre. Cash pounds at the citadel gate.Houses of Maaloula stacked up the pale Qalamoun cliff, church towers and laundry on the terracesMaaloulaA morning from Damascus, Syria. Independently. Last seats early afternoon.Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque in Homs: silver domes, twin north minarets, and the city parkHomsHoms, Syria. Sleep in the centre. Krak one morning, Palmyra the other.

Plan

See Plan

Operators still sell a licensed tour as the door. It is not. Land is a form, cash dollars, and a stamp. Air fails at the airline gate more often than at Syrian immigration. Fees and exceptions are on the visa page — they change.

  1. 01Visa on arrivalVisa, cash, and the crossing you actually use.
  2. 02How to get to SyriaBeirut, Amman, or a flight if the airline will board you.
  3. 03Cash in SyriaDollars in the bag. The new pound at the desk.
  4. 04Getting around SyriaYallaGo, garage seats, a hired car. Walk the old cities.
  5. 05Suggested routesA line through cities — not a tour.
  6. 06What to wear in SyriaHow to visit without treating the country as a show.
  7. 07Is Syria safe to visitOld cities, hospitality, and the numbers to call. A guidebook, not a newsroom.

Syria on the map

DamascusAleppoPalmyraKrakBosraMaaloulaHomsHamaLatakiaTartus

Notes

All notes
The Decumanus Maximus colonnade at Palmyra

Can Dutch citizens travel to Syria?

Yes. About US$75 cash at the desk. NederlandWereldwijd’s kleurcode rood is insurance and consular help, not the stamp. An identiteitskaart will not get you in.

Houses of Maaloula stacked against the pale Qalamoun cliff

Can French citizens travel to Syria?

Yes. About US$75 cash at the desk. France Diplomatie’s formellement déconseillé is insurance and consular help, not the stamp. A carte nationale d’identité will not get you in.

Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in old Damascus, where people sit after the walking day

What to eat in Syria

Shawarma, falafel, manakish, foul, hummus, fatteh. Kebab or kibbeh at a table. Cash pounds in the souq; hotels often want dollars. Ask new or old.

Stone courtyard of Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque in Homs, Syria, the usual night on the northbound road

Damascus to Aleppo, Syria

Damascus to Aleppo, Syria, is the M5. About five hours plus checkpoints. Ask the hotel: Harasta Pullman or Abbasiyeen vans. A garage seat is a handful of dollars to about fifteen — ask new or old. You do not need a tour.

Last checked 13 September 2026

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