Best time to visit Syria

The following times give you a rough idea of the travel times between the main attractions in Syria.

Beirut – Damascus (including border crossing): 3-4 hours by car Damascus – Palmyra: 3 hours by car Damascus – Hama: 3 hours by car Hama – Aleppo: 2 hours by car Hama – Krak de Chevaliers: 1.5 hours by car

“Syria has a very rich kitchen,” says Rami Nawaya from our partner Syrian Guides. A lot of his advice about visiting his home country revolves around the food.

Levantine cuisine is one of excess. Meals involve a flurry of mezzes – small plates – and every city is famous for a different dessert. “For example,” says Rami, “Damascus is famous for barazeq – a cookie made from semolina, with sugar and sesame.” Then there’s the mind-boggling number of ways to serve kibbeh, meat mince mixed with bulgar wheat. “It’s a really significant part of the Syrian kitchen,” says Rami, “We barbecue it, we fry it, we have 100 types!” The best accompaniment is pomegranate molasses, which is used on most dishes, “It’s on the table when you go to any restaurant. When you add it to shawarma it changes everything! Sorry, am I making you hungry?”

“Having a guide will really enrich your experience,” says Rami, “They change everything.” Whilst having a guide is essential for visiting Syria, it is also a pleasure. Meeting people is one of the main draws of visiting the country, and is the best way to support ordinary communities with their continued difficulties, which extend to leaving: “Syrians need a visa to enter Lebanon and we have some difficulties with this so instead we meet our guests at the border,” says Rami, “We send them a driver who meet them in the airport or in their hotel and bring them all the way to Damascus.”

You should always refer to your country’s government travel advice when going abroad. In the UK, this is the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which is updated daily. Daily life in Syria – and the holidays that experience it – are a far cry from what is depicted in news headlines.

“When tourists come to Syria they are shocked by the reality of what they see,” says Rami “They are told that Syria is torn apart, Syria is devastated, Syria is destroyed, that the locals are lost and that they have no hope – they give the image that Syria is devastated and that it is a failure.

But when they come here, they see how lovely it is – how civilised it is, how friendly the people are. They see that the majority of Syria is safe, despite the economic hardship. They see how resilient we are – and how our resilience is the strongest thing. And they notice how safe the country is.”