Home Tours Syria Marmarita Festival Tour

Syria Marmarita Festival Tour

Start
Aug 11, 2027
Beirut
End
Aug 18, 2027
Beirut
Duration
8 days
Price
US$1695.00

What's happening with tourism in Syria now?

Tours are up and running, and there are lots of exciting new things to do in Syria now!

Read about it here.

TOUR OVERVIEW


This tour will begin and end in Beirut, Lebanon, travelling overland to Syria's amazing capital, Damascus.

Of course, we will visit all our favourite spots in Syria, including Damascus, Aleppo, Maaloula, Homs, Krak des Chevaliers and Palmyra.

In addition to the main tourist sites though, we will also be participating and celebrating with the locals in the weird and whacky Marmarita festival! If you thought Syria was vibrant, exciting and unique aside from this, just wait til you see the streets come to life for Marmarita! Filled with costumes, colour and music, this is sure to be a celebration you won't forget.

View the full itinerary


We also have a shorter Budget Tour of Syria, for those who want to explore this magnificent country, but don't have so long to do it in.

Marmarita festival, Syria
Welcome to Syria sign, Syria

If you like the look of this tour but the dates don't work for you, or you'd like to do part of the tour, please get in touch and let us know. All our tours are able to be split into smaller sections, we're always scheduling new tours and your dates might work for one of them, or we can always organise an independent tour.


INCLUSIONS:

✓

Visa approval

✓

Accommodation in twin share at roughly 3 star hotels/guesthouses, breakfast included

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Transport, beginning and ending in Beirut

✓

Entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary, except hammam

✓

Western and local guides


SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $525

What is the single supplement? This is paid to guarantee a single room. If you are travelling alone and would like to be roomed with another single traveller, you do not need to pay this.



EXCLUSIONS:

⨯

Visa fee (paid at the border on arrival)

⨯

Departure tax (approx. $5, paid at the border)

⨯

Hammam (approx. $10 per person)

⨯

Meals other than breakfast

⨯

Transport to and from Beirut

⨯

Accommodation and any other services in Lebanon

⨯

Personal expenses such as souvenirs or any optional activities


Marmarita festival, Syria
Palmyra, Syria


TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


Take part in the wacky and unique Marmarita Festival

Explore the vibrant old city of Damascus

Take in the spectacular ancient site of Palmyra


Itinerary
Day 1Wed Aug 11
Beirut, Damascus
  • Meet in Beirut at 8:00. Meeting point to be advised closer to the time.
  • Begin the drive to the Syrian border, which will take about two hours. We’ll stop on the way for a quick breakfast and to buy any Lebanese snacks you might want.
  • Cross the border, with a stop at Duty Free in No Man’s Land, for some of the cheapest alcohol you’ve ever experienced.
  • The whole border crossing will take around 1.5 hours. Central bazaar, Damascus old town
  • After clearing Syrian Customs and Immigration, we’ll continue our drive to Damascus, another hour.
  • Arriving in the old town, you’ll immediately be intoxicated by the buzz of the old town as we walk towards our hotel. We’ll be staying in a beautifully renovated old Damascene house, complete with a tranquil courtyard surrounding a bubbling fountain, and the distinctive black and white stonework of this part of Syria.
  • In the afternoon we’ll explore Damascus’ old town, bazaar, shopping areas and bar/restaurant street. You might like to try some local ice-cream or have a shawarma, and shisha is available just about everywhere.
  • We’ll also visit Ananias Church, Damascus’ oldest church which happens to be underground, and Omayad Mosque, the main mosque in the centre of the city.
  • Free time in the evening to enjoy Damascus’ vibrant night-life.
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Day 2Thu Aug 12
Damascus
  • Leaving the centre of town, we’ll drive to the outskirts of the city and you’ll get your first glimpses of the destruction caused by the recent conflict.
  • We will hopefully be able to head out to the infamous Sednaya Prison, once used as a site by the Assad regime for torture of political prisoners. A stark reminder of the recent dark past of Syria. However, getting permits for this is very unpredictable and whilst we will always try and get access, please come prepared for the fact that we may not be able to do this.
  • Returning to the centre of town we’ll visit the National Museum in the afternoon, followed by the Souk Al-Hamidiye and El-Azem Palace.
  • One of the staples of any Middle Eastern destination, it’s time to experience a hammam. Anyone who doesn’t want to join in can either hang out with a shisha or a cup of tea inside the hammam’s “albrani”, translated into English as the “outside section”, which is the first room of the hammam.
  • For sunset we will head to the top of Mount Qasioun, the highest peak over Damascus which offers panoramic views of the city. Previously under the Assad regime, this area was off limits as it was considered a ‘military zone’. Now people can come back here and enjoy this spectacular view.
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Day 3Fri Aug 13
Damascus, Palmyra, Valley of the Christians
  • Palmyra, Syria Leaving Damascus this morning we'll start exploring the rest of the country, with our first stop being Palmyra, probably Syria’s most famous site.
  • Once a lush city on the Silk Road, Palmyra was even briefly its own empire in the 3 rd Century, stretching from Turkey to Egypt. Although the old city was ruined, it was famously in spectacular condition and exceptionally well preserved. Sadly though in 2015 it fell under the control of ISIS, and a lot of the buildings were razed to the ground.
  • Until recently it wasn’t possible to visit the ancient site, however it is now possible, providing you have the correct permission. On the road to Palmyra, Syria
  • We will also try and make a stop in the completely destroyed modern town of Palmyra, though this is difficult because of the presence of the Syrian Army and their allies. Even if we’re unable to stop though, we’ll drive though and you’ll be able to see what ISIS accomplished there.
  • We’ll spend the night in the Valley of the Christians, just below Krak des Chaveliers.
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Day 4Sat Aug 14
Krak des Chaveliers, Marmarita festival, Mishtaya
  • Krak des Chaveliers, Syria This morning our first stop will be Krak des Chevaliers, the most famous of all the Crusader castles. It was first built by Kurds in the 11 th Century, and has changed hands many times, but most recently was damaged in the Syrian civil war.
  • After our visit to the castle we will head back over the valley to Marmarita where we will join in with the local festivities and celebrate Syria’s version of Carnivale!
  • Here we will have free time to mix in with the locals, watch the floats and just enjoy the amazing atmosphere of the festival.
  • And we may even have a chance to experience a rave at Krak de Chevaliers for those of you who want to continue partying into the night!
  • Overnight in Mishtaya.
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Day 5Sun Aug 15
Mishtaya, Hama, Homs, Aleppo
  • Today will be a relatively relaxed day, with the chance to have a small sleep in before hitting the road to drive to Aleppo.
  • Along the way we will stop in Hama to see the UNESCO site of the water wheels and to try a local sweet.
  • Our next stop will be in Homs, another of the worst affected places during the Syrian war. We’ll take a walk through one of the most destroyed parts of the city, where you can really get a close up look at the damage. A few families have already started moving back in, so kids will come up and want to speak to you.
  • We’ll make a quick stop at the St. Mary Church of the Holy Belt, the Seat of the Syriac Orthodox Church, where the Virgin Mary’s belt was kept until shortly before the war. Fortunately, the belt was already removed before the church was looted and all the icons and artwork were burnt or stolen.
  • Visit the grave of Frans van der Lugt, a Dutch Jesuit priest who established a community centre and farm in Homs where he worked with the homeless, disabled, sick and hungry, as well as for harmony between Christians and Muslims. Greatly respected by locals, he was then shot dead in the garden in 2014 by members of the Al-Nusra Front, and it is now a memorial to him and his work.
  • And finally, we’ll visit a popular local restaurant which was the local ISIS headquarters when they were in control.
  • We will continue onto Aleppo arriving in the afternoon. We will head out for an early evening walk through the main square before hitting up one of the best restaurants in town with some amazing Armenian food!
  • Overnight in Aleppo.
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Day 6Mon Aug 16
Aleppo
  • Aleppo was arguably one of the worst affected cities during the Syrian war. Here you’ll get the chance to see some of the terrible destruction as well as the opportunity to witness the early stages of rebuilding that Syrians are now doing as they slowly return to their homes.
  • Our first stop in the morning will be the famous Aleppo Castle. On the way in and out of the castle you’ll also be able to see the destroyed souk.
  • There will be time to explore the souk and do some shopping if you like, or if you prefer, you can just enjoy a shisha or a coffee.
  • We’ll then drive into the old town, one of the areas that was the worst affected by the war.
  • For sunset, we will head to an amazing viewpoint looking out over Aleppo, where we can relax and take it all in with a tea and/or shisha.
  • In the evening, we'll have the chance once again to experience the amazing restaurant scene of Aleppo.
  • Overnight in Aleppo.
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Day 7Tue Aug 17
Aleppo, Maaloula, Damascus
  • Leaving Aleppo, our first stop today will be in Maaloula, a small Christian town that was almost completely decimated by ISIS in 2014.
  • We will visit a Greek Catholic church which was destroyed but has already largely been rebuilt.
  • This will be your first opportunity to properly explore the destruction that is now so commonplace in Syria, at the Safir Hotel. Until 2014 it was a 4 star hotel with plenty of international guests, but is now a shell filled with rubble. There are still “do not disturb” signs, menus, folders of guest information, time sheets, crockery and all sorts of other things amongst the debris.
  • We’ll walk through a canyon to the St Sergious and Bakhous Monastery where you’ll have the chance to meet nuns who were kidnapped and held hostage for several years.
  • We'll arrive back in Damascus in the evening.
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Day 8Wed Aug 18
Damascus, Bosra, Beirut
  • In the morning we’ll head down to the south of the country to visit Bosra, which was under the control of the Free Syrian Army, even during the Assad regime. Previously, this was one of the only places in the country you could see the Syrian opposition flag being flown.
  • Our first stop will be at the famous amphitheatre. Between its vast size and the fact that it’s still almost completely in-tact, it really is breath-taking.
  • We’ll sit down for a manakish or a falafel and have a chance to talk to a Free Syrian Army soldier, who will share his stories, and also a very different perspective on the situation in Syria than what you’ll already have heard.
  • Next we’ll take a walk through the old city and get a feel for this town, which has a totally different vibe to any other city in Syria. If we’re lucky, we might even meet some more people on our way who are happy to share their feelings and ideas on the situation with us.
  • Sadly this brings the end of our time in Syria and we will head back towards the Lebanese border. Including the border crossing and a few stops, we’ll arrive back in Beirut in the evening.
  • Anyone catching a flight this evening can be taken directly to the airport, otherwise we’ll be dropped off back in the centre of Beirut.
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