In Brief
| Damascus - 2 nights (3 nights during Mar-Jun). Palmyra - 1 night. Aleppo - 2 nights. Homs area - 1 night. Beirut - 3 nights. |
Day 1 Fly direct from London Heathrow to Damascus*. Transfer to an old town hotel or the 5-star Hotel Cham Palace or Dedeman for two nights.
Day 2 Visit the National Museum, Street Called Straight, Church of Ananias, St. Paul’s Gate, Omayyad Mosque and Saladin’s Tomb.
Day 3 Travel into the desert to Palmyra (3 hrs). Visit the Colonnaded street, Valley of the Tombs and Temple of Baal. View the sunset from the Castle above Palmyra and enjoy a night walk through the ruins. Overnight at the 5-star Dedeman or Semiramis or 4-star Zenobia Cham Hotel.
Day 4 Travel to Hama (3 hrs) with its waterwheels and Azem Palace. Continue to Apamea to view the ruins and the museum. Two nights in Aleppo at an old town hotel (see page 70 for description) or the 5-star Hotel Dedeman or Sheraton.
Day 5 City tour of Aleppo includes the National Museum, Citadel, souks and the old city quarter of Jdayde. ‘Dining in the Old Town’. Enjoy a night walk in the Citadel area.
Day 6 Visit the 5th-century Church of St. Simeon and Salah ad-Din’s castle. Overnight at the 4-star Mashta Al-Helu.
Day 7 Visit Crac des Chevaliers. Cross the border into Lebanon for the journey to Beirut (4 hrs). Three nights at the Lebanese 5-star Hotel Bristol or Commodore.
Day 8 In Byblos, visit the Citadel, Church of St. John the Baptist and old port. In Beirut visit the Corniche, restored city centre (Solidere) and National Museum.
Day 9 Visit the Chouf Mountains, the Emir Beshir Palace in Beiteddine and the Roman temples of Baalbeck.
Day 10 Return flight direct from Beirut to Heathrow.
Notes
*During Mar-Jun there will be an extra night in Damascus at the beginning of the tour.
The sequential order of the tour is subject to local conditions and may change.
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