Hama and HomsThese cities are located along the main routebetween Damascus and Aleppo, and becauseof their proximity to some of Syria's centralsites, most visitors end up spending a night inone or the other. Homs is the third city ofSyria and is the nearest base for reaching Cracdes Chevaliers and many of the other castlesin the area. Hama is the fourth largest city andhas more to offer the visitor - its history iscolourful and long, and its geography isengaging; nurtured by the Orontes River, andnot far from the foot of the nearby mountains.Harnessing the river, massive woodenwaterwheels creak and groan in pretty waterparks. Like Homs, Hama is a good base forvisiting sites including the Dead Cities andApamea, or as a staging post to link the major cities.Crac des ChevaliersCrac des Chevaliers represents the zenith ofCrusader military architecture. Occupying abluff overlooking a strategic pass between thecoast and the interior, it was first fortified bythe Emir of Homs in the early 11th centuryAD. Captured by the Crusaders, it was handedover in 1144 to the Knights Hospitaller, one of the military orders, and it was they whoconstructed the massive curtain walls thatseem to be extensions of the sheer cliffs onwhich they were built. Wandering around thesite, you can appreciate the skill with which the Hospitallers shaped their fortress aroundthe natural slopes and cliffs, and marvel at thebeauty of vaulted passageways.ApameaApamea, like Palmyra, was a trading post ofthe Roman Empire. At times it surpassed theimportance of Palmyra, as is evident from themain street (the Cardo Maximus) which islonger than those of either Roman Palmyra or Damascus. It is perfectly aligned north-to-south, flanked by tall, ornate colonnades.Chariot wheel ruts score the paving stones,and what were once ancient doorways ofshops and residences open out onto partiallyexcavated fields.54Tailoring your tripThe itineraries shown are designed to give you aflavour of what is possible, and are routes thatwork particularly well. We can use these as abasis to plan your trip or can design a completelydifferent itinerary to suit your tastes and interests.Please call one of our Syria specialists to startplanning your itinerary.Telephone: 01993 838 425Getting aroundWe provide private air-conditioned vehicles forjourneys in Syria, either small minibuses or salooncars. You can choose to travel with just a driver,or to have a driver and guide if you would likedetailed explanations at the archaeological sites.When to go??The best time to travel.?A good time to travel, but there may be some factors to be aware of.~Travel is possible, but this is not the best time of year.?Travel is not recommended.March, April, September and October are thebest months to visit Syria, with low rainfall andtemperatures in the mid to late twenties Celsius.The country enjoys a typical Mediterraneanclimate with hot, dry summers and cool winters,when the north of the country usually sees fairlysignificant rainfall. There is of course someregional variation in the climate throughout thecountry, with towns in the east much drier thanAleppo in the north of the country.Time difference:GMT+2 hoursFlight time from UK:5 hoursPricesWe offer trips to cater for a wide range ofbudgets. You can find up-to-date guideline pricesfor your trip to Syria on our website, alternativelyplease call our specialists to discuss your plans.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec~??????~~~?????~Noria waterwheel in HamaUmayyad Mosque, DamascusCrac des ChevaliersYoung Bedouin girlApamea

Suggested itinerariesClassic SyriaThis tour takes just over a week to see Syria'smajor highlights and is the perfect introduction tothe principal archaeological ruins and the greatSyrian cities of Aleppo and Damascus.Day 1Fly from the UK to Damascus, whereyou will be met and taken to yourhotel for a three night stay.Day 2Visit Bosra in the morning. In theafternoon return to Damascus toexplore by yourself.Day 3Another day to discover Damascus.Day 4Travel to Palmyra to visit the ruinsbefore sunset.Day 5A long day, with a second chance tosee Palmyra, before visiting the site ofApamea and moving on to Aleppo.Day 6Visit St Simeon's basilica in themorning before returning to Aleppoto explore the old city.Day 7Another day to discover more of Aleppo.Day 8Travel from Aleppo to Damascus,stopping to visit Crac des Chevaliersen route.Day 9Transfer to the airport for yourreturn flight to the UK.Stay longerAdding a day or two in Aleppo and Damascus isworthwhile if you can spare the time - this willgive you the opportunity to discover much more of the cities and have time for shopping in the souqs.Grand Tour of SyriaThis tour lingers a bit longer over thearchaeological sites than the Classic Syria trip andincludes some of Syria's less well-visited sites, suchas Marqab Castle.Day 1Fly from the UK to Damascus, where you will be met and taken to your hotel.Day 2Explore the old city of Damascus,taking in the Umayyad Mosque andthe souqs.Day 3Visit Bosra and the other sites in thesouth of Syria.Day 4Travel from Damascus to Palmyra,stopping to visit Ma'alula and DeirMar Musa on the way.Day 5A whole day to explore the ruins of Palmyra.Day 6Travel to Aleppo, stopping to visitthe Roman site of Apamea en route.Day 7Visit the basilica of St Simeon.Day 8Discover Aleppo's souqs and Citadel.Day 9Travel to Syria's coast, stopping enroute to see some of the castles andancient ruins in the area.Day 10Travel to Homs, with a visit toMarqab Castle and Saifa on the way.Day 11Visit Crac des Chevaliers, beforereturning to Damascus.Day 12Explore Damascus further.Day 13Transfer to the airport for yourreturn flight to the UK.Stay longerThe trip could be extended with a trip to Jordanvisiting Jerash, Petra and Wadi Rum before flyingback to the UK from Amman.Syria and LebanonCombinedThis itinerary is a two week trip, including all the most important archaeological sites and citiesin Lebanon and Syria. The itinerary is very easilyreversed if you want to end your trip in the vibrant city of Beirut.Day 1Fly from the UK to Beirut, where youwill be met and taken to your hotel.Day 2Visit Sidon and Beiteddine, thenspend the rest of the afternoonexploring Beirut.Day 3Go to Tripoli and Byblos, returning to Beirut for the night.Day 4Visit Beirut's National Museum andthe Solidère district.Day 5Travel to Damascus in Syria, stoppingto visit the magnificent ruins ofBaalbek on the way.Day 6Explore the old city of Damascus.Day 7Travel south from Damascus to visitthe archaeological ruins of Bosra.Day 8Head east to Palmyra, stopping atMa'alula and Deir Mar Musa en route.Day 9Visit the ruins of Palmyra.Day 10Visit the site of Apamea beforecontinuing to Aleppo.Day 11Start your exploration of Aleppo.Visit the Citadel, the NationalMuseum and the souqs.Day 12Visit the ruins of St Simeon's basilicabefore returning to Aleppo for therest of the day.Day 13Return to Damascus, stopping to visitCrac des Chevaliers on the way.Day 14Transfer to the airport for yourreturn flight to the UK.Stay longerTravel on to Jordan after your final stay inDamascus, and visit another of the region's greatsites, Petra, before returning to the UK.www.audleytravel.com/syria ?01993 838 425 ?Syria55Azem Palace, DamascusDamascusBosraSYRIAPalmyraAleppoSt.Simeon'sCrac desChevaliersApameaDamascusBosraSYRIAPalmyraAleppoSt.Simeon'sCrac desChevaliersApameaDamascusBosraSYRIALEBANONPalmyraAleppoSt.Simeon'sCrac desChevaliersApameaLattakiaHomsBeirutMa'alulaDeir Mar MusaMa'alulaDeir Mar MusaBeiteddineTripoliByblos