SYRIA

DAY 1: Departure from Italy with connecting flights to Beirut. Depending on flight schedules, overnight stay in Beirut or direct transfer to Damascus.

DAY 2: Morning/Afternoon: Arrival in Damascus, customs procedures, and entry into Syria. First introduction to Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with more than 11,000 years of history. Walk along Straight Street and through the districts, bazaars, and alleyways of the Old City. Visit to the Church of Saint Ananias and the Azem Palace, a remarkable example of Damascene residential architecture, with inner courtyards, fountains, and gardens.

Evening: Dinner and evening in Damascus.

Morning/Afternoon: Visit to the National Museum of Damascus, offering an overview of the civilisations that developed in Syrian lands. Continue to the Umayyad Mosque and Al-Hamidiyah Souk, one of the most beautiful markets in the Middle East, filled with textiles, handicrafts, and traditional sweets. Taste traditional Syrian ice cream in the souk’s alleyways and relax in a traditional hammam, with the possibility of trying shisha while observing the slow rhythm of daily life in Damascus.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Damascus.

Morning: Departure for Bosra, a region with a Druze majority and a city renowned for its Roman ruins. Visit the perfectly preserved Roman theatre and the ancient city walls, silent witnesses to centuries of history and the transformations of recent years. Walk through the paved streets, where everyday life continues among reconstructed houses and archaeological remains.

Afternoon: Continue exploring the historic districts and religious buildings made of volcanic stone. Observe the traces left by recent conflicts, focusing on how the local community is working to rebuild.

Evening: Return to Damascus, dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Morning: Visit Sednaya, including its monastery and village, where Christian history intertwines with recent testimonies of abuses linked to the nearby prison, still remembered today as a symbol of detentions during the conflict.

Afternoon: Continue to Maaloula, a Christian town located at 1,500 meters above sea level, whose monasteries were almost destroyed by ISIS. Proceed towards Krak des Chevaliers, Syria’s most iconic Crusader castle and one of the best-preserved examples of medieval military architecture. Arrival in Homs.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Homs.

Morning: Breakfast and short visit to Homs, a city that became a symbol of the Syrian revolution. Walk through rebuilt districts and public squares where buildings damaged by bombings are still visible. Meet local residents and observe how everyday life is gradually resuming.

Afternoon: Departure for Palmyra (Tadmur), an oasis in the heart of the Syrian desert, located 240 km from Damascus. Visit the remains of the Temple of Bel, the great theatre, and the monumental colonnade stretching for over one kilometre, once crossed by caravans linking East and West. Stop at the tower tombs and temple tombs, among ruins and post-ISIS restoration works that tell the story of the city’s resilience.

Evening: Transfer to Hama, dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Morning: Visit the historic norias of Hama, ancient waterwheels on the Orontes River, some of which have been operating since the 12th century. Observe daily life along the river, where children and families coexist with centuries-old monuments.

Afternoon: Departure towards Masyaf and visit to the medieval Nizari castle, perched on a hill and strategically positioned to control the surrounding territory. Continue towards Latakia, a coastal city recently reopened to tourism, where Turkmen and Arab communities live side by side along the Mediterranean coast.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Latakia, observing evening life on the seafront.

Morning/Afternoon: The day will be spent along the Mediterranean coast, among white cliffs overlooking crystal-clear waters and encounters with Turkmen communities that have gradually regained control of the coastal areas after years of instability. There will be walks along the beach and direct contact with local communities. Free time for shopping and final visits in Damascus, or transfer to the airport depending on the flight schedule.

Evening: Dinner and overnight stay in Latakia.

Morning: Early wake-up and city tour of Latakia (the visit may alternatively take place the previous day), Syria’s main port city and a coastal destination recently reopened to tourism. Walk along the seafront, explore local markets, and discover districts where different religions and cultures coexist.

Afternoon: Departure inland towards Al-Bara and Sarjella, ancient villages featuring Byzantine and Arab-Ottoman ruins that offer a glimpse into Syria before the war. Arrival in Idlib, once inaccessible and now a stronghold of the HTS-led revolution. Walk through the old city centre, observing markets and neighbourhoods gradually returning to civilian life.

Evening: Transfer to Aleppo, dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Morning: Visit the Citadel of Aleppo, a medieval fortress and symbol of the city, featuring defensive towers, monumental gates, and inner courtyards.

Afternoon: Explore the caravanserais and historic souks, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, among arches, domes, and vaulted passageways. Walk through areas of the old city heavily affected by the war to understand the contrast between destruction and the commercial vitality that still survives. Continue to the Christian quarter, modern, lively, and only partially damaged by the bombings.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Aleppo.

Transfer to the airport and international return flight with connection.

Day 11

Morning: Transfer to the area controlled by the SDF. Visit Tabqa and the Jaabar Castle, locations that until recently were inaccessible to visitors. Observe infrastructure and everyday life in cities gradually recovering from the conflict.

Afternoon: Arrival in Raqqa, the former capital of the Islamic State. Visit the ISIS Museum, a place of memory preserving testimonies of jihadist control, destruction, and life under the regime. Walk through the streets of the city, observing the scars left on the urban landscape alongside signs of the local community’s revival.

Evening: Dinner and overnight in Raqqa.

Day 12

Morning: Transfer to Kobane, a symbolic city of Kurdish resistance. Walk through the streets, visit monuments commemorating the defence against ISIS, and learn about the role of Kurdish women in the resistance movement.

Afternoon: Observation of everyday life, visits to rebuilt neighbourhoods and strategic points of urban defence. Opportunity for photography and direct observation of the traces of war, between destroyed buildings and homes reconstructed by the local community.

Evening: Return to Raqqa, dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 13

Return to Aleppo, transfer to the airport, and international return flight with connection.