Syria Liberation Day Anniversary Tour

Thursday 3rd December – Beirut, Lebanon – Damascus, Syria

Morning

• Arrival at your convenience into Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon which is well connected with flights from Europe, and the Middle East. You can also use this opportunity to explore more of the country on our Lebanon Revolutionary Tour.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel (will be disclosed before the tour commencement date) at 8:00am to discuss the tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Our drive to the Syrian border will take about 1.5 hours.
• With guidance from your YPT guide, you’ll cross the border.
• The whole border crossing usually takes 1 hour to 2 hours, with the border guards being very friendly.

Afternoon

• Once clearing Syrian customs and immigration, we’ll continue our drive to Damascus, which will take roughly an hour and a half.
• On arrival, we will check into our boutique hotel – quite simply one of the best hotels in the Old Town of Damascus. This itself is a highlight.
• Next stop is lunch. Quite simply you have not been to Damascus unless you have tried their shawarma, or falafel for those of the vegetarian persuasion.
• The duration of our walking tour of the old part of Damascus will depend on our arrival time, but we’ll make sure to explore the Old Town’s bazaar and shopping areas – a great spot for sampling local ice cream or some of the best street food in the Arab world.
• Later we’ll head to one of the best restaurants in Damascus for dinner. We could write pages about Syrian food but you wouldn’t believe us, so let’s just say it will be one of the best dinners you ever had. That’s guaranteed.
• After dinner, we can check out a café some locals refer to as the ‘Tinder café’ where lots of young people come to meet, drink tea or beer, smoke shisha and play board games such as backgammon!
• Overnight in Damascus.

Friday 4th December – Damascus – Jouba – Maaloula – Homs

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel
• We’ll drive to the outskirts of the city and you’ll get your first glimpses of the destruction caused by the recent conflict.
• Our first stop will be the harrowing Jouba district. This area was the hardest hit suburb in Damascus and served as the frontline between the former Assad government and the opposition factions. You will see almost incomprehensible levels of destruction, secret tunnels and craters left from bombs. This is also said to be the place of one of the Assad chemical weapons attacks during the war. While this is confronting, it is our first look at the destruction everyday Syrians faced under Assad.
• On the way, we will pass by the immigration building which was torched by Assad forces when Damascus began to be liberated by opposition forces. The building was completely torched as it is believed many important documents and secrets were kept within its walls.
• Our next stop will be the 6th of October War museum. This has always been a YPT destination – the complex was built by North Koreans as an example of the friendship between the Assad government and North Korea. Since the fall of Assad, the museum has been semi looted and all images of the Assad family have been damaged and scratched. The museum served as a propaganda tool for the 6th of October war with Egypt and Jordan against Israel in 1967.
• Our next stop will be at Maaloula, a small Christian town that was almost completely decimated by extremist groups in 2014. This town is one of the last in the world where people speak the Aramaic language – the same language Jesus spoke, and it is possible to hear the Lord’s prayer being spoken using it.
• Visit the Greek Catholic church which was destroyed but has already largely been rebuilt and is now again doing services.
• This is also a great place to stop for a coffee, snack, or even to buy wine, arak or vodka produced by the Christians of the area (and yes, they offer free samples).

Afternoon

• Enjoy lunch in the local cafe and chat with the locals of Maaloula who are always happy to welcome visitors!
• 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 hotel items amongst the debris.
• Walk through a canyon to the St. Sergious and Bakhous Monastery where you may have the chance to meet nuns who were kidnapped and held hostage for several years.
• In the afternoon, we will begin our drive to Homs. Homs is one of the most important cities in Syria and is the heart of the revolution, with protests and demonstrations in 2011 being the most populous in the country. Unfortunately, this led to the Assad government targeting Homs viciously for years and Homs became the city with the most destruction. It is believed up to 70% of the population were displaced internally and internationally. 
• Still, Homs is one of the most culturally rich cities in Syria and is believed to have the smartest people. 
• We will be able to mingle with locals at dinner and at the most popular cafe for desert, shisha and juice
• Overnight in Homs

Saturday 5th December – Homs – Krak des Chevaliers – Idlib – Aleppo

Morning

• We will begin  our city tour of Homs, visiting 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. It is now back to its original place.
• Stop by the recently renovated Khalid ibn-al-Walid mosque, standing in the middle of a devastated neighbourhood. 
• We will depart Homs and head towards Krak des Chevaliers – a stunning medieval castle and one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world. The site was first inhabited in the 11th century by Kurdish troops garrisoned there by the Mirdasids. You’ll be given full access to the castle.
• We will continue North to Idlib, taking breaks along the way in the Homs countryside.
• Begin our drive to Idlib – a city that remained inaccessible for over a decade. Known as the birthplace of the 2024 revolution against the Assad regime, Idlib played a pivotal role in the spread of the rebellion across Syria. During your visit, you’ll observe a unique economic system distinct from other regions. Visit local refugee camps, providing a deeper understanding of the daily struggles faced by displaced families and the remarkable resilience of the community.

Afternoon

• We will enjoy lunch and head towards a local refugee camp, no longer supported by international organizations such as the UN. The locals of this camp were displaced during the war and mostly come from Homs and Aleppo. They will teach us about their lives and we will have the opportunity to donate to them for their necessities – food, and water. The residents of this camp are worried that they may be ‘forgotten’ and will welcome us in!
• We will then begin our drive East to Aleppo, driving the same route that the 2024 revolutionaries entered 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 partaking in as they slowly return to their homes.
• On arrival, we will check in to the hotel and go to our secret spot which has the best view of the Aleppo city for tea, shisha and mingling with locals
• Overnight in Aleppo

Sunday 6th December – Aleppo – Hama

Morning

• After breakfast, we will head to not only one of the highlights, but also probably the saddest part of Aleppo, visiting the formerly bustling Souk. This was previously the biggest and most profitable in the Arab world, but now lies in ruins. It is slowly starting to rebuild and as well as destruction we will witness its slow rebirth, aided by development organizations.
• We’ll stop by a Syrian institution – the Aleppo Soap company, where they have been making the soap using the exact methods for over 800 years, excluding the years it was under ISIS control. Aside from seeing how it is made, we will also get the chance to buy some – they make for great souvenirs.
• Explore the famous Aleppo Citadel, or Aleppo Castle. This is a truly amazing experience and we will take a few hours exploring here. During the Syrian war, Assad’s army troops were blockaded in the citadel for over a year and you will still see bullets strewn around. More recently, some of the iconic photos of the fall of the Assad government came from when militias took control of the Citadel. Historically, those who had control of the Citadel had control of Aleppo and you will learn about when the opposition forces took the citadel on the 29th of November as a part of the Second Battle of Aleppo.
• We’ll stop for a tea and coffee break at a café with a beautiful view of the citadel. This is also a fantastic spot for people watching.

Afternoon

• We’ll stop by Aleppo’s best falafel store – and what we believe to be the best in the region. Often there are 15 men cooking in the kitchen and tens of people waiting for their orders.
• In the afternoon, we will drive south to Hama, the 5th largest city of Syria. Hama is infamous for the 1982 massacre committed on the orders of Hafez Al-Assad against civilians. Anywhere from 5,000-40,000 people are believed to be murdered as a result of the government attempting to curtail the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. 
• Hama has an interesting history and is often off the beaten track – and the locals are incredibly friendly. 
• Dinner and overnight in Hama

Monday 7th of December – Hama – Palmyra – Damascus

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Drive east towards Iraq to the ancient city of Palmyra – on the way stopping for photos at the iconic road sign of Iraq, Damascus and Palmyra.
• On arrival we’ll begin our exploration of Palmyra – one of the most famous sites in the entire Middle East. Once a lush city on the Silk Road, Palmyra was even briefly its own empire in the 3rd 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 structures and buildings were brought to the ground.
• Here, we visit the formerly unreachable ancient sites.

Afternoon

• Before we depart Palmyra, we will enjoy a Bedouin cooked lunch inside tents to avoid the desert heat.
• Begin our return to Damascus, stopping for breaks and refreshments along the way. It is not uncommon to see many locals and military outposts along the path.
• Check back into hotel in Damascus to refresh up
• Dinner, drinks and overnight in Damascus

Tuesday 8th of December – Damascus: Liberation Day Anniversary

• We’ll explore the old town, with our first stop being the Ananias Church, Damascus’ oldest underground structure, which is said to be the remains of the home of Ananias of Damascus, where Ananias baptized Saul (who became Paul the Apostle).
• Explore Umayyad Mosque – we’ll enter from the right side of the complex where we will adorn traditional abayas for the women and men will be given a fabric wrap to cover their legs. We will visit the mausoleum of one of the greatest conquerors of Syria – Ayyubid Sultan Saladin. The mausoleum was built in 1196.
• Then, we will visit the main mosque complex which is the fourth holy mosque in Islam. Legend has it that John The Baptist’s head is buried in the mosque – something believed by both Christians and Muslims.

Afternoon

• We’ll continue with our city tour of Damascus showing you our favourite hidden gems, as well as the must-see places of historical interest, such as the former Jewish neighbourhood – now almost deserted – and historical Khans, and a caravanserai.
• We will visit Al-Azem Palace in the heart of Old Damascus built in the 18th century.
• Dinner at a family restaurant, for once again one of the best meals you’ll experience in Syria – with shisha available for those interested.
• We will have dinner before heading out to celebrate! Locals will be on the streets, singing, dancing and shooting fireworks celebrating a year since Syria has been liberated. We will join the festivities marking the fall of the Assad regime that lasted 53 years.
• Overnight in Damascus