Tips on how to journey to Syria in 2024: Have to know

Syria is fairly epic. On the one hand, I received to go to historic, marvelous websites that had been an actual blessing to my eyes. And, alternatively, it was a really enriching expertise as effectively, since I met a great deal of Syrians who informed me their aspect of the story, plus I used to be capable of witness one of many worst humanitarian crises within the twenty first century, visiting hair-raising locations that require quite a lot of chilly blood, in case you don’t wish to breakdown into tears, making you empathize with the numerous stunning Syrians.

Why do you have to go to Syria now?

Sadly, impartial journey in Syria is virtually unattainable these days, so the simplest – and solely – method to journey to Syria is thru a tour with a legitimate operator. It is a excellent query, one I’ve been requested rather a lot lately. The reality is that causes fluctuate.

Initially, within the final couple of years, I’ve been touring all throughout the Center East, so visiting Syria, one of the fascinating nations within the area, had been on my journey plans for a really very long time. One other much more necessary cause is that Syria is a superb nation, dwelling to one of many oldest civilizations ever, so visiting Syria from a tourism perspective is a must-do.

Nonetheless, most individuals asking that query are inclined to refer extra to the moral side of touring to Syria, as this can be a battle zone from the place many individuals have been compelled to flee with a view to save their lives. Effectively, I need you to know that I totally perceive why somebody wouldn’t wish to go to a post-war zone as a result of, reality be informed, destroyed buildings and distress are usually not nice issues to see.

However, the very first thing you should know is that I journey to study and turn out to be wiser and, sure, I’m considering visiting a post-war zone, as a result of that is dwelling historical past and I needed to see it with my very own eyes, and never by a biased newspaper.

I additionally suppose that touring to Syria with the only goal of empathizing with the locals is an effective factor and, so long as you’re completely respectful concerning the disaster, there’s nothing unsuitable with it.

However in the long run, we should always ask Syrians what they give it some thought and I can guarantee you that, since Syria was once a serious touristic vacation spot, at the moment Syrians are very glad to see that vacationers are coming again as a result of this can be a actual signal of restoration.

Tips on how to get a vacationer visa for Syria

Getting a Syrian visa these days is fairly easy however that’s one thing you’ll be able to’t do alone as a result of the Ministry of Tourism dictates that every one vacationers who wish to get a Syrian vacationer visa should guide a tour with an operator.

For that, Towards the Compass is a licensed and legitimate tour operator that may enable you to acquire a visa for Syria.

Tips on how to get a Syrian visa immediately from a tour operator

The very first thing you could know is that journey companies is not going to concern a vacationer visa for Syria however a safety clearance (a background verify), which you should present at customs.

Contemplate it as a Letter of Invitation.

Along with your safety clearance in hand, it is possible for you to to buy a Syrian vacationer visa on the border. The issue, nonetheless, is that these days, journey companies are usually not allowed to concern a safety clearance until you guide a tour with them.

How lengthy does it take to get the safety clearance?

2 weeks as a median, however you could get the approval in simply 2 days.

How lengthy is it legitimate for?

The safety clearance has a 90-day validity, ranging from the day you obtain it.

How a lot does the vacationer visa for Syria price?

Notice that costs are inclined to fluctuate primarily based on the trade charge however, as a median:

• European passport holders: 75 USD
• Canadian passports: 100 USD
• British, Australian, and Argentinian passports: 150 USD
• US passport holders: 200 USD

Attempt to deliver the precise quantity for the visa. In any other case, they gives you your change in Syrian Kilos, utilizing the official financial institution charge.

Additionally, you will need to pay an exit charge of two,000SYP.

Can People get a visa for Syria?

Sure, since March 2023, American passport holders could journey to Syria. Their visa utility takes 4 weeks.

Tips on how to get to Syria

Tips on how to journey to Syria by Land

1 – Tips on how to journey from Beirut (Lebanon) to Damascus

Touring to Damascus from Beirut is the simplest method to journey to Syria. Beirut is simply 115km from Damascus and the journey takes 2 to 4 hours, together with the customs course of. Within the unlikely case you had been touring to Syria independently, know that there isn’t a bus service however locals journey in shared taxis. They go away from Charles Hélou bus station, which is in a really central location, in Gemmazyeh.

Shared taxis from Beirut to Damascus run all day lengthy and I went there at 3pm and waited for not more than 15 or 20 minutes.

The fee per particular person is round 20USD.

Should you go by your self, you’ll pay 100USD.

On the Lebanese aspect, they barely verify your passport and, on the Syrian aspect, they take round 20 minutes, so long as there are not any individuals, in fact.

First, they verify your safety clearance, then you definately buy your visa on the financial institution counter and provides your receipt to the immigration officer.

You solely get a stamp, not a visa sticker. After getting your Syrian visa and resuming your journey, you’ll undergo a number of checkpoints, however you shouldn’t expertise any downside.

2 – Tips on how to journey from Tripoli to Tartus

You can even journey to Syria from the border north of Tripoli. Shared taxis to Tartus price round 12 USD and so they go away till 8pm from this statio.

It is just a 65km journey, so it needs to be pretty fast.

3 – Tips on how to journey from Amman (Jordan) to Syria

The border is lastly open however the journey from Amman is longer (200km) and the border crossing takes extra time.

If you wish to enter Syria from Amman, pick-up may additionally be organized.

4 – Tips on how to journey from Turkey to Syria

At the moment, that border is just not attainable to cross legally.

Tips on how to journey to Syria by Air

Damascus has a world airport however there are some things that you could be wanna consider earlier than reserving your flight.

1. The airport doesn’t have many connections, solely with just a few Center Jap cities akin to Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, or Baghdad.
2. The one airways working in Syria are Cham Wings, Syrian Air, and Iraqi Airways, airways the tickets of which may’t be bought on-line, however you could guide them on the respective workplace in money.
3. Because of the scenario in Syria, the airport in Damascus shuts down fairly usually, so the possibilities of your flight being canceled are comparatively excessive.

Is it secure to journey to Syria?

Is Syria secure? Together with the visa, security is the opposite massive query mark for anybody touring to Syria.

Look, the battle is virtually over in West Syria (the town of Idlib is the final precise battle zone) and cities like Aleppo and Damascus are completely secure. You see youngsters roaming round and every little thing appears simply superb now.

Furthermore, the Previous Metropolis of Damascus is filled with army checkpoints the place they verify your bag and take a look at anybody who appears suspicious, so there’s a excessive degree of safety and nothing has occurred for a very long time now.

Really, I used to be in Damascus for Christmas and, for the primary time for the reason that starting of the battle, the streets of the Previous Metropolis of Damascus (and Aleppo as effectively) had been crammed with Christmas lights and celebration.

The ambiance was filled with pleasure, happiness and each Muslims and Christians had been celebrating such an occasion with very massive enthusiasm (there’s a big Christian group in Damascus). This may solely imply that even the Syrians themselves imagine the town is secure.

Which components of  Syria are secure to journey?

Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, Latakia, Tartus, Krak De Chevaliers, and likewise Palmyra.

The individuals – The Syrians

Language spoken in Syria

Levantine Arabic is the official language.

You need to know that many English-speaking individuals left the nation however you’ll all the time discover somebody who does. In any case, attempt to study some Arabic earlier than touring to Syria.

Faith in Syria

Round 65% of the inhabitants are Sunni Muslims however, like in Lebanon, in Syria, there are numerous completely different religions, together with a big Christian inhabitants. Bashar Al-Assad is Alawite, a Shia department.

How do Syrians really feel about tourism?

Based on the UN, round 500,000 Syrians have been killed, practically 5,000,000 escaped from the nation and several other extra million who’re nonetheless within the nation want humanitarian help. We’re speaking right here about one of many worst humanitarian crises in the 21st century.

Like I mentioned at first, many individuals are skeptical about touring to Syria, claiming or considering that it might be disrespectful to all of the individuals which have been affected one way or the other.

Effectively, what I believe is that, earlier than making any judgment, we should always ask the precise Syrians dwelling in Syria what do they give it some thought. When visiting Syria, I’ve by no means talked to a single Syrian who was not glad at seeing a overseas vacationer. Those who spoke English approached me, asking quite a lot of questions and displaying their gratitude for visiting their nation.

Nonetheless, I assumed that wandering round Damascus as a vacationer can be like being a star. I imply, individuals had been extraordinarily good and sort but it surely was not like whenever you journey in Pakistan, for instance, the place everyone stops you on the street to speak to you.

The primary cause was that most individuals thought I used to be a journalist and the second was that Syrians have all the time had nice worldwide publicity, so seeing foreigners is one thing they’re really used to, with the one distinction they haven’t seen many since 2010.

Transportation: the way to journey round Syria

You possibly can journey round Syria by native buses and shared taxis. I took the bus from Damascus to Aleppo, which takes greater than 7 hours.

The reason being that the part of the highway from Homs to Aleppo is just not completely Authorities-controlled, so after Homs, they flip proper and make an enormous detour to get to Aleppo.

There may be not a lot to say right here, aside from the roads of Syria are filled with army checkpoints, which is what you could count on. Your driver will hold your passport and he’ll deal with every little thing for you, so don’t fear about that. I additionally took the bus from Homs to Damascus and it was a really related story.

Severely, buses run usually, easily and with none downside. The station at Aleppo is sort of removed from the town heart however you will note loads of taxis simply exterior.

As per security, the reality is that many individuals had been being overprotective with me, all the time taking care that I used to be feeling secure and cozy, so you shouldn’t fear about that. Most individuals taking the bus to Aleppo are from the military by the way in which.

Web and connectivity in Syria

• Wi-Fi: Web works comparatively effectively throughout the nation. The resorts I stayed at had connection and it’s also possible to join in most comparatively good cafés and eating places.
• Cellular: I purchased Syriatel and, for 7,000SYP, they gave me 2GB and a few calls however, in fact, costs could change. They solely requested for my passport. I like to recommend you go to the official retailer. There may be one subsequent to Merjeh Sq., proper right here: 33.513185, 36.29777.

What you need to know about money in Syria

In Syria, they use the Syrian Pound (SYP), a forex that has been fluctuating like loopy for the previous 10 years.

Earlier than the disaster, $1 equaled 50SYP.

In 2018, throughout my first go to, $1 equaled 490SYP.

At the moment, you’ll be able to trade $1 within the black marketplace for as much as 13,950SYP.

As a consequence, Syria is affected by huge inflation and the issue is that almost all salaries haven’t elevated accordingly.

Exchanging cash in Syria

You possibly can trade each Euros (€) and USD ($) however USD may be exchanged at a greater charge. Should you deliver 100 USD notes, remember that they solely settle for the brand new ones with the blue line.

In case you have Syrian Kilos left whenever you go away, you’ll be able to trade them for Lebanese Kilos or USD in most trade places of work in Beirut, on the official financial institution charge, which implies that it received’t be so good.

How a lot does it price to journey to Syria?

These are the costs of the commonest issues:

• Lunch in a neighborhood restaurant: 50,000 to 80,000SYP
• Meals in a pleasant restaurant with wine: 150,000 to 250,000SYP
• Breakfast (like hummus or ful): 35,000SYP
• Nationwide Museum: 25,000SYP
• Aleppo Citadel: 2,5000SYP
• Bus from Damascus to Aleppo: 50,000 to 70,000SYP
• Funds Resort in Damascus: $35 to $45 for a personal room
• Mid-range resort in Damascus: $60 to $90 for a personal room
• Taxis inside cities: 40,000 to 60,000SYP
• Native shared taxi Aleppo to Homs: 100,000 to 150,000SYP

Accountable Tourism and Ethics

Syria is a post-war zone, the place hundreds of thousands of individuals have misplaced their homes and kinfolk, very similar to Haiti, so please, be a delicate vacationer.

Don’t say battle however disaster or scenario as a substitute

You will notice that many Syrians themselves don’t actually use the phrase battle however they like to say different much less harsh phrases.

Don’t take selfies with broken buildings

Severely, this is among the most disrespectful issues you can ever do and you’ll really be an asshole in case you did it.

Empathize with the locals

When you find yourself in an space filled with destroyed buildings be well mannered to the individuals, say howdy, shake fingers and simply be good with them.

Collaborate with the native economic system

In Homs and Aleppo, you’re prone to see small companies open amongst all of the ruins. Do purchase issues from them.

In Homs, I noticed one small bakery store within the virtually destroyed souk; I couldn’t resist shopping for one kilo of sweets there, which I gave to a younger boy that was on the lookout for one thing among the many trash.

Are the Syrian cities actually destroyed?

This appears to deliver quite a lot of confusion, so let me clarify it to you:

Damascus

Solely the outskirts of Damascus are destroyed, as there was a bloody battle there. That space is off-limits to vacationers. The Previous Metropolis and the brand new a part of city stay intact.

Aleppo

A share of the Previous Metropolis is destroyed, in addition to some areas from exterior the town.

Most of Aleppo isn’t broken however some crucial websites from the Previous Metropolis, just like the Nice Mosque, are gone. These days, nonetheless, the town is being rebuilt and persons are slowly coming again.

Homs

Probably the most affected cities by the battle. Roughly 40% of the town is destroyed and that features its bazaar, one of many liveliest and most necessary souqs in all of the Center East.

Palmyra

The Temple of Bell was destroyed by ISIS however Palmyra is an enormous archaeological web site and plenty of of its wonders can nonetheless be seen.

Taking pictures whenever you journey in Syria

You possibly can take pictures of every little thing apart from one factor: army stuff.

Sure, it is extremely apparent however the issue is that there’s army stuff in every single place, particularly in Damascus. In Damascus, it occurred just a few occasions that I took an image of some cool constructing or no matter, from comparatively far-off, and didn’t notice there was a checkpoint proper subsequent to it.

After all, the troopers approached me however, after rapidly checking my passport and my digital camera, very kindly, let me proceed. In Damascus Previous Metropolis, there are checkpoints in every single place, so concentrate earlier than taking any pictures.

Don’t do it as a result of you will break it for everyone. Syria simply began opening to tourism, so persist with the principle touristic areas. I’m telling you this as a result of there was a German man who went to the outskirts of Damascus to take pictures of some destroyed buildings and he was put in jail for every week.

That was again in 2018, when impartial journey in Syria was allowed. Since then, reserving a tour is required with a view to get a visa for Syria so, even in case you needed to get off the crushed observe, you wouldn’t be capable to.

Lodging: The place to remain in Syria

For the reason that disaster, the Authorities of Syria has launched a twin pricing coverage in all resorts, during which foreigners pay greater than the locals. This has elevated the charges considerably however you’ll be able to nonetheless discover many inexpensive choices.

The place to remain in Damascus

• Funds – Inexperienced Resort – Single rooms price 15USD and double 30USD. It was very clear, there was a heater, good Wi-Fi and the man from the reception spoke English. It was right here, simply exterior of the Previous Metropolis: 33.510168. 36.298925.
• Boutique Resort – Beit al Mamlouka – A small resort on the coronary heart of the outdated metropolis.
• High possibility – Beit al Wali – The most effective resorts within the metropolis.
• Luxurious – 4 Seasons – Loopy costly, however the most effective resort in Syria. Notice that it’s not managed by 4 Seasons anymore, although they stored their identify.

The place to remain in Aleppo

• Mid-range – Aleppo Palace – Good, inexpensive possibility in Aleppo, with nice views of the brand new a part of city. It’s positioned proper subsequent to the I Love Aleppo signal.
• In Aleppo, it’s also possible to discover a Sheraton.

The place to remain in Homs

• New Basman Resort – One of many few choices in Homs is that this resort that provides primary however comfy rooms.

The place to remain in Al Mishtaya

• Al Mishtaya is a Christian village close to Krak de Chevaliers and the place the place we keep once I deliver teams into Syria. They’ve a fairly good brand-new resort named Vila Rosa Resort.

The meals and alcohol in Syria

In the previous few years, I haven’t traveled to many nations which are well-known for his or her meals, however Syria undoubtedly is. Being an olive-oil-rich Mediterranean nation, the elements used of their delicacies are recent and just like those we utilized in Spain, Italy, France, and Greece. The meals is definitely just about the identical as in Lebanon, with their very own regional variations, in fact.

From the traditional hummus to kibbeh (native steak tartar), differing types of grilled meat or a typical dish of Aleppo consisting of meatballs in cherry sauce, the meals in Syria is so assorted.

For me, nonetheless, breakfast is the most effective half, as they all the time serve completely different variations of hummus and ful deep in tremendous tasty olive oil and greens. As per alcohol, you must know that Syria has a big Christian inhabitants, so alcohol is well out there, particularly within the Christian district of the Previous Metropolis of Damascus, the place there’s a avenue crammed with bars and plenty of liquor retailers.

You possibly can really purchase a $1 beer and drink it on the street!