{"id":39966,"date":"2023-03-22T18:34:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-22T16:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/?post_type=country&p=39966"},"modified":"2026-01-26T10:20:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T08:20:48","slug":"syria","status":"publish","type":"country","link":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/country\/syria\/","title":{"rendered":"Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What used to be, and still is, one of the most beautiful countries in the Middle East, after nearly 10 years of a bloody, unfortunate Civil War, Syria is, once again, opening its doors to the most intrepid and adventurous travelers who want to pay their respects and visit this fascinating country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the new change of Government in December 2024, we only expect things to get even better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For all the information, don\u2019t forget to read my Syria travel guide<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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need to know for traveling in Syria<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Quick facts<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Capital:<\/strong> Damascus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Population:<\/strong> 18 million in 2019 (63rd)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Language:<\/strong> Arabic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Area<\/strong>: 185,180km\u00b2 (87th largest country)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Visa<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

With the new change of Government, a visa on arrival is now available for a fee, which varies depending on nationality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Tours for Syria<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Against the Compass has several scheduled group expeditions to Syria every year. The next one is on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 26th to October 3rd, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CLICK HERE TO LEARN MOR<\/strong>E<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Travel Insurance<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

IATI Insurance<\/a><\/strong> is one of the very few that covers travel in Syria<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GET A QUOTE<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Safety<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

West Syria is relatively stable, even with the new Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read my analysis: How safe is Syria?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Responsible tourism<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Syria is a post-war zone where millions of people died. Traveling there requires a good dose of sensitivity and responsibility. This involves not taking selfies, not making jokes and being respectful. Syria isn\u2019t a place to show off but to learn and become wiser.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Which places can you visit in Syria?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Today, you can safely visit the West part of Syria, which includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latakia, Tartous and anywhere along the Syrian coast, Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra, Homs, Bosra, Krak, and Hama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since January 2025, you can also visit Idlib. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read my Syria safe itinerary<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Top experiences in Syria<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Old City of Damascus<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely outstanding and the best part is that it remains untouched.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Syrian food<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mediterranean, Arab cuisine with loads of olive oil. Don\u2019t miss their hummus and fatteh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Aleppo<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partially destroyed but life there goes on and it is still beautiful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Palmyra<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extraordinary ancient Roman and contemporary history, since the whole site was taken by ISIS.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Check our 1-week Syria itinerary<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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tips for Syria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Accommodation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Prior to 2010, Syria used to receive millions of tourists every year, the heritage of which is still visible in the wide offer of boutique hotels in Damascus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of them, like Al Mamlouka<\/a><\/strong>, have reopened and are fully functional. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Bring cash<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Because of the sanctions, you can’t use your debit or credit card in Syria but you must bring all your money in cash, either Euros or US dollars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Getting in<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The best and quickest way to get into Syria is by road from Beirut<\/strong><\/a> to Damascus. You can also come from Amman, but it’s a longer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the new Government, airlines are resuming their flights into Damascus. Check Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Qatar Airways.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ALL MY ARTICLES ON SYRIA<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":40876,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39966","country","type-country","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country\/39966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/country"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}