Things to do in Syria

25 things to do in Syria

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Explore Krak des Chevaliers

  Step inside one of the world's best-preserved Crusader castles, whose concentric walls and grand halls tower over a fertile plain.

  Near Homs

• Wander through the Umayyad Mosque

  Marvel at the vast courtyard, shimmering mosaics and the shrine of John the Baptist in the heart of Damascus's walled city.

  Damascus

• Walk among the ruins of Palmyra

  Roam the monumental colonnaded street and the Temple of Bel in the fabled desert city where Roman and Persian worlds met.

  Palmyra (Tadmor)

• Climb the Aleppo Citadel

  Ascend the imposing 13th‑century fortress that crowns a 50‑metre tell, then gaze over the old city's storied skyline.

  Aleppo

• Shop and snack in Souq al-Hamidiyeh

  Drift beneath the arched iron roof of Damascus's most famous market, tasting freshly fried falafel and buying rose‑scented sweets.

  Damascus

• Hear Aramaic spoken in Maaloula

  Visit the cliff‑hugging village where locals still speak the language of Jesus and see the ancient monasteries cut into the rock.

  Maaloula

• Discover the Dead Cities of Serjilla

  Wander among the remarkably intact stone villas, churches and tombs of a Byzantine ghost town abandoned over a millennium ago.

  Idlib Governorate

• Admire the Roman Theatre at Bosra

  Sit in the astonishing 2nd‑century basalt theatre, later enclosed within an Ayyubid citadel, and feel the ancient acoustics.

  Bosra

• Get lost in Al-Madina Souq, Aleppo

  Lose yourself in kilometres of vaulted stone alleys brimming with spices, textiles and the scent of laurel soap.

  Aleppo

• Stroll the colonnade of Apamea

  Walk the 1.9‑kilometre colonnaded avenue of this Seleucid‑Roman city, with its twisting fluted columns and panoramic views.

  Apamea

• Visit Saladin’s Castle

  Explore the dramatic Crusader‑era fortress balanced on a ridge, with a 28‑metre deep defensive trench carved from solid rock.

  Al-Haffah, Latakia

• Sip tea in the courtyard of Al-Azm Palace

  Relax inside the lavish Ottoman palace where domed ceilings, fountains and lemon trees create a peaceful Damascene oasis.

  Damascus

• Watch sunset from Mount Qasioun

  Hike up the city’s sentinel mountain to watch the lights of Damascus flicker on below as the call to prayer fills the air.

  Damascus

• See the ancient Norias of Hama

  Hear the groaning of 17 giant wooden water wheels, some built in the 14th century, still turning on the Orontes River.

  Hama

• Explore the ruins of Ugarit

  Stand where the alphabet was invented, deciphering clay tablets in the Bronze‑Age city that gave the world its first written code.

  Ras Shamra, Latakia

• Swim in the Mediterranean at Wadi Qandil

  Bask on a golden‑sand beach tucked between pine‑covered mountains, with clear turquoise waters just north of Latakia.

  Wadi Qandil, Latakia

• Taste authentic Aleppine kebab in the old quarters

  Savour charcoal‑grilled skewers of spiced lamb with Aleppo pepper, served in a centuries‑old courtyard restaurant.

  Aleppo

• Marvel at the National Museum of Damascus

  Trace 10,000 years of Syrian civilisation through priceless artefacts, from Ugaritic alphabets to Palmyrene statues.

  Damascus

• Visit the Shrine of Sayyida Zainab

  Enter the glittering golden‑domed mausoleum, a major Shia pilgrimage site that hums with devotion and intricate tilework.

  Sayyida Zainab, Damascus

• Hike through the forests of Bassit

  Follow coastal trails through Aleppo pine and oak, ending at remote coves where mountains plunge into the Mediterranean.

  Ras al-Bassit, Latakia

• Discover the pilgrimage site of St. Simeon’s Monastery

  Climb the ruins of the 5th‑century church built around the pillar of Saint Simeon Stylites, whose columns still pierce the sky.

  Qal‘at Sem‘an, Aleppo

• See the medieval Bimaristan Arghun al-Kamili

  Peer into the exquisite 14th‑century mental hospital in Aleppo’s old city, with its serene courtyard and carved stone iwans.

  Aleppo

• Wander through the Valley of the Tombs, Palmyra

  Pass between tower tombs and underground hypogea on the edge of the desert, where Palmyrene families built eternal homes.

  Palmyra

• Cruise to Jaabar Castle on the Euphrates

  Take a boat across Lake Assad to the island fortress that resisted the Mongol invasion, its brick ramparts reflecting in the water.

  Lake Assad, Raqqa

• Explore the desert fortress of Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi

  Roam the remote 8th‑century Umayyad palace‑city, whose ornate stonework and vast enclosure rise mirage‑like from the steppe.

  Syrian desert, Homs