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Join My Syria Tour – March 2025

I’m going back to Syria, so come join my Syria tour in March 2025! Finally, my fixers can now organise visas for EVERYONE (including Americans!), so it’s time to go back and see the giant strides forward this beautiful, historic country has made post-war.

YOU CAN BOOK IT HERE:

https://www.wetravel.com/trips/mystery-silk-road-trip-john-ward-63880931

AND HERE:

Also, my Syria tour starts in Amman Jordan, and we OVERLAND from there, cross the land border and road trip to Damascus. A very cool travel day and an awesome way to start an adventure like this. Then it’s 6 days in Syria, and we finish up again by driving back to Amman (where flights are much easier to organise), and you’re free. So, make 2025 the time you stop looking at other people doing epic trips, and join one yourself.

Check out the blog post below to learn about my Syria tour dates, price, itinerary and also I answer questions about the safety and ethics of a tour to Syria too. Hope that all helps.

NOTE: Right now (September 2024), the plan is to go overland from Amman (PREVIOUSLY IT WAS BEIRUT). However, if the conflict in Israel/Gaza/Lebanon continues, I’ll tweak the itinerary:

Either we’ll meet in Amman, Jordan instead of Beirut. And the rest of the itinerary will be the same (and finish in Amman too). Or the trip will therefore start one day later in Damascus. We can all meet there, with direct flights from Dubai, Cairo, Doha etc. No worries at all. And the price will also probably get a little cheaper, if you’ve paid the full balance by then, I’ll refund the difference of course.

My Syria Tour Itinerary

The trip starts and finishes in Amman, Jordan. The country that neighbours Syria. Why? Amman airport has a million more flight options for everyone to get in and out from. And also, I like ‘real travel’. And with the itinerary like this, it means we do an epic road-trip from Amman, Jordan to Damascus, Syria and enter via the land border (where my fixers organise all the visa stuff for us in advance, pretty cool!). So with that, the Syria itinerary is like this:

Day 1: Arrive in Amman, Damascus

Arrive in Amman anytime. We will have a trip briefing where I’ll discuss any questions and what to expect etc, then we’ll go for a group dinner with delicious Jordanian food, then maybe we’ll even have a few cheeky drinks in Amman to celebrate all coming together!

Day 2: Roadtrip from Jordan to Syria overland

Early start folks. Syria is calling!

We have our private transfers pick us up early in the morning in Amman city centre and we roll outta there together in convoy. Straight to the Syrian border. Once there, we’ll meet my fixers and they’ll assist us with all the paperwork, visas, brown envelopes (cough cough) and permits. This can take a while!

After we finish with the bureaucracy, it’s a straight shot to Damascus. The oldest city in the world. It’s spectacular, and probably very different to what you expect.

We don’t loiter though, we’re off north today to as we leave Damascus behind and make our way towards Homs province, home to the most famous Crusader castle in Syria and one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world. Krak Des Chevaliers, a UNESCO world heritage site, has been standing since the thirteenth century and is greatest fortress built by European crusaders in Syria and Palestine

After being wowed there, we drive to Almishtaya village in the Valley of the Christians. After lunch we’ll wander around Almishtaya with a village tour and chill-out in the late afternoon. Overnight in Almishtaya

Day 3; A visit to the ruins of Homs, and onwards to Aleppo

A tough day today, truth be told. Where Syria has preserved some of ancient history’s most impressive sights, it’s the modern history of Syria that intrigues and scares people today. ISIS, Bashad, the rebels. Syria has had a tough time over the last 10 years, and the scars are sadly hugely visible. Today we’ll visit Homs and see just that. It’s a sombre day.

After that, we’ll head back to Aleppo, where if anything, the aftermath of war is even heavier. We’ll overnight in Aleppo.

Day 4: Aleppo to Hama

We continue our exploration of Aleppo, visiting all the key sites and taking a deeper dive into specific areas of interest, such as the city’s historic mosques or the Armenian Quarter, known for its rich cultural heritage.

In the afternoon, we’ll drive to Hama, a city famous for its ancient Norias (wooden waterwheels) that have been used for irrigation since the Byzantine period. The Norias of Hama are an iconic symbol of the city, and you’ll have the chance to see these enormous structures up close.

Depending on availability and logistics, we’ll spend the night either in Hama or in Homs. Both locations offer convenient access to the next day’s destinations.

Day 5: Hama to Palmyra, then Damascus

 After an early breakfast, depart for Palmyra, an ancient city and one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Middle East. Palmyra was once a thriving caravan city and a crucial link between the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire. Here, you’ll explore the ruins, including the grand Temple of Bel, the monumental colonnade, and the Roman theatre. Though the site suffered damage during recent conflicts, it remains a powerful testament to the city’s former glory.

After exploring Palmyra, you’ll continue your journey back to Damascus, Syria’s capital and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Overnight in Damascus, where we stay in one of my favourite hotels in the world. A gorgeous, old-world, boutique riad-style hotel where they’ll have prepared a late dinner for us. Here people can either go chill and soak up the reality that you’re in Syria, one of the least visited countries in the world these days, or you’re welcome to join me at a local Damascus bar for some local brew.

Day 6: Full Day Damascus City Tour

Time to explore Damascus properly! Our guides will explain all about the political situation, about ISIS in the north, about the hardships the Syrian people have felt in the last 10 years, and you’ll also hear how happy people are to know that foreigners, and even tourists, are beginning to return.

Highlights today will include the charming Hamidiyah Souq, Ummayad Mosque, Azem Palace, Hanania Church and the National museum. Dinner and overnight in Damascus.

Day 7; Overland back to Jordan, and we’re done!

After breakfast at our gorgeous hotel,, take a day trip to Bosra, an ancient city that was once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia. Bosra is famous for its remarkably well-preserved Roman theatre, which is still used for performances today. The theatre is an architectural marvel, and exploring it offers a glimpse into the grandeur of Roman engineering.

After exploring Bosra, you’ll drive back to Amman. This journey allows you to reflect on the incredible sites you’ve visited and the historical depth of the region. The trip finishes upon arrival in Amman, so you can either take your evening flight home, or extend for a night to decompress after a wild, fun ride in Syria.

Orrrrrr, even better. The next day I’m off to Eritrea, one of the top 10 least countries in the world. Come and join me! You can see the itinerary and price HERE.

Syria Tour Dates

7 days, 6 nights

March 2nd to March 8th, 2025

Syria Tour Costs

$2299.

Non-refundable deposit of $250 to secure your spot.

Payment is possible via bank transfer, via revolut, via paypal. Just let me know which works best.

What’s included?

• All accomodation
• All transport
• All entrance fees
• Local guides
• Western guide throughout (me, Johnny!)
• All breakfasts
• All visa help

What’s not included?

• International airfare to/from Amman, Jordan
• Travel insurance
• Lunches and dinners
• Tips for local guides
• Visa fee on the border

How about the Syrian Visa process?

Quite tricky BUT… my team will manage all of this. Historically, Americans especially had less than a 10% chance. But with my team, we have a 90+% chance of getting everyone a visa. So don’t worry. I manage all of that.

If you sign-up, and your visa is denied, you will receive a full refund, don’t worry 🙂

How To Sign up to travel to Syria with me

Normally I use a platform called WeTravel for my trips, you can see my trips Skiing in Afghanistan, Pakistani Kashmir, but because the USA has sanctioned Syria (and Yemen, amongst others) that means we can’t process payments through the normal ways.

You can book up for my ‘MYSTERY TOUR’ here though (ahem, cough cough):

So, if you want to join my tour to Syria you need to DM me on instagram.com/onestep4ward or email me on johnny@onestep4ward.com. Then, you pay a 10% deposit to me, send me your passport, I organise your visas for Syria, and full payment is due 60 days/2 months before the trip.

So final payment is due January 2nd, 2025. Simple as that!

Is it Safe to travel to Syria right now?

I visited Syria once before, back in 2010. Just before the war broke out and the country all-but fell apart. It’s been heartbreaking to watch from the sidelines, but now with Damascus solidifying itself, I’m super excited to get back and see how their recovering is going. Adventure tourism is the first wave of tourism returning to one of the friendliest nations on earth, and I’m proud we’re all going to be part of that.

If you want to come, please email me on johnny@onestep4ward.com with any questions, with a photo of your passport.

Finally, this isn’t a standard G Adventure/tour company trip. I don’t know what to expect as much as you guys. This is as real as travel gets, so lets expect stuff to be a little rough around the edges, perhaps even a little disorganised, but it’ll be the adventure of a lifetime. See you in Amman, and then Damascus!

And is it ethical to travel to Syria?

Our trip to Syria doesn’t endorse any Government, please understand that. All our Syrian partners and staff are local, small-business owners who have had their livelihoods decimated by the war. Tourism is their way back, for them and their families.

On that note, on our last trip to Syria, our lovely guide had a serious medical condition, and due to the Syrian system had no hope. Our group paid for his surgery, and now he’s all good again. Responsible tourism has the power to make a change, and we’re part of that.

Make it the trip of a lifetime and combine it with my Libya and/or Syria tour!

If you’re a hardcore traveler, come and join me before this in Libya, or after in Eritrea. I’m doing them all back to back to back. Have the most epic couple of weeks in your life – Libya, then to Syria, then to Eritrea. Wild!

Check out all the trips here: