Meet and greet at Damascus airport and transfer to your hotel.

Said to be the oldest continually-inhabited city in the world and familiar from the Bible Damascus lives up to the minds eye image. The old city is approached through the Hamadiyeh Souk, the city’s most famous, and expands into a labyrinth of narrow streets.

Today we start with a visit to the National Museum, a repository of exquisite Syrian artefacts from all periods of the country’s history. We pass through the Hamadiyeh Souk to the beautiful Ommayed Mosque. From here we start our discovery of the old city of Damascus with the Azem Palace, the little alleys, small restaurants and shops and Muslim and Christian quarters with the Churches of St Paul and St Ananias on the famous Street Called Straight.

After our visit we head south to the town of Bosra, famous for what is one of the world’s best-preserved Roman theatres, dramatic because of its condition and because it is built from wonderful black basalt.

We leave the capital behind and head out into the desert towards Palmyra, 4 hours away. On arrival we check in and have maybe have a light lunch before setting off to explore Zenobia’s famous capital, here in the very heart of the Syrian desert. This oasis can’t fail to leave a big impression as we walk around some of the most beautiful Roman ruins of the Middle East. We enjoy the sunset from a hill crowned with an Arab castle and from which we have an amazing view over the oasis, the site and the surrounding desert.

Departing Palmyra we drive west to the Krak des Chevaliers, a must-see mountain-top Crusader castle which has associations with Richard the Lionheart. This is a highlight of the journey as we enter the amazingly well-preserved walls and explore the similarly impressive interior. You’ll see the donjon, storage areas, kitchen and courtyards before taking a walk through beautiful scenery to the Orthodox convent of St George.

After our visit we descend to Hama and a visit to one of the most traditional cities in Syria. Famous for its waterwheels or norias we admire the immense structures that are the symbol of the city and which have stood here carrying water from the Orontes since Roman times.

A long day today as we seek to discover the Byzantine history of the north.
An early departure takes us to the basilica of Saint Simeon, where the eponymous saint sat atop a stone pillar espousing wisdom to those that came on pilgrimage holds a grand spot almost overlooking the Syrio-Turkish border and the Dead Cities.

These astonishing settlements sit here in this desolate and somewhat unusual region - many villages established more than 1000 years ago and which were abandoned in the 7th century. We take a walk in this beautiful region full of historical remains before we continue to Aleppo.

After breakfast we set out to discover the warren of souks that make up medieval Aleppo’s historic heart. Here traders sell their wares in distinct districts, from shops that line vaulted passageways. The atmosphere is incomparable, almost a scene from the Middle Ages – fascinating.

We also explore the Citadel, the fortress-palace which dominates the city and a masterpiece of medieval military art. We continue to the impressive Ommayed Mosque, fully restored in 2004 and finish with a walk through the Armenian quarter of Jdaydeh with its many churches and restaurants.

Heading south we first arrive at Apamea, an amazing Roman site with a long cardo of more than 1km and set on a hill dominating the plain. We visit the site and walk down to the village below heading on to Maaloula, a Christian enclave speaking Aramaic, the language of Jesus.

Finally we arrive back in Damascus.

Today our tour ends with a transfer to the airport.