Syria prior to the civil war was one of the most visited places in the Middle East, and with good reason! It has sites from nearly every time period imaginable, incredible food, amazing scenery and some of the friendliest most welcoming people you’ll ever meet.
Since tour groups started returning around 2016 the security situation has always been front of mind. We happily ran tours to Syria during this time and it was safe to do so, however there were precautions we had to follow and certain parts of the country were just downright off limits.
How is the situation now?
Well, from our people on the ground, Syria is about to enter a new era of tourism with the current environment being described as safer than ever before for tourists. There is no longer fear of having to watch what you say about the Assad family and the current vibe of the town is much more positive than under the old government. Overall, people are much happier in Syria, and they are hopefully that this new leaf in their book will be a positive one so they can put the past 14 years of tragedy behind them.
What is our outlook for Syrian tourism?
We have high hopes and expectations for Syria and always have! We think that once things settle down people will start to flock to Syria for a cheap Middle Eastern adventure. Of course, for those intrepid people that never listened to government travel advice we didn’t stop running tours and so we are ready to welcome a whole new bunch of people wanting to explore this amazing country. In short, we think Syrian tourism will boom once the country has stabilised a little more.
Have we ever had issues in Syria?
Luckily for us, we have never had an issue other than food poisoning on a Syria tour. Even running tours during the times of Assad, we always felt safe and comfortable in the country. Of course, we also have been travelling to Syria for years and also don’t take unnecessary risks with groups. Further you will always be accompanied by a local Syrian guide who do everything in their power to not only make sure you will have a fantastic time in Syria, but that you also remain safe in the country.
Is now the right time to go back?
We absolutely think so! We are confident in the safety of the country to take groups back and think that tourism would be nothing but good for the people of Syria. Tourism is usually the first thing to go when conflict breaks out and is usually one of the last to come back. We think tourism is a great way to provide an opportunity to people on the ground and for outsiders to really understand what is happening in the country instead of getting information just from mainstream media.
Our conclusion?
Syria is safe for travel, the only thing you need to do is to come to Syria on tour with us and see for yourself! We are running several tours throughout the year and are more excited than ever to show the new Syria to everyone!
Check out the Syria tours, we have on our website or send us an email to
[email protected]
to secure your spot on one of our 2025 Syria tours.
