What is currently going on with Saiga's Syria tours?
As you may or may not be aware, Syria has been going through it recently. From mid 2025 it’s been very difficult to run Syria tours, due to heightened instability in the region. For a Lebanon was more of a concern than Syria, so we used Amman for our start and end point instead of Beirut. And then of course we had the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2025.
So where are we at now? Are tours running? Is it safe? And what is the current outlook for the future Syrian tourism?
Are we running tours?
Yes! Absolutely. Our first Syria tour of the year is running in April and will be one of the first groups to go to Syria after the fall of Assad and the forming of the new government. Excitingly, we will also be one of the first groups to go to Idlib, which has been off-limits for years. Previously, Idlib was completely blocked off and was considered far too dangerous for tourists because of the fighting between what they called “the rebels” and the Syrian Army controlled by Bashar Al Assad. There is now of course no fighting in this area anymore.
As always, we were very keen to get back as soon as it was safe, and we are absolutely satisfied that that’s the case now and Syria is safe enough to take group tours to once more.
During the times of the Assad regime there were many parts of the country and even sites in Damascus that were off-limits. Now the story couldn’t be more different. We will be able to visit the once off-limits Idlib, as well as many sites that show the devastation the old regime had on its people. Sites such as Ghouta (where the chemical weapons were used on civilians) and Sednaya Prison (a prison once used for enemies of the state) are being showed to tourists to explain the horrific actions of the Assad regime.
Is it safe?
In short, yes. We wouldn’t take anyone to a place we thought posed any significant threat to safety. While the country is definitely still unstable and the situation is still evolving, we are confident that it is safe enough for foreign tourists to return. Many people have already been going back to Syria and the situation in the majority of the country is remaining peaceful.
Syria is returning to how it used to be and this will take time, but currently all the signs are pointing towards the country moving in the right direction and the international community is reflective of this. International airlines that left when the war started have returned, with Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and Qatar Airways all resuming their services. In addition, foreign embassies are also returning to the capital, Damascus, with the most recent one being the Germans.
So, what is our outlook for Syrian tourism?
It’s going to be a slow and difficult recovery to get to where it was in 2010, but our outlook is overwhelmingly positive for now. Steps are being taken on multiple fronts to get the country up and running and ministries have resumed working.
If the current transitional government keeps their word and maintains stability amongst minorities and keeps the security situation under control, then we can see no reason why Syrian tourism can’t flourish once again! We love Syria, so we are absolutely hoping that this will be the case.
Do we have a crystal ball? No. But, we do have many years of experience in Syria and other countries with difficult political and security situation? Yes. And everything we are seeing from Syria at the moment is pointing to a good future for Syrian tourism.
If you’d like to come with us to see a country go through rapid and drastic change then sign up for one of our Syrian tours this year. Check out the tours we have available
on our website
, or
get in touch
for more information.
