How to travel to Syria in 2026 (with new Government) – Against the Compass

This travel guide to Syria was originally written after my first visit in 2018.

Since then, it’s been constantly updated based on my multiple visits, while running over 20 ATC expeditions into the country.

Now, with all the changes brought in the brand-new Government, we’ve updated this Syria travel blog following our last visit in 2025.

Find out everything you need to know about traveling to Syria, including tips regarding visas, safety, transportation and more!

Why visit Syria with Against the Compass?

🇸🇾 What’s it like to travel to Syria today

Since the war in Syria started in March 2011, the country has gone through many different stages that have affected tourism there in different ways.

Traveling to Syria from 2011 to 2018

From 2011 until early 2018, Syria was a proper war zone that was off limits to foreign tourists.

Traveling to Syria from 2019 to 2026

Only at the end of 2018 did certain areas across West Syria finally gain stability, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad decided to open the country up to international tourism.

At first, foreign tourists were rare, and the local authorities were always highly suspicious, but little by little, tourism started to come back, reaching its peak in 2023.

Independent travel in Syria, however, wasn’t really allowed at that point.

In October 2023, the spillover from the war in Gaza and neighboring Lebanon slowed tourism down to its minimum.

Traveling to Syria under the new Government (2026 onwards)

In December 2024, Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad and took control of the country, initiating a new era for Syria.

This group is pretty much the local branch of Al Qaeda in Syria. During the war, they were called Al Nusra Front, the people who took over Aleppo, Maaloula, and Krak de Chevaliers.

Today, they’ve switched their name to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, although they are essentially the same dudes.

However, HTS says they have become more moderate, claiming they will respect Syria’s great diversity.

Until recent times, Syria was a pretty secular, relaxed state, but I am finding it hard to believe they will allow such a level of secularism, which was previously so characteristic of Syria.

They won’t be as extreme as the Taliban in Afghanistan, but new Sharia rules will certainly apply, so Syria is likely to change.

📰 New vs old Government: what’s changed from a Syrian travel perspective

From a travel perspective, Syria is very different from what it used to be before 2024.

Here’s a small summary of all the differences.

The people at checkpoints now have long beards. Unlike the previous shaved-off army guys, the new soldiers are all jihadists who used to fight for Al Nusra, and all of them have long beards.

The country’s new flag is waving everywhere. Syria has a new flag, which has already been recognized by the United Nations.

Bashar al-Assad’s portraits are all gone. The image of former dictator Bashar al-Assad used to be omnipresent, but his portraits and photos are now all gone and considered relics.

Everyone talks about how awful Bashar al-Assad was to the country. The one thing that surprised me the most was realizing the hatred that most Syrians had for Assad, everyone is talking about it.

Independent travel is now allowed. Let’s see how long this will last, but in the meantime, proper independent backpacking in Syria is now entirely possible.

Newly opened areas. Many places that used to be off-limits, such as Idlib or north of Aleppo in Afrin, are now open to all, with no restrictions.

New Sharia rules. Nobody is sure about this yet, but what I can say is that some liquor stores and bars that were fully operational are now shut, but not because HTS forced them to do so, but because Syrians are afraid of their reaction.

🗺️ Sign up for a tour in Syria

Do you want to travel to Syria with a group of like-minded travelers?

Against the Compass has several scheduled group expeditions in 2026-2027:

Check this documentary on our Syria tours!

Please note that this video was filmed and posted in 2023, when Syria was still under Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

🪪 How to get a tourist visa for Syria

Up to December 2024: security clearance arranged through a valid tour operator was required to visit Syria.

With the new Government in January 2025: visas are available on arrival, no pre-arrangements are needed.

Is the visa on arrival available at all entry points?

You can collect your visa on arrival if entering Syria from Lebanon, Jordan, and also via Damascus International Airport (DAM).

How long is it valid for?

This new visa allows you to travel in Syria for 30 days.

What nationalities are eligible for a Syrian visa?

All nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival for Syria, and that includes US citizens.

How much does the visa for Syria cost?

Since June 2025, the cost of the visa (whether entering by land or through Damascus International Airport) is as follows:

• EU passports, including Switzerland and Norway: $75
• Canada: $100
• UK, Australia, New Zealand: $150
• USA: $200
• Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela: $50
• Argentina: $150
• Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania: Free. 
• Angola, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Chad, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Ecuador, Egypt, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Mongolia, Peru, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Yemen: $25
• Armenia, Brasil, Georgia, India, Indonesia,  Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Kuwait: $50
• Oman, Philippines: $75
• UAE, Uganda: $100

🛫 How to get to Syria

How to travel to Syria by land

1 – How to travel from Beirut (Lebanon) to Damascus

Traveling to Damascus from Beirut is the easiest way to get to Syria.

Beirut is only 115km from Damascus and the journey takes 3 to 4 hours, including the customs process.

If you book a full tour of Syria, your transfer from Beirut to Damascus will likely be included.

Otherwise, independent travelers can take shared taxis to Damascus that depart from Cola station – Charles Hélou station doesn’t exist anymore since the explosion of the explosion in 2020.

From Cola Station, you can take a shared taxi to Chtoura for 3 USD. Once in Chtoura, tell the driver about your plans, and he’ll help you find the shared taxis to Damascus, which shouldn’t cost more than 20 USD.

Alternatively, a private taxi from Beirut to Damascus will cost you 100-125 USD.

Read: A travel guide to Beirut

2 – How to travel from Tripoli to Tartus

You can also travel to Syria from the border north of Tripoli.

Shared taxis to Tartus cost around 15 USD and they leave regularly until 8pm, from this station.

It’s only a 65km journey, so it should be fairly quick.

3 – How to travel from Amman (Jordan) to Syria

The border between Jordan and Syria is open, but the journey from Amman is way longer, plus the border crossing can take a long time, sometimes the whole day.

If you book a full tour of Syria, your transfer from Amman to Damascus should also be included.

Otherwise, there’s a bus company called Al Kamal that runs a daily bus service from Amman to Damascus, departing at 2pm.

Buses depart from an international bus terminal located in southern Amman. Tickets can be purchased there, or you can also book them at the central office, located here.

A bus ticket costs 25 JOD.

4 – How to travel from Turkey to Syria

Currently, the border between Syria and Turkey is closed to foreigners.

How to travel to Syria by air

With the new change of Government in January 2025, many airlines are resuming their flights into Damascus International Airport, including Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Qatar Airways.

However, I’m not sure if flying directly into Damascus is more convenient than coming from Beirut, for the following reasons:

• Flights to Damascus are expensive, plus you will also have to pay for your visa (at land borders, the visa is free).
• The transfer from Beirut to Damascus takes 3 to 4 hours, which could actually be faster than your flight connection.

By the way, in addition to the airlines mentioned above, you can also fly to Damascus with Cham Wings, Syrian Air, and Iraqi Airways. The problem, however, is that you can’t book your flight tickets online, only at their respective offices, with payment in cash.

Read: Lebanon – A 2-week itinerary

⚠️ Is it safe to travel to Syria?

Is Syria safe?

Along with how to get a visa for Syria, safety is the other big question mark for anyone traveling to Syria.

Look, the war is practically over in West Syria, and cities like Aleppo and Damascus are relatively safe.

You see children roaming around, the old city of Damascus is packed, and everything seems just fine.

I still remember the first time I traveled to Syria in 2018. I was in Damascus for Christmas and, for the first time since the beginning of the war, the streets of the Old City of Damascus (and Aleppo as well) were filled with Christmas lights and celebrations.

The atmosphere was full of joy, happiness, and both Muslims and Christians were celebrating the event with major enthusiasm (there is a huge Christian community in Damascus).

Since then, things have only gotten better.

For a better understanding, read my analysis: Is Syria safe to visit?

Is Syria safer after the fall of Assad’s regime?

I really don’t know whether the country is now safer than under Bashar al-Assad, but what I can tell you is that bazaars, old cities, and cafés are equally packed.

When it comes to safety, I didn’t notice any big difference compared to how it was before, from a tourism perspective, at least.

From a local perspective, however, Syria has become unsafe for certain minorities, such as the Alawites and the Druze, both suffering persecution from the Islamist armed factions linked to the current Government.

Read: Is it safe to travel to Iraq

📍 Which parts of  Syria are safe to travel to?

Read my 100% safe travel itinerary for Syria.

The most stable areas to visit in Syria

By stable, I mean that they have been relatively safe since the end of the war in 2018.

These places all of them part of our Syria Tours include:

Damascus, Maaloula, Bosra, Homs, Aleppo, Krak de Chevaliers and Palmyra.

Still, keep in mind that this is a post-war zone, which means that it is highly unstable and things could change overnight.

Lesser stable areas to visit in Syria with the new regime

For now, I’d personally avoid traveling along the Syrian coast, including Latakia and Tartus, but especially Latakia, since that’s the heartland of the Alawites, the most hardcore supporters of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

There have been reports of massacres against Alawites in Latakia in 2025, mainly perpetrated by fighters aligned with the Syrian Government. It’s not safe to go there for now.

New areas you can visit with the New Government

Idlib

Idlib might be the most significant newly opened area you can visit in Syria.

Until 2024, Idlib was the only region controlled by HTS, from where they expanded to the rest of the country.

Idlib was and still is backed by Turkey. They use the Turkish Lira and only Turkish phone reception works here.

It’s also a super conservative region, even more so than Raqqa. Most local women wear a niqab, and female tourists are obliged to wear a hijab.

Raqqa and beyond

Today, Raqqa is controlled by the Kurdish forces, who have annexed the region to their new so-called state of Rojava.

Raqqa and all of Rojava used to only be open if entering Syria illegally (sort of) from Iraqi Kurdistan, but under the new Government, you can now enter from West Syria, as long as you have the necessary permits to enter Rojava.

We visited Raqqa in 2025 via the main road from Hama.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 The people – The Syrians

Language spoken in Syria

Levantine Arabic is the official language.

Note that many English-speaking people left the country, although you can always find someone who does.

In any case, it’s best to try to learn some Arabic before traveling to Syria.

Religion in Syria

Around 65% of the population are Sunni Muslims. However, like Lebanon, in Syria, there are many different religions, including a large Christian population. Bashar Al-Assad is Alawite, a Shia branch of Islam.

🙅‍♂️ Responsible tourism and ethics in Syria

How do Syrians feel about tourism?

According to the UN, around 500,000 Syrians have been killed, nearly 5,000,000 escaped from the country and several million more who are still in the country need humanitarian assistance.

We are talking about one of the worst humanitarian crises in the 21st century.

Many people are skeptical about traveling to Syria, claiming or believing that it’s a direct means of supporting Assad’s regime, hence it would be somehow disrespectful to all the people affected.

My opinion is that, before making any judgments, we should ask the actual Syrians living in Syria what they think about it.

If you ever do go to Syria, I doubt you will chat to a single Syrian who isn’t happy to see foreign tourists.

In 2018, when the war was still fresh, Syrians who spoke English approached me, asking a lot of questions and showing their gratitude for visiting their country.

Hello, how are you?

Well, alive, thank God! – A random Syrian told me

That was a couple of years ago. Today, tourists in Syria are more common to see and for them locals, it’s a reflection that their country is, very slowly, getting back to normality.

Check my article about Why you should travel the World without censorship

How to be a more responsible traveler in Syria

Syria is a post-war zone, where millions of people have lost their houses and relatives – much like Haiti – so please be a sensitive tourist.

Don’t say war but crisis or situation instead

You will notice that many Syrians themselves don’t really use the word war; they prefer to say other, less harsh words.

Don’t take selfies in front of damaged buildings

Seriously, this is one of the most disrespectful things you could ever do and you would actually be an asshole if you did this.

Empathize with the locals

When you are in an area full of destroyed buildings, be polite to the locals, say hello, shake hands and just be nice with them.

Collaborate with the local economy

In Homs and Aleppo, you are likely to see small businesses open among all the ruins. Do buy things from them.

In Homs, I saw one small bakery shop in the practically destroyed souk; I couldn’t resist buying a kilo of sweets there, which I gave to a young boy who was searching for things among the trash.

Read: A travel guide to Iraqi Kurdistan

🛺 Transportation: how to travel around Syria

You can travel around Syria using local buses and shared taxis.

To be completely honest with you, I’ve only done proper backpacking in Syria once, in 2018. In my subsequent visits, I was either with our groups expeditions, or traveling around by car with my Syrian friends.

However, I know for a fact that getting around Syria on public transportation is very possible, especially when traveling between cities.

The main bus station to get anywhere north of Damascus is located here, from where you can go on to Aleppo, or Homs. I also took a shared taxi from Aleppo to Homs, and from Homs to Damascus. Easy.

💻 Internet and connectivity in Syria

Wi-Fi in Syria

Wi-Fi works relatively OK in most hotels, at least the ones listed in the accommodation section of this travel guide.

Can I get a SIM Card for Syria?

It should be noted that currently, eSIMs are not available in Syria.

You can get a Syriatel SIM Card in the official store. There’s one right next to Merjeh Square.

Get a VPN for travel in Syria

You should always use a VPN when you travel, especially when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks.

Your connection will be much safer. 

Moreover, you will be able to access content that is typically censored in Syria. 

I recommend ExpressVPN – Extremely easy to use, fast and cheap. 

If you want to learn more about VPNs, check: Why you need a VPN for traveling.

💰 What you need to know about money before traveling to Syria

In Syria, they use the Syrian Pound (SYP), a currency that has been fluctuating like crazy for the past 10 years.

Before the crisis, $1 equaled 50SYP.

In 2018, during my first visit, $1 equaled 490SYP.

Today, you can exchange $1 on the black market for up to 10,200 SYP.

As a consequence, Syria is suffering from massive inflation and the problem is that most salaries haven’t increased accordingly.

Exchanging money in Syria

You can exchange both Euros (€) and USD ($), although USD can be exchanged at a better rate.

If you’re bringing 100 USD notes, keep in mind that they only accept the new ones with the blue line.

If you have Syrian Pounds left when you leave, you can exchange them for Lebanese Pounds or USD in most exchange offices in Beirut, at the official bank rate (meaning it won’t be quite so good).

Where can you exchange Syrian Pounds?

It’s best to exchange local currency at the exchange offices you find before reaching the border. With our groups, we always exchange in a Lebanese town of Chtoura.

ATMs and credit cards in Syria

Because of foreign sanctions, in Syria, you can neither pay by credit card nor use ATMs. You have to bring all your money in cash.

Update 2024: Due to the current financial crisis, the same rule applies to Lebanon. If you are traveling to Syria from Lebanon, you must bring enough cash to visit both countries.

How much does it cost to travel to Syria?

These are the prices of the most typical things:

• Lunch in a local restaurant: 50,000 to 80,000 SYP
• Food in a nice restaurant with wine: 150,000 to 250,000 SYP
• Breakfast (like hummus or fuul): 35,000 SYP
• National Museum: 25,000 SYP
• Aleppo Citadel: 2,5000 SYP
• Bus from Damascus to Aleppo: 50,000 to 70,000 SYP
• Budget Hotel in Damascus: $35 to $45 for a private room
• Mid-range hotel in Damascus: $60 to $90 for a private room
• Taxis within cities: 40,000 to 60,000 SYP
• Local shared taxi Aleppo to Homs: 100,000 to 150,000 SYP

Are the Syrian cities really destroyed?

This point seems to attract a lot of confusion, so let me explain it for you:

Damascus

Only the outskirts of Damascus have been destroyed, as a bloody battle was fought there. This area is off-limits to tourists.

The Old City and the new part of town remain intact.

Aleppo

Part of the Old City has been destroyed, as well as some areas outside the city.

Most of Aleppo isn’t damaged although some very important sites in the Old City, such as the Great Mosque, are gone.

Nowadays, however, the city is being rebuilt and people are slowly coming back.

Homs

This was one of the cities most affected by the war.

Approximately 40% of the city has been destroyed and that includes its bazaar, one of the liveliest and most important souqs in all the Middle East.

Palmyra

The Temple of Baal was destroyed by ISIS but Palmyra is a massive archaeological site and many of its wonders can still be seen.

📸 Taking photos when you travel in Syria

You can take photos of anything except for one thing: military stuff.

Yes, it seems very obvious but the problem is that there’s military stuff everywhere, especially in Damascus.

In Damascus, a few times I took pictures of some cool building or other, from fairly far away, and didn’t realize there was a checkpoint right next to it.

Of course, the soldiers approached me, but after quickly checking my passport and my camera, they very kindly let me continue.

In Damascus Old City, there are checkpoints everywhere, so pay attention before taking any photos.

🏨 Accommodation: where to stay in Syria

Syria is well-provisioned with good hotels. Here are my recommendations.

Where to stay in Damascus

Budget Hotel: Green Hotel. Clean, Wi-Fi and just outside the Old City. The guy on reception spoke English.

Boutique Hotel: Beit al Mamlouka. A small hotel at the heart of the old city.

Luxury: Beit al Wali. One of the best hotels in the city.

Where to stay in Aleppo

Budget: Aleppo Palace. Good, affordable option in Aleppo, with great views of the new part of town. It’s located right next to the I Love Aleppo sign.

Mid-range: Laurus. A little bit further out but way better than Aleppo Palace and not much more expensive.

In Aleppo, you can also find a Sheraton.

Where to stay in Homs

Budget, mid-range: Al Waleed. Very nice, basic hotel with a lively café just downstairs.

Where to stay in Al Mishtaya

Al Mishtaya is a Christian village near Krak de Chevaliers.

They have a pretty decent, brand-new hotel named Vila Rosa Hotel.

Where to stay in Palmyra and Bosra

Today, you can’t stay either of these sites as there are no hotels.

🍲 The food and alcohol in Syria

In the last few years, I haven’t traveled to many countries that are famous for their food, but Syria is.

Being an olive-oil-rich Mediterranean country, the ingredients used in Syrian cuisine are fresh and similar to those used in Spain, Italy, France, and Greece.

The food is actually pretty much the same as in Lebanon, with their own regional variations, of course.

From classic hummus to kibbeh (local steak tartar), different sorts of grilled meat or a typical dish from Aleppo consisting of meatballs in cherry sauce, the food in Syria is so varied. 

For me, however, breakfast is the best part, as they always serve variations of hummus and fuul drenched in super tasty olive oil and vegetables.

As for alcohol, you should be aware that Syria has a large Christian population, so alcohol is easily available, especially in the Christian district of the Old City of Damascus, where there is a street filled with bars and various liquor stores.

You can actually buy a $1 beer and drink it in the street!

❗ More information for traveling in Syria

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

All guides and articles for traveling in Syria destination

Travel guides to other countries in the Middle East

You might also like our Libya travel guide and Haiti travel guide.

You may also be interested in: Where in the Middle East is safe? and The most beautiful places in the Middle East.

I hope this Syria travel blog helps you to plan your trip. I will try to keep it updated, but if you have more updates, please let us know in the comments section. Thanks 🙂