Arrival to Beirut Int’l Airport, meet Nawafir representative at arrival hall, then drive to hotel for overnight.

Breakfast. Drive to the Bekaa-Valley which invites you to the heart of the most beautiful vine growing areas in the world. Cold and snowy winters, dry and hot summers, cool nights and misty mornings, are all ideal conditions for getting vintages that produce exceptional wines. Grapes varieties include Syrah, Merlot, Cabarnet-Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Carignan, and many others. Upon arrival in the Bekaa, visit Baalbek, This Phoenician city, where a triad of deities was worshipped, was known as Heliopolis during the Hellenistic period. It retained its religious function during Roman times, when the sanctuary of the Heliopolitan Jupiter attracted thousands of pilgrims. Baalbek, with its colossal structures, is one of the finest examples of Imperial Roman architecture at its apogee. Afterwards, continue to visit Ksara, located in the heart of the Beqaa, where several vineries produce exquisite wine and arak. Afterwards drive to Damascus for overnight.

Breakfast. Damascus, founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. In the Middle Ages, it was the centre of a flourishing craft industry, specializing in swords and lace. Damascus boasts some 125 monuments from different periods of its history; the National Museum which houses the finest collection of archaeological artifacts from around the country. Among its treasures are a fragment of the oldest known alphabet in the world, unearthed at Ugarit, and an 1800-year-old synagogue transported piece by piece from Dura Europos on the Euphrates River; the Umayyad Mosque, which is named for Islam’s first ruling dynasty, and is one of the great monuments to the ingenuity of early Islam. It occupies the site of sacred temples going back to the second millennium B.C. – first a temple to the Semitic god Hudod, the Greek god Zeus, and the Roman god Jupiter, then a Christian Church dedicated to John the Baptist, and finally a mosque; the Azem Palace, the luxurious home of the Ottoman governor; Souq Al Hamidiyeh, the bustling covered bazaar that fills the senses with colours and life; the Mausoleum of Saladin, the great leader who liberated Jerusalem from the Crusaders; the legendary Street Called Straight mentioned in the Bible, which spans the old city’s length from East to West; the Chapel of St. Ananias and St. Paul’s Window, from which Paul the evangelist was lowered to escape the Romans; and Bab Touma, the Christian quarter with its charming alleyways and handicraft shops. Overnight in Damascus.

Breakfast. Drive south to Ezra’a town, located on the west edge of the volcanic wilderness area of the Hauran in Syria. Ezra’a has one of Syria’s oldest functioning churches, the Greek Orthodox church of Saint George (Mar Girgis) which was build in 515 AD. The church it is still standing and is a living historical monument, a witness to the famous ecclesiastical architectural style of that period. Then continue to Bosra (UNESCO Site), which was once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia, and an important stopover on the ancient caravan route to Mecca. Bosra boasts a magnificent 2nd century Roman theatre, early Christian ruins and several mosques within its great walls. Drive back to Damascus for overnight.

Breakfast. Drive to Maalulal, which attracts visitors both for its charm, and for its importance in the history of Syrian Christianity. Homes in Maalula are gaily painted in violet and blue pastels, and perched abreast an imposing gorge between two mountains. Follow a twisting, narrow pathway deep into the mountain crevasse, the famous Al Faj, to the top of the mountain to explore caves dating back to Roman times. Maalula is also home to a population that still speaks a dialect of Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, and to two historic Christian monasteries: one Greek Orthodox dedicated to St. Thekla, the other Greek Catholic dedicated to Saint Sergius. Then continue to Wadi al-Nasara “Valley of Christians” to visit Crac des Chevaliers which is the most spectacular but least known medieval castle in the world. 65 km (40 miles) West of Homs at 650 m (1985 ft) above sea level. Krac has unbelievable architecture and occupies a strategic location overlooking Wadi al-Nasara, and is truly one of the unrivalled wonders of the world. This Crusader’s Castle of the knights – or Qalaat al Hosn as it is known in Arabic – is an unforgettable sight of grandeur. Overnight near Crac des Chevaliers.

Breakfast. Drive to Palmyra (UNESCO Site), an oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. From the 1st to the 2nd century, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences. Then back to Crac for overnight.

Breakfast. Drive to Safita, located to the southeast of Tartous, to visit Castle Blanc (called by natives, ‘Burj Safita’ which means Safita Tower) which was built by the Knights Templar during the Crusades upon prior fortifications. Constructed on the middle hill of Safita’s three hills, it offers a commanding view of the surrounding countryside, and was a major part of the network of Crusader fortifications in the area; afterwards drive to visit Saladin Castle, which stands on a rocky spur surrounded by two natural trenches that makes it completely isolated if the drawbridge is drawn. The castle dates back to the prosperous days of the Phoenicians (1000 B.C.) and also contains remains from the Byzantine period. It was the subject of conflict between the Byzantines and the Hamadanis until the Crusaders captured it; then continue to Lattakia for overnight.

Breakfast. Drive to Ugarit, where archaeologists unearthed In 1928 one of the most spectacular finds in Syria: the complete Kingdom of Ugarit, ’probably the first great international port in history,’ and a tablet bearing the oldest phonetic alphabet in the world. Ugarit rose to prominence between the 10th and 13th centuries B.C., and is one of the few Bronze Age sites in the Middle East. Afterwards drive to visit Saladin Castle, which stands on a rocky spur surrounded by two natural trenches that makes it completely isolated if the drawbridge is drawn. The castle dates back to the prosperous days of the Phoenicians (1000 B.C.) and also contains remains from the Byzantine period. It was the subject of conflict between the Byzantines and the Hamadanis until the Crusaders captured it. Then continue to Tartous for overnight.

Breakfast. Drive to Amrit, which was an ancient religious center built as a complement to the Phoenician port settlement on the nearby island of Arwad. It is the only remaining site in Syria that contains a mixture of both Phoenician and Persian architectural influences. Then continue to Sednaya, in Arabic Our Lady, which is renowned for its picturesque views and Christian heritage. After Jerusalem, Sednaya has been the most famous center for Christian pilgrimage in the east since the 6th A.D. Overnight in Damascus.

Breakfast. Transfer at Beirut Int’l Airport directly for departure.