Combined Tour Lebanon & Syria 2007

11 days – 10 nights program

Day 1 : Arrival Beirut

Meet and assist and transfer to hotel in Beirut. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2 : Beirut, Harissa - Byblos

Breakfast and departure to visit the city center of Beirut, The National Museum, and proceed to visit Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa by Cable Car, to admire the panoramic view overlooking the bay of Jounieh. Continue to Byblos, and visit the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world for more than 6000 years. Visit of the citadel and the St John Chapel, the old port, and the souks. Return to Beirut hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 : Tripoli – Krak des Chevaliers – Aleppo

Breakfast and departure to Syrian Borders. Meet with the Syrian Guide and assistance with visa formalities. Continue to Krak des Chevaliers and visit of the Fortress. Proceed to Aleppo. Dinner and overnight.

Day 4 : Aleppo – St Simeon – Aleppo

Breakfast and morning visit of Aleppo, which is like Damascus, one of the oldest ever inhabited cities in the world. It was mentioned in many Egyptian and Babylonian Scripts. Aleppo was the capital of the kingdom of Yamhad. The prosperity of Aleppo is lately connected to trading factor as it is located on the road of Persia and India. Visit of the Citadel, the Ommayad Mosque and the old covered bazaars, and proceed to St. Simeon, and ecclesistical complex dating back to the end of the 5^th century and erected in honour of St. Simeon Styllite. It mainly consists of the Martyr church, a convent and a baptistery with a basilica church. It was for a number of centuries the most important center for Christian pilgrimage, and a beautiful example of Byzantine architecture. Return to Aleppo for dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 5 : Aleppo – Apamea – Hama – Palmyra

Breakfast and drive to Apamea, one of the main Greek cities of the Seleucid Empire. On the way to Hama, famous for its 114 norias, huge wooden wheels known from the 5^th century and survived up till the present day, providing water to nearby gardens, and creating a beautiful landscape on the banks of the Orontes River.  Continue to Palmyra. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6 : Palmyra

Breakfast and full day visit of Palmyra.  Originally called Tadmor, this very ancient city took advantage of the decline of Petra and played a vital role in the 2^nd century AD in as much as the Palmyrian army protected the frontiers of the Roman empire. Emperor Diocletian attacked and destroyed the independent state of Palmyra in the 3^rd century AD. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 : Palmyra – Homs – Maaloula – Damascus

Breakfast and departure to Homs, where they hve the 2 churches of St. Elian and Oum Al Zunar. Continue to Maaloula old christian village built in the rock where the inhabitants still speak the Aramean , the language of Christ. Visit of St. Sergius Convent, perched on the top of the cliff with its Byzantine Chapel, and then visit of St. Takla , a pupil of St. Paul and one of the first martyrs of the Church. Continue to Damascus. Dinner and overnight .

Day 8 : Damascus

Breakfast and full day visit of Damascus. Visit of the Ommayad Square , the Azem Palace, the St Paul Church and Ananias House, as well as the Bazaar of Hamidiyeh. Afternoon visit of Mt Kassioun with its panoramic view overlooking the city of Damascus. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 9 : Damascus – Baalbeck – Ksara – Beirut

Breakfast and departure to Lebanese borders. Meet with the Lebanese guide and assistance with the visa formalities then proceed to visit the Roman Temples of Baalbeck. Stop at the Ksara winery for wine tasting. Continue to Beirut for dinner and overnight.

Day 10 : Beiteddine – Tyre

Breakfast and departure to visit the Emir Bechir Palace in Beiteddine , a pure example of the Lebanese architecture of the 19^th century. Continue to the South and visit the Phoenician city of Tyre, declared as World Heritage by the Unesco. Visit the Hippodrome, the Arch of Triumph and the Colonnades. Return to Beirut hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 11 : Beirut departure

Breakfast and transfer to airport for departure.

Price per person in sharing double room on Half Board basis in US Dollars

Hotels proposed:

This price includes:

• Meet and assist at Beirut airport on arrival and departure

• Meet and assist at Borders on arrival and departure

• Transportation by private vehicle according to group size for the entire tour in Lebanon and Syria

• Bilingual guide according to clients’ nationality in Lebanon and Syria for the excursions.

• Entrance fees to all visited sites in Lebanon & Syria

• Hotel accommodation in Lebanon for 4 nights and in Syria for 6 nights at the above mentioned hotels in sharing double room on Half Board basis

• One free tour leader in sharing double room for 15 paying pax and over

• 10% VAT on Lebanon Services at present time

This price does not include:

• Visa to Lebanon: Free for less than 48 hours ,

• Visa to Syria

• Lunches during the excursions

• Drinks with the dinners

• Extras and personal expenses

• Tips to the guide and driver

• Beirut departure Tax $ 4

Validity: this offer is valid till end December 2007.

Reduction for Lebanon portion during Low Season