Vacation In Aleppo

No matter what your feelings on the Syrian situation, vacationing in Syria is a popular choice for savvy Syrian’s. This article takes an in-depth look at how to plan a vacation in Aleppo, the significance of tour guides and whether or not you should bring valuables.

For a great place to grab a vacation, go to Aleppo in Syria. The shops and restaurants are great, the people are friendly, and it’s pretty safe for tourists. The beaches are clean, and the weather is nice. You can check out United Nations University here too.

You’re looking for the perfect getaway to relax and forget about work, but you don’t want to spend all your money. A great option — especially if you’re a budget-conscious traveler — is to vacation in Aleppo. The Syrian city has numerous affordable options, it’s close to home, and the food is delicious. Plus, with many restaurants in Syria closed due to the country’s ongoing civil war, some of its most beloved foods might be harder to find back home.

Vacation In Aleppo

For centuries, people from around the world have traveled to the gorgeous destination of Aleppo, Syria, drawn by its rich culture and stunning beauty. With rolling hills of rustling trees and ancient castles scattered about the countryside, it’s no wonder that this is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world.

You can’t go, you will get arrested, you will get in trouble because this is Syria, there is a war on, and I don’t recommend you take your chances.

This is what the owner of a travel agency was repeatedly telling me, in an attempt to try to convince me to book one of their expensive tours to Aleppo. Yeah, sure.

I was skeptical, especially because I had already heard that that person was suspected of being a scammer, a person not to be trusted, so I decided to do my own research and yeah, take my chances.

For all the latest, practical information, don’t forget to read my Syria travel guide

Upon my arrival in Damascus, I got in touch with a young Syrian named Abdul – his name isn’t Abdul, but let’s just call him that for his anonymity – from Aleppo and a UN worker. We talked over the phone, and I could tell that he was a well-educated and knowledgeable Syrian who knew his shit.

I told him the situation, and he said that there shouldn’t be a problem, that foreigners can travel to Aleppo by bus, that he would pick me up at the bus station and that I could even stay at his house.

I felt extremely lucky to meet Abdul.

After spending three incredible days in Damascus eating my way through hummus and fatteh, getting a haircut in the Shia district and wandering around each and every street from the Old City, I decided to take the risk, so I headed to Damascus Bus Station, which was in a different location than usual, as the original one was under construction.

Hello, for Aleppo?

Yes, yes, welcome, welcome – that gentleman said with a big smile.

I paid him the equivalent of 7€, a modest price compared to the 400€ the tour agent was asking for a 2-day trip to Aleppo.

I got in the bus. It was full of soldiers, but I already knew it would be. A guy in Damascus told me that most passengers going to Aleppo were young soldiers from the Syrian army.

I sat next to one of them, a 30-year old Syrian who had Bashar Al-Assad’s face as a screensaver on his phone.

I greeted him in my macaronic Arabic, but he didn’t seem to care much about me.