Syria
Syrian Arab Republic
Western Asia · SYR
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Syria
Syria is a heritage-rich destination with major ancient cities and castles, but feasibility depends heavily on current conditions. Any future trip would need to be tightly scoped around a small number of accessible sites.
Popular For
Things To See
- Damascus
- Aleppo
- Palmyra
- Krak des Chevaliers
- Bosra
- Hama
Best Months
Know Before You Go
- Check travel advisories and local conditions before planning, as access can be limited.
- Infrastructure and transport vary widely, so a small, focused itinerary is essential.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Syria.
Guidebooks
📚Browse Syria Guidebooks on AmazonTours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Syria.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Damascus
- Population
- 25,620,000
- Area
- 185,180 km²
- Region
- Western Asia
Languages
- Arabic
Currency
Syrian pound (£)
SYP
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
18.2
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 27.1
- Restaurants
- 20.1
- Rent
- 5.1
Safety & Peace
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Damascus (33.50°N, 36.30°E).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
11/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 2/100
- Lived safety
- 27/100
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal❌
- Relationship recognitionNone
- Adoption recognition❌
- Anti-discrimination laws❌
- Employment protections❌
- Legal gender recognition❌
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.564
Medium human development
- 5-year change
- +0.007
- 10-year change
- -0.003
- Trend
- stable
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.787
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.490
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.553
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (6)
- 🏛️
Ancient Villages of Northern Syria
Inscribed 2011
- 🏛️
Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din
Inscribed 2006
- 🏛️
Ancient City of Aleppo
Inscribed 1986
- 🏛️
Site of Palmyra
Inscribed 1980
- 🏛️
Ancient City of Bosra
Inscribed 1980
- 🏛️
Ancient City of Damascus
Inscribed 1979
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 0.7%
- Forest cover
- 2.8%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 15
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 18
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
30/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Luxury Infrastructure
12/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Do not travelto Syria for any reason due to the risk of terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, hostage taking, crime, and armed conflict. Do not travel to Syria for any reason. The U.S. government suspended U.S. Embassy operations in 2012. The Czech Republic is the protecting power for the United States in Syria. The U.S. government cannot offer emergency or routine consular services to U.S. citizens in Syria due to the safety risks. Armed conflict Syria has experienced active armed conflict since 2011. No part of Syria is safe from violence. Hostage taking, terrorism, unexploded ordnance, and aerial bombardment pose significant risk of death or serious injury. The destruction of infrastructure, housing, medical facilities, schools, and power and water utilities has also increased hardships in Syria. The U.S. government strongly warns private U.S. citizens against traveling to Syria to engage in armed conflict. The U.S. government does not support this activity. U.S. citizens who undertake such activity face extreme personal risks, including being taken hostage, injury, or death. Terrorism There is risk of terrorist violence in Syria. Visit the U.S. Department of State’s country reports on terrorism to learn more. Bombings, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and assassinations remain a threat in parts of Syria. Providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations, including ISIS and al-Qa’ida (AQ) affiliates, is a crime under U.S. law that can result in prison time and large fines. Hostage taking Hostage taking of U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals continues to be a risk throughout the country. Air travel The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). This is due to risks to civil aviation operating within or nearby Syria. For more information, U.S. citizens should consult the Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices. Review our Travel Guidance for additional information on Syria, including alerts related to the closure of airspace. Maritime travel The U.S. Coast Guard determined Syrian ports do not have effective anti-terrorism measures. Vessels that arrive in U.S. ports from Syrian ports must meet additional U.S. Coast Guard conditions of entry as described in the current Port Security Advisory, International Port Security Program - Port Security Advisory. Mariners and passengers traveling through Syrian ports should be careful and use strong security measures. Czech Protecting Power in Damascus The U.S. government suspended U.S. Embassy operations in 2012. The Czech Republic serves as the protecting power for the United States in Syria. The Czech Protecting Power provides only emergency services to U.S. citizens, including: Acceptance of applications for emergency passports Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA) applications Emergency financial assistance Assistance to detained U.S. nationals Welfare and whereabouts checks for U.S. citizens when security conditions permit For routine consular services, including applying for a full-validity U.S. passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), and notarial services, U.S. citizens must visit a U.S. embassy or consulate outside Syria or return to the United States.
Read full advisory →Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data