Kareem Buddy

Ahlan wa Sahlan to Syria! Welcome to Syria!

We are ARABESK TOURS, an Incoming tour operator in Damascus. Here is our website:
www.arabesk-alafaqtours.com

We want to be different and offer exclusive tours, with a new perspective and a strong Arabic and oriental style. We focus on Arabic Oriental Hotels and Palaces (Boutique Hotels or Hotels de Charm):
- Oriental Nights: whole tour in Arabic hotels: in Damascus, Hama and Aleppo (3*, 4* and 5* category).
- Arabesk Hotels Tour: each night in a different Arabic hotel, in order to taste all the sensations.

We offer:
- Classical standard 3*, 4*, 5* stars
- First category = for small budgets (students, young people, with hotel Salaam and similar, DB with individual bathrooms, decent, clean, centrically, affordable)
- Arabesk Tour Gradual = combination starting from Budget Hotel 3* to Arabic Ottoman Palace in Damascus at the end.

We want to enhance tours out of season (not only in summer or Christmas or Eastern) but out of these periods (for example, in Low Season, 15 January-February, June-July, Nov-15 December), as the weather is always nice in Syria, and like this we have a better choice of hotels, transportation and guides.

And to be innovator by the choice of hotels, restaurants, services:
- The choice of the hotels, especially in Aleppo, where we can find Arabic palaces converted into hotels. In Damascus, we can also find 2 or 3 of them. It is better than placing the clients in standard international hotels, that look all the same all around the world.

- The choice of the restaurants, with oriental decoration, traditional atmosphere Middle Eastern food.

- Our packages are very complete and we include everything (guide, entrance fees, airport exit tax, full board (lunches, diners), and visa upon arrival at the airport) in order the client doesn’t have to pay anything else.

- If you or your University can organize Group of students the Professor, teacher and tour Leader will be free.

See all details, services included and prices in Attachment (for a standard itinerary: conventional 8 days - 7 nights). For any other request, please feel free to email us.
If you have any quotation request, pleas send us the details (date, number of pax, length, hotel category, meal plan …).

We can also send you some pictures of the hotels we work with by email.

Give us your opinion.

Here is one of our packages "Arabesk Itinerary Syria, 8 days + 7 nights", services and prices.

Day 1: Arrival at Damascus Int’l Airport, meet and assistance by Arabesk representative, afterwards transfer to hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Damascus
Breakfast, full day sightseeing in Damascus. We begin by walking in Souq al-Hamadieh (covered bazaar), in order to get immersed into the Arabic and oriental atmosphere, where all kinds of oriental handicrafts are sold, including beautiful carpets, exquisite handmade silk brocades, mosaic and mother-of-pearl inlaid wooden handicrafts, and spices and sweets. Then enter to the amazing Umayyad Mosque, which became an architectural model for hundreds of mosques throughout the Islamic world; visit of Saladin’s Tomb (who delivered the Middle East from the Crusaders). Then, continue in the old City visiting Azem Palace, an example of an Ottoman-era Damascene palace, the Agha Pacha Khan caravanserai, palaces (Bait Nizam, Maktaba Anbar, Danish Institute, Bait Siba'ai). Then continue walking by the narrow streets of the Old City, in this incredible immersion of colors, scents, noises and impressions. It is like a travel in the space, History and the five senses. Then walk in Souq al-Hamadieh for window shopping, see the damascene handicrafts (in order clients see the different products, have an idea about the price, compare and decide later on what they want to purchase in the last day in Damascus). Dinner and overnight in Damascus.

Day 3: Krak des Chevaliers – Aphamea - Hama
Breakfast, road to the Krak des Chevaliers (Castle of the Knights), the most famous and best-preserved Crusader castle in the Middle East. Then visit Roman ruins of Aphamea. Proceed to Hama, widely famed for its water wheels (Norias), used for irrigation on the Orontes River in Hama since Roman times. Dinner and overnight in Hama.
Day 4: Aleppo
Breakfast, full day sightseeing in Aleppo. Visit the Citadel (50 meters above the city), Aleppo’s magnificent mountaintop stronghold, and the theatre of the struggles of ancient civilizations from the Assyrians to the Byzantines; visit to Aleppo’s famous covered souq, a vast, stone-vaulted marketplace which winds through the city for more than 12 Km and which is deemed to be the largest and most beautiful souq in the entire Middle East. Visit to the Great Mosque and other islamic places and monuments. Dinner and overnight in Aleppo.

Day 5: Aleppo - Palmyra
Breakfast, we take the road to Palmyra. Day visit of Palmyra: the Straight street, the Temple of Bal, the Tumbs, the Citadel. Lunch a typical Bedouin meal in the oasis, under the olive, date and grenade trees. Dinner and overnight in Palmyra.

Day 6: Palmyra - Damascus
See the sunrise in the early morning. Breakfast, back to Damascus. Visit Takkya Al Suleimanya (a mosque in the pure ottoman style, with its handicraft market). Free time. At the end of the afternoon, drive to Mount Qassioun for a panoramic view of Damascus at the sunset, while hundreds of minarets in the city get enlightened in green color. Dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Golan Highs - Bosra - Damascus
Breakfast, drive to Golan Highs which were occupied by Israel. After, direction to the southern region to Bosra: the Roman amphitheatre, considered among the most beautiful and well-preserved of its kind in the world. Visit to the National Museum which houses the most historically significant collection of antiquities in Syria. Free time for shopping with our guide that will negotiate the best prices for the clients. Nice last Dinner and overnight in Damascus.

Day 8: Departure or extension to Jordan (3 or 5 days) or Lebanon (1,2 or 3 days)
Breakfast, transfer to Damascus International Airport for departure. or Jordan / Lebanese border.

Our program includes:
• Meet and assist at the airport
• Entry visa to Syria at airport with assistance
• Boutique hotels in DB room in Damascus, Hama and Aleppo (7 nights, with breakfast)
• Transportation with driver in car, van or bus A/C (comfortable transport: for 8-10 pax we use 15-18 seat bus, for 15-20: 33 seats)
• Full Board. 6 lunches and 7 dinners in oriental traditional restaurants
• English speaking guide in sites only for individuals (Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra and Krak; full tour guide is supplement). Language speaking guide for the complete tour: for groups.
• Entrance fees for the monuments and museums (15 entrance fees)
• Traditional Hammam
• Airport exit tax (became 1500 LS (25 Euros) in mid 2008)

Our program doesn’t include:
• Personal enquires
• Tips to guide and driver

(Final prices if Euro stays stable)

*If you need we can send pictures of the oriental hotels.

Give us your opinion.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Muhamad Iskander & Karim
Arabesk Tours Syria
Tours in Syria, Lebanon & Jordan
For Individual & Groups
Arabic Studies in Damascus
Damascus City Center – Hijaz Station.
Mob:+963988103249
Tel: +963 11 2241652
Fax: +963 11 2454310
Website: www.arabesk-alafaqtours.com
Email: [Email hidden] /[Email hidden]