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Syria travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Krak des Chevaliers
Krak des Chevaliers. Photo: Gianfranco Gazzetti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4h 45mflight from London
Syrian poundcurrency
Visa neededfor UK passports
Type C, E, Lplugs

Crusader castles and ancient Damascus; FCDO advises against travel

Don't miss

  1. Damascus
  2. Krak des Chevaliers
  3. Palmyra
Good forHistory & ruins

Best time to visit Syria from the UK

The UK government advises against all travel here. Check the FCDO advice below before making any plans.

Check FCDO advice, which advises against all travel.

4.8 C5°J6.2 C6°F9.6 C10°M13.6 C14°A18.8 C19°M23.5 C24°J26.4 C26°J26.3 C26°A23.3 C23°S18.5 C18°O11.4 C11°N6.9 C7°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Damascus, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Damascus for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Warmest: July (26°C) · coolest: January (5°C)A 21°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
4.86.29.613.618.823.526.426.323.318.511.46.9

Festivals and events

  • Eid celebrations Varies · Nationwide

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 4h 45m
Distance
3,559 km
Main airport
DAM

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Practical info and travel guidance

Syrian poundCapital: Damascus
Type C, E, L · 220VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
112
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • FCDO adviceAdvises against all travelYour travel insurance may not cover you.
  • VisaVisa needed in advanceApply in advance
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersSame-sex relations are illegal or prosecutedRead the FCDO LGBT+ advice before you go.
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Syria, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 2 September 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Syria before you book and again before you go.

Open Syria on the map Log it as visited, drop pins for the places you went, or plan it as your next trip.