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Travel Essentials › Syria

Travel Essentials

Syria: What To Know Before You Go

Plugs: Types C, E and L, 220 V. Emergency: Police 112, Ambulance 110, Fire 113. Tipping: Round up or leave about 10% in restaurants; note that many governments still advise against travel to Syria and access is limited, so check entry rules and insurance carefully. Tap water: Drink bottled or treated water..

Open The Syria Trip Kit

Plugs And Power

Types C, E and L, 220 V

Emergency Numbers

Tipping

Round up or leave about 10% in restaurants; note that many governments still advise against travel to Syria and access is limited, so check entry rules and insurance carefully.

Water And Health

Tap water

Drink bottled or treated water.

Vaccines

Routine vaccines, hepatitis A, typhoid; hepatitis B for some travelers.

Malaria

None currently reported.

Apps To Download Before You Go

• Yalla Go: A Syrian ride-hailing app used in Damascus and other cities, since Uber and Careem do not operate in the country.
• WhatsApp: The main way to contact guides, drivers and hotels; internet access is generally available but can be slow, and some services remain restricted.
• Telegram: Widely used for news channels and group chats, and a fallback when other services are unstable.
• Beemo: A Syrian food and grocery delivery app active in Damascus and several other cities.
• Syriatel Cash / MTN Cash: Mobile-wallet apps from the two operators for bills and top-ups; most visitors, however, need to bring cash because foreign bank cards rarely work.
• My Syriatel / MTN Syria: Buy and manage prepaid data bundles from the two national mobile networks.
• Google Translate: Download the Arabic pack for offline use; English is spoken in tourism but Levantine Arabic dominates everywhere else.

Customs And Etiquette

Greetings. A handshake and warm, unhurried greeting with inquiries about health and family is customary.

Dress modestly. Conservative, modest dress is expected for both men and women, particularly at religious sites.

Photography restrictions. Avoid photographing checkpoints, security personnel, or government installations.

Safety And Scams

Despite the political transition since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Syria remains under a 'Do Not Travel' advisory from most Western governments due to active conflict remnants, ISIS activity, contested territorial control, and limited government capacity.

Currency and checkpoint issues. Given instability, only use trusted, established exchange channels; checkpoints run by various armed groups pose genuine security risk rather than petty scams.

Women travelers. Travel for women is not advisable at present given the overriding security risk across much of the country.

LGBTQ+ Travelers

Criminalized

Same-sex sexual activity is illegal and can carry severe penalties; the environment remains hostile and there is no safety for openly LGBTQ+ people in Syria.

What Things Cost

2026-09

Best Time To Visit

Syria remains under 'Do Not Travel' advisories despite the political transition since December 2024; historically spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) offered the mildest weather for visiting Damascus and Aleppo.

Phrases

Basic Arabic (Levantine) phrases · Basic Kurdish (Kurmanji) phrases · Basic Assyrian Neo-Aramaic phrases