Day Trips from Damascus: Maaloula, Mar Musa, Bosra, Bloudan and More
The best day trips from Damascus: Maaloula and Saydnaya, Mar Musa monastery, Bosra and Shahba, Zabadani and Bloudan — distances, timing and how to get around.
In this article
Damascus makes an excellent base: within one or two hours by car you reach villages that speak Aramaic, monasteries clinging to mountains, Roman theatres of black basalt and cool summer resorts. These are the best day trips.
Maaloula and Saydnaya — one hour north
Maaloula, where people still speak Aramaic, with St Thecla's monastery, the rock gorge and Mar Sarkis. On the way, Saydnaya and its convent of Our Lady, built on a high rock and one of the region's great shrines.
- Distance
- About 60 km
- Time
- Half a day
Mar Musa al-Habashi — an hour and a half
A desert monastery clinging to a cliff above a valley in the Qalamoun mountains, reached by hundreds of steps. Read our Mar Musa guide. It combines with Maaloula in a long day.
Bosra and Shahba — two hours south
Bosra and its Roman theatre inside a citadel, then Shahba, the city of the emperor Philip the Arab, with its paved streets and baths — see the Syrians who shaped Rome. A full day; start early.
Zabadani and Bloudan — one hour west
Orchards and riverside restaurants in Zabadani, mountain views in Bloudan. A perfect summer trip for lunch and cool air — see our mountain escapes guide.
The Barada valley and Ain al-Fijeh
On the way to Zabadani you follow the Barada valley, the river that has watered Damascus since antiquity, with small riverside restaurants and parks where Damascenes spend their weekends.
Getting around
All these trips are far easier by car: the places are spread out and public transport to them is scarce or slow. The most comfortable choice is a car with a driver for the day, who knows the way and saves you hunting for parking. If you prefer to drive, rent a car and collect it from your hotel.
Start early, and bring water, small notes for site tickets and cafés, and modest clothes for monasteries and mosques.
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