This ride report details Singara’s motorcycle trip through Syria – crossing borders, navigating war‑scarred landscapes, meeting the country’s riders, and discovering extraordinary hospitality and ancient wonders along the way…
Contents
Syria Motorcycle Trip Report
By Dr Singara Vadivel
Round the World Motorcycle Traveller
For many overlanders and motorcycle travelers, Syria is one of the least-visited countries in the world. Years of civil war, political uncertainty, frequent border closures, and security concerns caused most travelers to remove Syria entirely from their route. I understood those concerns. Even while planning my own journey, many fellow riders advised me to skip it.
But I have learned something during my 27 months on the road across 85 countries: sometimes the places the world fears most are the places that teach us the greatest lessons.
This is not merely the story of riding through Syria. It is the story of discovering humanity in a land that the world often remembers only through war.
Exiting Jordan
I entered Syria from Jordan through the Jaber–Nassib Border Crossing, approximately 80 kilometers north of Amman.
Leaving Jordan required patience. Compared to many neighboring countries, Jordanian exit formalities involved considerably more paperwork. Several offices had to be visited before finally reaching the exit gate.
The fees were:
- Motorcycle exit fee: 25 Jordanian Dinars (JD)
- Personal exit fee: 10 Jordanian Dinars (JD)
- Carry Jordanian cash before reaching the border.
Credit cards are generally not accepted for these exit payments, and there are very limited facilities once you arrive. It is a small logistical detail that can easily become a stressful experience if overlooked.
After completing Jordanian immigration, Syria lay only a few kilometers ahead.
Entering Syria
I expected the Syrian border to be chaotic. Instead, I found something completely different.
The immigration complex was modern, clean, organized, and surprisingly efficient. The young officers greeted me warmly. Very few spoke English, yet everyone tried their best to help. Communication relied more on smiles than words.
Immediately after entering Syria, however, another reality became apparent: the internet had almost disappeared. Google Maps became unreliable. Even after purchasing a local SIM card, internet coverage remained slow and inconsistent throughout much of the country.
If you’re planning to ride through Syria, make sure you download Maps.ME before entering.
For U.S. citizens, my visa cost US$200 for 15 days, while my motorcycle temporary import permit cost another US$100.
Paperwork for foreign motorcycles in Syria
Syria is going through a period of rebuilding, and you can see that many government systems and administrative processes are still being developed. Everything feels new, and the authorities are working to establish procedures for the future.
Getting a visa at the border was surprisingly simple. At the first counter, I was given a token. At the next counter, I paid the visa fee, and my passport was stamped. The entire process was straightforward and didn’t take long.
For the motorcycle, customs checked my bike documents before I left the border facility and issued the paperwork for a Temporary Import Permit (TIP). Just across from the customs office is a bank where I paid the US$100 TIP fee. After showing the payment receipt, I was cleared to enter the country.
Interestingly, no one asked me to purchase separate motorcycle insurance. My understanding is that the TIP may include the necessary coverage, but I can’t confirm that definitively, so it’s best to verify the current requirements before you travel.
One thing that immediately caught my attention was the new national flag. I also noticed that imported motorcycles are currently not issued a physical license plate. Instead, the authorities provide an official certificate, which reflects that some administrative systems are still evolving.
Overall, I found the entry process to be easy, organized, and welcoming. The young officers at the border were friendly, professional, and helpful throughout the process, leaving me with a very positive first impression.
As with any country in transition, procedures can change, so it’s always a good idea to check for the latest requirements before your trip. But based on my experience, entering Syria with my motorcycle was much easier than I had expected.
Riding through the scars of war
The first few hours inside Syria were emotionally overwhelming. War was not something hidden in museums or history books. It stood beside the road.
Every village seemed to carry scars. Entire apartment blocks remained shattered. Factories stood silent. Schools had become ruins. Bridges had disappeared. In some places, entire neighborhoods looked frozen in time, abandoned exactly as people had fled years earlier.
I have traveled through many post-conflict regions around the world. Nothing prepared me for Syria. War had reached everywhere – large cities, small villages, remote farming communities, even isolated homes. There was no distinction. The destruction was not selective. It was total.
Human civilization has spent thousands of years building magnificent cities. Yet it takes only a few years of hatred to destroy centuries of human achievement. Syria became living evidence of what happens when politics, greed, power, and violence replace humanity.
Then something unexpected happened: the people.
Everywhere I stopped, people approached me. A foreign rider on a motorcycle carrying a U.S. license plate attracted immediate curiosity. Children waved. Families invited me for tea. Shopkeepers refused payment. Complete strangers wanted photographs. Everyone wanted to know where I had come from. More importantly, everyone wanted to help.
Despite decades of hardship, I found almost no bitterness. Instead, I found humility.
The Syrian Motorcycle Brotherhood
One of the greatest blessings of my Syrian journey was meeting the country’s motorcycle community. Before arriving, I had been introduced to one local rider living near the border.
He did something I will never forget. Instead of simply giving directions, he drove to the border with his family and waited for my arrival. He welcomed me into his home as though I were an old friend.
Language became our greatest challenge. Very few people spoke English. Without reliable internet, online translators rarely worked. Yet somehow, we communicated.
Soon another biker joined us. Then another. Before long, I found myself riding through Syria alongside local motorcyclists who treated me not as a visitor, but as family. They arranged accommodation, shared meals, organized rides, introduced me to relatives, and invited me into their homes.
We camped beside rivers. We camped beneath mountains. We laughed around campfires despite speaking different languages. The brotherhood among Syrian riders remains one of the strongest I have experienced anywhere in the world.
Syria’s extraordinary beauty
Most people know Syria only through television news. Few realize how breathtakingly beautiful the country truly is.
Syria offers almost every landscape imaginable: snow-covered mountains, deep valleys, Mediterranean coastline, rich agricultural plains, olive groves stretching to the horizon, endless wheat fields, vineyards, fruit orchards, vegetable farms, crystal-clear rivers, and beautiful waterfalls hidden among the mountains.
Every day the scenery changed. Every day another surprise appeared. Nature continued quietly doing what nature has always done – healing.
Cities and Ancient Wonders
Damascus – One of Humanity’s Oldest Cities
Damascus is believed to be among the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth. Walking through its ancient streets feels like stepping backward through thousands of years.
The magnificent Umayyad Mosque remains one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Islamic world. The narrow markets, old houses, and centuries-old stone streets remind every traveler that civilizations existed here long before many modern nations were born.
Bosra – Rome in the Middle East
The ancient city of Bosra surprised me enormously. Its black basalt Roman theater is among the best-preserved anywhere in the world. Standing inside, I could not help comparing it to the Roman Colosseum – a reminder that Syria was once one of the great crossroads of the Roman Empire.
Hama and Homs
Hama is famous for its giant wooden water wheels, slowly turning exactly as they have done for centuries. Nearby Homs tells another story: its damaged buildings remind visitors how deeply the civil war affected ordinary people. Yet reconstruction continues. Life continues. Hope continues.
Aleppo
Few cities have suffered as much as Aleppo. Despite the destruction, the ancient citadel still watches over the city. Markets slowly reopen. Families return. The city is determined to live again.
Palmyra – Humanity’s Greatest Loss
If there was one place that broke my heart, it was Palmyra. For thousands of years, this magnificent oasis city connected East and West along the Silk Road. Its temples, columns, and monuments represented one of the greatest archaeological treasures on Earth.
Today, many of those treasures exist only as ruins. The destruction caused by war cannot simply be measured in stones – it represents the loss of humanity’s shared history.
Even more heartbreaking was discovering that the modern town surrounding Palmyra had also been devastated. Hotels were gone. Markets had disappeared. Most buildings had been destroyed. When I arrived, one small hotel had only recently reopened – the first since the new government began restoring stability. Apart from a few basic campsites, accommodation was almost nonexistent.
Maaloula and the monasteries
One of Syria’s hidden treasures is Maaloula. This mountain village is one of the few places in the world where people still speak Western Aramaic, a language closely related to that spoken during the time of Jesus.
Nearby stands the remarkable Monastery of Saint Thecla, built dramatically into the cliffs. Equally unforgettable is the Monastery of Saint Moses the Abyssinian (Deir Mar Musa), perched high in the Qalamoun Mountains. Reaching it requires effort, but the setting is extraordinary – built into the mountainside, offering sweeping views across the desert valleys below, and standing as a symbol of faith, peace, and coexistence. It is one of the most inspiring places I encountered in Syria.
Krak des Chevaliers
Few castles anywhere on Earth compare with Krak des Chevaliers. Its massive stone walls still dominate the surrounding mountains. Even after centuries, it remains one of the world’s finest medieval fortresses.
Toward Iraq
Eventually my journey turned east. I rode toward Deir ez-Zor beside the mighty Euphrates River. The plan was simple: cross into Iraq through Al-Bukamal.
Reality proved different. Nearly every bridge across the Euphrates had been destroyed. Small makeshift ferry services now carried people and vehicles across sections of the river. Watching motorcycles cross the ancient Euphrates on basic ferries felt surreal.
Unfortunately, foreign travellers were not permitted to enter Iraq through the Al-Bukamal Border Crossing, regardless of possessing a valid Iraqi visa. The only available crossing for foreigners was Rabia Border Crossing. My route had to change completely.
Leaving Syria
When I entered Syria, I expected to witness destruction. I certainly did. I saw broken cities. Collapsed bridges. Ruined monuments. Ancient civilizations reduced to dust. But that is not the memory I carried home.
Instead, I remember families who welcomed a stranger. Motorcyclists who treated me like a brother. Children who smiled despite growing up among ruins. People who had lost almost everything, yet still found something to give.
Syria taught me one lesson I will carry for the rest of my life: War may destroy buildings. It may destroy roads. It may even destroy civilizations. But it cannot destroy kindness – unless we allow it to.
That is the Syria I discovered. That is the Syria I will always remember.
And I sincerely hope that one day, travelers from around the world will once again ride its roads – not to witness the scars of war, but to experience the extraordinary warmth of its people and the timeless beauty of one of humanity’s oldest civilizations.
Practical advice for motorcycle travelers
For riders considering Syria, here are a few lessons from my experience:
- Enter through the Jaber–Nassib Border Crossing from Jordan.
- Carry Jordanian cash before reaching the border.
- Jordan exit fees: 25 JD for the motorcycle and 10 JD per person.
- Credit cards are generally not accepted for these payments.
- S. visa: US$200 for 15 days.
- Motorcycle temporary import: US$100.
- Local SIM cards are usually not available at the border.
- Internet is slow and often unreliable.
- Google Maps is unreliable – download Maps.me before entering.
- Expect police or military checkpoints at the entrance to almost every city and village; in my experience they were routine and professional when documents were in order.
- Learn a few Arabic greetings – they open far more doors than technology ever will.
About the author
Singara Vadivel
Singara set off from Texas, USA in May 2024 to ride around the world. His route will take him from the US through Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Australia before returning back to the US over a number of years. You can follow his awesome adventures on YouTube, where you can also find detailed videos of this entire crossing process…
YouTube: Global Motor Rider
Read more from Singara: How to Cross the Amazon – Peru to French Guiana
Read more on motorcycle travel in the Middle East
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Are you planning on travelling in Syria or the Middle East? Do you have any questions, tips or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
Exceptional! Just as your other articles! Thanks for posting and the good read.
From syria , is there any border open for tourists to enter into iraq or to turkey ?
Incredible and thought-provoking journey. Well done for sharing the challenges and human side of your story. Thanks for sharing such a unique adventure.
What an incredible journey and an honest account of adventure travel. I really appreciate that you shared not only the stunning landscapes and riding experiences but also the realities of traveling through a region with a complex history. Your reflections on preparation, local hospitality, and making thoughtful decisions added so much depth to the story. Thanks for taking readers along on such a memorable ride and for presenting it with authenticity and respect.