Marrota Travel & Tourism
Marrota Travel & Tourism
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12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
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Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
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Exceptional travel experiences in Syria. Rich heritage, vibrant local life. Connect with locals, savor cuisine, Expert guides unveil hidden gems.
Marrota Travel & Tourism
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
145 reviews
Excellent
143
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
willow b
9 contributions
Sept 2022
It was my 3rd visit to Syria and I had been keen to return for 16 years. Despite the hustle, bustle and noise, I found the atmosphere as magical as ever. This has much to do with the city's history and the call to prayer from the Great Ummayad Mosque, where the 5 Muezzims recite the Quran in harmony.
During my first extended visit in 2005, I'd travelled the whole country, alone, with ease and this time I wasn't ready to see the carnage caused by the war and decided to stay in Damascus for the week.
Since it was an organised tour, I visited the many sites in the old city, my guide Rula was amazing and we got on like a house on fire. Though security is thin on the ground in Damascus and it is safe to walk out alone in the day or at night. On this occasion, though I was glad of a guide, because I needed to learn more about the old city, for the book I'm writing. Rula and I ate in some great but cheap restaurants and talked to the many shop and stall holders, who had many stories to tell. I avoided the museum as I'd visited in the past and many of the artefacts are now stored in a safe place to counter looting.
The Ashura festival was taking place and many Shi'ah Muslims from around the globe were on haj (pilgrimage) to the beautiful Ruqayya Mosque, which is well worth a visit.
I stayed at the Mustafa-Ali Art Gallery near Bab Sharki. It was quiet there and the caller at the nearby mosque seemed to blend in with those in the Great Mosque. Despite the power cuts Mustafa hosted a concert on my last night, where 2 young women with beautiful voices sang folk songs.
Ayoub is a very impressive young man and thanks to his efficiency along with that of his lovely Syrian driver Asser, the pick-ups and drop-offs went smoothly. I think the 2 tier system of Syrian and Lebanese drivers works very well, particularly since the 2 economies are struggling. When I returned to Lebanon my driver took me to Baalbek for a little extra payment. I was grateful as the taxi was more comfortable than the service vans. He was a little nervous as it was the last day of the Ashura festival but when he realised I had friends in the town and intended to stay he relaxed.
Thank you so much for your hospitality Ayoub, Rula and Mustafa,
I'll be back next year. All being well.
Diane Karoui
During my first extended visit in 2005, I'd travelled the whole country, alone, with ease and this time I wasn't ready to see the carnage caused by the war and decided to stay in Damascus for the week.
Since it was an organised tour, I visited the many sites in the old city, my guide Rula was amazing and we got on like a house on fire. Though security is thin on the ground in Damascus and it is safe to walk out alone in the day or at night. On this occasion, though I was glad of a guide, because I needed to learn more about the old city, for the book I'm writing. Rula and I ate in some great but cheap restaurants and talked to the many shop and stall holders, who had many stories to tell. I avoided the museum as I'd visited in the past and many of the artefacts are now stored in a safe place to counter looting.
The Ashura festival was taking place and many Shi'ah Muslims from around the globe were on haj (pilgrimage) to the beautiful Ruqayya Mosque, which is well worth a visit.
I stayed at the Mustafa-Ali Art Gallery near Bab Sharki. It was quiet there and the caller at the nearby mosque seemed to blend in with those in the Great Mosque. Despite the power cuts Mustafa hosted a concert on my last night, where 2 young women with beautiful voices sang folk songs.
Ayoub is a very impressive young man and thanks to his efficiency along with that of his lovely Syrian driver Asser, the pick-ups and drop-offs went smoothly. I think the 2 tier system of Syrian and Lebanese drivers works very well, particularly since the 2 economies are struggling. When I returned to Lebanon my driver took me to Baalbek for a little extra payment. I was grateful as the taxi was more comfortable than the service vans. He was a little nervous as it was the last day of the Ashura festival but when he realised I had friends in the town and intended to stay he relaxed.
Thank you so much for your hospitality Ayoub, Rula and Mustafa,
I'll be back next year. All being well.
Diane Karoui
Written 10 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Naoki
16 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
This agent, Marrota, from our experience, is the most excellent agent in the world. We went to Syria super safely with one male japanese nationality and female chinese nationality.
We promise we come back to Syria with Marrota. 7 days were not enough for us to enjoy across Syria.
What we love regarding Marrota is
1. Their operational process was very precise and punctual. For example, for the first day, a driver came to our hotel in Beirut to bring us to Syria at AM9:50, despite the appointment time at AM10:00. Then all the needful docs were in driver’s hand in place, which made our all the checkpoints process smooth including obtaining VISAs. To be frank, i didn’t expect agent that much in terms operations but they were much much better than we had expected.
2. This agent offered us very good rate for exchanging USD. Furthermore, they even offered they can return USD back to us if we couldn’t use all Syrian Pound at the end of the day with exactly the same rate that we bought Syrian Pound at first day.
3. Guides are all reliable and knowledgeable persons. They never delay appointment time every morning. Moreover, our guide waited for us patiently more than an hour. Also. Our guide has so many local friends across the country in which we met many of them, they even invited us to their house, and let us know plenty of things about Syria and how they were during the hard crisis time.
Syria is one of the most enjoyable countries in the world in terms of their historical places&cultures and their super friendly people.
I hope Syria would completely recover from crisis and revive again.
NW
We promise we come back to Syria with Marrota. 7 days were not enough for us to enjoy across Syria.
What we love regarding Marrota is
1. Their operational process was very precise and punctual. For example, for the first day, a driver came to our hotel in Beirut to bring us to Syria at AM9:50, despite the appointment time at AM10:00. Then all the needful docs were in driver’s hand in place, which made our all the checkpoints process smooth including obtaining VISAs. To be frank, i didn’t expect agent that much in terms operations but they were much much better than we had expected.
2. This agent offered us very good rate for exchanging USD. Furthermore, they even offered they can return USD back to us if we couldn’t use all Syrian Pound at the end of the day with exactly the same rate that we bought Syrian Pound at first day.
3. Guides are all reliable and knowledgeable persons. They never delay appointment time every morning. Moreover, our guide waited for us patiently more than an hour. Also. Our guide has so many local friends across the country in which we met many of them, they even invited us to their house, and let us know plenty of things about Syria and how they were during the hard crisis time.
Syria is one of the most enjoyable countries in the world in terms of their historical places&cultures and their super friendly people.
I hope Syria would completely recover from crisis and revive again.
NW
Written 27 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adrian
24 contributions
Mar 2022
I wanted to get to Syria for like 8 years. This year finally I had the luck and opportunity to do a 7 day circuit with Marotta travel.
I must admit i was skeptical at first going into Syria , i had some doubts (imagined customs issues , safety etc)
I must say it was the best decision of this year to do this trip. Marotta and Mr Ayoub did a fantastic job ensuring i had no issues throughout my journey.
Everything went smoothly starting with the requirements to get a visa , visa issuing , my trip with the driver from Beirut to Damascus and vice-versa , the driver that carried me throughout Syria during the 7 day , the accomodations , the food and last but not least the tour guide , such a warm , kind, knowledageable and generous soul.
I learned so much visited so many places including ( Damascus , Aleppo, Krak de Chevaliers , Homs , Palmyra ).
I had such a good time , and what i liked the most was that everything was crystal clear from the begining. The money needed , the conditions , the services provided as the saying says "you get what you pay for".
This is what i was expecting and i feel so glad i chose this agency !
If you are considering a trip to Syria i wholeheartedly endorse Marotta and Mr Ayoub ! I had a superb experience and i highly recommend them !
I must admit i was skeptical at first going into Syria , i had some doubts (imagined customs issues , safety etc)
I must say it was the best decision of this year to do this trip. Marotta and Mr Ayoub did a fantastic job ensuring i had no issues throughout my journey.
Everything went smoothly starting with the requirements to get a visa , visa issuing , my trip with the driver from Beirut to Damascus and vice-versa , the driver that carried me throughout Syria during the 7 day , the accomodations , the food and last but not least the tour guide , such a warm , kind, knowledageable and generous soul.
I learned so much visited so many places including ( Damascus , Aleppo, Krak de Chevaliers , Homs , Palmyra ).
I had such a good time , and what i liked the most was that everything was crystal clear from the begining. The money needed , the conditions , the services provided as the saying says "you get what you pay for".
This is what i was expecting and i feel so glad i chose this agency !
If you are considering a trip to Syria i wholeheartedly endorse Marotta and Mr Ayoub ! I had a superb experience and i highly recommend them !
Written 18 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roland S
1 contribution
Oct 2022
Hi everybody,
i made a 5 day trip in October 2022 Syria, especcially to Damascus, Homs, Aleppo. This was a very good and interresting experience. Marrota tours organized the trip very good, the guide was excellent and we had a very good experience there.
I can really recommend to travel with Marrota tours, they organized eyervthing excellent for a reasonable price.
Regards,
Roland
i made a 5 day trip in October 2022 Syria, especcially to Damascus, Homs, Aleppo. This was a very good and interresting experience. Marrota tours organized the trip very good, the guide was excellent and we had a very good experience there.
I can really recommend to travel with Marrota tours, they organized eyervthing excellent for a reasonable price.
Regards,
Roland
Written 23 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter
1 contribution
Mar 2022 • Solo
I did a 7 day tour with Ayoub visiting Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra, Homs, Hama, Krak des Chevaliers and Busra. Everything was good, I felt safe and well taken care of at all times. Best part of the tour was our local tour guide his name is Shamel and he was a tour guide already before the war for many years so he has a lot of experience and made our visit very special!!
The only critic I have is that when going back to Lebanon we got told we have to go early because of the weather. But when we arrived at the border it became clear that we only had to go early so our driver could pick up a arriving group which makes sense of course. Though we could've been told the truth instead of using the weather excuse because we would've loved to spend as few more hours of buying souvenirs in Damascus.
Also when we changed money with Ayoub he gave us a slightly worse exchange rate then what you would get on the street which is not a lot but when changing 100-200USD it can amount to 10-20USD. At the same time with him you have the comfort and safety of changing money in your hotel and being able to change it back at the end of the trip in case you have changed too much. Tho one of our group had troubles to get in contact with Ayoub when it came to changing money back to USD, he could've been geniunely busy but it left a bitter after taste!
Overall it was a very good tour and I will definitely recommend him to my friends!
The only critic I have is that when going back to Lebanon we got told we have to go early because of the weather. But when we arrived at the border it became clear that we only had to go early so our driver could pick up a arriving group which makes sense of course. Though we could've been told the truth instead of using the weather excuse because we would've loved to spend as few more hours of buying souvenirs in Damascus.
Also when we changed money with Ayoub he gave us a slightly worse exchange rate then what you would get on the street which is not a lot but when changing 100-200USD it can amount to 10-20USD. At the same time with him you have the comfort and safety of changing money in your hotel and being able to change it back at the end of the trip in case you have changed too much. Tho one of our group had troubles to get in contact with Ayoub when it came to changing money back to USD, he could've been geniunely busy but it left a bitter after taste!
Overall it was a very good tour and I will definitely recommend him to my friends!
Written 19 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karimcool
Berlin, Germany63 contributions
Mar 2022 • Solo
Great experience with Ayoub and his company. For 12 years I wanted to see Syria again and for the last reminder of covid ( 2 years) I was in touch with Ayoub over WhatsApp. He is genuinely friendly and his offer is among the cheapest but very reliable. The hotel offers in Damascus us incredible, Bait al Mamlouka and Talisman hotels were impossible to get due to demand prior to the war, and are very affordable these days. I was on a 7 day tour and I suggest to take just that if you haven’t been to Syria before. The guide Shamel was really a wonderful person, calm and authentic and very dynamic when it comes to show the beauty of his country. Ayoub has some good wasta ( connections) to get the needed security clearance for the visa and the process was very straight forward. Knowing the country from before I was quite sceptic what to expect and I was honestly surprised that a lot has survived and at many places restorations are in place. I left Syria with s more optimistic outlook than I had before, and will be back to travel again with Ayoub and his company.
Written 9 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kenneth_Opskar
Oslo, Norway15 contributions
Oct 2022
I travelled to Damascus for a relaxing weekend trip from Beirut. This was a great experience thanks to the very professional Marrotta Travel & Tourism. I met the guide at the aiport in Beirut and drove directly to Damascus. The transfer was very smooth also included the custom at the Border which did not take much time (10 min). In Damascus I met the guide Bashar who really is a great guide. He showed me a lot of interesting places in Damascus - and this guy he really knows all the details! Walking in Damascus was very relaxing and pieceful. This city is so beautiful, with many historical places. I can highly recommend the Umayyad mosque and Ruqayya shrine. In the evening we went for dinner in a relaxed athmosphere, a lot of people out for food, in the streets - just like any other city in Europe. I highly recommend travelling to Syria - you will not regret it!
Written 27 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ButterfieldDiet
Tongham, UK23 contributions
Jun 2022
I'd originally hoped to visit Syria in 2010, and understandably with what the country and its people have been through I thought I'd missed my chance. Recently I was in Lebanon and wondered about finding a short tour now that the situation has calmed somewhat, asking a couple of trusted contacts who travel in the country/region.
Mr Ayoub was fantastic from the start, providing a few different tour options and advising around the visa process and security situation.
I was picked up on time, on location from my accommodation in Beirut and looked after well on both sides of the border, ensuring a smooth crossing.
Damascus was a wonderful experience, and puts you at ease right away. The city has a fantastic atmosphere and is wonderfully vibrant with history around every corner. The hotel was lovely, traditional with a central courtyard and good breakfast - and a few steps from the hammam to relax after a hot and busy day exploring.
Due to limited time, I still wanted to see outside the capital and was delighted to be able to visit Krak de Chavalliers with my excellent guide Khaldoun and our driver. Honestly if you have an interest in the region and history, this is a must-see. Hopefully more people will visit, as while I love to have incredible places to myself, both the archaeological sites and the country, and its people deserve more people to show off the rich history, culture (and food!) to.
Great communication from Marrota, informative, reliable and trustworthy. Of course you should do your own research and be aware of what travelling to Syria entails, but I'm happy to say that I felt safe and secure throughout. Thanks to Mr Ayoub, Khaldoun and team! :)
Mr Ayoub was fantastic from the start, providing a few different tour options and advising around the visa process and security situation.
I was picked up on time, on location from my accommodation in Beirut and looked after well on both sides of the border, ensuring a smooth crossing.
Damascus was a wonderful experience, and puts you at ease right away. The city has a fantastic atmosphere and is wonderfully vibrant with history around every corner. The hotel was lovely, traditional with a central courtyard and good breakfast - and a few steps from the hammam to relax after a hot and busy day exploring.
Due to limited time, I still wanted to see outside the capital and was delighted to be able to visit Krak de Chavalliers with my excellent guide Khaldoun and our driver. Honestly if you have an interest in the region and history, this is a must-see. Hopefully more people will visit, as while I love to have incredible places to myself, both the archaeological sites and the country, and its people deserve more people to show off the rich history, culture (and food!) to.
Great communication from Marrota, informative, reliable and trustworthy. Of course you should do your own research and be aware of what travelling to Syria entails, but I'm happy to say that I felt safe and secure throughout. Thanks to Mr Ayoub, Khaldoun and team! :)
Written 27 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Metanoia
3 contributions
May 2022 • Solo
My experience travelling to Syria was superlative and my expectations were exceeded by the amazing kindness of the Syrian people during my short stay visiting Damascus, the place was wonderful and friendly and safe. Ayoub from Marrota travels made my journey experience incredible, from organising all the travel logistics to providing the highly knowledgeable tour guide Bashar who provided a in depth educational and historical insight of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world , Damascus.
Once again , thank you to everyone at Marrota travels for a unforgettable and beautiful journey.
Once again , thank you to everyone at Marrota travels for a unforgettable and beautiful journey.
Written 10 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam B
Dublin, Ireland113 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Marrota travel agency is very well organized, I am very satisfied with the services of this agency. When I wrote to Ayoub for the first time, I immediately received a travel package schedule and all the detailed information, and then we just agreed on what I was interested in. We visited Damascus, Maaloula, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Busra, Palmyra, Krak des Chevaliers and Ballbek in Lebanon. Visiting each of these towns was a great experience with a wonderful guide who gave us a history lesson from each place we visited and of course we felt safe everywhere and despite the long-lasting war in this country, people walked around smiling and welcomed us as tourists. So our stay with friends in Syria was very active and I will never forget this trip and I will definitely want to go back there in a larger group. The climate in Syria is perfect, warm all the time.
So I highly recommend the Marrota travel and I would like to thank Ayoub for the wonderful organization, Wasim for showing us around all these places, history lessons and for helping us in every matter and company and we would like to thank the driver Khaled for taking us everywhere. It was a really great adventure 🇵🇱❤️🇸🇾
So I highly recommend the Marrota travel and I would like to thank Ayoub for the wonderful organization, Wasim for showing us around all these places, history lessons and for helping us in every matter and company and we would like to thank the driver Khaled for taking us everywhere. It was a really great adventure 🇵🇱❤️🇸🇾
Written 11 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thank you so much!
Written 22 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Greetings. I am planning to see some beautiful spots in Damascus this month. I heard your Agency is known to offer an organized service. How can I contact you for informations. Thank you.
Written 5 January 2024
You can also read my extensive review on Trip Advisor from my six-day trip to Syria with Marrota in August 2023!!
Written 7 January 2024
when Syria can open for tourism after Covid19 ?
Written 21 June 2020
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