A Damascus Survival Guide: What you need to know

*Note: This article is a follow-on from my first, second and third guides on How to Travel to Damascus, Where to Stay in Damascus, and Getting Around in Damascus. Be sure to visit to get the comprehensive guidance!

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Although I truly believe that Damascus is a city that most people should visit, it’s also true that it takes a bit (ok, maybe a lot) of flexibility and willingness to try to figure it out. Especially if you don’t speak the language. Due to sanctions, there is a lot of tourism around the city that just is not easy.

And maybe now is the right time for me to say this: I work in the humanitarian sector, and I’ve seen with my own eyes the horrors that this war brought on its people. I have seen the destruction, the houses that are still in crumbles. I’ve talked with Syrian staff, colleagues and friends about how they have lost and had to restart their lives multiple times.

I’ve worked many, many, many hours to try to find funding with the hope and belief that even just one life impacted by that funding is enough. Although I do have photos and videos of the destruction, I have no plans to publish them here. Because the thing that continues to bring be back to Syria is the positive side – and most particularly the people.

So, yalla, let’s jump in. In this article, we will discuss: cash/currencies, SIM cards and WiFi, languages (namely Arabic/English), electricity, and general safety and security.

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Cash/currency

Unfortunately, due to international sanctions, Syria is completely a cash-based society. It also continues to have an extremely weakened banking system. ATMs are available, but continue to have heavy restrictions on the amount of money that can be taken out each day (equivalent of around $20/day). It is necessary to bring all USD that you might spend from outside of the country, including a buffer due to lack of availability to ATMs.

The currency is the Syrian pound (SYP); however, USD may be accepted in many businesses. The exchange rate for the SYP has changed since the fall of the Assad regime, currently (June 2025) ranging between 11,000 SYP and 13,000 SYP to 1 USD. Exchange shops are readily available across the city. However, with the largest bill being 5000 SYP, expect a large number of bills to be received for exchanging even $100 USD. Bring an appropriate sized bag/purse accordingly and be prepared to count a LOT of bills. Additionally, only new $100 or $50 USD notes are allowed for exchange; some shops may also exchange new $20 USD notes.

Note: for those travelling from Amman, there are a number of banks that disburse USD as well as JOD in Amman.

Unfortunately, even though Syria’s economy has been decimated due to the conflict, the cost of living is extremely high, with food and drink (particularly alcohol) being quite expensive. A good rough estimate is to expect to spend $100/day at a minimum (more if you drink alcohol regularly), and not including accommodation.

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SIM cards / WiFi

SIM Cards

Due to sanctions (you will hear this phrase a lot), international SIM cards do not work in Syria, even if you have international calling plans. Also, unfortunately due to sanctions (see?), 4G networks and WiFi are also not very strong. Even in late-March 2025, the 4G network went down across the entire country for over 9 hours.

For this reason, it will be critical to get a SIM card from one of Syria’s 2 service providers, Syriatel or MTN, as soon as you arrive in country. There are shops located all over the Damascus, however be sure to check the hours of working. As of writing, we don’t believe that SIM cards are available at the airport, so head to a shop in town as soon as you arrive.

Thankfully, they have made it easier now to access SIM cards as a foreigner (which was almost impossible in December, January and February), but only for a short-time period – perfect for a visitor. You will need your passport to register, which will allow you to purchase a package (again, in cash), for up to 2 weeks of use.

Additionally, in mid-May 2025, MTN started offering e-SIMs, which is now making accessing 4G networks much easier.

Syrian Guides have written up an incredibly thorough article on how to access 4G networks, here. Highly recommended.

WiFi

In terms of your expectations for WiFi, note that many cafes and restaurants will have it available, as well as hotels of course, but the coverage might be low. Many people rely on their phones/using the hotspot function for better coverage. Thankfully, also, the 4G network seems to be improving month-by-month. In my visit in late April 2025, it was almost (almost!) up to the standards in neighboring countries.

One final note on cell coverage: it’s possible you will see a notification from Israel indicating that you are close enough to access their cell service. This is true. Israel is actually not far from Damascus, particularly the recently occupied areas north of the Golan Heights. However, the service is unreliable, so not recommended to consider as an option.

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Language

In my first few visits to Syria, I noticed that there was limited English spoken around the city, although with each visit, it’s increased a bit. However, don’t assume that there will be, even in hotels, restaurants, tourist sites, border crossing points, and definitely generally around the street. Come prepared with some small Arabic phrases (a quick guide is in the works on Yalla Habibti!) or be prepared to do a lot of miming. That said, even with the language barrier, expect high levels of hospitality and welcome.

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Electricity

As of writing electricity provided through the national grid only 8 hours a day, generally staggered throughout the day in 2 hour stints. It’s not clear if it’s a regular schedule though. As noted before, expect generators and solar panels to be readily used. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have made some recent commitments to Syria, including in the electricity sector, so hopefully it won’t be too long before some improvements happen. (and by not too long, I hope that I mean in 3 years or less :\)

Bring a power bank with you, just to be safe. Given that this includes any connection in public spaces to electricity, after dark, it can feel very dark with little-to-no street lights, ambient light or other light sources available. Some may not choose to walk after dark due to this fact alone. It can be hard to see the sidewalk and/or road, which could increase the likelihood of accidents. Use caution and set your expectations accordingly.

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Safety and security

Lastly, safety and security. There are a few points to note on the general safety and security situation in Damascus: direct personal safety and indirect safety. But before these points, it’s good to clarify that there are a lot of militarized individuals around the city, including men with guns. Some are in uniform while others are not. I’ve never been in a situation where any of them were in a threatening pose, but for those not familiar to seeing men with guns around, it might be a little jarring.

After the fall of the Assad regime, the local police and civil military had to be reconstructed, which is happening slowly. On my last trip to Damascus, even the traffic police were back in place, which thankfully actually did have the impact of reducing traffic. Even more so, I’ve actually found the men with guns quite friendly, with wide smiles, even at checkpoints.

Direct personal safety:

As a large city, Damascus is quite safe in terms of petty crimes (pickpocketing, stealing valuables, etc.). Its crime rate remains quite low. Many NGOs and UN agencies do have curfews placed on staff, but all my conversations with security professionals indicate that this is due to an abundance of caution, rather than reported incidents. Some of my Syrian colleagues did note an increase in car windows being smashed and valuables taken, but per capita, it’s still much lower than one would expect. Use common sense, normal levels of caution and enjoy the warmth of the people of the city. Inshallah it stays this way.

Female travelers:

Of the NGOs and UN agencies that I’ve talked to, none had specific restrictions for women. As noted above, Damascus continues to be a quite safe city, and women can confidently wander alone, day or night, feeling secure that nothing will happen. You may notice some staring, but it’s likely due to curiosity rather than intentions of menace or harassment. However, as above, use common sense, normal levels of caution as you would in any big city. We will discuss what to wear that may reduce any unwanted attention in a later article.

Begging:

Unfortunately, the war and associated sanctions have completely decimated the economy, leaving over 90% of the population living in poverty. What you will readily notice in Damascus is a large population of men, women, and children begging and/or selling items like tissues on the street. They can feel persistent, but will leave eventually. I’ll hand it over to you to decide whether or not to engage with them, but it’s good to know what to expect.

Indirect safety:

The biggest security risk that remains in Syria is the context itself. Skirmishes do still break out, with larger fluctuations having taken place in mid-March and late-April in localized areas within the country. In all of these scenarios, it is a “wrong-place, wrong-time” situation. Pay attention to the news and/or local media (I love using LiveMap as my real-time source) for where tensions might be increasing and avoid the area accordingly. If you come across any localized conflict, take cover from something sturdy, and stay low to the ground.

Health emergencies:

The healthcare system was all but decimated over 14 years of war. There are hospitals that are available for true emergencies (your hotel would be a good start for help), but the health system is quite overloaded so any other care may not be readily available. There may also be limited English spoken there. However there are a few hospitals that my colleagues and friends in Syria have recommended:

• The Italian Hospital: Shuhada Neighborhood – +963 11 33 26 031 / +963 11 33 26 030
• Shami Hospital: Maliki Neighborhood – +963 11 37 34 960 / +963 11 37 35 090
• Damascus Hospital (Al Mojtahad Hospital): Al Mojtahad Neighborhood – +963 11 221 6000
  • Good for emergencies, as they have the equipment to deal with it. I’ve been in this hospital and can confirm that the doctors are professional. The emergency room is busy though, and not at the quality that you would be used to).

I also recommend to bring any necessary medications with you, as refills may not be easy to find.

In case of other emergencies:

One thing to be aware of is that many embassies are either still not present in Damascus, or are just in the process of setting up. Some may have agreements with other embassies for visa and consular services (for example, the US let me know that I should go to the Czech embassy if anything happens to me while I’m there). Be sure to check with your relevant government to know who to reach out to if you have any emergencies. Police services are also just being re-established, so watch this space to know how it works if you are in need of the normal services police would respond to.

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If you have any more questions or need advice, feel free to reach out to me at angela@yallahabibtiadventures.com, or drop a comment here or on Instagram.