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Sham Tourism • Blog

The first day from Türkiye: Cilvegözü, Öncüpınar, and the road south

Where we meet, how the border morning usually goes, and why the first day is more waiting than sightseeing.

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Most guests meet us on the Türkiye side, at Cilvegözü or Öncüpınar. We write the gate and the hour before you leave home, so you are not guessing in the car park.

The crossing

The crossing itself is paperwork and waiting. Bring the documents we listed for you, keep them in one place, and expect the morning to move slower than a normal highway stop. We stay with the group through that part.

After you are through

Once you are through, the day is a drive. On the 5-day programme the first overnight is Damascus, so the afternoon is the road, a meal when it fits, and a late check-in rather than a long city walk. If you want photos of the old city, they come the next morning.