How many days do you need in Hama?
The city itself is half a day: the riverbank, the wheels, the aqueduct and the Azm Palace. The second day goes outward and you have to pick a direction — Apamea to the northwest, Qasr Ibn Wardan to the northeast, Masyaf to the west. With one day only, give the morning to the wheels and the afternoon to Apamea; the colonnaded street is at its best in late light.
- Suggested length
- 1–2 days
- Total visiting time across these places
- 23 hours 20 minutes
- Best season
- April–May, September–October
Ready-made routes
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By car · 1 dayFrom Masyaf to Wadi al-Uyun: Rusafa Castle and the valley of springs
A 68-kilometre mountain day southwest of Masyaf: its Ismaili castle, tree-covered Rusafa, the waterfalls of Wadi al-Uyun and the Roman temple at Husn Suleiman.
By car · 1 dayHama to Salamiyah day trip: Riba fortress, Shmemis Castle and the Ismaili town
An 87-kilometre day east of Hama: the dry-stone basalt ring at Riba, Shmemis Castle on its extinct volcano, and Salamiyah, the town the Ismailis rebuilt in 1849.
By car · 1 dayA day on the edge of the Ghab: Bourzey Castle, the theatre of Apamea and Suqaylabiyah
A long 185-kilometre day from Hama: Bourzey 450 metres above the Ghab, lived-in Qalaat al-Mudiq, the theatre of Apamea and the Hagia Sophia copy in Suqaylabiyah.
What to see
- Apamea · Hellenistic–Roman
The Roman Theatre at Apamea
On a slope above the Orontes valley, Apamea's theatre was 139 metres across, among the largest in the Roman world. Only an eighth is excavated; access unconfirmed.
- Salamiyah · date disputed
Qalaat al-Riba (Riba Castle), Salamiyah
A semicircular fortification on a basalt hill 12 kilometres north of Salamiyah: dry-laid basalt blocks, a single gate on the west and Roman-era tombs on the slopes.
Hama · 14th centuryKilaniyya Bridge, Hama
A Mamluk stone bridge across the Orontes in central Hama: early 14th century, 5 arches, 40 metres long, with the al-Nuri Mosque at one end and the norias beside it.
- Ghab Plain · Iron Age to Mamluk period
Qastun and Tell Qastun
A town and its mound on the east bank of the Orontes in the northern Ghab Plain: the Aramaean Iron Age town of Qatan, a 16-hectare ancient site and a medieval fort.
- Hama · 1738
Khan As’ad Pasha al-Azm, Hama
An Ottoman caravanserai on al-Murabit Street, Hama, built in 1738 by As'ad Pasha al-Azm: a black-and-white stone portal, a later upper floor. Restoration began 2026.
Hama · 1323The al-Izzi Mosque, Hama
A small Mamluk mosque of 1323 in Bab al-Jisr, just north of the Hama citadel. Of the madrasa its founder added next door, only an inscription on the wall remains.
Transparency
- How this was chosen
- The answer on this page is written by hand. The lists are built from published records tied to this city and grow on their own as records are added.
- Facts checked
- August 2026
- Last updated
- September 15, 2026