How many days do you need in Homs?
The city itself is half a day: the Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque, the Church of Umm al-Zunnar and the reopened streets of the centre. The real day runs west — Lake Qattina is on the way, and Krak des Chevaliers asks half a day on its own; together they make an unhurried day. With only one day, keep the city to the morning and give the afternoon to the castle, when its inner courtyard is in shade.
- Suggested length
- 1–2 days
- Total visiting time across these places
- 20 hours 35 minutes
- Best season
- April–May, September–October
Ready-made routes
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On foot · 3 hoursHoms Old City churches walk: from the National Evangelical Church to Sibat al-Qadi
Five stops in Old Homs: a rebuilt Evangelical church, Father Frans van der Lugt's grave, Our Lady of Peace, Umm al-Zunnar and the Sibat al-Qadi passage.
By car · 1 dayVillages of the Valley of the Christians: a day from Marmarita to Mizyeneh
A day through the villages of the Valley of the Christians: old Marmarita, the Fawwar spring, Saint George's Monastery, Krak and a basalt church in Mizyeneh.
On foot · 4 hoursOld Homs on foot: from the covered souq to Bab Tadmur
A 2600-metre walk through old Homs: the covered souq, the 1923 Old Clock, two churches, the Mamluk Zahrawi Palace and the frescoed crypt of Mar Elian.
What to see
- Homs · 7th–6th century BC
Riblah, the Biblical Army Camp on the Orontes
A cemetery-covered mound on the Orontes south of Homs: Riblah, where Necho II and Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon camped. Near the Lebanese border; access unverified.
Valley of the Christians · 2009Lady of the Valley Statue, Valley of the Christians
A 30 m statue of the Virgin Mary on the 980 m summit of Jabal al-Sayih above al-Nasirah, in the Valley of the Christians near Krak des Chevaliers. Opened in 2009.
Homs · 20th centuryCathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Homs
The largest church in Homs Old City, a Melkite Greek Catholic cathedral built in 1970. Badly damaged by 2014, restored in 2016-2019, known for its dome and roof.
- Homs · Bustan al-Diwan
Jesuit Monastery in Homs and the Grave of Frans van der Lugt
The Jesuit monastery in Bustan al-Diwan, Homs Old City, where Dutch priest Frans van der Lugt refused to leave during the siege, was killed in 2014 and is buried.
- Homs · 12th century
Burj Zara, a Crusader Tower near Talkalakh
An 11 m square Crusader tower on an ancient temple platform in al-Zarah, west of Homs. Basalt with reused white limestone, and one of the best preserved in the area.
Homs · 13th centuryQasr al-Zahrawi, Homs
A Mamluk mansion in Homs dated 1262-1263, later the city's folklore museum. A shell-vaulted iwan fills one side of the courtyard, with two carved lions facing it.
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