How many days do you need in Zabadani?
One day takes the plain and the two towns. Zabadani centre and the orchards in the morning, then Bloudan 5 kilometres above it towards midday, which is the better half of the day for the view, because the plain falls against the light in the afternoon. Serghaya, 12 kilometres north, in the late afternoon. If you are coming out from Damascus for the day you spend 16 kilometres of the drive inside Wadi Barada; put Souq Wadi Barada on the way back.
- Suggested length
- 1 day
- Total visiting time across these places
- 8 hours 30 minutes
- Best season
- June–September
Ready-made routes
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By car · 8 hoursFrom Maysalun to the Zabadani plain: Lake Zarzar, Madaya and Bloudan in a day
A day up the old Beirut road: the 1920 Maysalun tomb, Lake Zarzar behind its 1969 dam, the orchards of Madaya and Bloudan at 1500 metres above the plain.
By car · 1 dayUp the Barada valley to Zabadani and Bloudan: one day
A day out of Damascus climbing into the highlands: ancient Abila, the Zabadani plain, Bloudan at 1500 metres and Serghaya on the border. 137 kilometres.
What to see
- Zabadani · a reservoir dammed in 1969
Zarzar Lake
A reservoir at about 1200 metres on the road to Zabadani, dammed in 1969. It dried out in summer 2025 and refilled in 2026; what to check before you go.
- Zabadani · hill town
Madaya
A hill town looking down on the Zabadani plain: apple and cherry orchards, spring water, and the two years it spent under siege between 2015 and 2017.
- Wadi Barada · ancient Abila
Souq Wadi Barada
The site of ancient Abila, in the narrowest gorge of the Barada valley. A Roman road cut into the cliff, the Latin tablets above it, and rock-cut tombs.
North of Zabadani · 1446 metresSerghaya
A border town at 1446 metres, 12 kilometres north of Zabadani. Apple and cherry orchards, and the last stop on the narrow-gauge line that came up from Beirut.
Above Zabadani · 1500 metresBloudan
A town at 1500 metres, 5 kilometres above the Zabadani plain. Almond woods, terraced orchards, and a name that two Arab summits once borrowed from 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
- September 2026
- Last updated
- September 15, 2026