Damascus to Muzayrib: a day drive along the first stages of the Hajj road

A day’s drive that follows the pilgrim caravan south from Damascus, and the Hejaz Railway that replaced it. It starts at Qadam, the basalt railway station on the city’s southern edge. The second stop is Khan Dannun, built in 1376 as the stage after Kiswe. Then comes the temple at As-Sanamayn, dedicated to Tyche in 191 and used today as a mosque, followed by Muzayrib, the caravan’s first major stop, and Daraa, the junction of the Hejaz line. One way, the drive is a little over 120 kilometres. The caravan measured this distance in days; by car, five stops put you in Daraa by evening.

The route

Start in the Qadam district, in front of the station building. Drive south through Kiswe to Khan Dannun, 20 kilometres; the khan is not drawn on maps, so ask in the town. From there join the Daraa road: As-Sanamayn is 30 kilometres on, and the temple stands in the middle of town right beside the main road. From As-Sanamayn head south-west to Muzayrib, 59 kilometres across the Hauran plain. The last leg runs south-east, 13 kilometres to the station on Daraa’s north-eastern side. The return to Damascus is 117 kilometres by motorway.

Timing

Be in front of Qadam station at 08:00. The basalt front catches side light and the Ottoman inscription in the pediment is legible. Half an hour is enough; going inside requires permission. Be at Khan Dannun at 09:00. Finding and seeing the khan can take more than half an hour. Reach As-Sanamayn around 10:30 and enter the temple between prayer times, for half an hour. Be in Muzayrib at 13:00, have lunch by the lake and allow an hour and a half for the fort remains. Move on to the station in Daraa at 15:30. Half an hour is enough. Then, while there is still daylight, either stay in Daraa or drive back to Damascus.

Take care

The present state of Khan Dannun, and whether it is open to visitors, has not been confirmed. The khan stands in a town that has shared its space with a Palestinian refugee camp since 1949; ask before taking photographs. Qadam station is an operational site and the Daraa station may be treated as an official one, so do not go into either without speaking to staff. Muzayrib is in western Daraa, close to the Yarmouk basin. Israeli ground incursions reached this basin in 2025, and the province saw armed incidents through 2025 and 2026. Unexploded ordnance remains a risk in Daraa’s ruined quarters. Official travel advice for all of Syria is at its highest level. This page does not say the route is safe today; confirm the route locally before setting out and carry your passport for checkpoints.