With a troubled recent past, Syria has been off of the main traveler's radar for well over a decade now. But with areas of the country now more secure and a young and hopeful crew of tour guides and local experts, Syria's tourism sector is beginning to pick up the pieces and rebuild.

Steeped in history, Syria is an unforgettable experience, from some of the oldest continuously inhabited cities such as Damascus and Aleppo, to ancient Roman sites in Palmyra and Busra, a sliver of the beautiful Mediterranean Coast, to crusader-era castles dotting the mountains near the border with Lebanon.