Damascus packs several thousand years of history into a walkable old city. The Umayyad Mosque and the souks get the most attention, but the museums and quieter corners of the Christian quarter reward a slower pace. A first walk should begin at the Citadel, run east through the Hamidiyah Souq to the Umayyad Mosque and Saladin's tomb, then down through the Buzuriyah and Madhat Pasha souqs to Straight Street and into the Christian quarter at Bab Touma.
Outside the walled city, the modernist landmarks of Umayyad Square — the Opera House, the National Museum, the October War Panorama — make a half-day, as does an evening climb up Mount Kassioun for the view.