Transfer from Amman airport to your hotel in Petra. After check in, spend the balance of the day at leisure. In the evening, partake in an optional Turkish bath experience or the Petra by Night tour.
Once an important intersection for trade routes that linked East and West, Petra was founded in 200 BC by the Nabataean, an ancient people responsible for the valley's most arresting monument-- Al- Khazneh (Treasury). Chose to enter Petra, called the Rose City, by horseback and being your full day tour at Al-Khazneh, the massive facade carved out of pink-hued rocks that face Siq, a narrow gorge at the entrance to the city. Admire hundreds of Petra's carved structures, soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, Roman theater, and burial chambers. Then climb to the monastery above the mountains for a wonderful view over Wadi Araba.In the late afternoon, return to Amman. (B)
Begin your tour of Amman, the capital of Jordan. This city geographically straddles seven hills and has seen the events of many centuries. Its modern buildings blend with the remnants of ancient civilizations. From Amman, journey to Madaba, the home to the Church of St. George. Stand on Mt. Nebo, the site where Moses was to have seen the Promised Land and his believed burial place. Soak in the expansive views over Jordan valley - on a clear day you can see as far as Jericho and Jerusalem. (B)
After breakfast, drive to Jerash to visit spectacular Roman ruins that will transport you back two thousand years to the time of the Roman Empire. The city's many splendid monuments still stand and retain the atmosphere of the once thriving metropolis that was famous in its own time for magnificent temples, amphitheaters, and plazas. End your journey through Jordan at Sheikh Hussein Bridge, a border crossing into neighboring Israel, and start this new leg of your adventure. Arrive in Jerusalem for the evening. (B)
Begin your tour of Jerusalem at Mount of Olives for a stunning panorama of the city. On nearby Mount Zion, see King David's Tomb, draped in azure and gold, and tour the vaulted Room of the Last Supper and the Dormition Abbey. Enter the old city and walk through the ethnic quarters to the recently excavated and restored cardo, the main north/south thoroughfare built by Romans. See the sacred Western Wall before entering the Christian quarter and pacing Via Dolorosa on the way to Christianity's most scared pilgrimage site-the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Continue to Bethlehem* for an overview of Shepherds' Field where an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and spoke of Jesus's birth. Finally, walk through Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity - which is said to hold the manger that Jesus was placed in after his birth. Return to Jerusalem for the evening. (B)
Leave Jerusalem behind and drive through the Judean Desert, tufted with palms and rough grass, to the Dead Sea area, the lowest point on Earth, for some shopping. Drive along the shores of this ultra-saline lake and see Massada rising before you on a plateau. Ascend by cable car to the ancient fortress where the Jewish zealots made their last stand against the invading Romans in 73 AD. Visit the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, water cisterns, mosaic floors, Roman baths and other findings. Upon descent, take a dip in the Dead Sea. Float along and enjoy the mineral-rich benefits that are bottled by the beauty industry. Stop at Qumran to visit the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered en route back to Jerusalem. (B)
Spend this full day at leisure to explore Jerusalem on your own. (B)
Depart via the coastal road through the Lower Galilee region en route to Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent his childhood. Here you will tour the Basilica of Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph. Then travel east to Kafr Kanna, an Arab settlement associated with the biblical village of Cana. Continue to Tiberias, a modern resort town and once the epicenter of Jewish learning. Drive along the blue Sea of Galilee to visit Capernaum and the ruins of the 2nd century synagogue. Then in Tabgha, at the foot of the Golan Heights, see the site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. Proceed to Yardenit, the celebrated baptismal site where the Jordan River exits the Sea of Galilee towards the Dead Sea. Return to Jerusalem for the evening. (B)
Transfer to the airport for your departure. (B)
Embark on our amazing 9-day Journey through Jordan & Israel vacation package and prepare to be whisked through time on this breathtaking and historical adventure.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which was once a crossroad for ancient people journeying East and West, enthralls a whole new generation of travelers. Jordan's oldest relics still captivate, like the stunning city of Petra and its rose-colored Al-Khazneh, a tomb exquisitely carved into the red mountains by craftsman from a bygone civilization. Feel the presence of the Roman Empire in the ruins of Jerash, a once thriving Roman provincial settlement that was part of the Decapolis League. Not all of Jordan could be tamed, though-the primeval starkness of Wadi Rum is a desert wilderness where nature has trumped most all human settlements. In the modern capital city of Amman, street life bustles and bazaars overflow with colorful textiles, foods, and other exciting goods. Jordan has so much to offer and unveils itself as a unique vacation destination for inspiration, motivation, and rejuvenation.
The Sheikh Hussein Bridge is your border crossing to Jerusalem, Israel. In Jerusalem begin your tour at Mount of Olives for a stunning panorama of the city. On nearby Mount Zion, see King David's Tomb, draped in azure and gold, and tour the vaulted room of the Last Supper and the Dormition Abbey. Highlights you will encounter on this first day include the sacred Western Wall, Chuch of the Holy Sepulchre, Bethlehem and so much more.
You leave Jerusalem behind and drive through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth. Ascend by cable car to the ancient fortress of Massada and on your way back down you have the chance to take a dip in the Dead Sea and enjoy its mineral-rich benefits. Next up you will drive the coastal road through the Lower Galilee region on your way to Nazareth. Visit the ancient synagogues, settlements and baptism sites of Cana, Tiberias, Capernaum and Yardenit.
This enriching journey will be both adventurous and educational!