Road to Jerusalem - 11 days
FROM USD $3,239
Experience the magic of Jordan & take a spiritual journey to Jerusalem & beyond. Explore the ancient wonders of Petra, 4x4 in Wadi Rum & float like a cork in the Dead Sea. Top it off with an incredible tour of the Holy Land & some of the world's most sacred & historical sites.
Day 1: Amman
Saturday. Welcome to Jordan and the start of an amazing adventure. Arrive Amman, included transfer to our hotel and overnight. Overnight - Amman
Day 2: Ancient Cities, Roman Ruins
Amman - Jerash - Umm Qais - Amman. Heading north, we visit Jerash, the Graeco-Roman city known as the ‘Pompeii of the East’. Built over 2,000 years ago, Jerash is widely regarded as the best-preserved city of the Decapolis, a confederation of 10 Roman cities dating from the 1st century! We’ll explore the site taking in the colonnaded street, amphitheatre, nymphaeum, forum and more before continuing to Umm Qais (Gadara), a dramatic black-basalt Roman city of the Decapolis with panoramic views over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. Overnight - Amman (B)
Road to Jerusalem - 11 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
Day 3: Mt Nebo & Umm ar Rasas
Amman - Mt Nebo - Umm ar Rasas - Petra. Today, we tour the citadel, Archaeological Museum and enjoy free time in the local souq before visiting Mt Nebo to take in the views of the Promised Land. Later we explore the roman ruins and beautiful mosaics of Umm ar-Rasas. The mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen dates to 785, over 150 years after Muslim rule was established in Jordan, and depicts the cities of the day including Jerusalem, with Palestinian cities below such as Nablus and Gaza and seven Trans-Jordanian cities including Philadelphia (modern-day Amman), Madaba and Karak. Overnight - Petra (B)
Day 4: The Rose City
Chief among Jordan’s many archaeological riches is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Rose City of Petra. The city was first settled around the 6th century BC by the Nabataean tribe from Western Arabia. Rediscovered in 1812, it remains on the list of many travellers. We access the hidden archaeological treasures of the Rose City on a walk through a narrow, deep siq, where the rocks finally give way to reveal the famous facade of Al-Khazneh (the Treasury). Continuing our walk, we’ll then go on to explore chunks of this fantastic once-lost city which is full of tombs, temples, an impressive amphitheatre and a Roman colonnaded street. The intrepid can ascend the hundreds of rock-cut steps to Ad-Deir. Better known as the Monastery, Ad-Deir has a similar facade to that of the Treasury, but is far bigger and the views from the nearby cliff-tops are awesome. Want to learn how to cook Middle Eastern food? Consider opting for our Petra Kitchen bolt-on tonight! Overnight - Petra (B)
Day 5: Wadi Rum
Petra - Wadi Rum - breakfast. A chance to revisit Petra before our afternoon drive to Wadi Rum. A vast, silent landscape of ancient riverbeds, pastel coloured stretches of sandy desert and amazing rock formations known as jebels that rise from the desert floor, the desertscape of Wadi Rum represents some of the most stunning countryside on the planet. Boarding 4x4s jeeps, we take a safari through the sand dunes, getting up close and personal to the surrounding scenery of Wadi Rum. Tonight, we enjoy a Jordanian dinner. Overnight - Wadi Rum (B, D)
Day 6: Karak Castle & the Dead Sea
Wadi Rum - Karak - Dead Sea - Madaba. This morning, we explore the well preserved 12th century crusader castle of Al Karak. It took the Crusaders some twenty years to erect their fortified stronghold, which through the proceeding centuries withstood countless attack and siege. Once finished in 1161, it became the residence of the lord of Transjordan, by then the most important fief of the Crusader kingdom, rich in produce and tax revenues. Note: Shobak crusader castle maybe visited as an alternative to Karak.
Descending some 1300 metres to the lowest point on the earth's surface we arrive at the Dead Sea. Sitting at 422 metres below sea level we spend the afternoon swimming, lathering up with a detoxifying mud bath and bobbing about in the ever warm mineral-rich body of water. After we drive onward to the bustling Muslim-Christian market town of Madaba. Overnight - Madaba (B, D)
Descending some 1300 metres to the lowest point on the earth's surface we arrive at the Dead Sea. Sitting at 422 metres below sea level we spend the afternoon swimming, lathering up with a detoxifying mud bath and bobbing about in the ever warm mineral-rich body of water. After we drive onward to the bustling Muslim-Christian market town of Madaba. Overnight - Madaba (B, D)
Day 7: 6th Century Madaba
Famed for it’s Byzantine mosaics, including the fascinating map of the Holy Land made in the 6th century out of two million stone pieces and now housed in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, Madaba - it's mosaics, quaint village shops and local market are all here to explore. Overnight - Madaba (B)
Day 8: Jerusalem
Madaba – Jerusalem. This morning you’ll be picked up at 9:00am and transferred to the Jordanian border where after immigration formalities you will transfer by public shuttle bus over the border into Israel, here you’ll be met by a driver and escorted to your hotel in Jerusalem. The afternoon and evening offer free time. Today is the Sabbath and offers good opportunity to explore the World Heritage Listed city on foot without the usual hubbub. Overnight - Jerusalem (B, D)
Day 9: Bethlehem
Today we enjoy a guided tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Our first stop is the holy Mount of Olives where there are amazing panoramic views of the old city. We take a walking tour of the atmospheric old city; wander through the Armenian and Jewish quarters to the Cardo (ancient Roman road). We continue on through the old City and the Christian quarter, visiting the famous Wailing Wall - a place of constant prayer and one of the most revered Hebrew sites. Retrace the final laboured steps of Jesus, burdened under the weight of the cross, along the Via Dolorosa to the hallowed Church of the Sepulchre; the site of the crucifixion, Jesus’ tomb and the resurrection. A short drive from Jerusalem is Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesus; where we visit Manger Square and the Church of Nativity, which is reputed to be the oldest Church in the world and the site where Jesus was born. Spend the evening at leisure in Jerusalem. Overnight - Jerusalem (D)
Day 10: Nazareth
This morning we head out for another full day of sightseeing around the Holy Land. We take in the sights of Nazareth – the home of Joseph and Mary, visiting the famous Churches of the Annunciation and St. Joseph. Heading North via Cana – where Jesus turned water into wine, we reach the shores of the Sea of Galilee and visit the significant Christian sites of Capernaum, historic Tiberias and Tabgha - site of the legendary Sermon on the Mount and the feeding of the 5000. We travel back to Jerusalem where you can spend your final night soaking up the atmosphere of this revered city. Overnight - Jerusalem (B, D)
Day 11: Amman
Tuesday. Jerusalem – Amman. This morning we head back to Jordan. Included onward transfer to Amman's Queen Alia airport or Madaba hotel. If you have time to spare before your flight, you can enjoy some free time in Madaba before we transfer you to Amman airport. NOTE: There could be delays when crossing the border from Israel to Jordan. As such please ensure that you book a flight departing from Amman after 5pm. (B)
Perseids Meteor Shower departure - 10 Aug 2013
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Why not combine this tour with the amazing celestial spectacle of the Perseids Meteor shower? The Perseids meteor shower is a spectacular celestial light show, that has mystified and amazed sky watchers for nearly 2000 years. The night sky is lit up by often over 60 meteors per hour! You can witness the incredible meteor shower from our desert camp in Wadi Rum, where you will spend two incredible nights star-gazing, when the meteor shower is at its peak on the 13th and 14th August. Please see the Go Guide for details of the amended itinerary. Supplement applies. Other tours that include the Perseids meteor shower are: Pyramids, Petra, Promised Land - starting 03 AUG 2013 Totally Jordan - starting 10 AUG 2013 |
Tour Details
- Starts in: Amman / Ends in: Amman
- Departs: Saturdays - year round
- No local payment required
- Breakfast:9, Lunch: 0, Dinner: 5
- Hotel Rating: 3 star (+ Wadi Rum camp)
- Tour Guide: Yes throughout Jordan
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