road to jerusalem - 11 days

Tour Information
Starts in: Amman
Ends in: Amman
Prices and Departures: Click here
Local Payment Required: No 
Breakfast: 10, Dinner: 2
Hotel rating: 3 , (+ Wadi Rum camp)
Jordanian & Israeli Tour Guide: Yes

Day 1: Amman
Saturday. Welcome to Jordan and the start of an amazing adventure. Arrive Amman, included transfer to our hotel and overnight.

Day 2: Ancient Cities, Roman Ruins!
Amman - Jerash - Umm Qais - Amman - breakfast. 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.

Day 3: Take a dip in the Dead Sea
Amman - Dead Sea - Petra/Wadi Musa - breakfast. Today, we tour the citadel, Archaeological Museum and enjoy free time in the local souq before descending from the elevation of Amman to the Dead Sea for a chance to take a dip in the mineral-rich waters, before continuing south to Wadi Musa. Overnight - Petra/Wadi Musa.

Day 4: The Rose Red City of Petra
Petra/Wadi Musa - breakfast. 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/Wadi Musa.

Day 5: Explore Petra/ Wadi Rum 4 x 4 jeep safari
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 4 x 4s 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. Dinner and overnight - Wadi Rum camp.

Day 6: Aqaba, Lot’s cave & Mt Nebo
Wadi Rum - Aqaba - Madaba - breakfast. Striking south along the Kings Highway, we stop off at the Red Sea resort town of Aqaba. Taking in a short city tour we head onward via Wadi Araba to Lot’s cave and explore the crumbling ruins of an ancient monastery. A short distance away we visit Mt Nebo, where we take in views of the Promised Land. Arriving in the compact town of Madaba, traditional Jordanian dinner at a local establishment and overnight - Madaba.

Day 7: 6th century Madaba
Madaba - breakfast. 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.

Day 8: Jerusalem
Madaba – Jerusalem- breakfast. This morning you’ll be picked up at 9am 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 transferred to your hotel in Jerusalem. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the ancient city of Jerusalem – a World Heritage site. Perhaps take a trip to the Israel museum where you can view rare artefacts including the Dead Sea Scrolls or wander around the bustling markets. Overnight – Jerusalem.

Day 9: Bethlehem
Jerusalem – breakfast. 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 Rachel’s Tomb, 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.

Day 10: Nazareth
Jerusalem – breakfast. 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.

Day 11: Amman
Jerusalem – Amman – breakfast. This morning we head back to Jordan. Included onward transfer to Amman 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.