The wonders of Jordan & Israel

Set out on your journey! Flight to Amman, the Jordanian capital and dinner on board. You are welcomed by our representative at the airport. Look for the sign with your name and let our team handle the visa formalities for you. Set up and night the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Jerash. Explore Jordan’s second largest site after Petra! Today, considered as one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Near East, it was hidden under the sand for several centuries before being discovered and restored for 70 years. The city was built entirely in an orange pink limestone, magnified by the rays of the sun at dawn and at sunset. You can admire the treasures of this Roman city with its streets paved with colonnades, huge temples and theatres, its baths, and fountains as well as its pierced walls. After lunch, get back to Amman. Go on a city tour to discover the secrets of the Jordanian capital. Built on seven hills, between the desert and the green Jordan Valley, Amman takes its name from the Ammonites, a people descending from Abraham. On this vast hill you can admire, a sumptuous view of the city. Before going down, go and explore the Archaeological Museum as well as the Temple of Hercules and the Umayyad Palace. In the lower town, visit the beautiful Greco-Roman Theatre, which can accommodate about six thousand spectators. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for the Route of the Kings to visit Madaba. Also called the city of mosaics, this Byzantine bishopric has 14 churches of major artistic value as well as extraordinary schools of mosaics. Enter St. George’s Church in Madaba and contemplate its map of Palestine exhumed in 1898 during the construction of the church. This mosaic from the 6th century, barely altered, traces the geography of the Byzantine Near East. Thereafter departure for Mount Nebo, 10 km northwest of Madaba. It is at its summit that Moses would have seen the Promised Land right before his death. Culminating at 840 m above the sea level, the mountain became a universal pilgrimage site for Christians. Before leaving this city, you will have the opportunity to visit one of the mosaic workshops. Continuation for the city of Kerak right before Lunch. Explore this fortress from the crusader era, built around 1140 under the direction of Pagan the Butler. The crusaders called it back then: “the Krak of the Moabites”. The fortress is located on a rocky plateau and is a fine example of crusader architecture mixing with European, Byzantine, and Arab style. You then take the road to Petra via the desert road. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for an expedition entirely devoted to Petra, the pink city. Geology explains the red city, which is entirely carved from soft sandstone. However, what you can see today is the result of men’s work through the ages. Nearly 800 monuments can be observed in Petra over 100 square kilometres. It is the Eighth Wonder of the World and has been registered World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is today, the most famous site in Jordan and in the Middle East. You will cross the Siq, narrow and long fault due to a prehistoric earthquake. At the end of the Siq, suddenly appears Petra’s most majestic monument, “Al Khazneh” or the “Treasure” with a Greco-Roman decoration. Be ready to be astonished by the beauty of the city! Beyond the Treasure, there are hundreds of carved buildings, temples, royal tombs, baths, arch-shaped doors, cobbled streets and above all, The Roman Theatre with about 3000 seats. You will cross the Romain Cardo and visit the “Qasr El Bint”, the only temple still standing and in a remarkable state of conservation. Lunch at the site restaurant. The afternoon is free. If your physical condition allows it, you can attempt the ascent to the monastery “El Deir” to admire the masterpiece of the site, “The Monastery”. Back to the hotel at the end of the day.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for “little Petra” for a final tour in this majestic site! Less famous than Petra, this site is worth a visit. This troglodyte village, from the Nabatean’s era, is a marvel on its own. Explore the little city and admire the tombs and temples carved in the rock. You will then take the road to the Wadi Rum desert. If Petra is the result of men’s work, the cliffs, and valleys of the Wadi Rum owe their peaceful beauty and overwhelming grandeur to themselves. This desolate site was, in fact, one of the highlights of the Great Arab Revolt, magnified by director David Lean in one of the most impressive scenes of his movie: Lawrence of Arabia. Lunch in a Bedouin camp to enjoy the hospitality and the gastronomy of the nomads. In the afternoon, you will go on a 2 hour tour in a 4X4 pick-up to admire the splendour of this thousand-year-old desert. Dinner and night at the camp.

Get up early to enjoy the sunrise in this peaceful desert! Take your breakfast with Bedouin and be ready to leave for your last spot. Departure for the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth with its 417 meters below the sea level! This place is recognized around the world to have the most various and high-quality natural salts. Rich in minerals, this water is known to treat certain diseases and to literally makes people float due to its salt content. The Dead Sea is not only a sightseeing tour but also an exceptional relaxing place. Lunch at the hotel’s restaurant. In the afternoon, you can enjoy the hotel’s various activities including the Spa (with extra charge). Dinner and night at the hotel.

Enjoy one last time a good swim the Dead Sea under the morning lights before your breakfast. Thereafter, pack your bag and take the road to the Allenby Bridge. There, our representative will accompany you to take care of the formalities at the border. You will, then, cross the Jordan River and enter the Israeli territory where your guide will be waiting for you. Take a walk to the Mount of Olives to admire the most famous view of Jerusalem, an important place for the three monotheistic religions. Located in the east of Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives is known to have been a major prayer spot of Jesus and the apostles, especially before the Crucifixion. Continuation along the Way of the Cross until the church of the Holy Sepulchre, the most sacred of the Byzantine basilicas. Enjoy here a well-deserved lunch. Visit the Cardo, the old main street from the Roman and Byzantine era and pass through the souks of the old town. Climb to the Mount Zion, where the presumed Cenacle (or Upper Room) is located. Even if the exact location of the Cenacle is not mentioned in the Gospels, the Mount Zion is traditionally recognized as the site where many other events described in the New Testament took place. Finish your day by visiting the holiest place in Judaism: The Wailing Wall. Leave for Bethlehem, the other sacred city of the region. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at your hotel and departure for the region of Hebron to visit the most famous fortress of Masada. From there, a cable car will take you to the top of a gigantic cliff. This 2000-year-old castle is the largest fortress built by King Herod. Explore the different parts of this structure with its palaces, warehouses, residential areas, and its impressive fortified system. Do not forget to take a break watching one of the most fascinating panoramas of the Judean desert. Return to Bethlehem for the lunch. In the afternoon, start your city tour of Bethlehem, the other sacred city of the region. You will then visit the oldest churches in the world including the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus. Dazzle in front of this huge church where you can see different chapels of Orthodox Catholic, Armenian and Greek Christians. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the Allenby Bridge to drop you off at the border point. After the formalities, you will take the shuttle to cross the Jordan River and meet up with our representative. Our team will welcome you and take care of the formalities to enter Jordan. Carry on towards the city of Salt to discover an authentic city with its yellow stone humped houses from the Ottomans’ era. Salt was the first Jordanian capital for a short period of time under the reign of Abdallah the First. A walk will allow you to discover the city as well as a museum describing the evolution of Jordanian life since the Ottomans’ era. Little tip: take the time to wander the commercial streets where you can make your purchases including spices! Finally, you will enjoy a good lunch with inhabitants at their home or in a restaurant depending on availability. Continue to Amman for dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport to take your flight back home.