Journey through Israel and Jordan on this epic 13-day tour featuring the biblical sights of Jerusalem, cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv and beautiful Rose City of Petra. Float in the Dead Sea, admire the ancient fortress of Masada and soak up the views from Mount Nebo, where Moses once viewed the Promised Land.
On arrival at Tel Aviv Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Tel Aviv
This morning we drive for a short visit of the city of Jaffa (Joppa) where we will take a short walking tour in picturesque alleys of the old, fortified town. We will pass by the house of Simon the Tanner and marvel at the views from the hill top.
We drive north along the coast to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honour of Augustus Caesar. From there we go on to visit Megiddo where the book of Revelations mentions a great battle at the place called “Armageddon”. It is an ancient city inhabited continuously for more than five millennia.
After exploring the ancient ruins we drive toward the Sea of Galilee.
Arrive at Tiberias and check-in to your hotel. Overnight in Tiberias.
Start the day from historic Tiberias, where Jesus lived, sojourned, and preached on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Our next destination will be Capernaum, the center of Jesus ministry. On to Tabgha, just north of Tiberias, the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5,000 and at the Church of Multiplication, where the mosaic floor depicts a basket with loaves and two fishes. We drive on to the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea, where Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” and it is believed that Jesus picked his 12 apostles. We ascend to the Golan Heights to view the panoramic view of the peaks of Mt. Hermon, the rugged plateau of the Golan Heights, and beneath it the green pastoral Hula Valley. Visit the Yardenit Baptismal Site, located along the Jordan River, south of the Sea of Galilee. Return to Tiberias for another lovely night in town.
Overnight in Tiberias.
This morning we travel to Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. We proceed to Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood, and the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where archaeologists believe the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. You will also see Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church.
Drive through the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean with its recently excavated amphitheatre. Visit the excavations of this beautiful preserved Roman City which was destroyed in an earthquake.
Continue to Jerusalem, to check-in at the hotel.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Through remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea we continue to Masada which is situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. The site was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Ascend by cable car to the fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, King Herod’s palace, the synagogue, bathhouse and much more. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. En route to the Dead Sea, you will see the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
Nearly 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Bring your swimsuit as if weather permits it’s possible to “float” on the salty, mineral rich, water. Late evening return to Jerusalem.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Start the day at the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, then a visit to the beautifully renovated model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple. This afternoon drive to visit the picturesque village of Ein Karem, in the south western outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has great significance in Christian traditions, since this is where according to tradition John the Baptist was born. Proceed to visit Yad Vashem, the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl. End the day exploring Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Today enjoy sites of the Old City of Jerusalem. Enter through one of the gates to the walled old city, where you will see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, Temple Mount and the colourful bazaars. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa and the stations of the cross, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, housing both the traditional site of Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem – the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam, from atop the Mount of Olives.
Visit the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. In the heart of a neighbourhood in downtown Jerusalem, visit Mahane Yehuda to experience the flavours, aromas, colours and the traders’ interaction with the crowds, at the largest open market in Israel
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Drive from Jerusalem to the Sheikh Hussein border crossing for procedures to enter Jordan. Proceed to Jerash- city of the Decapolis, located about 45km north of Amman in the fertile heights of the Gilad. Visit the ancient Roman city with colonnaded streets, the baths and the hill of the top Temple etc. Drive to Amman for a panoramic city tour of the Jordanian capital. Overnight in Amman
Take a city tour of Amman, visiting the old city and newer neighborhood transfer to Amman for an overnight stay.
Amman
The Jordanian capital, Amman, and its surrounding regions is referred to in the Bible as Ammon, or the Ammonite Kingdom, and was famous for its springs and citadel. This is the place where the Biblical story of David and Goliath (Uriah the Hittite) took place. The massive fortifications, where David, an ancestor of Jesus, brought about Uriah’s death so that he could marry his widow Bathsheba, are still standing.
The regal columns of a roman temple in silhouette against the sky, the elegant capitals of a Byzantine church, endlessly inventive carvings in the Omayyad Palace, fascinating displays in the Archaeological Museum, and digs and ruins everywhere you step. At the foot of the Citadel, take a seat in the Roman Theatre, a deep- Sided bowl carved into the hill and still used for cultural events
After breakfast, travel to Petra via the King’s Highway visiting Madaba, Mount Nebo and Kerak on the way, check-in at the hotel in Petra and stay overnight.
MADABA
Madaba, and its hinterlands were repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament. Then it was known as Medeba and it featured in narratives related to Moses and the Exodus, David’s war against the Moabites, Isaiah’s oracle against Moab and King Mesha of Moab’s rebellion against Israel.
Between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, the prosperous ecclesiastical centre of Madaba produced one of the world’s finest collections of Byzantine mosaics, many fine examples of which are well preserved. Several church floor mosaics can be seen in their original locations, while other have been moved for protection and displayed in Madaba.
Madaba’s real masterpiece, in the Orthodox Church of Saint George, is the 6th century AD mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land – the earliest religious map of the Holy Land in any form to survive from antiquity.
MOUNT NEBO
Mount Nebo is the mountain where Moses was allowed to see the Holy Land, and not allowed to enter it. Nowadays the mountain is a memorial site. Here is the “Church of Moses”, built by the first Christians. Ever since the first days of Christianity this mountain has been a holy place and a destination for pilgrimage. Like Moses, you can have a great view over Jordan, the Dead Sea and Israel.
After breakfast, tour Petra before heading back to Amman for overnight.
PETRA
Petra seems to be mentioned in the Bible’s Old Testament under several possible names, including Sela and Joktheel (2 Kings 14:7).
During the Exodus, Moses and the Israelites passed through the Petra area in Edom. Local tradition says that the spring at Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses), just outside Petra, is the place where Moses struck the rock and brought forth water (Numbers 20:10-11).
Aaron, the brother of Moses and Miriam, died in Jordan and was buried in Petra at Mount Hor, now called Jabal Harun in Arabic (Mount Aaron). A Byzantine church and later an Islamic shrine/tomb of Aaron were built on the summit of the mountain, which today attracts pilgrims from all over the world.
Petra was almost certainly the last staging post of the three kings, who took frankincense, gold and myrrh to honour the baby Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12).
Breakfast, then proceed to the lowest point in earth dead sea and back to Amman for overnight.
DEAD SEA
At 400 meter’s below sea Level, the Dead Sea is infinite in what it has to offer.
Ever since the days of Herod the Great, People have flocked to the Dead Sea in search of its
Curative secrets, Due to high annual temperatures, Low humidity and high atmospheric pressure, the air Extremely exogenous, and the high content of And magnesium in the air makes breathing a lot With the highest content of minerals and salts in the world, the Dead Sea water possesses anti-inflammatory properties, and the dark mud found on The shores have been used for over 2000 years for therapeutic purposes.
Bethany Beyond the Jordan
The site of John the Baptist’s settlement at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, has long been known from the Bible (John 1:28 and 10:40) and from the Byzantine and medieval texts.
The site has now been identified on the east bank of the Jordan River, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and is being systematically surveyed, excavated, restored, and prepared to receive pilgrims and visitors. Bethany Beyond the Jordan is located half an hour by car from the Jordanian capital Amman.
The Bethany area sites formed part of the early Christian pilgrimage route between Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and Mount Nebo.
The area is also associated with the biblical account of how the Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias in Arabic) ascended to heaven in a whirlwind on a chariot of fire.
Transfer to Amman QAIA Airport for final departure
