Tour B

Day 1: Jerusalem – Amman

Morning transfer from Jerusalem (7:30AM) to the Allenby-King Hussein Bridge; enter the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Meet your driver and continue to Ajloun to see Saladin’s magnificent Mountaintop castle. On to Jerash, known as the “Pompeii of the East,” one of the world’s best-preserved Greco-Roman cities. Your local guide will escort you on a private tour of the Temple of Artemis and, the Roman Forum, Hadrian’s Arch, the massive Theatre and the mile-long Street of Columns. After lunch, continue with your driver to Amman, the modern and ancient capital of Jordan; enjoy a panoramic city tour before checking into your hotel. Tonight, Dinner “Middle-Eastern style”. (L.D.)

Day 2: Amman – Petra

Travel with your driver along the King’s Highway as it winds its way south. Stop at the most revered site in Biblical Jordan: Mount Nebo, where Moses traditionally climbed to survey the Promised Land, and where he is presumed buried. A small, square church was built on the spot by early Byzantine Christians and later expanded into a vast complex. Sixty years of excavation reveal a basilica-church and a large cluster of monastic buildings. From a platform in front of the church you can take a breathtaking view across the Jordan Valley to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Continue with your driver to Madaba “City of Mosaics.” Its chief attraction, in the contemporary church of St. George, is a wonderfully vivid sixth-century Byzantine map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. With two million pieces of mosaic tile and a full 25 by 5 meters in its original state, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns, as far away as the Nile Delta. This masterpiece is unrivaled in Jordan, which assisted archaeologists to locate Jerusalem’s Cardo during the excavations of the Old City. After lunch, we drive on to Kerak, where you will see one of the many castles in Jordan from the time of the Crusades. Approaching Kerak on the Kings Highway, you first pass through Wadi Mujib, a precipitous canyon 1000 meters deep, guaranteed to set the mood for your visit. The castle itself, 1400 meters above sea level, is a dark maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways, surely commanding your attention. Arrive to the hotel in Petra for dinner and overnight. (B.L.D)

Day 3: Petra/Amman

A most unforgettable day in Petra! Your local guide will take you on a private tour into the “rose red” city (by horseback and foot) begins at the awesome “Siq,” a winding canyon road. At the end of the passage you’ll see Petra’s most impressive monument–the Treasury–carved out of the solid rock from the side of the mountain. Beyond the Treasury, you’ll discover soaring temples; elaborate royal tombs, a theatre, burial chambers, water channels. After lunch, return to Amman for overnight. (B.L)

Day 4: Amman – Jerusalem

Morning departure from Amman to the Allenby-King Hussein Bridge for re-entry into Israel. Upon your re-entry into Israel, you will be transferred to your hotel in Jerusalem. (B)