11-Day Best of Israel & Jordan Tour

Cultural tour of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Acre, Tiberias, Nazareth, Jericho, Jerusalem, Jerash, Amman, Petra, Madaba, Mount Nebo

This 11-day trip through Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories along with Jordan is the perfect tour for people who want to combine visits to important historical and religious sites with some cultural and scenic experiences as well. The tour has time to explore the buzz of the city and beaches of Tel Aviv while also visiting Tiberias and touring Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth and many important religious and historical sites and monuments. The tour also includes a visit to Masada Fortress and the Dead Sea where you can bob on top of this remarkably salty Sea, the lowest place on Earth. The tour also visits the famous Sea of Galilee and enjoys a wine tasting experience in the hills of the Golan Heights. Leaving Israel behind we cross the border into Jordan where we visit some of Jordan's tourist highlights including the Roman Ruins in Jerash, the 'lost city' of Petra, Biblical Mount Nebo and the famous mosaic map of the Holyland in Madaba. Accommodation is on a 3-4 star basis with upgrades available to deluxe 4-star and 5-star hotels.

Day 1, Arrive into Tel Aviv. Transfer to hotel On your arrival in Tel Aviv airport (TLV) our representative will greet you and transfer you to your hotel in the centre of the city. The rest of the day is free for you to settle in and have a first look around. Extra nights before the tour starts are available on request. | OVERNIGHT: Tel Aviv Hotel | MEALS: None | EXTRAS: Extra night - pre-tour, Hotel upgrades, Single room supplement (compulsory for single travellers) Day 2, Masada and the Dead Sea Today we'll leave Tel Aviv and head past Beersheba, the capital of the Negev Desert region before witnessing the remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea as we travel to Masada, situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. The site was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. We then ascend by cable car to the fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. We also visit the excavations, King Herod's Palace, the synagogue, bathhouse and much More, such as enjoying the breath-taking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea below. Later, we visit the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Did you know that nearly 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth's surface; so bring your swimsuit as if weather permits it's possible to 'float' on the salty, mineral rich, water. We'll then continue up the banks of the Dead Sea, looking over to Jordan in the east, passing the Ein Gedi Oasis and finishing our day in Jerusalem. | OVERNIGHT: Jerusalem hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 3, Jerusalem & Bethlehem We 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. We'll also have the opportunity to enjoy Ein Karem; a picturesque village 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. We then visit Yad Vashem the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl, and a not forgetting we visit Bethlehem today; the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. | OVERNIGHT: Jerusalem Hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 4, Jerusalem Jerusalem is the holy city for three of the world's three great religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Today we tour the city, including the Old City where we will stop at the Western Wall, a holy place for Judaism. We will also visit the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. We will walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, housing both the traditional site of Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. The next stop will be at the Mount of Olives, the site where Jesus first gave the Lord's Prayer, followed by a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. We then head just outside the Old City to Mount Zion where we'll stop at the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Finally, we will explore the busy Mahane Yehuda, the largest open market in Israel. | OVERNIGHT: Jerusalem hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 5, Beit Shean, Nazareth, Jordan Valley Safed We leave Jerusalem today and drive north passing by Jericho, the oldest city in the world. We'll travel through the Jordan Valley and the new settlements to Beit Shean, and visit the excavations of this beautifully preserved Roman City. Then, we continue on to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up as a child, and visit the Church of the Annunciation and other important Christian holy sites. Then we proceed to Safed, city of the Kabbalah and centre of Jewish mysticism, to visit the beautiful streets of the artists’ colony. | OVERNIGHT: Tiberias hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 6, Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee Today we will drive up to the Golan Heights passing by Banias, source of the Jordan River, former Syrian fortifications and the Druze villages. Once up in the hills we will enjoy an Israeli wine country experience, with vineyards surrounded by breathtaking views. At the vineyard we'll become acquainted with the collection of fine and rare wines while enjoying a tour, wine tasting and understanding of the wine production process. Next we descend back to the shore of the Sea of Galilee and proceed to Capernaum, to visit the ruins of the ancient synagogue, the Mount of Beatitudes, traditional site of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and Tabgha, the traditional site of the ‘miracle of the loaves and the fish’. Then it is on to Tiberias, the old center of Jewish learning. Here there is an optional boat trip across the Sea of Galilee to experience the tranquility and scenery, little changed during the past 2000 years (subject to local conditions and and additional fee). Finally, return to the hotel for overnight. | OVERNIGHT: Tiberias Hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 7, Acre, Haifa, Caesarea and Jaffa After breakfast we will drive through the hills of the Galilee, westwards to Acre (Akko) for a visit of the old, famous Crusader stronghold and medieval fortifications. Next we continue to Haifa, ascending Mount Carmel for a panoramic view of the city, including the Baha'i Shrine, Persian Garden, and Haifa Bay. Then, we will follow the Mediterranean coast northwards to Caesarea to visit the Roman Theatre and the Crusader fortress at what is known as the “masterpiece of Herod the Great”. Finally we finish the day with a short city tour of Tel Aviv and the ancient port of Jaffa. | OVERNIGHT: Tel Aviv Hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 8, Enter Jordan and visit Jerash It's an early start today as we drive to Jerusalem and onward to the Sheikh Hussein border crossing where we enter Jordan. Then we will drive to Jerash, 'the Jewel of the North'. One of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy, the ancient city of Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. The city's golden age came under Roman rule and Jerash is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Having been hidden for centuries in sand, evacuations restorations over the past 70 years have revealed a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates. Leaving Jerash behind, we'll head to the capital city Amman where we'll have time for a panoramic tour of the city. | OVERNIGHT: Amman hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 9, Petra After breakfast, We'll continue south along the Desert Highway to Wadi Musa, the modern village of Petra and enter the site of Petra and walk, or ride on horseback, to the "Siq" (Canyon). Here, we'll walk through the "Siq" to the red rock city, the ancient capital of the Nabateans from 3rd Century BC to 2nd Century AD and visit the most interesting carved monuments such as the Treasury (El Khazneh - a tomb of a Nabatean king) then the field of tombs, obelisks and the altar. | OVERNIGHT: Petra hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 10, Madaba, Mt. Nebo, and Tel Aviv This morning we'll leave Petra behind and drive north to Madaba and see the town's main attraction, the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George where we'll see its famous 6th Century Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land and other biblical sites. We will also drive to nearby Mount Nebo, from where Moses viewed the Promised Land. From here, you can see the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Dead Sea. Our day finishes as we cross back into Israel and drive to Tel Aviv. | OVERNIGHT: Tel Aviv hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 11, Free time in Tel Aviv. Transfer to the airport for departure After breakfast, your time is free until we transfer you to the airport for your departure flight. Extra nights are available in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv if you would like to extend the tour. *The sequence of the tour, border crossing points used, hotels used and sites visited may be amended due to local circumstances at the time of travel or the guide's discretion. | OVERNIGHT: None | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Extra night - post-tour