The Highlights of the Levant and the Near East
Jordan, Palestine and Israel — all in a 10-Day Adventure

The ruins of the Roman city and the stone fortress of Petra
By Brad Mering, via Wikimedia Commons

Here’s the best way to cover the highlights of Jordan, Israel and Palestine in 10 days: Petra, Tel Aviv, Beersheva, Arad, Massada, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Tiberias, Galilee, Upper Galilee and Golan Heights, Nazareth, Acre, Haifa.

Tour

Day 1 – Friday – Amman- Petra
Land in Amman, where our local rep. meets you at the airport and meets you after you clear customs and passports formalities. From the airport in Amman: We proceed in your private air-conditioned vehicle and with your private English speaking guide to Petra, finally we reach your hotel, check-in and overnight at your hotel in Petra.  For guests who are landing in Israel/Palestine please click here.

Day 2 – Saturday – Petra: (BD)
A full day tour of Jordan’s most famous site, the rose-red city of Petra. Venture through the Siq (the gorge between two towering mountains) until you reach the treasury which, like the most of the structures at Petra, is carved into the rose-red Nubian sandstone. The afternoon is devoted to further exploration in Petra: Street of Façades, Roman theater, Royal tombs includes: (Urn tomb, Silk tombs, Corinthian tomb and Palace tomb), Byzantine church, Nabatean Temples, Colonnaded street, Great temple, Qaser El-Bent, museums and Al-Dair, of course time permitting. This evening in Petra we enjoy a unique experience: The Petra Kitchen is a delightful way to round out your Jordan travel experiences. Like any home kitchen, The Petra Kitchen is a relaxed, informal atmosphere where you’ll gather to prepare an evening meal, working alongside local women under the supervision of our chef.

Each evening meal includes soup, cold and hot mezza and salads, and a main course all typical Jordanian dishes. You will have get an inside glimpse of the secrets behind the famous regional cuisine of the Levant.

The Petra Kitchen offers an evening of learning, fun and a very special dining experience, with each dish gaining the special flavor of a reward well-earned. Great care has been taken to make The Petra Kitchen a truly Jordanian experience right down to the furnishings, all crafted in Jordan, the tableware, all produced by the Iraq al Amir Women’s Co-operative, and the aprons and table linens, all hand-embroidered by the Jordan River Foundation. The rate includes the cuisine course, meal and all non-alcoholic beverages as well as take-home recipes for all dishes prepared that evening.

DAY 3 – Sunday- Petra – Allenby Bridge – Jerusalem: (B)
After an early breakfast, we head north to Mount Nebo, we enjoy the panoramic view of the Promised Land the way Moses saw it for the first time, then our local rep. escorts you to the border for your drive to Jerusalem and your hotel and overnight. Please make sure that you have your passport in order, valid for at least 6 month beyond your arrival date and with visa (if needed for Israel). Change of vehicles at the border. For Deluxe: Mamila Hotel, American Colony Hotel or similar, for first class: Jerusalem Hotel, Novotel hotel or similar. Petra to the border crossing is about 4 hours including stop at Mount Nebo, then about 45-60 minutes formalities to cross and change cars, and another 30-45 minutes drive to Jerusalem. All times are subject to change and/or delays.

Day 4 – Monday – Beersheva – Arad – Massada – Jerusalem: (BL)
Leave Jerusalem, on to Beersheba, visit to the Negev capital. Continue via Arad to Massada. 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, Herod’s palaces, the synagogue, bathhouse, etc. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. Descend for a possible “float” in the in the salty water of the world’s lowest place. Via Ein Gedi and Kalya, proceed to Jerusalem for overnight. Breakfast at the hotel. For Deluxe: American Colony Hotel or similar. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Day 5 – Tuesday – Jerusalem: sightseeing of the new city (BL)
Drive to Mt. Scopus for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. On to the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of the Agony. Drive to Mt. Zion for a visit to the tomb of King David, the Room of the Last Supper and Dormition Abbey. Sightseeing in the new city including the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, new Supreme Court bldg. Mt. Herzl. Then visit the model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem dating back to the time of the Second Temple. Afternoon visit of the Hadassah medical center in the synagogue with Marc Chagall stained glass windows, then via Ein Karem (the birth place of John the Baptist). Return to Hotel. For Deluxe : American Colony Hotel or similar. Breakfast at the hotel. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Day 6 – Wednesday – Jerusalem – (Old City) – Bethlehem: (BL)
Walk through one of the Gates to the walled Old City: the renewed Jewish Quarter; the Western Wall, the “Tunnel”, the Temple area; the colorful bazaars; Via Dolorosa, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Continue to Bethlehem to visit Rachel’s Tomb and the Church of the Nativity and return to Jerusalem for overnight. Breakfast is included daily at the hotel. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Day 7 – Thursday – Jericho – Tiberias – Galilee: (BL)
Leave Jerusalem, driving via Bethany to Jericho*, the oldest city in the world. Visit the excavations and then continue northward via Jordan Valley and the new settlements to Beit Shean. After a short visit proceed to Tiberias, the old center of Jewish learning. Drive along the shores of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to visit the ruins of the ancient synagogue. Continue to Scott hotel for the deluxe Category and overnight. For First class and tourist class we will use a Kibbutz. Breakfast at the hotel. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Day 8 – Friday – Upper Galilee and Golan Heights – Nazareth: (BL)
Breakfast is included at the hotel daily. We’ll go from ancient to recent history today, as we ascend to the Golan Heights. Here we’ll catch a glimpse of the Syrian fortifications where guns were once trained on the Israeli farms below. A sharp eye will spot gazelles and other wildlife that live mostly out of sight among the rocks. We’ll visit the lake of Birkat Ram in a fertile volcanic landscape, and Druze villages, stopping along the way at Banias, at the foot of Mt. Hermon, where the Jordan River gushes from the earth. We’ll continue via Kiryat Shmoneh and the Hula Valley, reclaimed from marshes, to Safed, the city of the Kabala, where we’ll visit the synagogue and artists’ colony. At Nazareth, we’ll visit the Church of the Annunciation and Mary’s Well, then continue to Cana, and Beit Shean, where a Roman theater survives. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Day 9 – Saturday – Acre – Haifa – Tel Aviv: (B)
Our local rep. will call for you after breakfast and drive up the cost to Acre, a Crusader stronghold in the Middle Ages. After a view of the fortifications, we’ll drive back around the bay to Haifa, Israel’s main port, a scenic cluster of neighborhoods climbing seaside slopes. Stops will include the Bahai Shrine, the Persian Garden, and Mount Carmel, where we’ll take in a panorama stretching from the port up the coast almost to Lebanon. On our way back to Tel Aviv, we’ll stop at the extensive and well-preserved Roman city of Caesarea whose buildings tell of a way of life through baths, plazas and a theater that is still used for major concerts! Later structures bespeak Crusader defenses. This evening will be your chance to do your last-minute shopping for Israeli souvenirs, and to enjoy a fine dining experience from among the many choices in Tel Aviv. Your guide will be pleased to make recommendations. Deluxe: Dan Tel Aviv or similar.

DAY 10 – Sunday – DEPARTURE: (B)
Breakfast at the hotel. We’ll escort you to the airport to catch your homeward-bound flight. Salam! Tel Aviv VIP Club Transfer Service.

Prices include:

• All ground transportation, including service between airport and hotels
• Meals as indicated, with preset menu (B = breakfast, L = lunch)
• Guided sightseeing with professional guide and all admission fees
• Hotel accommodations, including tax and service charges.
• Visa for Jordan, limited to specific number of nationalities such as: Australian, NZ, USA, Canada, EU, Japan and others (please check with us if needed at the time of booking).

• VIP MEET & GREET at Tel Aviv Airport: the local rep. will meet you just before the immigration, at Tel Aviv Airport, then walk you through the immigration and luggage claim, on to the arrival hall and meeting the guide/driver and drive on to your hotel.Vip Club Airport Transfers Service (Tel Aviv Airport)
  Description of service

Flights: Incoming/Arrival
Porter services included

• • Meeting the guest at the exit of the plane’s sleeve.
  • Transfer to passport control with luxury car.
  • Quick transfer through passport control.
  • Pickup luggage, porter service included.
  • Quick transfer through Customs and exiting to the Arrivals Hall.

Outgoing / departure flights:
Porter services included

• • Meeting the guest at departure hall, gate 32.
  • Quick transfer through security check.
  • Porter service is included.
  • Check-in for flight and deposit of baggage at designated counter,
  • Quick transfer at hand bags security.
  • Quick transfer during boarding.

Not included:

• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• Personal expenses such as laundry and phone calls
• Beverages
• Tips
• Visa for Israel (if/when needed)
• Jordan Departure tax at Allenby Bridge.