8 Tages | 7 Nächtes
Ahlan Wa Sahlan - Welcome to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan! Our representative meets you with a signage before the immigration and assists you with the procedure. After you collect the luggage and pass the customs, the representative matches you with your driver. The ride to the hotel in Amman takes around 45 minutes. Check-in, rest of the day at leisure.
A tour of several hours along a scenic route lies ahead of you. Your driver takes you to Mt Nebo. From here overlook the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and parts of the Holy Land. According to the Bible this is the place where Moses was granted to see the Promised Land before he died and alleged to be his burial place. Short ride to Madaba, the town known in Jordan as the “City of Mosaic”. See the famous 6th century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land at St. George’s Church. Travel along the famous ancient caravan route of the King’s Way. Short photo stop in Wadi Al Mujib, a great wide valley with magnificent geological formation, identical with the Arnon River of the Hebrew Bible. Then to the remains of the Crusader castle in Kerak. Explore the underground passageways, enjoy the view and imagine how the forces of Salah ad-Din besieged this stronghold several times. Afterwards, drive 2 hours to your hotel in Petra for check-in and a leisurely evening.
Today visit Petra, the spectacular rose rock city, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Prepare yourself for walking over uneven terrain. Petra is the biggest attraction of Jordan and was first established around the 6th century B.C. by the Nabatean Arabs, a nomadic tribe who settled in the area and laid the foundation of a commercial empire that extended into Syria. Meet your local guide who will give you an understanding of Petra’s history within the next 2.5 hours. Start with a walk to the canyon, the so-called Siq, at its end you see the most beautiful monument, the Treasury. The building rises over 40 meters, and is carved into the sandstone like most of Petra’s architecture. Continue via the Street of Facades, passing by the Theatre to the Royal Tombs. Your guide says farewell. Free time to uncover Petra on your own, climb for example the 800 stairs to the impressive Monastery El Deir. Return along the same trail to the main entrance. From here the journey takes us 1.5 hours to Wadi Rum. Check into your campsite, where dinner and the desert night with a hopefully starry sky awaits you.
Leaving Wadi Rum, we drive along the scenic Wadi Araba Road with its colourful, rolling mountains to the east and the typical acacia trees. Within three and a half hours reach the Dead Sea. Check into your hotel for a leisurely afternoon at the lowest point on earth. Bob like a cork in salty waters and cover your skin with the famous dark mud on its shores.
At a prearranged time, pickup from your hotel lobby. Your driver takes you for 30 minutes to the Allenby Bridge, also known as King Hussein Bridge. After the formalities board a shuttle bus, say farewell to Jordan and cross into Palestine / Israel. Meet your new representative outside the Israeli terminal. Drive 1 hour to Bethlehem, a town with a Palestinian Christian community. See the Shepherds’ Fields in Beit Sahour, then arrive at Manger Square and the ancient Church of the Nativity. See also part of the 700 km long Separation Wall, dividing the West Bank and Israel, used as graffiti wall, some created by the British artist Banksy. Overnight Jerusalem.
Start your tour with a panoramic view from the top of Mount Olives, a good place for an introduction to the city and its history. Then we visit the holy sites of the three monotheistic religions, represented in Jerusalem. We start with the walk to the Wailing Wall, which represents the last remnants of the Jewish Temple, destroyed by the Romans. Usually you can see the various types of Jews who come to worship at this holy place. If open to visitors, we ascend to the Temple Mount, to look at the famous Dome of the Rock. Continue through the Arab Market to the "Via Dolorosa", Jesus' "Way of Suffering", which leads us to The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus was crucified and buried. Return to your Jerusalem hotel.
Today we explore the some of the attractions at the Mediterranean Sea. The first stop is the city of Caesarea, where you’ll visit the ancient Roman ruins of Herod’s Harbour and the Roman Theater. It is one of the biggest amphitheatres built during the Roman era and used for chariot races and gladiator fights. We continue to the ancient port city of Akko, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring impressive fortified city walls and the underground Crusader passageways used by the Knights of St. John. You’ll have the opportunity to browse the Old Market. Next, travel to Haifa, home to the headquarters of the Baha’i faith, to tour the stunningly terraced Baha’i Gardens. Return to your hotel in Jerusalem.
Check out of the hotel, your driver meets you in the hotel lobby. Transfer about one hour to Ben Gurion Airport. Board your flight and time to say goodbye to the Holy Land.