Duration: 13 Days
From the Wailing Wall to the rose-red façades of Petra, this historical interlude with Israel and Jordan will see you visit the tomb of King David, the Mount of Beatitudes and the Dead Sea, before following in the footsteps of spice traders across desert landscapes. Day 1
Journey from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem
Your journey through a land regarded by many as the holiest of the holy begins in the sacred city of Jerusalem, which you will have an opportunity to explore before joining your Travel Director and fellow travelers to herald an epic journey into antiquity. L'chaim!
Day 2
A Day to Explore the Dead Sea and Masada
Journey across the rocky Judean Desert to the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found accidentally by a Bedouin boy in 1947. Visit the striking clifftop fortress of Masada, where a Roman siege ended in the tragic mass suicide of over 900 Zealots. Their sacrifice remains as a symbol of Israel's pledge to remain free. Stroll through the excavations of Herod's palatial retreat, before returning to the lowest point on earth to float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea (time permitting). This evening, we share a traditional meal at our hotel.
Day 3
The Church of Nativity in Bethlehem Dive Into Culture
Tread in the footsteps of prophets, crusaders and kings, admiring the Old City of Jerusalem from the sacred vantage point of the Mount of Olives. Stroll through the Jewish Quarter where you’ll Dive Into Culture at the Wailing Wall and watch faithful Jews cede their prayers to the crevices of its ancient rocks. See the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount and follow the path taken by Christ past the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, arriving at the 4th-century Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians gather to commemorate at the traditional site of His Resurrection. Later this afternoon, travel to Bethlehem where the story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus officially begins. Visit the Church of Nativity, built on the site traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus, and the Manger Square before returning to Jerusalem.
Day 4
Onwards to Lower Galilee
This morning, continue your compelling discovery of Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem to commemorate the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust during World War II. See the Dead Sea Scrolls at Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book, the Knesset, and the Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University, before traveling through the farmlands of the Jordan Valley. In Nazareth, you’ll have an opportunity to visit the sacred Catholic Shrine of the Church of Annunciation, whose cupola overlooks the cave in which Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to share the blessing that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of God. Celebrate a strong sense of community at your overnight stop at a Kibbutz hotel, where you'll dine this evening.
Day 5
Admire Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes and Safed
Begin the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and visit the Jesus Boat, an ancient fishing vessel dating to the 1st century AD. Continue to the ruins of the old synagogue at Capernaum, said to have been built on the home of St. Peter. Then visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Next, venture to one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities and the birthplace of the Kabbalah movement, Safed. Proceed to your Kibbutz hotel in Lower Galilee where you’ll enjoy dinner.
Day 6
On to Acre, Haifa, Caesarea and Tel Aviv
Continue to the almost-intact 12th-century underground City of Acre to admire its medieval Crusader buildings, before enjoying views of the Baha'i Shrine and the beautiful Persian Hanging Gardens of Haifa, created as a memorial to the founders of the Baha'i faith. Imagine seafaring traders plying their wares in the ancient port city of Caesarea where we visit the Roman Amphitheater, then travel to the vibrant city of Tel Aviv, our home for the next two nights.
Day 7
Discover Coastal Tel Aviv Connect with Locals
Visit Rabin Square this morning. Here you’ll learn about the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who has become a symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Continue to Newe Zedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv and soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Rothchild Boulevard. Next, stroll through the ancient ruins of Old Jaffa and explore the biblical stories and ancient mythology of the Old Port. The robust aroma of coffee makes an appearance next at an exclusive Be My Guest experience and lunch in Ajami neighborhood where you’ll Connect With Locals and learn about the personal story of a Christian girl growing up in a Jewish, Muslim and Christian area.
Day 8
Off to Amman
We leave the sacred lands of Israel and journey to the white stone city of Amman. Meet your fellow travelers this evening for a cocktail reception followed by dinner.
Day 9
Explore Ancient Jerash Make Travel Matter Connect with Locals
This morning, we embark on a city tour of Amman to see its Citadel, Archaeological Museum, Roman Amphitheater and Folklore Museum. Our next stop is to Iraq al-Amir where we’ll visit at the Iraq al-Amir Women's Association for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Learn first-hand how they make soap from olive oil and craft greeting cards and note books from recycled paper. Try your hand at making your own before enjoying a lunch prepared by the women. We continue to the ancient city of Jerash, a favorite city of the Roman emperor Hadrian and an important stop on the incense and spice trade route to the Mediterranean. Amble past its soaring Corinthian columns and view its almost intact city walls, before returning to the seven hills of Amman, where tonight we’ll Connect With Locals over an exclusive Be My Guest experience with a local family featuring Jordanian favorites for dinner.
Day 10
Onwards to Petra
The enchanting rose-red façades of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, beckon. Your journey continues on the fabled King's Highway to visit Mount Nebo, one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan and the place where Moses is buried. You'll see the Madaba Mosaic Map that covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Madaba and ascend to the Crusader Shobak Castle, perched on the side of a mountain. Arriving in Petra later, you'll join a Bedouin tribe for a traditional dinner in their camp, under the clear night sky.
Day 11
Discover Colorful Petra and Scenic Wadi Rum Dive Into Culture
Imagine silk and spice caravans plying their wares as we Dive Into Culture and enter this mystical trading city through the narrow Siq, flanked by towering cliffs soaring 80 meters high. Emerging from the path, the stone façade of the Treasury with its ornate decoration looms ahead – the first of many wonders to be explored. Leaving this ancient wonder behind, you'll trek through the timeless landscapes of the Wadi Rum desert, once described by T.E. Lawrence as 'vast, echoing and god-like'. Check into your luxury accommodation in Bedouin tents and soak up the endless desert landscapes. Watch a breath-taking sunset lighting up the surrounding sandstone mountains in brilliant golden hues, then gaze up as the day turns to night and the star-studded sky takes center stage for the rest of the evening.
Day 12
Journey to Amman
This morning, we embark on a jeep tour through the desert watching the landscape rise almost 2,000 meters from the desert floor, amidst which you'll find canyons, waterholes and rock paintings that span millennia. Return to Amman for your final night in Jordan, enjoying a Farewell Dinner with your travel companions. As the sun sets on this magical city, listen to the mystical call of the muezzin and reminisce over an enchanting trip into antiquity.
Day 13
Farewell Jordan
This morning, we bid farewell to this extraordinary land. Find out more about your free airport transfer at trafalgar.com/freetransfers.
- 12 Breakfast (B)
- 5 Dinner (D)
- 2 Be My Guest (BMG)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- 1 Regional Dinner (RD)
- 1 Farewell Dinner (FD)
- Tel Aviv: In Jaffa, meet the Hiffawi family for a Be My Guest lunch and taste the coffee they have been making for generations. You'll also learn their story of living as Christians in a multi-religious society.
- Amman: Embrace the genuine hospitality of your Jordanian hosts during an exclusive Be My Guest dinner with a family in their Amman home featuring favorite local flavors.
- Jerusalem: Visit the Western Wall, otherwise known as the Wailing Wall, renowned as one of the holiest places for the Jewish faith.
- Petra: In the 'Rose City' of Petra, you'll see tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs and admire the 45m-high facades of Al Khazneh, the Treasury.
- Masada National Park: Ascend to the ancient fortress of Masada by cable car where Jewish Zealots held out for three years against Herod's armies before sacrificing themselves.
- Jerusalem: Explore Jerusalem's Old Town on foot during a guided tour. Stroll through the Garden of Gethsemene and visit the city's Jewish Quarter. See the Temple Mount and learn of the importance that the Dome of the Rock holds for both Jews and Muslims.
- Nazareth: Spend the day discovering the sacred Nazareth Church.
- Jerusalem: Visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
- Jerusalem: At the Israel Museum, wander to the Shrine of the Book wing housing the Dead Sea Scrolls.
- Sea of Galilee: Take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, then view the ancient Galilee Boat and hear the story of its excavation.
- Acre: Spend the day discovering the medieval Crusader buildings in Acre.
- Caesarea: Explore the Roman and Crusader ruins of Caesarea, formerly one of the splendid cities in Palestine.
- Tel Aviv: Explore with your Local Specialist and see the Habimah National Theater, Rabin Square and browse around the Carmel Market.
- Amman: During a city tour of Amman, visit the Citadel, the grand Roman Amphitheater and the Archaeological Museum.
- Jerash: Feel like you have stepped back 2,000 years in time as your Travel Director guides you through this marvelous ancient metropolis - now the finest surviving example of a Greco-Roman city in the world!
- Petra: Join a Bedouin tribe and taste authentic Jordanian flavors as you experience a traditional desert dinner at a Bedouin camp.
- Mount Nebo: Take in the astounding view of Moses' Promised Land, where the ruins are truly a site to behold.
- Wadi Rum: Enjoy the beauty of this arid landscape as you make your way through Wadi Rum's majestic desert.
- Iraq al-Amir: Visit the Iraq al-Amir Women's Center and learn how they create soap from olive oil and greeting cards from recycled paper, followed by lunch prepared by the women.
- : Explore Jerusalem and Amman with a Local Specialist
- : Visit the Fortress of Masada and the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Church of Annunciation in Nazareth, Jesus Boat at the Sea of Galilee, the old Synagogue and the Mount of Beatitudes near Capernaum, the ancient Synagogue and artists' colony at Safed, the underground Crusader City of Acre, the Roman Amphitheater at Caesarea, the Greco-Roman city at Jerash, the unique ancient city at Petra, the Crusader Fortress at Shobak and Wadi Rum
- : View the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the Baha'i Shrine from the summit of Mount Carmel in Haifa, the excavations of Solomon's Stables and the Roman Amphitheater, the aqueduct at Caesarea, the Roman Amphitheater and Citadel in Amman, Moses' Promised Land on Mount Nebo and the mosaic map of the Holy Land at Madaba
- : Scenic Cruise boat ride on the Sea of Galilee
- : An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- : All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- : Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- : All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- : Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- : Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- : Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- : Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- : Optional Experiences and free time
Start Date: 2023-10-12
End Date: 2023-10-24
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