See Israel and Jordan on this guided tour of the historic Middle East, and enjoy shorter travel time, fewer crowds, and lower costs than the busy travel season. Begin in Tel Aviv, stop in the port of Jaffa, then through the Holy Land to Caesarea to visit the Roman Amphitheater and Crusader Fortress, and Nazareth in Galilee to visit the Church of the Annunciation. Stop in Cana—site of Jesus’ wedding miracle—on your way to Haifa. Visit the sites of Jesus’ life, including the Mount of Beatitudes and Capernaum. Travel to David and Goliath’s Valley of Elah; Samson and Delilah’s Valley of Ayalon; and cruise on the Sea of Galilee. You’ll also visit the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem, and enjoy a four-night stay in Jerusalem.
Take an excursion to Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, and visit the Israel Museum, which holds the Shrine of the Book, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Visit Jerusalem’s Old City, the Garden Tomb, and the Mount of Olives. See the Garden of Gethsemane, follow the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at the site of the crucifixion. View the Temple Mount, the Dome of the Rock mosque, and the holy Western Wall; take an excursion to historic Masada to visit the cliff-top fortress; and float in the waters of the Dead Sea—with fewer crowds in this low-season travel to Israel.
In Jordan, travel to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where John the Baptist is said to have baptized Jesus; Madaba with its archaeological treasures; Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land; and Jordan’s “Grand Canyon” at Wadi Mujib. Take an exciting four-wheel drive through the pristine desert of Wadi Rum. Visit Petra, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World®—stand in awe in front of the 1st-century-BC Treasury, carved into the sheer sandstone rock, and walk down the Siq, the colorful gorge between the high cliffs; also sip tea in a Bedouin tent. From Jordan’s capital Amman, travel to Umm Qais and the Greco-Roman city of Jerash. Ancient sites and fascinating landscapes await you on this off-season guided tour of Israel and Jordan—without the crowds, costs, or lengthy travel schedule of the high-season!
City Highlights
TEL AVIVWelcome dinnerJAFFAWalk around the ancient portCAESAREAVisit the Roman Amphitheater and the Crusader fortressNAZARETHVisit the Church of the AnnunciationCANAVisit the site of the first miracleHAIFAVisit the Baha’i ShrineMOUNT OF BEATITUDESVisit the site where Jesus delivered his sermonCAPERNAUMVisit the site where Jesus recruited his followersJORDAN RIVERVisit a baptismal siteSEA OF GALILEEEnjoy [LF] a cruiseLATRUNVisit the site of David’s victory over Goliath in the Valley of Elah and the Monastery of the Trappist Monks in LatrunBETHLEHEMVisit the Church of NativityJERUSALEMVisit the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, and Mount Zion; guided walking tour; the tomb of King David, the Upper Room, the Garden Tomb, a panoramic view from the Mount of Olives; visit the Garden of Gethsemane, follow the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall; farewell dinnerMASADARide a cable car and visit the cliff-top fortressDEAD SEAExperience the buoyancy feeling in the Dead Sea water; Jerash; Umm QaisWADI RUMVisit the largest wadi in Jordan and [LF] enjoy a four-wheel drive to the desert of Wadi Rum and receive a local scarfPETRAGuided sightseeing, including [LF] the Siq and the Treasury; sip tea in a Bedouin tentKERAKVisit the Crusader CastleWADI MUJIBVisit the Jordanian Grand CanyonMADABAVisit St. George’s Church and the Archaeological MuseumMOUNT NEBOVisit the mountain where Moses saw the Promised LandBETHANY BEYOND THE JORDANVisit the site of John the Baptist’s settlementDEAD SEAFarewell dinner
Meals
Full buffet breakfast daily; 9 three-course dinners with wine: including a welcome dinner in Tel Aviv, and a farewell dinner at the Dead Sea
Notes
Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.Hotels listed may occasionally be substituted with alternative hotels of equivalent standard.
Transportation
Motorcoach or minibus; boat cruise, cable car. Free wi-fi available on your motorcoach and in most hotel lobbies.
