Levantine Adventure
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon

March 20 - April, 2010

$3995
per person, double occupancy, land only

Our maximum group size is 15 people.

THIS TOUR IS SOLD OUT!

2 spaces just opened up on this tour!

Mar 20: Ahlan wa sahlan! Welcome to Jordan! We will be met and assisted up on our arrival at Queen Alia International Airport on RJ 262 at 5:15 pm. Transfer to Amman for dinner and overnight at the Regency Palace Hotel.

Mar 21: After breakfast, begin the day with a city tour of Amman. Amman, the capital of Jordan, offers both the old and new. See the Roman Amphitheater followed by the Citadel, the Archeological Museum, Folklore Museum, and the beautiful King Abdullah Mosque. Afterwards we will visit some of the desert castles. In the 7th and 8th centuries the Umayyad Caliphs built the Muslim treasures known as the Desert Castles, east of Amman. These were originally hunting lodges, but of course they were the height of luxury at that time. Return to Amman for dinner at a traditional restaurant and overnight at the Regency Palace Hotel. (B/D)

Mar 22: After breakfast, we head to Madaba. In the town of Madaba you will visit St. George the Apostle Church, home to a stunning mosaic map of the ancient Middle East. Afterwards continue to nearby Mount Nebo where you will visit the church on top of the hill from where, it is believed, Moses viewed the Promised Land. His tomb is also located at this site, as well as a beautiful array of mosaics in the floor of the church. You will be able to experience the spectacular panorama of the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Judean Hills, just as Moses did. Next we will visit Kerak. Kerak is a crusader fortress, built over older fortresses, located on the King's Highway in the area known in ancient times as Moab. The history during the Crusades of this fortress is filled with intrigue, treachery, and murder. But the history of this area goes back to the Iron Age and the ancient Nabateans. Continue on to Petra for dinner and overnight at the Crowne Palaza Hotel or Taybet Zaman Resort. (B/D)

Mar 23: After breakfast begin your exploration of Petra, the "Rose Red City." This incredible hidden city, inhabited by the ancient Nabateans, lay concealed from 100 AD until it was re-discovered in the early 1800's. Take a horse ride to the "Siq" (Canyon) entrance then walk the rest of the way through the narrow, winding cut in rocks into the valley. Your first glimpse of the magnificence of the place will be of the Treasury as you round the last bend on the pathway. The Treasury and the other buildings have been carved out of the canyon walls in the pink sandstone. Continue past the Roman Theatre, the Corinthian Tomb and the Palace Tomb. In the late afternoon we will transfer to Wadi Rum for dinner and overnight at the Jabal Rum Camp.

Mar 24: After breakfast, transfer to Wadi Rum for a 4x4 jeep tour exploring the desert canyons, rock formations and more. The canyon or wadi is a nature preserve and has an abundance of desert flora and fauna, set in a landscape sometimes called the Valley of the Moon. Afterwards, transfer to the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight at the Kempinski Hotel. (B/D)

Mar 25: After breakfast, visit Bethany, Jerash and depart to Syria with stop at Bosra then to Damascus with our bus. Continue on to the border and cross into Syria. Our next stop will be at the site of Bosra. Bosra is a well-preserved black basalt city with the larges Roman amphitheater in the world. The amphitheater could hold 15,000 people, and could be emptied of all those people in five minutes. The amphitheater is still in use today as it hosts an annual music and dance festival. Bosra became one of the leading Nabatean (the builders of Petra in Jordan) cities before becoming the capital of the Roman province of Arabia in 106 AD. Continue on to Damascus for dinner and overnight at the Cham Palace Hotel. (B/D)

Mar 26: After breakfast enjoy a full day tour of Damascus. You tour will start at the National Museum in Damascus. The entry of the museum is a restored gate from a desert fortress, and houses a vast collection of artifacts from the many civilizations that have inhabited the region, with many dating back thousands and thousands of years. After visiting the museum, continue on to visit the Tekkiye Sulimaniya Mosque and the Omayyad Mosque, known for its unique artwork and also that the original structure was first a pagan temple, a Roman temple, then a Byzantine church, and now the great mosque. This will be followed by a visit to the tomb of Salahdine, the Azem Palace, and the Hananya Church where St. Paul made his escape through window to avoid being captured and persecuted. End your sightseeing with a drive up Kassioun Mountain for a view of the city of Damascus and the surrounding countryside. Return to the Cham Palace Hotel for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

Mar 27: After breakfast we depart east into the desert to Palmyra. This pearl in the middle of the desert is one of the most graceful and splendid ancient sites in the east. It lies on the main caravan route between Persia and the Mediterranean and was home to the Nabatean Queen Zenobia before it was conquered by the Romans. Its glory and greatness are still evident after 2,000 years. We will see the Palmyra Castle, the Museum, Roman Theater, the Queen's Bath, the tombs of Palmyra and the Temple of Bel. Dinner and overnight at the Heliopolis Hotel. (B/D)

Mar 28: After breakfast we will depart for Aleppo. On the way we will visit the famous Krack Des Chevaliers fortress that was pivotal in protecting the interior of Syria during the crusades. It sits high in the coastal hills and is very well preserved. We will have time to roam the ramparts, visit the stables and the kitchen as well as the great hall. After exploring this mountaintop castle, we will then visit Apamea, a major Seleucid city and military garrison, with magnificent Roman and Byzantine ruins. Taken over by Seleucos Nicator, it became one of the three main cities of the Seleucid Empire. With Antioch on the Orontes and Seleucia on the Tigris this Empire spread from the Mediterranean to the Indus valley. Later on Pompey attached it to the Roman Empire. This era and the following Byzantine era is to what Apamea owes its current beauty. Continue on to Aleppo for dinner and overnight at the Mandaloun Hotel. (B/D)

Mar 29: Today we will have a full day of sightseeing in Aleppo. Aleppo was established over 10,000 years ago and vies with Damascus for the title of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Aleppo is famous for its souks housed in miles of labyrinthine passageways at the foot of the Citadel. These are some of the oldest markets in the world! Visit the Citadel, in the heart of the city surrounded by an impressive moat. Also visit the Great Mosque and the Aleppo Museum, wrapping up your tour with a visit to the Khans, or merchant houses of Aleppo. The architecture and history of these buildings will recall the days of the caravanserais that passed through Aleppo on their way to the west from Persia and Asia, loaded with spices, materials, and other goods to trade. In the afternoon we will head out to the countryside to see the Basilica of St. Simeon, where St. Simeon the Stylite, a Christian ascetic, settled in 412. He lived for nearly 40 years on the top of a column, surrounded by pilgrims. Return to Aleppo for dinner and overnight at the Mandaloun Hotel. (B/D)

Mar 30: After breakfast we depart for Damascus, stopping to visit the villages of Ma'aloula and Sydnaya on the way. The mountain village of Ma'aloula, which means "the entrance", probably referring to the gorge in between the mountains, is the only place in the world that still speaks Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. There are two important monasteries in Ma'aloula: Mar Sarkis and Mar Taqla. Mar Sarkis Monastery was built in the 4th century on remains of a pagan temple, and was named after St. Sarkis. Mar Taqla Monastery holds the remains of St. Taqla, daughter of a Seleucid prince, and pupil of St. Paul. Sydnaya is a village spread out over a hilltop about 30 km from Damascus and is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, notable as a place of religious pilgrimage than for any outstanding remains. It has a famous monastery found in 547 AD, probably built during the reign of Emperor Justinian. This monastery which was a famous place of pilgrimage during Crusader times, was ordered by the Emperor himself, once out hunting, Justinian allegedly witnessed a vision; a lady who in turn commanded him to erect the church in its location today. The Emperor built the monastery and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin, hence the name of the village itself; Seyda Naya which means "Our Lady" in Syriac. Continue on to Damascus for dinner and overnight at the Cham Palace Hotel. (B/D)

Mar 31: Today we will cross the border to Lebanon to visit the ancient site of Baalbeck, a magnificent Roman site, and Anjar, known for its Islamic architecture. Baalbek is one of the world's greatest historical and best preserved Roman sites. Located on the Beqaa plain in eastern Lebanon, the site contains the remnants of an Acropolis, temples to Jupiter, Bacchus, and Venus, and much more. Next we visit the site of Anjar, significant because it is a purely Umayyad site. Anjar was built in the neighborhood of an ancient stronghold called Gerrha by Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid bin Abdul Malek in the early 8th century. We will enjoy lunch in Zahle then proceed to Beirut for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Apr 1: After breakfast we will head south along the coast to visit Sidon and Tyre. 43 km south of Beirut, lies the third great Phoenician city-state which experienced its golden age during the Persian era between end of the 6th century BC and mid of 4th century BC. Sidon; ancient Sidouna, one of the famous names in ancient history, was an open city with many cultural influences, including the Egyptian Pharaohs and the Greeks. During the Persian period, Aegean sculptors contributed to the nearby temple of Eshmoun; the city's god, which was associated with the Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing. The Crusader period (1110-1291 AD) brought Sidon new prestige, as second of four baronies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. We will continue on to Tyre after our visit. Phoenician Tyre was Queen of the Seas, an island city of unprecedented splendor. It grew wealthy from its far-reaching colonies and its industries of purple-dyed textiles. But it also attracted the attention of jealous conquerors, among them the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great. It was founded at the start of the third millennium BC. Tyre originally consisted of a mainland settlement and a modest island city that lay a short distance offshore. But it was not until the first millennium BC that the city experienced its golden age. We will have lunch in Tyre. Return to our hotel in Beirut for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Apr 2: After breakfast we will be introduced to the vibrant city of Beirut, the capitol of Lebanon. Throughout the centuries Beirut has been a center for commerce. The Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Europeans have all converged on Beirut. It was known for a time as the Paris of the east and was an important financial capital. More recently it has been battered down to be reborn yet again. After a stop at the National Museum we will visit the underground Jeita Grotto: caverns and galleries filled with stalactites and stalagmites. After visiting the caverns, we will head to the city of Byblos, on the coast north of Beirut. Byblos was an important center for papyrus trade, hence the name which means papyrus in Greek. Lunch will be in Byblos. Return to our hotel in Beirut for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Apr 3: This morning we will head to the mountains, first stopping in the city of Deir El Qamar, also know as the City of Emirs. Under Ottoman domination, the Governors of Mount Lebanon ruled the areas to which they had been assigned, from their successive residences in Baakline, Deir El Qamar and Beit Eddine. Under their authority, cooperation between the districts was established leading to independence in 1943. The most renowned of the governors was the Emir Fakhreddine II Maan, who, as of 1623, managed to spread his influence beyond today's Lebanese boundaries. When his grandfather Fakhreddine the first, came to power in 1518, he settled in Baakline. But because of water shortage, he decided to move to Deir El Qamar which became the capital of Mount Lebanon. With the disappearance of the second dynasty of the Chehab princes, who succeeded to the Maans in the middle of the 19th century, the importance of Deir El Qamar declined gradually to be overtaken by Beit Eddine and later by Beirut today's capital. After our visit to Deir El Qamar we will go on to the Beit Eddine palace complex. Beit Eddine is Lebanon's best example of early 19th century Lebanese architecture, and is now a museum of feudal weapons, costumes and jewelry as well as an archaeological museum and a museum of Byzantine Mosaics. It is still used by the Lebanese government today. Lunch will be in the Chouf Mountains area. Return to our hotel in Beirut for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Apr 4: Breakfast and transfer to Beirut international Airport for departure. (B)

Included:
- Accommodations in hotels listed (or similar) based on double occupancy
-Transfers in a modern air conditioned bus
- Meals as listed in itinerary
- Group visas for Jordan* and Syria
- Baggage handling
- Group transfers on arrival and departure
- Entrance fees and sightseeing with English speaking guides throughout
- Horse ride in Petra
- 4x4 Jeep tour in Wadi Rum
- Water on bus during sightseeing

Not Included:
- International Air (call for group rate) arriving in Amman, Jordan, and departing from Beirut, Lebanon
- Departure taxes from Syria: From Airports: $35 Per Person (to be paid in Syrian Lira = 1500 SYP), From Borders: $12 Per Person (to be paid in Syrian Lira = 500 SYP)
-Departure tax from Jordan
- Lebanese Visa $18
- Items of a personal nature such as phone/fax, laundry, mini-bar, etc.
- Beverages at any meals or snacks en route
- Tips for guides and drivers - we recommend about $3-$4 for the drivers and $7 for the guides, per person, per day
- Additional tours not on the itinerary or spa services while at the Dead Sea
- Trip insurance

Single Supplement: $715

*If arriving on your own at a different time than group, a visa fee of $20.00 needs to be paid upon arrival in Amman, and a separate transfer arranged at your own cost.

Caravan-Serai Tours, Inc.
3806 Whitman Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
Tel: 800-451-8097 or 206-545-7300
Fax: 206-547-8607