Jordan and Lebanon Tour

Jordan & Lebanon

March 29 – April 9, 2019

From $3035 per person, double occupancy, land only

29 Mar: Welcome to Jordan! On arrival at Queen Alia International Airport you will be met and transferred to Amman for overnight.

30 Mar: After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, depart for an Amman city tour followed by an excursion to see the Desert Castles. 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 visit some of the desert castles, a collection of structures, some dating back as far as the 7th and 8th centuries. The Umayyad Caliphs built caravan-serais, a black basalt stone fortress used by Lawrence of Arabia, and hunting lodge for nobles. Afterwards return to Amman for overnight.

31 Mar: After breakfast depart for a full day of sightseeing to Jerash, Ajlun, and Um Qais. In Jerash you will see the ruins of one of the grandest Roman cities in the Middle East. You will see the Triumphal Arch, the Hippodrome, the Temple of Zeus, the Forum, the mile-long street of Columns, the Nymphaeum, the Temple of Artemis and the Viaduct Church. The Amphitheater is still used for an arts festival and is remarkably well preserved. In Ajlun, above the city on the top of the hill you can see Al-Rabath Castle with its magnificent view of the Jordan Valley. It was an Arab defense fortress built in 1184 to defend against the Crusaders. Explore its warren of towers, chambers, galleries and hidden staircases, then continue to Umm Qais. Umm Qais is where ancient Gadara, a Greco-Roman city of the Decapolis, is located. It sits top a hill overlooking Lake Tiberias, the Golan Heights, and the Yarmouk River. Explore the site, then we return to Amman for overnight.

1 Apr: After breakfast we check out and depart for Petra with stops in Madaba, Mt. Nebo and Kerak along the way. In the town of Madaba you will visit the St. George, home to a stunning mosaic map of the ancient Middle East. Afterwards continue to nearby Mount Nebo where we will visit the church on top of the hill from where, it is believed, Moses viewed the Promised Land. Continue to Petra, with a stop at 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. Continue to Petra for overnight.

2 Apr: After breakfast we will begin our 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. Overnight in Petra.

3 Apr: After breakfast, we will visit Little Petra then go to Wadi Rum for a 4×4 jeep tour (about 3-4 hours) to explore the natural beauty of the wadi, with its mountains jutting out of the pink sand, rock carvings, Bedouin camps, and in the springtime, there is an explosion of flowers and other plant life that take advantage of the spring rains. After our tour we will go to the camp where we will have a traditional dinner and spend the night.

4 Apr: After breakfast we depart for the Dead Sea. We will visit Bethany on the banks of the Jordan River where we will see the ancient baptismal pools where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, an excavation of a Byzantine church, and the banks of the river itself. Afterwards we will go to our hotel on the Dead Sea and the rest of the day is free at your leisure. Overnight at the Dead Sea.

5 Apr: After breakfast, transfer to QAIA for departure to Beirut. Upon arrival to Beirut Airport, we will be met and transferred to our hotel in Beirut. Overnight in Beirut.

6 Apr: After breakfast we will have a tour of the Capital of Lebanon: Beirut. Visit the Pigeons Rock, the Coastal Avenue, then the city center where you will find one of the largest reconstruction projects in the World and visit the National Museum (closed on Mondays). Proceed to the Beqaa Valley to reach one of the world’s greatest historical sites: Baalbeck. Discover the ruins of Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure, counted among the wonders of the ancient world. The site includes the temples of Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus, with the remarkable Great Court and the Hexagonal Forecourt. Continue to Ksara winery for a taste of the Lebanese production to visit the winery and the historical caves and taste the local wine. Ksara has preserved Lebanon’s rich wine making heritage for over 150 years, laying down the foundation for Lebanon’s modern wine making industry. Founded in 1857 by Jesuit Priests who produced the country’s first dry red wine. Return to hotel in Beirut and overnight.

7 Apr: Breakfast at our hotel we will depart to visit the Jeita Grottoes – a beautiful natural wonder, and best caverns in the Middle East. Transfer by cable car to the caverns, which consist of two parts, the lower and upper galleries. The lower ones are visited by boat ride, while the upper caverns on foot. Enjoying the refreshingly cool temperature, the sound of rushing water, columns and sculptures that have been formed by water and time, supported by an effective lighting system, allowing to glimpse the uppermost roofs. Then continue to Harissa, climbing by cable car (closed on Mondays) to the Holy statue of Notre Dame for a breathtaking view of Jounieh and Beirut. In the afternoon, proceed to Byblos, the oldest town in the world continuously inhabited for 5,000 years. Visit the Citadel, the St John Church and the old city. Return to our hotel in Beirut for overnight.

8 Apr: After breakfast we depart for Sidon, a vital commercial and administrative center. Its star is a Crusader Castle overlooking the harbor. The old town is still standing with its alleys and its souks (markets) which have maintained their Middle Age features. Its ancient history is obscure not only for lack of archeological excavations, but also for the plundering of its antiquities and ancient monuments at the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century. Continue to Tyre which was previously an island. The main sites of interest are the Arc de Triumph, the Hippodrome and the excavation uncovering masterpieces from Crusaders, Romans, Greeks and Byzantine era. Return to our hotel in Beirut and overnight.

9 Apr: Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.

End of services

Hotels in Jordan:
Regency Palace Amman 3 nts
Movenpick Petra 2 nts
Wadi Rum night camp 1 nt
Movenpick Dead Sea or Kempinski 1 nt

Hotel in Lebanon:
Movenpick Hotel or similar in Beirut

Jordan inclusions:
Transportation by air-conditioned modern vehicle with an English-speaking driver
Accommodation on bed and breakfast basis
Entrance fees to all mentioned sites
Local guides in Jerash and Petra for a group of 2 to 5 people
Qualified English-speaking guide for group of 6 or more
Horse ride in Petra
Wadi Rum 4×4 jeep tour 3-4 hrs
Dinner at Wadi Rum camp
1 Bottled Water per person, per day in the vehicle
Free visa if the group is 6 or more and all arrive altogether

Lebanon inclusions:
Meet and assist at Beirut airport on arrival and departure
Round trip transfers airport – hotel – airport
Transportation for 3 days by private vehicle according to group size
English Speaking Guide for 3 days
Entrance fees to visited sites
1 Small Bottle of water per person per day
4 nights’ accommodation in sharing double room on bed and breakfast basis
11% VAT

Not Included:
Individual Jordan Visa (for group less than 6 or arriving at different times) and departure tax
Transportation if they arrive separately
Tips for the drivers and guides
Extras
Dinners at hotels – check the HB supplement
Extras and personal expenses
Tips and portages

Visa Lebanon – free at present time until further notice
Visa to Jordan- $65.00 in cash per person upon arrival

Price per person 5 star hotels, in a double room on BB basis:
2 people $3535 pp/do
5 people $3135 pp/do
6-10 people $3035 pp/do
Single Supplement $950