Jordan SCM Tour

Jordan Tour

March 26 – April 4, 2020

$2200 per person, double occupancy, land only

Join Caravan-Serai and SCM for a tour of Jordan and distribution of humanitarian aid to refugees in Jordan. We will explore the country’s historic and natural wonders, then we will participate in a distribution to refugees as well as spend some time sorting and helping at SCM’s warehouse. (Learn more about SCM Medical Missions here)

Lebanon Add-on

April 4 – 8, 2020

$1175 per person, double occupancy, land only

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

27 Mar: After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, depart for an Amman city tour. Amman, the capital of Jordan, offers both the old and new. See the Roman Amphitheater followed by the Citadel, the Archaeological Museum, Folklore Museum, and the beautiful King Abdullah Mosque. Return to Madaba to visit the St. George church, home to a stunning mosaic map of the ancient Middle East.  Dinner and overnight in Madaba. (B/D)

28 Mar: After breakfast depart for a full day of sightseeing to Jerash and Ajlun. 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 return to Madaba for dinner at Kan Zaman and overnight. (B/D)

29 Mar: After breakfast, depart for Petra with a stop at Kerak and Little Petra. Kerak is a crusader fortress, built over older fortresses, located on the King’s Highway in the area known in ancient times as Moab. Explore the castles then continue on to Little Petra, a smaller version of the more well-known site of Petra. Depending on our schedule, we may do a distribution on the way. Continue to Petra for overnight. (B/D)

30 Mar: 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 Theater, the Corinthian Tomb and the Palace Tomb. Afterwards transfer to the desert camp at Wadi Rum for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

31 Mar: After breakfast we go to the Wadi Rum Visitors Center to begin our 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 landscape like the surface of the moon. After exploring the wadi, return to Madaba for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

01 Apr: After breakfast we will drive south to Um Al Rassas. Um Al Rassas has been a settlement of ancient times, then a Roman garrison, and home a most important discovery. An excavation of the Church of St Stephen discovered a mosaic floor, made in 785 AD (discovered 1986). The perfectly preserved mosaic floor is the largest one in Jordan. On the central panel, hunting and fishing scenes are depicted, while another panel illustrates the most important cities of the region including Philadelphia (Amman), Madaba, Esbounta (Heshbon), Belemounta (Ma’an), Areopolis (Ar-Rabba), Charac Moaba (Karak), Jerusalem, Nablus, Caesarea, and Gaza. Dinner and overnight in Madaba. (B/D)

02 Apr: Today we will spend distributing humanitarian items to refugees. Dinner and overnight in Madaba. (B/D)

03 Apr: After breakfast depart for Mount Nebo, Bethany, and the Dead Sea. At Mount Nebo we will visit the church on top of the hill from where, it is believed, Moses viewed the Promised Land.  Afterwards we will descend to the lowest point on earth not under water and visit Bethany on the banks of the Jordan River where you 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 the Dead Sea for leisure time, then return to Madaba for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

04 Apr: Departure

Transfer tot he airport for your flight home or on to Beirut. (B)

Lebanon

$1175 pp/do

05 Apr: Beirut City Tour – Baalbeck – Ksara  After breakfast, departure to visit 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 Monday’s). Proceed to the Beqaa Valley to reach the world’s greatest historical sites: visit Baalbeck and discover the ruins. Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure, counted among the wonders of the ancient world. The site includes the temples of Jupiter, Bacchus & 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. (B)

06 Apr: Sidon – Tyre (205 km) Breakfast and departure to visit 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 archaeological 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 bringing back to master pieces from Crusaders, Romans, Greeks and Byzantine era. Return to hotel in Beirut and overnight. (B)

07 Apr: Jeita – Harissa – Byblos Breakfast at hotel and departure 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, lower & 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 Monday’s) 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 city of Byblos: the Citadel, the St John Church and the old port. Return to hotel in Beirut and overnight. (B)

08 Apr: Beirut Departure
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

End of services.

Jordan Inclusions:

• Transportation by modern air-conditioned van/bus with an English-speaking driver throughout the program
• Accommodation as mentioned on half board basis
• Entrance fees to all mentioned sites
• Qualified English-speaking guide
• Horse ride in Petra
• 4-wheel drive jeep tour in Wadi Rum
• Dinner at the Wadi Rum camp
• Bottled water in the vehicle

Not Included:

• Visa if arriving separately or are 5 or less arriving together
– Visa to Jordan – $65 in cash or credit card, per person upon arrival
• Airport arrival transfers in Jordan if arriving separately
• Tips for the drivers and guides
• Extras, optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary, and personal expenses

Single Supplement: $550

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 (0.5ml) per person per day
• 1 Small Artisanal Souvenir per person
• 4 nights’ accommodation in sharing double room on Bed & Breakfast basis at 5* Radisson Blu Matinez
• 11% VAT
• Dinner at Abu Melhem a typical Lebanese restaurant in Beirut (day TBA)

Not Included:

• Visa Lebanon – free at present time until further notice
• Dinners at hotels
• Lunches during the tour – supplement $35 per lunch per person
• Extras and personal expenses
• Tips and portages

Lebanon Single Supplement: $300