Home Turkey & Jordan Tour

Turkey & Jordan Tour

July 13 – 28, 2013

$4770 pp/do land only

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13 July: Arrival in Istanbul
Welcome to Turkey! On arrival in Istanbul transfer to the hotel, check in and the rest of the day is free to relax. Overnight in Istanbul.

14 July: Full day Istanbul city tour
After breakfast enjoy a full day city tour of Istanbul with a guide. Your tour includes visits to Topkapi Palace Museum and Harem where the Ottoman Sultans ruled parts of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa for over 500 years, the Blue Mosque, the Haggia Sophia, the Hippodrome, Yerebatan – the Byzantine underground cistern, Suleymaniye Mosque, the Grand Bazar and the Spice Market. (B)

15 July: Half day Istanbul city tour
Today you will have a half day of sightseeing in Istanbul to see the sights not visited the previous day. You will have some free time for lunch on your own and the rest of the afternoon free to explore on your own. Overnight in Istanbul. (B)

16 July: Istanbul to Bursa (230km) 
After breakfast we depart for Bursa. Bursa was the capital of the Ottoman State between 1326 and 1365 and was the largest center of silk trade in the Byzantine and later the Ottoman empires, during the period of the lucrative Silk Road. Sights we will visit include the Ulu (Grand) Mosque, Koza Han Bazar, Yesil Turbe Mosque. Overnight in Bursa. (B/D)

17 July: Bursa to Canakkale (280 km)
After breakfast we will drive to Canakkale where we will visit the ancient site of Troy and Kabatas Museum. Canakkale is also known for ANZAC Cove where the Australian and New Zealand Armies landed in an attempt to disrupt the Turkish forces fighting on the peninsula during WWI. Overnight in Canakkale. (B/D)

18 July: Canakkale to Pergamon (220 km)
After breakfast we drive to Pergamum, and ancient Greek site. This city was renowned in Hellenic and Roman times for its great library and as the medical center where Galen laid the foundation for medical practice. Pergamum (or Pergamon) was an important kingdom during the second century BC, having grown from a city-state captured by Alexander the Great. The Asclepion (Asklepieion) of Pergamum was perhaps the world’s most famous ancient medical center, and is the second-most important site in Bergama. Visit the site and the museum, and Acropol. Overnight in Pergamon. (B)

19 July: Pergamon – Selcuk (195 km)
Today we will go to Selcuk, which is the city closest to the ancient site of Ephesus. Once there we will begin exploring the area. We will see Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis. Overnight in Selcuk. (B)

20 July: Selcuk – Izmir (75 km)
Full day tour in Ephesus, then transfer to Izmir airport for return flight to Istanbul. (B)

21 July: Istanbul –  Aqaba IST-AQJ SS1   1:20A – 3:45A
Meet and assist upon arrival at Aqaba airport then transfer to the hotel for overnight.  The day is at your leisure, dinner and overnight. (B/D)

22 July: Aqaba – Wadi Rum
After breakfast, enjoy leisure time until noon when we check out and transfer to Wadi Rum for 4 hour 4×4 jeep tour of the canyon (or wadi). Wadi Rum is a nature preserve and has an abundance of desert flora and fauna, set in a landscape sometimes called the Valley of the Moon. After our tour we will transfer to our camp for a traditional Bedouin BBQ dinner and overnight at Jabal Rum Camp. (B/D)

23 July: Wadi Rum – Petra
After breakfast transfer to 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. Dinner and overnight, in Petra. (B/D)

24 July: Petra – Amman
After breakfast we depart Petra and head to Dana, another national park and wildlife preserve. We will visit the park, then go to the crusader fortress of Kerak, 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. After visiting the fortress we will continue to Amman for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

25 July: Amman
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, forts, and caravanserais where people gathered to exchange news, relax, and defend their territory. Return to Amman for dinner at a traditional restaurant and overnight at the hotel. (B/D)

26 July: Amman – Madaba – Mt. Nebo – Amman
After breakfast today we will visit the city of Madaba to see the famous mosaic art works and workshop as well as the ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land on the floor of St. George’s Church. Next we head to Mt. Nebo to enjoy a panoramic view of the Jordan Valley and the Promised Land, as well as the church and mosaics at the burial place of Moses. Next we go to Mukawir, the hilltop stronghold of Herod the Great. Upon Herod’s death, his son, Herod Antipas, inherited the fortress and it is from here that he ordered John the Baptist to be beheaded after Salome’s fateful dance. Our final stop for the day is at Um Al Rasas a very ancient site that is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The main site here is within the Church of St. Stephen, which contains a very large, perfectly preserved mosaic floor laid down in 718 AD. It portrays fifteen major cities of the Holy Land from both east and west of the River Jordan. Afterwards we return to Amman for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

27 July: Amman – Jerash – Ajlun – Um Qais – Amman
Today we will head north of Amman to the sites of Jerash, Ajlun, and Um Qais. In Jerash you will visit 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. Ajlun Castle (Qal’at Ar-Rabad) was built by one of Saladin’s generals in 1184 AD to control the iron mines of Ajlun, and to deter the Franks from invading Ajlun. Ajlun Castle dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan Valley and protected the trade and commercial routes between Jordan and Syria; it became an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who unsuccessfully spent decades trying to capture the castle and the nearby village. Um Qais, historically known as Gadara was renowned in its heyday as a cultural center. It was the home of several classical poets and philosophers, including Theodorus, founder of the School of Rhetoric in Rome. Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee, Um Qais has an impressive colonnaded terrace and the ruins of two theaters. You will see a blending of Greco and Roman architecture, as well as remnants of Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations. Return to Amman for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

28 July: Departure
Transfer to QAIA for departure on TK at 4:00am. 28JUL S AMM-IST*SS1   400A  620A

Minimum number of people to go: 8 passenger

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Jordan Hotels:

• Kempinski Aqaba or Movenpick
• Jabal Rum Camp ($ 60 VIP Tent supplement ).
• Movenpick Petra or Beit Zaman
• Regency Palace Amman

Turkey Hotels:

• Istanbul 4 star or boutique hotels
• Bursa 4 star or boutique hotel
• Canakkale 5 star hotel
• Selcuk or Kusadasi 4 star or boutique hotel

Turkey Inclusions:

• Air conditioned minibus with 13 seats or minibus with 27 seats with a microphone.
• Accommodation in boutique or 4 star hotels.
• 07 Breakfasts at hotels.
• English speaking guiding services throughout the journey.
• Historical sights entrance fee as listed below
• Parking fees in each historical sites.
• Hotel tips
• 1 lt water on the bus per person per day

Historical sights:

• Blue Mosque
• St. Sophia
• Under Ground Cistern
• Topkapi Museum & HAREM section
• Suleymaniye Mosque
• Hippodrome
• Grand Bazaar
• Spice Market
• Troy
• Kabatas Museum at Canakkale
• Ulu Mosque
• Kozahan
• Yesil Turbe
• Asklepion
• Akropol
• Pegamon Museum
• Ephesus
• House of Virgin Mary
• Artemis Temple

 Not Included:

• Visa expenses to enter into the country
• Personal expenses such as minibar, telephone call, etc.
• Hot & cold drinks during the meals
• Lunches & Dinners (Lunch is approx 15.-USD & Dinner is approx. 20.-USD Per person excluding drinks )
• Domestic flight from Izmir to Istanbul which is approximately 80-USD Per Person
• International flights
• Tips to the guide & driver

 Jordan Inclusions:

• Meet and assist upon arrival and departure
• Accommodation as mentioned above
• Transportation by A/C modern bus ( 18 seats for 8 and 10 pax, 25 seats for 12 and 16 pax )
• Entrance fees to all mentioned sites
• Qualified English speaking guide
• Horse ride in Petra
• 4×4 jeep tour 4 hrs in Wadi Rum
• Visa upon arrival ( group visa )
• Water and sweets in the bus

 Not Included in Jordan:

• Air fare
• Meals not listed, beverages, snacks
• Personal expenses, optional tours and activities
• Tips for the driver and guides
• Extras

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