Best of Israel & Jordan

Day 1  Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Israel    
Arrive into Tel Aviv and transfer to the sacred city of Jerusalem. This evening, join your fellow travellers and travel director for a welcome drink.    

Day 2  The Dead Sea & Masada    
Travel across the rocky Judean Desert to see the site where a Bedouin boy found the lost Dead Sea Scrolls and visit the striking clifftop fortress of Masada, before a stroll through the excavations of Herod's palatial retreat. Later, head to the lowest point on Earth to float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea. Return to your hotel for a traditional dinner this evening.    

Day 3  Jerusalem & Bethlehem    
Admire the Old City of Jerusalem from the sacred vantage point of the Mount of Olives. Stroll through the Jewish Quarter to see the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount and follow the path supposedly taken by Christ past the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, arriving at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which commemorates the resurrection. Later, visit the Church of the Nativity, said to be the birthplace of Jesus before returning to Jerusalem.    

Day 4  Jerusalem to Lower Galilee    
This morning, visit Yad Vashem to commemorate the millions of lives list during the Holocaust. After, see the Dead Sea Scrolls at Israel museum's Shrine of the Book, the Knesset and the Givat Ram Campus f the Hebrew University before travelling through the farmlands of the Jordan Valley. In Nazareth, visit the Catholic Shrine of the Church of Annunciation which overlooks the cave where the Archangel Gabriel supposedly appeared to Mary. You home for the next 2 nights is a Kibbutz hotel.    

Day 5  Lower Galilee    
Start the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, before heading to the ruins of the old synagogue at Capernaum, said to have been built on the home of St Peter. After, visit the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus supposedly delivered the Sermon on the Mount and the birthplace of Kabbalah at Safed.

Day 6  Lower Galilee to Jerusalem
Continue to the 12th Century underground city of Acre to admire its medieval Crusader buildings, before enjoying views of the Baha'i Shrine and the beautiful Persian Hanging Gardens of Haifa. Later, visit the Roman Ampitheatre at the ancient port city of Caesarea before continuing to Tel Aviv.    

Day 7  Tel Aviv
Visit Rabin Square and learn of the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin, the first neighbourhood of the city at Newe Zedeck and soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Rothchild Boulevard. Later, stroll through the ancient ruins of Old Jaffa and the Old Port, before enjoying lunch with a family in the Ajami neighbourhood where they will provide insight into being Christian in this heavily Jewish and Muslim area.    

Day 8  Tel Aviv to Amman, Jordan    
Leave the sacred lands of Israel behind and head to the white stone city of Amman, Jordan. Join your fellow travellers for a cocktail reception and dinner this evening.    

Day 9  Jerash    
Embark on a city tour of Amman this morning, exploring the Citadel, Archaeological Museum, Roman Amphitheatre and Folklore Museum. Head to Iraq al-Amir to learn how to make soap from olive oil before enjoying lunch. Continue to the city of Jerash to see the soaring Corinthian columns and to discover its almost intact city walls, before returning to Amman to enjoy a traditional Jordanian dinner with a local family.    

Day 10  Amman to Petra    
The red facades of Petra beckon. Travelling the fabled King's Highway, visit Mount Nebo, the burial site of Moses and see the Madaba Mosaic Map en route to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Upon arrival, join a Bedouin tribe for a traditional dinner in their camp under the star-lit sky.  

Day 11  Petra to Wadi Rum    
Enter this mystical trading city through the narrow Siq, flanked by towering cliffs that eventually open to the stone facade of the Treasury with its ornate decoration - just waiting to be explored. This afternoon, leave this ancient wonder behind and head to the timeless landscape of the Wadi Rum Desert. Check into your luxurious Bedouin tent accommodation and catch a breathtaking sunset before the star-lit sky succumbs.  

Day 12  Wadi Rum to Amman    
Embark on a jeep tour through the desert this morning, exploring the canyons, waterholes and rock paintings that span millennia. Return to Amman to enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travellers at sunset.    

Day 13  Amman    
Your tour comes to an end after breakfast.

Please note: This Itinerary is valid for  2024 departures. The itinerary for departures prior to this date will vary.