Israel and Jordan 12 Day Tour

Arrival at Tel Aviv International Airport. A Noah Tours representative will meet you before passport control and accompany you to your transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast, drive through Jaffa, an ancient port city and the oldest part of Tel Aviv. Continue on to the ancient city of Caesarea, which was built by King Herod the Great while driving along the beautiful Mediterranean coast. We will then proceed to Haifa, passing by Mt. Carmel to see the famous Bahai Gardens. From Haifa, we will drive to Nazareth and the Church of the Annunciation. Pass by Cana, where the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine took place. End the day with an overnight in Tiberias/Galilee Sea.

Start the day with an exciting boat ride on the Galilee Sea. Continue to visit Biblical Magdala and its most recent excavations and discoveries. See the Ancient Synagogue, mentioned in the Bible, from the Period of Jesus. Ascend up to Mt. Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the «Sermon on the Mount». Continue the day in Capernaum, known as «The Town of Jesus», and visit the synagogue and Peter’s house. Take a lunch break with a delicious St. Peter’s fish lunch. Next, we will visit Tabgha, the place where the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes took place. You will also have the amazing opportunity to see the famous mosaic under the altar of the ancient church of Tabgha. Proceed to the Golan Heights and have an overview from above. End the day at your hotel in the Galilee Sea for your overnight.

Begin the morning by driving along the Jordan River to the Qasr El Yehud Baptismal Site. Explore Qumran and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Travel to Masada, where you will take a cable car to the fortress. The history of the famous Jewish fortification will unfold before you: the palaces built by King Herod, the synagogue, and the bathhouses used by the Jews. Descend Masada by cable car and drive to the Dead Sea for some relaxation and a dip in the Dead Sea. Overnight at a Dead Sea hotel and spa, you can take advantage of the spa facilities.

Check out of the hotel and begin your journey to Jerusalem, ascending through the Judean Desert. Continue to the Mount of Olives, once covered with olive groves and today home to an ancient Jewish cemetery, where you will enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Jerusalem. Visit the Temple Mount (subject to availability), where King Solomon’s Holy Temple once stood and where the Dome of the Rock is located today. Entrance is subject to availability and local regulations. Continue to the Western Wall Plaza, one of the holiest sites in Judaism. Continue to Mount Zion. Visit King David’s Tomb and the site of the Last Supper, also known as the Upper Room or Cenaculum. If time permits, we will visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial, and conclude the day with an exciting tour of the Mahane Yehuda Marketplace (Shuk) and experience life as an Israeli. Return to your hotel in Jerusalem for check-in. Finish the day back in Jerusalem for check-in and overnight.

The morning will begin with a visit to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity at Manger Square, an overview of the Judean Desert and Shepherd’s Field, a visit to a local, authentic Christian Family souvenir shop, and an opportunity to experience a local lunch in Bethlehem. After lunch, we will return to Jerusalem and pass by the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and his disciples slept the night before his crucifixion.  We continue into the Old City’s Muslim and Christian Quarters, then walk through the Jewish Quarter, passing the Cardo, an ancient Roman-period street. We will walk where Jesus walked and make our way down Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross). Enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was crucified. The day will conclude with a visit to the Arab Bazar in the Old City, ending at Jaffa Gate. Return to the hotel in Jerusalem for an overnight.

Today, we will begin with a short city tour of New Jerusalem; we will pass by the Israeli parliament, the «Knesset,» and, if time permits, stop by the famous menorah. We will visit the Israel Museum, Israel’s national museum, where you will see the Dead Sea Scrolls and a Model of the Second Temple. Finish the day with a visit to the Garden Tomb, a peaceful site cherished by many Christians as a place of reflection on the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Overnight in Jerusalem.

After breakfast, transfer to Allenby Border, where a Noah Tours representative will meet you on the other side and take you to the beautiful city of Petra. Overnight in Petra.

Enter the Rose City of Petra through the Siq, a narrow passage through the mountains that has inspired people for centuries. Travel up to the treasury which suddenly appears at the end of the gorge, leaving the visitors breath-taken by its size, color, and beauty. Continue into the heart of this ancient city carved into the mountains, passing hundreds of tombs and monuments and a spectacular Amphitheatre, which once held 3,000 spectators. Stop for a sit-down lunch before leaving Wadi Mussa – the new town of Petra. Drive to Amman. Overnight in Amman.

Visit Madaba, famous for the unique mosaic map of the Holy Land, which can be found on Saint George’s church floor. Then visit Mt Nebo, where Moses looked over the Holy Land and the Dead Sea. This is considered the burial place of Moses as this is where he was seen for the last time. Here, you can visit the memorial church bearing his name. If the sky is clear, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and Jericho will meet your eye. Back to Amman for your overnight.

Drive from Amman to visit Ajloun, a military castle that was used by the Islamic armies of Saladin to protect the region against the crusaders. Next, visit Jerash, the Pompei of the East. Jerash has been covered by sand for centuries, which is the main reason why it is still so well preserved. You will enter Jerash through the monumental South Gate and find yourself wandering around in a Roman city. You will walk in the Oval Plaza surrounded by colonnades, and visit the Roman theatre and Byzantine churches with mosaic-covered floors. Enjoy a stroll along Jerash’s main road, the Cardo, and pass by the Nymphaeum. You may experience the marvelous acoustics of the theatre, at the Jerash music festival which takes place every year. See for yourself how the Romans built the earthquake-proof columns of the colonnaded streets. After the visit, drive back to Amman.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and drive to Amman Airport for departure. Optional: Land transfer back to Tel Aviv. Please contact us for further details.