Biblical Jordan Familiarization Tour | Dec. 8, 2024
Join us on a Biblical Jordan Familiarization Tour starting at $2499 Agent/$2599 Non-Agent from New York on December 8, 2024. You will see Jerash, the oval piazza, the colonnaded streets, the grand theatre, Ajloun, explore the castle ruins, Tel Mar Elias, Tishbi, Umm Qais, Amman, the Citadel Museum, Madaba, the Church of Saint George, Mount Nebo, Karak, Wadi Mousa, Petra, and much more!
What's Included
- All Inclusive Pricing
- First Class Hotels
- Breakfast and Dinner Daily
- Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
- Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
- Entrance and Program Fees
- International Airfare from NY
- Overseas Airport Transfers
- Guided Sightseeing with Top Guides
- Gratuities
- Administrative Fee
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 December 8 – Depart the USA
Depart the USA aboard your transatlantic flight.
Day 2 December 9 – Arrive in Amman
You’ll be met and transferred to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (D)
Day 3 December 10 – Jerash / Ajloun
This morning, you will journey to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Stroll through the oval piazza and wander along colonnaded streets etched by the wheels of ancient chariots. Stand in the grand theatre where you can hear an onstage whisper from the top row. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. Continue to Ajloun and explore the castle ruins that were Saladin’s answer to the Crusader threat coming from Kerak. At Tel Mar Elias, see what remains of Tishbi, the town believed to be Elijah’s home (2 Kings 17:1). End your day at your hotel in Amman for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 4 December 11 – Umm Qais / Amman City Tour
At Umm Qais, one of the cities of the Decapolis of Jesus’ day, visit the ruins and enjoy views that stretch to the Sea of Galilee in the distance. Explore the city of Amman, known as Philadelphia in Roman times, another of the ten cities of the Decapolis, and before that, as Rabbath Ammon. Visit the Citadel Museum, whose exhibits include artifacts from prehistoric times until the 15th century AD, including a bronze Dead Sea scroll in Aramaic. Return to your hotel in Amman for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 5 December 12 – Madaba / Mount Nebo / Kerak
Travel south to Madaba, the City of Mosaics, to visit the Church of Saint George with its sixth-century, Byzantine, mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. Continue to Mount Nebo, where Moses caught a glimpse of the Promised Land (Deut. 34). On a cloudless day, you can see all the way across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Travel to Karak, a masterpiece of Crusader architecture. The fort, high atop a promontory, is a maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways. Stop at Wadi Mousa, where a spring still pours from the rock believed to have been struck by Moses. Finish the day in the modern town of Petra for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 6 December 13 – Petra
Spend the day exploring the city of Petra. Its entrance passes through a long, narrow gorge known as the Siq and can only be accessed by carriage, horseback or on foot. Once inside the city, marvel at the intricate detail of a city that was cut into the cliffsides of rose-colored rock. Enjoy your final night in Petra with dinner. (B, D)
Day 7 December 14 – Wadi Rum / Dead Sea
Enjoy breakfast at Wadi Rum in a Bedouin tent and experience the Wadi while enjoying a Jeep 4 x 4 ride. Check into your hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 8 December 15 – Bethany Beyond the Jordan / Free Afternoon at the Dead Sea
Stop at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the traditional place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Several baptismal pools dating back to Byzantine times can be seen here. Return to your hotel for a free afternoon at the Dead Sea and enjoy the resort before dinner and overnight. (B, D) Some groups may have late night or early morning flights.
Day 9 December 16 – Return to the USA or enjoy the Israel Extension.
Return to the USA or enjoy the Israel Extension.
Enhance Your Journey
ISRAEL extension
DAY 9, DECEMBER 16 (MO) - ARRIVE & TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM
You will be welcomed at the Tel Aviv airport by our representative and transferred to your hotel In Jerusalem to check in for your 6 night stay. (D)
DAY 10, DECEMBER 17 (TU) - OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM TOUR
Stand atop the Mount of Olives as Jesus did and enjoy a remarkable view of the "Golden City" of Jerusalem. Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1: 9-12). Pray in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26) among olive trees in the Kidron Valley across from the walls of Jerusalem. View the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle (John 5: 1-31). Sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne, known for its amazing acoustics. Visit Herod’s Antonia Fortress where Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23: 1-11). Walk the Via Dolorosa, “the Way of the Cross,” and stand in reverence at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Your final destination allows time for reflection at the Garden Tomb. Return to your hotel in Jerusalem. (B, D)
DAY 11, DECEMBER 18 (WE) - BETHLEHEM, JERICHO & QASR EL YEHUD
In Bethlehem, gaze out over Shepherds Field and visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace (Matt. 1: 18-25). Visit the Church of the Nativity, where the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace resides in the world’s oldest functioning church (Matt. 1: 18-25). Enjoy an included lunch in Jericho, the oldest known inhabited city in the world. Visit the ruins of the ancient city, which was conquered by Joshua (Josh. 6: 1,2,20) and see parts of the ancient city walls which have been uncovered. From Jericho you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt.4: 1-11) and the Judean wilderness. Visit Kasr el Yehud, the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. Return to your hotel in Jerusalem. (B, L, D)
DAY 12, DECEMBER 18 (TH) - FREE DAY TO EXPLORE ON YOUR OWN
You are on-your-own to enjoy sightseeing, meditation, reflection and renewal. (B, D)
DAY 13, DECEMBER 20 (FR) - SEA OF GALILEE
Explore the Church of the Fish and the Loaves at Tabgha, traditional site of the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:10). On the Mount of Beatitudes, contemplate the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt. 5-7). Visit Capernaum, center of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee, and visit the synagogue built on the site where Jesus taught (Matt.4:13, 23). Enjoy a traditional St. Peter's Fish Lunch (included in tour cost) before crossing the waters of the Sea of Galilee on a very special boat ride. Return to your hotel in Jerusalem. (L)
DAY 14, DECEMBER 21 (SA) - MASADA & DEAD SEA
Ascend by cable car to Masada, Herod’s legendary mountaintop fortress which became the last desperate stronghold of the Jewish Zealots against the Romans. You can still look down on the remains of the Roman camps and the siege ramp below. End your day with a dip in the salt and mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea before returning to your hotel in Jerusalem.
DAY 15, DECEMBER 22 (SU) - RETURN HOME
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
A minimum of 10 travelers are necessary to operate the extension.
Departure Dates
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Sunday, December 8, 2024From $2499
