Classical Israel + Jordan Tour

Tour the coastal cities of Israel as we drive north of Tel Aviv and make our first stop in Caesarea. Here we tour the remains of an ancient Roman port city and see the amphitheater, hippodrome and ruins of palaces, temples and bathhouses. We travel further north along the coast to the port city of Haifa. Here we see the terraced Baha’i Gardens on Mt. Carmel and learn about the Baha’i faith. Continuing all the way to Israel’s border with Lebanon the tour takes you to the sea caves of Rosh HaNikra. Here we can enter the cave chambers and tunnels where waves crash against the rocks. We return south and the tour visits the Crusader city of Acre. Here we tour the Crusader fortress built in the 12th century, the Ottoman structures and a former Turkish and British Mandate citadel prison. 

This tour begins with a drive up the coastal road, then we turn off towards the Valley of Armageddon. From here we can see Megiddo. We visit Mt. Precipice and arrive in Nazareth. Here we tour the beautiful Church of Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph. On route to the Sea of Galilee, we pass Cana, where Christ transformed water into wine. From a distance, we see Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount and stop in Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. In Tabgha, we tour the Roman Catholic Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. We pass Tiberias on the edge of the Sea of Galilee and stop at Yardenit. This River Jordan baptismal site could have been where John baptized Jesus. On our return journey, we pass Mt. Tabor where the Transfiguration took place.

Before entering Old City of Jerusalem we take in the view of Jerusalem’s skyline from the Mt. of Olives. We can see beyond the Old City walls to the Dome of the Rock. Descending the mount we pass the beautiful Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, and Kidron Valley where there are centuries-old monumental Jewish tombs. We visit the Dormition Church and arrive on Mt. Zion. We visit the Room of the Last Supper and King David’s Tomb.
We pass through the 500-year-old Old City walls by way of the Zion Gate and into the Armenian Quarter. At the Jewish Quarter, we see the Byzantine-era Cardo and stop at the sacred Western Wall. The tour retraces Jesus’ footsteps along the holy Via Dolorosa to the beautiful Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This ornate 4th-century church holds the site of the crucifixion, Christ’s burial tomb, and countless religious relics. Our final stop is at the colorful Old City bazaar.

This tour heads to southern Israel through the Judean Hills and past the Inn of the Good Samaritan. We pause at sea level for an unforgettable photo-op then continue our descent further and further down beneath sea level towards the iconic Dead Sea. Our first stop is at Masada where we take a cable car to the plateau summit and tour the remains of Herod’s 2,055 year old palace fortress. We see remarkable structures including palaces and a bathhouse. From Masada the tour takes you past the desert oasis of Ein Gedi and Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We spend the rest of the day relaxing on one of the Dead Sea beaches. You can float in the salty-water that is 8.6 times more saline than the ocean creating natural buoyance. Use the Dead Sea mud as a natural skin mask and soak up the glorious Dead Sea sun. 

The tour starts with a transfer from Eilat to the Arava border, where our representatives will meet you and assist with the visa requisition and border crossing. Our local tour guide will meet you on the Jordanian side of the border and you will start the two hour drive to Petra.
Traveling along the Desert Highway we pass breathtaking desert and mountain scenery. When we arrive in Petra you can choose to enter the city on foot or horseback. We’ll tour Petra, a magnificent archaeological site dating back about 2,300 years to when the Nabataean people carved their city out of red-hued rock cliffs. See intricately decorated tombs and grand temples as you walk down Petra’s ancient colonnaded street. Some of the rock facades will tower above you like the Treasury and the 40 meter high Deir Monastery. On the return journey we’ll stop at several observation points overlooking Wadi Rum, a desert wilderness known as the “Valley of the Moon.” We may have time for a brief panoramic tour of Aqaba, Jordan’s Red Sea port before ending this amazing tour day and crossing the border back to Israel – Eilat.