9 Days: Amman, Bethany, Jerash, Anjara, Um Quais, Pella, Um Al Rasas, Wadi Mujib, Kerak, Petra, Dana Biosphere Reserve, Lot’s Cave, Zikra, Dead Sea, Madaba, Mt. Nebo

Tour overview:

The tour visits key pilgrim sites in Jordan. Following in the footsteps of Moses and Jesus uncovers Jordan’s role in Christianity.

Day 1 – Arrive Amman

On arrival at Amman airport you will be transferred to your hotel with the remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 2 – Amman – Bethany / King Abdullah Mosque

This morning we start our journey with a visit to Bethany. For Christians, the most significant event associated with the River Jordan is the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. Beit ‘Abara became known as Bethany in the New Testament. The Bible clearly records that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3: 13-17), and that John the Baptist lived, preached and baptized in the village of Bethany, on “the other side of the Jordan” (John 1: 28). The baptism site, known in Arabic as al-Maghtas, is located at the head of a lush valley just east of the Jordan River. Following this you will return to Amman to visit the King Abdulla Mosque, built between 1982 and 1989. It is capped by a magnificent blue mosaic dome beneath which 3,000 Muslims may offer prayer. (BL)

Day 3 – Amman – Jerash / Anjara / Um Qais / Pella

This morning we travel north and visit the best preserved example of Roman civilization, the city of Jerash, which has been called the Pompeii of the East for its unique state of preservation. The city features theaters, churches, temples and colonnaded streets. After the visit, proceed to Anjara, the biblical city featuring the shrine of the Lady of the Mountain at the Roman Catholic Church. The church consists of a large hall to receive pilgrims who come to honor the wooden statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. Onwards to Gadara, which commands a magnificent view over the northern Jordan Valley, the Sea of Galilee, the Yarmouk River Gorge and the Golan Heights. Then to Pella, another city, in the Jordan Valley. Most of the visible structures date from the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods (2nd to 14th Centuries A.D.) and there is ample evidence of human occupation during the earlier Hellenistic, Persian, Iron, Bronze periods and as far back as the Paleolithic period. (B)

Day 4 – Amman / Um Al Rasas / Wadi Mujib / Kerak / Petra

In the morning travel to Um Al Rasas, which contains ruins from the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim periods. The site is classified as UNESCO World Heritage and is significant to the region. The most important discovery here was the mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen. It dates from 785 (discovered in 1986). The perfectly preserved mosaic floor is the largest such floor in Jordan. Continue to Kerak, a 12th-century hilltop fortress, which features galleries, towers, chapels and ramparts that recall Crusader times. Then on to Petra. (B)

Day 5 – Petra

Once the ancient Nabatean capital, this city gently reveals itself as you pass by its hand-carved facades. Starting at the visitor’s center, each person is assigned a horse guided by a local Bedouin, who will lead you to the once hidden entrance to the lost city. After passing tombs, which are located outside the city, the visitor moves through an immense, yet narrow crack in the sandstone. It is a winding, one-kilometer-long fissure between overhanging cliffs that seem to meet more than 300 feet overhead. Near the end of the passage appears Petra’s most impressive monument, el Khazneh – the Treasury. This is one of the most elegant remains of antiquity, carved out of the solid rock from the side of the mountain and is nearly 140 feet high and 90 feet wide. Beyond el Khazneh the visitor is surrounded on both sides by hundreds of Petra’s carved and built structures, soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a carved Roman theater, large and small houses, burial chambers and much more. (B)

Day 6 – Petra / Dana Biosphere Reserve

This morning we travel to Wadi Feynan, an eco-lodge that was constructed in 2005 by renowned architect Ammar Khammash at the western edge of the Dana Biosphere Reserve. Feynan Ecolodge is owned by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and is the first of its kind in Jordan. Before the lodge was built, the land was utilized as a campsite by archaeologists conducting studies and digs in the area. The RSCN developed the campsite into an eco lodge to provide economic opportunities for local communities and generate revenue for the conservation of Jordan’s wild places. In September 2009, Eco Hotels took over the management and operation of the lodge, offering travelers an unparalleled opportunity to experience Jordan’s wilderness, meet its native people and explore its ancient history, with minimal impact on the environment. Lit entirely by candles and run on solar power the Eco Lodge is a fantastic experience set in the rugged Araba Valley. (BD)

Day 7 – Dana Biosphere Reserve / Lot’s Cave / Zikra / Dead Sea

Our day starts with a visit to the Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth. It was designed and is managed by Greek Archaeologist Konstantinos Politis, who discovered Lot’s Cave. Lot, the nephew of Abraham, features repeatedly in the colorful annals of the Dead Sea’s southern shores. Lot’s Cave, just past the Lisan Peninsula, is where he and his daughters apparently lived after fleeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot’s wife famously turned into a pillar of salt after looking back at the smoldering city. The cave, a 10-minute climb up a steep flight of steps, is surrounded by the ruins of a small Byzantine church (5th to 8th centuries), a reservoir and some mosaics, which were excavated by the British Museum. Remains from the cave date to the early Bronze Age (3300-2000 BC) and an inscription in the cave mentions Lot by name. After visiting the museum head to Zikra for an opportunity to volunteer in a rural community. Spending an afternoon in Zikra is an incomparable experience, where you will get to know the Dead Sea community. (BL)

Day 8 – Dead Sea – Madaba & Mt. Nebo

Today we visit the Christian town of Madaba, known as the City of Mosaics. Here you will visit the oldest map of the Holy Land on the floor of Saint George’s Church. Madaba, or Medeba in antiquity, features many famous mosaics that exist in public and private buildings. After visiting Madaba, a short drive will bring you to Mt. Nebo, the alleged burial site of Moses overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Here Franciscans have built a structure that protects a 4th and 6th Century Byzantine church. (B)

Day 9 – Dead Sea / Depart Amman

Transfer to Amman Airport for your departure flight. (B)

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