Compare Magical Israel and Jordan 15 Day Tour by Noah Tours vs Israel & Jordan with Dead Sea - Classic Group, Summer by Insight Vacations

Day 1: Arrival

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

Day 2: Jaffa – Caesarea – Haifa – Nazareth – Cana – Galilee

After breakfast drive through Jaffa, an ancient port city and the oldest part of Tel Aviv. Continue on to the ancient city of Caesarea that 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 Annunciation. Drive to Cana, where the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine took place and visit the “Wedding Church”.  End the day with an overnight in Tiberias/Galilee Sea.

Day 3: Galilee – Mt. Beatitudes – Capernaum – Tabgha - Golan Heights

Start the day with an exciting boat ride on the Galilee Sea. Continue to see the “Jesus Boat”, the ancient boat found sunk in the Sea of Galilee from the time 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”, visit the synagogue and Peter’s house. Take a lunch break with a delicious St. Peters 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 alter 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.

Day 4: Jordan River – Qumran – Masada – Dead Sea

Begin the morning driving along the Jordan River to Yardenit Baptismal Site. Visit Qumran and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Travel on to Masada where you will take a cable car up to the fortress. The history of the famous Jewish fortification will unfold before your eyes; the palaces built by King Herod, the synagogue and bathhouses used by the Jews. Descend Masada by cable car and drive to the Dead Sea for some relaxation and a dip in the water. Overnight at a Dead Sea hotel and spa where you will be able to take advantage of the spa facilities.

Day 5: Dead Sea - Mt. of Olives - Bethlehem

Take advantage of some extra sleep or an early spa treatment, since check out isn’t until 11:00 AM. Go up to the Mt. of Olives, a cemetery that once was covered in olive groves, where you will have a magnificent panoramic view of Jerusalem. Depart for Bethlehem to see the Church of Nativity located at Manger Square. Overview of the Judean Desert and Shepherd's Field. Finish the day back in Jerusalem for your overnight.

Day 6: Jerusalem (New City) - Mahane Yehuda Market

The morning will begin with a visit to Israel’s official memorial to the Holocaust, Yad VaShem, located on Mt. Herzl. Drive past The Knesset and the Israeli Supreme Court, on your way to the Israel Museum, Israel’s national museum, where you will see the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as a model of the Second Temple. Continue the day with an exciting tour of the Mahane Yehuda Marketplace (Shuk) and experience life as an Israeli. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 7: Jerusalem (Old City)

Today will begin with a tour of the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where Jesus prayed and his disciples slept the night before his crucifixion. Make your way to Mt. Zion where you will visit David’s Tomb and the site of the Last Supper, also known as the “Upper Room”. We continue to the Christian Quarter where you will enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was crucified. From there, walk where Jesus walked and make your way down Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross). The day will continue with a trip to The Cardo, what used to be a main street in the Old City during the time when Judea was under Roman rule. Go down to the Western Wall and spend some time in reflection and/or prayer.  Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 8: Jerusalem - Sheikh Hussein Brigde - Um Qais - Aljoun - Jerash - Amman

Sheikh Hussein Bridge - visit Um Qais, a city rich with basalt ruins and overlooking the Jordan Valley, Golan Heights and Lake Tiberius (the Sea of Galilee). Continue to visit the village of Ajloun with its fortress and magnificent view into the Jordan Valley. Proceed to visit Jerash; one of the most preserved Greco-Roman cities in the Middle East. Continue to Amman for your overnight.

Day 9: Amman City Tour - Desert Castles

After breakfast, visit the ruins of the Amman Roman theatre, the Citadel and the Umayyad Palace, the tour includes visits to the Archaeological and Folklore Museums. Free time in the old downtown area of the city for walking/shopping then transfer to the Desert Castles. Visit Qasr Amra, Al Azraq and Al Kharaneh and return to Amman.

Day 10: Amman - Madaba - Mount Nebo - Wadi Mujib - Kerak - Petra

Breakfast. Depart Amman for a whole day tour to explore the King’s Highway, which was once part of the ancient Silk Road. Start by visiting the Christian Town of Madaba “The City of Mosaics”. You will be visiting the St. George Church with its mosaic map of the Holy Land from Byzantine times, and the Archaeological Park, which houses the remains of several Byzantine churches, including the amazing mosaics of the Church of the Virgin. The park complex includes a school for the restoration and conservation of ancient mosaics, then take a detour to visit the Monastery in Mount Nebo. Proceed to Kerak via Wadi Al Mujib, a deep valley holding one of Jordan’s most breathtaking views. Visit the castle with its diverse history dated from the Byzantine to the Mamluk period. Continue south to the hotel in Petra for your overnight.

Day 11: Petra

Breakfast, then morning tour of Petra, The Rose Red City of the Nabateans. Start your guided tour with a horse ride up to the Siq and proceed to explore this amazing world heritage site. The Rose Red City of Petra will surely surpass your wildest expectations. Visit the higher parts of the city before returning to your hotel. Overnight in Petra.

Day 12: Petra - Beida - Wadi Rum

Breakfast then late morning transfer to Beida, also known as Little Petra, and the place where the Nabateans used to entertain their guests. Proceed with your tour south to the enchanting desert of Wadi Rum, Jeep tour inside the Wadi until sunset. Enjoy the view while drinking a cup of traditional Bedouin tea. Traditional barbecue dinner, and overnight at the camp.

Day 13: Wadi Rum - Dead Sea

Breakfast. Transfer to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the surface of earth, for a swim in its warm salty water. Free time at leisure. Overnight at hotel.

Day 14: Dead Sea

Have free time for some relaxation before the end of the trip. Overnight at the Dead Sea.

Day 15: Departure from Amman Airport

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.

Day 1: Welcome to Tel Aviv

You will be met at Ben Gurion Airport and driven to your hotel in Tel Aviv. At 19:30 meet your travel companions for a Welcome Reception and a short introduction to your Israeli adventures.

Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel.

Day 2: Exploring Vibrant Tel Aviv Relaxed Start

Morning sightseeing showcases the highlights of this vibrant city, including the Habimah National Theatre, Rabin Square and Carmel Market. Venture along the seashore to the ancient city of Jaffa to see the famous clock tower and the old harbour. Visit the artists' quarter with its galleries, boutiques and picturesque narrow lanes.  Walk along the seaside promenade at sunset for spectacular views, as local musicians and street artists take to the stage. Meet a local artist at their gallery for an insight into their work and inspiration.

Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel.

Breakfast

Day 3: Caesarea to Galilee

Travel from Tel Aviv, along the coastal road to Caesarea. Explore the ancient Roman and Crusader ruins, including the huge amphitheatre. Travel via Haifa to Acre, fought over for centuries and captured in turn by Saracens and Crusaders, including Richard the Lionheart. See the fortress, the old harbour area and Crusader crypt. Continue to Nazareth and visit one of Christianity’s most sacred places, the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where the angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mary. Head on to your hotel in Tiberias, which is located on the Sea of Galilee. The day concludes with a brief introduction to life on a Kibbutz. This evening, break traditional challah bread with your travel companions over a cheerful Shabbat dinner.

Leonardo Plaza Hotel, Tiberias.

Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 4: Hula Valley Relaxed Start

Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and meet a ranger for a tour of the Agmom Hahula natural reserve. This nature reserve is home to endangered plant species native of the Hula Valley, and also hosts a bird park on one of the most important migration routes in the world.

Leonardo Plaza Hotel, Tiberias.

Breakfast

Day 5: To the Dead Sea

Explore Galilee with Insight Choice. Choose to cruise the serene water of Lake Kinneret for glorious views of the Golan Heights. Alternatively, meet one of the fishermen who found the Ancient Galilee Boat and hear the story of its excavation. Visit Capernaum, where Jesus is said to have entered the synagogue to teach, before heading to the Mount of Beatitudes, where he preached the Sermon on the Mount. Journey through ever-changing landscapes along the Jordan Valley, past ancient Jericho, to take a dip in the buoyant salt waters of the Dead Sea.

Herods Dead Sea, Ein Bokek.

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Masada and the Holy City of Jerusalem

Take a cable car ride up to the fortress of Masada, where Jewish zealots held out for three years against King Herod's armies. Travel through the Judean Hills to Mount Scopus for breathtaking views of Jerusalem. Visit King David's Tomb on Mount Zion, and the Room of the Last Supper. Enter the Old City and follow the winding cobbled alleyways to the magnificent Wailing Wall, the most sacred monument in Judaism.

Leonardo Plaza Hotel, Jerusalem.

Breakfast

Day 7: Exploring Jerusalem

Today is dedicated to exploring the multiple facets of Jerusalem. Visit Yad Vashem, a memorial for those who perished in the Holocaust. Continue to the Israel Museum and retrace the history of the city. Visit the Shrine of the Book, home to ancient Dead Sea scrolls, and look out for the most ancient one, the Isaiah scroll, dating from the third century B.C.

Leonardo Plaza Hotel, Jerusalem.

Breakfast

Day 8: Optional Bethlehem Experience Relaxed Start

Enjoy a relaxed morning or alternatively choose to meet your Local Expert at the West Bank border and continue to the Holy city of Bethlehem. The Optional Experience includes visiting the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Christ, and is considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam. In the afternoon, visit the Garden of Gethsemene and walk through the Old City to see the Temple Mount, one of Islam’s holiest sites. Continue along the Via Dolorosa past the Stations of the Cross, Ecce Homo Arch, and the Pool of Bethesda, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At night, toast your adventures over a hearty Highlight Dinner with wine.

Leonardo Plaza Hotel, Jerusalem.

Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 9: From Jerusalem to Amman

Travel through the Judaean Desert to the border of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. You are met on the other side to journey through a landscape that has changed little in the last 2,000 years. Once at your Amman hotel, relax and settle in before meeting your Jordanian Travel Director for drinks and dinner.

Amman Marriott Hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 10: Exploring Amman and Jerash

After breakfast depart for Iraq Al-Amir. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and visit a women's cooperative, working with women and girls from the nearby Wadi Al Seer villages. The association is supported by Insight Vacations through The TreadRight Foundation and provides training and work opportunities for women in the region. Then, the journey to Jerash reveals the most beautifully preserved example of a Greco-Roman city still in existence. Enter through Hadrian's Arch, to explore the grand ruins of the Temples of Artemis and Zeus, where you can listen to the Whispering Column. Overlook the vast Oval Plaza and Cardo Maximus, the key Roman road. Enjoy an al fresco lunch of natural produce and family recipes at Beit Khairat Souf, during a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. This women-owned café is combatting female unemployment and aims to build a strong community of women leaders.  Return to Amman where the rest of the day is at leisure.

Amman Marriott Hotel.

Breakfast, Lunch

Day 11: Madaba, Mount Nebo, Shobak and on to Petra

Continue to Mount Nebo, one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan, where Moses is said to have stood and seen before him the Promised Land. At Madaba, visit the famous Greek Orthodox Church of St. George with its amazing 6th century mosaic map depicting the entire Holy Land, stretching from Jordan and Palestine in the north, to Egypt in the south. Follow the King's Highway to visit Shobak, an authentic 12th century crusader fortress, perched on the side of a rocky mountain. Admire the towers and Arabic calligraphy on the external walls before stepping inside to discover the original Crusader chapel, palace complex, and even a set of secret passages!Later, head south for one of the highlights of your journey: the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra, voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Petra Marriott Hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 12: Exploring the Lost City of Petra

This day is devoted to the beautiful ‘rose-red city, half as old as time'. You enter this lost city through a narrow gorge, the Siq, with walls that rise up to 200 metres. Emerge from the path to see the magnificent Treasury, carved out of solid rock and standing over 40 metres high. WWind your way through the canyon to explore the ancient tombs and the Roman Amphitheatre, which once seated 3,000 spectators. Dine with locals at the Ammarin desert camp with a stunning backdrop.

Petra Marriott Hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13: Wadi Rum with the Bedouin

Head to Wadi Rum. Enjoy beautiful vistas as you make your way on a jeep safari deep, into the heart of Wadi Rum's majestic desert. Enjoy the spectacular Bedouin hospitality tonight as you dine with locals under the stars. Wadi Rum is known as one of the world's best place for stargazing. After dinner join an astronomer for a private stargazing session, a magical experience. Stay in elegant simplicity in a desert camp for the night.

Sun City Camp, Wadi Rum.

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 14: Amman

If you wish, start the day with sunrise yoga at the Bedouin camp, before returning to Amman. Explore Amman with Insight Choice. Choose between joining a guided sightseeing to discover the highlights of the city and learn about the history and culture or alternatively, explore Amman's street art scene on a guided graffiti walking tour. Later, check in at your hotel where the rest of your day is at leisure. Join in a lively dinner to celebrate the end of your Jordanian adventures.

Amman Marriott Hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 15: Optional Dead Sea Extension Relaxed Start

Transfer to the Dead Sea for its warm, soothing and mineral-rich waters. Pamper yourself at your resort which offers a wide range of treatments to soothe the body and mind.

Herods Dead Sea, Ein Bokek.

Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 16: Dead Sea at Leisure Relaxed Start

Enjoy the entire day at your leisure. Lying more than 400 metres below sea level, this is Earth's lowest point on dry land. Its famous hypersaline water makes floating easy. The surrounding desert offers many oases and historic sites to explore.

Herods Dead Sea, Ein Bokek.

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 17: Depart Amman

After breakfast, you are transferred to Amman Airport for your onward flight.

Breakfast