Best of Israel & Jordan

Depart for Tel Aviv, Israel

Your journey begins on an overnight flight.

Arrive in Tel Aviv

If you purchased airline tickets from YMT, a representative will welcome you at the airport and transport you to the hotel. Meet your fellow guests tonight at an included hotel dinner. (D)

Tel Aviv

Spend the day exploring Tel Aviv, one of Israel’s most vibrant cities. Nearly 9 miles of coastline border a metropolis known for its 1930s architecture, ancient port, and electrifying energy.
Your city tour includes the port city of Jaffa, whose history dates back at least 4,000 years. Then, visit the bustling Carmel Market. (B, D)

Caesarea, Nazareth & Akko

Today we visit the ancient city of Caesarea, built by King Herod as capital of Roman Judea. It was among the Mediterranean’s most vital ports, and the site of one of Herod’s palaces.
Next visit Nazareth, the home of Joseph and Mary, pass Mary’s Well, and visit the Church of the Annunciation and Nazareth Village that depicts the daily activities and culture the town Jesus grew up in.
Continue to one of the oldest continuously inhabited cites in the world, Akko, which dates back to the era of Egyptian pharaohs. Today, it is best known for its medieval fortifications. (B, D)

Sea of Galilee

This morning, explore some of places where the most important events in Jesus’ early life took place. Embark on a short boat trip on the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus gathered his first disciples. Next, see Capernaum where Jesus lived and performed miracles. Visit a synagogue of the Second Temple period & the house of Saint Peter.
Drive to Tabgha, the site where Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fish. After lunch on your own, visit the site where Jesus was baptized on the Jordan River. In Yardenit, you will have an opportunity to be baptized (please note robe & towels will need to be purchased on site). Overlooking the whole area is the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. (B, D)

Old City of Jerusalem

Visit the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. From here, walk through the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas.
Continue to the streets and alleyways of the Old City. Visit the Wailing Wall, one of Judaism’s holiest sites.
See Temple Mount. The revered 7th-century Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock is built here.
For members of the Jewish faith, Temple Mount covers the holy Western Wall.
Explore the winding path of Via Dolorosa, along which Jesus carried his cross. Finally, stop at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which encloses the place where Jesus was crucified and buried. (B, D)

New City of Jerusalem, Bethlehem

Start your day at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Museum. A guide will share images, survivors’ accounts, and artifacts that put human faces on the Holocaust. Next, visit the Israel Museum. The museum is best known as the home of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. Cross the boarder into Palestine to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity. (B, D)

Qumran, Masada, Dead Sea

Get an early start this morning, driving down the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea. The first stop is Qumran, the ruins where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Continue to Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, the oasis where David hid from Saul. Then travel by cable car to the cliff-top fortress of Masada. The day ends with a stop at Kalia beach on the salty shores of the Dead Sea. (B,D)

Travel from Israel to Jordan

Cross into Jordan today on a journey along the King’s Highway, the oldest trading route in the world. Traveling south through ancient biblical lands, stop first at Mount Nebo, where Moses looked out upon the Promised Land. On a clear day you can see Jericho, the Dead Sea, the River Jordan, and even Jerusalem.
Continue to Madaba, where you can find the oldest original cartographic mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. (B, L, D)

Petra

Today, see the city of Petra. You will reach Petra through the narrow, high-walled canyon called the Siq. This caravan-city situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia.
You can join your fellow guests on an optional Jeep tour this afternoon in Wadi Rum. (B, L, D)

Petra to Amman via the Dead Sea

Bob like a cork in the Dead Sea, which is ten times saltier than the ocean and makes visitors float. Tour the picturesque capital city of Amman, then sit down for a farewell dinner. (B, D)

Depart for Home (B)

Note: Flights from Amman to USA may be red eye flights, departing in early morning.