Lebanon & Jordan Encounters

Your tour starts with your arrival at Beirut International Airport. Our representative will meet you, and you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Beirut.

We leave Beirut after breakfast and today's first destination is Barouk Cedar Nature Reserve, also known as the Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve. It is the largest nature reserve in Lebanon and is rich in biodiversity, with 500 species of plants and 32 species of wild mammals calling this sanctuary home. The most famous of course are remnants of Lebanon's ancient cedar forests, mentioned in the Bible. Barouk Cedar Nature Reserve also contains several important archaeological and architectural sites and is classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA), with 200 species.

Next, we drive to the Chouf Mountains to visit the village of Deir al Qamar, its name meaning "Monastery of the Moon". The village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was the capital of Lebanon during the 17th century. It is quaint and charming, with stone houses and winding roads.

We then continue onto the beautiful Beiteddine Palace. The palace, constructed in the 19th century by Emir Bashir, is exceptionally well-preserved and is a testament to the opulence of the time. Finally, we return to Beirut to enjoy an evening in the cafes and restaurants of this bustling city.

We start the today today by touring Beirut, Lebanon's capital and largest city. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and has had a turbulent history, both ancient and modern. This is evident in the contrast of modern buildings seen alongside small old houses and historical architecture, some still displaying bullet holes and damage from the civil war in the 1970s. Highlights visited include the Beirut Souks, the Corniche, and the downtown region. We will also see the Pigeon Grotto, or the Rock of Raouché, a famous natural formation rising out of the sea.

After leaving Beirut and heading north towards Byblos, we'll experience a thrilling visit to the spectacular Jeita Grotto. Here a system of limestone caves spans a distance of almost 9 kilometres, and contains one of the largest collections of stalactites and stalagmites in the world. It is a symbol of the country and was a finalist in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition. Depending on the water level you can explore both on foot and by boat.

Next, we visit Harissa, famous for containing an important Christian shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary, known as Our Lady of Lebanon. We take a cable car to the top of the Basilica, from where we can enjoy a spectacular view of the Bay of Jounieh, considered one of the most beautiful bays in the Middle East. Finally today we arrive in Byblos, another ancient Phoenician city that has been inhabited since 5000 BC. It is known locally as Jbeil and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Byblos is filled with significant historical and archaeological sites, and also features a lovely Phoenician harbour

We spend this morning exploring the harbour area and highlights of Byblos. Then, we'll pack up and head inland to visit the unique Baatara Gorge sinkhole, where during the spring and especially rainy periods a 255-metre waterfall cascades into an enormous cavern known as the Baatara Pothole. The cave is also called the Cave of the Three Bridges, for the three natural stone arches over which the waterfall drops. This is a spectacular natural phenomenon and we have time for a short hike here, and can also explore nearby Douma Village. A traditional Lebanese lunch is included today.

The day finishes with a short drive to the beautiful Qadisha Valley where we spend the night in the Monastery of St. Anthony, in a separate building with simple but comfortable en-suite accommodation (a nearby guesthouse will be used if the monastery is closed to visitors or unavailable).

Those interested may rise early this morning to join morning prayers with the monks of the monastery. After breakfast, we have time to explore the Qadisha Valley, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known as the Holy Valley, and the Holy River, Nahr Qadisha, flows through it. Many caves are found along its steep cliffs, used as shelters and burial sites in ancient times, and it's a great place for a short morning hike.

Our first stop after leaving the valley is the nearby village of Becharre, the birthplace of the iconic novelist and poet of Lebanon, Kahlil Gibran. The village contains a museum dedicated to him, featuring his paintings and manuscripts. Next, we stop at the Cedars Ski Resort, famous for skiing and snowboarding. The area known as the Cedars of God is found nearby, and contains the last remaining groves of the cedar forests that once thrived in the region. The famous cedar trees of Lebanon - Cedrus Libani- are mentioned in the Old Testament and are the national symbol of the country.

The afternoon is spent taking a scenic drive across the Col des Cedres (2581m) before descending then down through several sharp switchbacks to the Bekaa Valley, a high plateau between the Mr. Lebanon and Anti Lebanon mountain ranges. We finish the day in the small town of Zahle.

Today we head to Baalbek, a definite highlight of any visit to Lebanon. Called "Heliopolis" or "City of the Sun" by the Romans and Greeks, it is home to a famous temple complex that is superbly well-preserved. This complex, which is one of the finest examples of Roman architecture at its peak, was built as a sanctuary dedicated to worshipping the Heliopolitan triad of gods - Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury. Pilgrims would flock to the temple in their thousands in order to venerate the triad. Still largely intact, the temple has outstanding artistic and historical value.

We then visit the Umayyad city of Anjar, located in the Bekaa Valley. Founded in the 8th century by Caliph Walid, it provides evidence of excellent town-planning and features mosques, palaces, and baths. It also features 600 shops, indicating that it was an important commercial centre.

The last stop of the day is at Ksara Caves, where we find perhaps the oldest winery in Lebanon. The caves are approximately two miles long and have been used for centuries as cellars to stores wine. We enjoy a guided tour of the caves and the winery, followed by a wine tasting where you can sample, (and later purchase if you wish) some of the finest wine in Lebanon.

Today we tour the south of Lebanon. We begin by visiting Tyre, also known as Sour in Arabic. It is more than 4,000 years old and was a great ancient Phoenician city. Tyre is filled with important historical landmarks and is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our next destination is Sidon, or Saida, also an ancient Phoenician city, possibly the oldest. The city became wealthy due its excellent production of glass, as well as a purple dye extracted from murex, a type of shellfish. It is now a fast-growing city, and important both administratively and commercially.

In Saida, we will visit the Crusader Sea Castle, the great Mosque, Khan el Franj, and other interesting sites. You will also get the chance to stroll through the old souks. Overnight in Beirut.

Your time is free today until we transfer you to the airport for your flight to Amman in Jordan to start the next leg of your tour. The Beirut (BEY) to Amman (AMM) flight is not included in the price of the tour, but can either be built into your main international flight ticket or purchased separately as a single ticket. Direct flights are available with Middle Eastern Airlines and Royal Jordanian. On arrival into Amman you will be met and transferred to your hotel in the centre of Amman.

Your first full day of our Jordan tour starts after breakfast, as we make our way to Jordan's famous 'desert castles', before we head out on a city tour of its capital - Amman.

Jordan's desert castles are located on the old trade routes created during the Umayyad era and still house some of its ancient remnants including frescoes, bath houses and wells - giving us great insight into how they were built during the 7th and 8th centuries. We'll explore the desert castles of Qasr al-Kharrana, Qal'at al-Azraq and Qseirr Amra before we head back to Amman for lunch at a local eatery, with falafel and hummus on the menu.

After lunch, we'll explore downtown Amman on foot, visiting the impressive Amphitheatre, the Jordan Folklore Museum as well as the Citadel. We'll also visit some of Amman's busy markets, tasting Knafeh - a tasty sweet - while our guide teaches us some basic Arabic greetings and phrases to use during our Jordan tour.

If there's time left, we may visit a few traditional handcraft and art galleries, before we return to our hotel in Amman.

Leaving Amman this morning, we head north to the ancient city of Jerash - known for being one of the largest and well-preserved Greco-Roman cities outside of Europe. Once we arrive in Jerash, we'll visit the Forum, explore its Roman colonnaded streets, the Nymphaeum and the Temple of Artemis - built on one of the highest points in the city.

From Jerash, we'll make our way to Aljoun Castle, built by the Ayyubids in the 12th century and extended by the Mamluks in the 13th. It also served as the base for Saladin's Arab forces when he defeated the Crusaders in the 12th century. The countryside of the Ajloun Forest Reserve around the castle is picturesque and green and a popular place for avid hikers, with its hills, mountains and forests just waiting to be explored.

After a visit to Aljoun Castle, we head to the village of Rasoun to meet our homestay hosts for the night. After settling in and being shown through the village, we'll walk through hills covered with scrub and forest to see some Bronze Age Dolmens - which are megalithic tombs formed by placing a huge stone slab atop two or more standing stones.

After a splendid night with the Jordanian family, we say goodbye after a shared breakfast and head south to Madaba, where we'll marvel at the Byzantine mosaics and the 'Madaba Map' - which is the oldest preserved map of the Holy Land. From Madaba, we'll make our way to Mount Nebo, the place where the prophet Moses looked across the Promised Land and is also his burial place. On a clear day, which is most of the time, you get great views towards Jericho and beyond from here.

After a tasty lunch, we'll make our way down to our resort right on the banks of the Dead Sea, where you have some free time to swim - or rather float - in its incredibly salty waters and to relax by the hotel pool. Don't forget a newspaper or magazine for your iconic Dead Sea photo!

Today, we'll make our way down the Dead Sea coastline, passing lots of deep canyons and gorges as they meet the sea. After we pass some salt flats at the southern end of the Dead Sea we head up through the mountains towards Petra, stopping for a short walk in the beautiful scenery and hills of the Dana Biosphere Reserve along the way. This is Jordan's largest nature reserve, and there are great views of the valleys and hills on the various trails around the restored Dana village. Spring is a particularly lovely time to visit with the terrain surprisingly green and full of flowers. We'll stop for lunch and take a walk before continuing to the imposing crusader castle at Shobak, finally arriving at Petra in the evening.

You have the option for a spectacular and atmospheric introduction to Petra tonight, with the Petra by Night tour. Here you walk through the Siq to the Treasury, the whole way being atmospherically lit up by hundreds of candles.

Today is all about exploring the Nabatean site of Petra. It was once the ancient capital of the Nabataean commercial empire until the Romans finally took over in 106AD. For a long period of time, Petra was forgotten - except by the local Bedouins - before it was rediscovered in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Petra can be found at the edge of the Wadi Aruba desert, where canyon walls and towering hills make it virtually impossible to reach, except via a narrow cleft in the rock, known as the Siq. There are very few free-standing buildings in Petra, as the Nabateans chose to carve their dwellings into the multi coloured sandstone cliffs. Petra has become one of Jordan's main tourist attractions and the Jordanian Government is well aware of this. The tourism infrastructure in the adjoining village of Wadi Musa is booming, though, thankfully, once you enter through the Siq, the site is protected, there aren't that many touts or souvenir sellers, and all the building feels miles away.

We have most of the day available today to explore this ancient city (2-3 hour guided tour, then free time to explore independently). We start by making our way through the Siq, which rises to 200 metres above us and narrows to just 2 metres wide in certain sections. Keep an eye out for the ancient Nabatean water channel which is still visible on one wall and there are remnants of the terracotta pipes that brought water into the city as well. We'll turn a corner and suddenly - one of the most familiar sights of Petra will be in front of you - The Khazneh (Treasury) comes into view. Our guide will explain how this, and the other buildings here, are mainly elaborate facades carved into the rock from the top down, and also discuss the spiritual significance of the building style.

From the Treasury, the valley opens out, and you'll see tombs carved into the rock on both sides. You'll get a glimpse of the ruined Roman amphitheatre and colonnaded streets and during your free time, you can walk up a steep and narrow winding gorge to the towering 'Monastery' - which is 50 metres high and 45 metres wide, giving you breath-taking views of the Wadi Aruba desert and the Jordan Valley. Another climb takes you to the High Place of Sacrifice, and Lion Fountain. All in all, this is a full and tiring exercise, but hugely rewarding day touring one of the world's most famous ancient sites.

Walking distances today are an absolute minimum of 3km through the Siq to the Treasury and back and to see a few tombs, 8km to take the trail on as far as the main basin, plus an additional few km to the Monastery and back (over 800 steps up and down). For those with less mobility or who are worried about the distance, horse carriages are available for around 20JD (USD 28) to take you on the 1.2km journey through the Siq to the Treasury and back again at an agreed time. They will also take you further in through the site for an extra fee. We do not recommend riding the horses that are available. Donkeys are available for the steps up to the Monastery - if you want to use them, we'd reommend doing this on the way up, not on the way down.

Later in the afternoon, we leave Petra and drive into the spectacular desert scenery of Wadi Rum where friendly Bedouin hosts are ready to greet us at a comfortable camp beneath the towering rocks and cliffs. We spend the evening and night relaxing at the camp, watching the stars and enjoying a delicious traditional Jordanian meal.

After breakfast in the camp, we take a jeep safari through the sands and beneath the towering 'jebels' of Wadi Rum, stopping to climb sand dunes and to see some of the strange rock formations, including a spectacular rock bridge.

We'll also do some local activities inspired from the Bedouin traditions, walking with a local shepherd with his sheep and goats to a Bedouin tent where we'll participate in making lunch.

We can also join in and learn about other traditional Bedouin activities such as shearing the sheep & goats' hair, milking, grinding grains, making bread and roasting coffee until our lunch is ready. Finally, after really getting a feel for nomadic Bedouin life, we return by jeep to our camp and then drive north on the Desert Highway back to Amman. If you would like to add a few days to your tour and spend some time by the Red Sea, then an extension to Aqaba is available after you finish in Wadi Rum.

This evening we'll walk out to a coffee shop or cafe near our hotel in Downtown Amman to enjoy a shisha, a game of backgammon and to reminisce on our Jordan tour.

Your time is free in Amman today until we pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure. Further sightseeing tours are available today if you have a late afternoon or evening flight, including a trip to the Baptism Site at Bethany on the Jordan River. This tour also connects well with several of our Egypt and Israel tours; please contact us for ideas and help with connections.