Dream of Middle East

Arrival at the airport, assistance and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Departure from the city of Tel Aviv bordering the Mediterranean Sea until reaching Yaffo, old port of Israel, today an artists´ quarter. Visit of the Church of Saint Peter. Continue along the coast to CAESAREA, ancient Roman capital, where we will visit its Theater, the Fortress’ Wall of the Crusaders and the Roman Aqueduct. We will continue our journey to the city of HAIFA, we will go up Mount Carmel, where the Grotto of the Prophet Elijah is located and observe the Bahai Temple and its Persian Gardens, and there we will have a panoramic view of the city and the port. Continue to SAINT JOHN OF ACRE (Akko), capital of the Crusaders, visiting the medieval fortresses. Arrival in NAZARETH. Dinner included. Accommodation.

Breakfast. We will begin the day with a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee. We will continue to visit MAGDALA, where we will see remains of the town and its Synagogue, and we will visit the modern Church. Later, we will visit the MOUNT OF THE BEATITUDES, where "The Sermon on the Mount" took place. Arrival at TABGHA, place of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Visit of CAPERNAUM where the House of Saint Peter and the ruins of the old Synagogue are located. Return to Nazareth. Dinner included and accommodation.NOTE: The boat trip on the Sea of Galilee may be the next day.

Breakfast. In the morning visit of the city of Nazareth we will visit the Church of the Annunciation, the Carpentry of Saint Joseph, and the Fountain of the Virgin. Continuation to the MOUNT OF THE PRECIPICE, from where we can admire a beautiful panoramic view of Nazareth and its surroundings. We will continue the day with the visit of CANA OF GALILEE, where the first Miracle of Jesus took place. In the afternoon departure to Jerusalem through the Jordan River Valley, bordering the oasis of Jericho, where we will enjoy a panoramic view of the Mount of Temptation and the Dead Sea. Ascent through the Judean desert and entrance to Jerusalem, a messenger city of peace, cradle of the three great Cosmopolitan religions. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Excursion to visit the New City of Jerusalem, seeing the Shrine of the Book in the Museum of Israel, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed, and the model that represents the city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. We will go through the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, then going toward Ein Karen, a picturesque neighborhood on the outskirts of the city to visit the Shrine of Saint John the Baptist. We will also see Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum and Memorial. In the afternoon, we will travel to BETHLEHEM, located behind the wall built in recent years to separate the two communities. We will take a Palestinian guide to visit the Church of the Nativity, the Grotto of the Manger and the Shepherds’ Field. Return to Jerusalem and accommodation.

We include a visit to the old city of Jerusalem. Excursion by Mount Scopus toward the Mount of Olives. There is an extraordinary view of the walled Holy City from the top. We then continue to Gethsemane, the Basilica of the Agony. Departure toward the Old City. Visit to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall). We will continue along the Via Dolorosa to arrive at Calvary, the place where Christ was crucified, and to see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We then go onward to Mount Zion to visit the Tomb of King David, the Cenacle (Hall of the Last Supper) and the Abbey of the Dormition. Accommodation in Jerusalem.

Breakfast. Early departure to border of Israel and Jordan. Arrival at Sheik Hussein Bridge to complete border and visa procedures. Welcome to Jordan! We explore the FORTRESS OF AJLUN, an imposing castle dating back to the 12th century. In this area, Muslims and Orthodox Christians have always lived together. We visit the historic CHURCH OF SAINT SERGIUS. Shall we all pray for peace? Lunch included. We continue to JERASH to visit its impressive Roman archaeological site. We then travel to AMMAN. Arrival and accommodation.NOTE: The Sheik Hussein border must be crossed on a special bus for this purpose. This costs around $3 per person, which must be paid directly by the passengers themselves.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are customs regulations upon arrival in JORDAN that prohibit the entry of religious objects. These objects can be withdrawn from the passenger without prior notice and without any compensation. Europamundo is not responsible if this happens.FEES: Each country requires an entry/exit fee that passengers must pay directly at their destination. For guidance purposes, these are the fees/visa fees that may apply (prices subject to change without notice): Israel: $32 (Departure Fee to Jordan); Jordan: 40 dinars/$60 (Sheik Hussein Border visa).

We will depart towards the CASTLES OF THE DESERT, built between the 7th and 8th centuries. We will visit QASR KHARANA, with its imposing structure of thick walls and the QUSAYR AMRA World Heritage Site, notable for its remarkable frescoes. Then, we travel to MADABA, lunch is included. We will visit the Madaba Archaeological Park, which we cross via an ancient Roman road, and the Church of St. George, with its fantastic 6th Century mosaic representing the oldest known map of the Holy Land. We continue to MOUNT NEBO, where Moses stopped to look over the Promised Land. Return to Amman. Arrival and free time.

We leave for BETHANY on the banks of the River Jordan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; this is where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. Then we visit the DEAD SEA MUSEUM, which an impressive Panorama Complex. Lunch is included. Arriving at our hotel at the DEAD SEA, do not forget to take a dip in the saltiest sea and lowest altitude on earth. Dinner and accommodation included.

Exciting section in the heart of Jordan. We ascend to the historic King´s Road, which tells us about the Moab Kingdom of the Bible. At the top of a hill we will be surprised by the castle of KARAK (entrance included), an impressive example of military architecture of the twelfth century. It soon became one of the most important fortresses between Jerusalem and Aqaba. Arrival at DANA, a small picturesque town of stone houses on a huge cliff. Lunch is included. We continue along the King´s Route to SHOBAK, where we take photographs (outside only) of the great Crusader Castle. We continue to WADI MUSA (the site around Petra). We will explore the MOSES SPRING, where Moses is said to have tapped the rock with his rod and the water gushed out, and the Petra Museum, an excellent exhibition that enables us to learn about the history of the Nabateans and to see magnificent pieces found in the area. Dinner (included)and accommodation. Any travelers who wish can go to an old Turkish bath or see a light and sound show in Petra.

Today we have the most exciting day of the trip: First, we visit the impressive archaeological site of PETRA, which is accessed through a narrow canyon, and discover the temples and tombs excavated on the cliffs in this city that was founded 300 years before Christ. After lunch (included) we leave for the impressive desert of WADI RUM. At the Visitor Centre we board 4x4 vehicles to visit some of the most impressive landscapes. We include a 45-minute camel ride through the desert. We will also visit the Khazali Canyon. In this spectacular place, we will see the engravings that reveal the origins of the Arabic language. Dinner and accommodation included in a desert camp.

After breakfast, we leave for AQABA, Jordan’s second city, lying on the banks of the Red Sea. We walk through the center before continuing to the border of ISRAEL, EILAT and arrive in this modern and tourist city with its excellent beaches. There’s time to relax, have lunch and stroll around. Are you tempted to have a swim? We then continue towards the EGYPT border, and into Sinai. On the way, there’s chance to take photographs of the Pharaoh’s Island with the powerful fortress of Saladin. Continue to SAINT CATHERINE. Arrival, accommodation and dinner included.FEES: At the border crossing from Jordan to Israel and from Israel to Egypt, every traveler must pay an entry/exit fee for the different countries. Jordan: $15 (exit fees), Israel: $32 (exit fee), Egypt: $45 (entry visa, which is actually $25 visa + $20.Approximate rates and subject to change without prior notice by the authorities of the country.Drones and cameras with a 5,5 mtr zoom are prohibited as well as other types of professional equipment cameras ( Europamundo is not responsiblefor objects that may be seized at borders by the authorities of the countries)IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to exceptional circumstances or due to a small number of participants, it may happen that we will cross directly from Jordan to Egypt by boat, taking the AQABA- TABA FERRY with a duration of just over two hours. During the ferry crossing, there will be no assistance from any guide.

At the foot of Mount Sinai, we visit the impressive walled monastery of SAINT CATHERINE. According to tradition, this is where Moses saw “the Burning Bush that burned without being consumed”. The monastery, which is a sacred place for Jews, Christians and Muslims, belongs to the Orthodox Church and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue on through the Sinai Desert’s picturesque landscapes. Lunch included in route. Stop at the WELL OF MOSES, a biblical site that looks like a small oasis. We will leave Sinai through the tunnel under the SUEZ CANAL. Arrival in CAIRO at the end of the afternoon. Accommodation.

Full day visit where we explore the famous Pyramids of Cheops, Kefren and Micerinos (tickets to go inside the pyramids are not included), and also the impressive Sphinx, which is sculpted from rock. Visit to the Egyptian Museum with its ancient art and where the treasure of the Lost Tomb of Tutankhamen is kept. Lunch included. Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. We will take a walk through the Coptic neighborhood where we visit the Hanging Church built above a Roman fortress.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.