The Best of Jordan and Syria

Tour these great lands of Arabia and the Near East in 11 Days

See the top sights in Jordan and Syria on this fully escorted tour, including Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum .
We'll show you the wonders of fabled Syria--Roman citadels, Biblical sites,
The Dead Sea , great Omayyad mosques--and the ancient/modern city of Damascus
We have even included all the tips. No Hidden Charges. No Additional Tax

Compare with the 9-day private touring : Daily Arrival

DAY 1 -Arrive Amman Airport - The Dead Sea - Wednesday - Weekly - Year Round
Our local rep. will meet you upon arrival and help with the transfer to your hotel overlooking the Dead Sea . Sample Deluxe : Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea Hotel , or the Movenpick Dead Sea . Sample First Class : Dead Sea Spa Hotel or similar . Complimentary visa is issued upon arrival for American, Canadian , EU and Japanese passport holders. Passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival.
Prefer to start in Damascus ?

DAY 2 - Jerash - Um Qais - Thursday (BL)
After breakfast we drive northwards to Pella ( "Tabaqat Fahl "in Arabic) in the Jordan Valley , about 78 km north of Amman, Pella is one of the most ancient sites in Jordan , the famous spring in Pella never runs dry. The are seems to have been continuously inhabited since Neolithic times ; and some recent finds even date to Paleolithic times, around 100,000 years ago , on to Visit Um Qais, Gedara of the Bible (Matthew 8:28-34) for a spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee, the Yarmouk River and the Golan Heights.The current and most widely-used name, Umm Qais, is Arabic for "Mother of Qais," a modified pronunciation and spelling of the Roman name Caius. The ancient name Gadara appears to be Semitic. It is probably derived from the Hebrew gader (???), meaning "fence" or "border". It is still heard in Jedur, which is associated with the ancient rock tombs, with sarcophagi, to the east of the present ruins. These tombs are closed by carved stone doors, and are used as storehouses for grain, and also as dwellings by the inhabitants. The place is not mentioned till later times.
We travel southeast to Jerash, among the best-preserved cities of the Romans, and walk among its colonnaded temples and theaters, enjoy lunch at a charming local restaurant , before heading back to your hotel , private air-conditioned vehicle.

DAY 3 - MADABA, KERAK - PETRA - Friday (BL)
We drive south along the King's Highway, an ancient caravan route, to Madaba to visit the church containing the oldest known map of the Holy Land. Continuing to Mount Nebo, we enjoy the panoramic view of the Promised Land the way Moses saw it for the first time. Further on, at Kerak, we tour the ruins of its romantic Crusaders' castle of Renaud de Chatillon, one of a line which stretched from Aqaba to Turkey. Finally, we arrive to PETRA . Lunch is included enroute . Deluxe : Movenpick, Taybet Zaman or Marriott . First : Golden Tulip or similar

DAY 4 - PETRA - Saturday (BD)
Today the fabulous Nabatean City of Petra awaits us. Made famous in the Indiana Jones movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark," its ancient temples, tombs and striking Khazneh (Treasury) were hewn right from the pink and violet sandstone. We spend a full day here, and another night.

Now open in Petra, The Petra Kitchen is a delightful way to round out your Jordan travel experiences. Like any home kitchen, The Petra Kitchen is a relaxed, informal atmosphere where you’ll gather to prepare an evening meal, working alongside local women under the supervision of our chef.

Each evening meal includes soup, cold and hot mezza and salads, and a main course—all typical Jordanian dishes. You will have get an inside glimpse of the secrets behind the famous regional cuisine of the Levant.

The Petra Kitchen offers an evening of learning, fun and a very special dining experience, with each dish gaining the special flavor of a reward well-earned. Great care has been taken to make The Petra Kitchen a truly Jordanian experience—right down to the furnishings, all crafted in Jordan, the tableware, all produced by the Iraq al Amir Women’s Co-operative, and the aprons and table linens, all hand-embroidered by the Jordan River Foundation. The rate includes the cuisine course, meal and all non-alcoholic beverages as well as take-home recipes for all dishes prepared that evening.

DAY 5 - WADI RUM - Syria /Bosra - Sunday (BL)
We board four-wheel-drive vehicles for an expedition to Wadi Rum, the "Valley of the Moon" where T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") organized Arab resistance to Ottoman rule during World War I. Lunch is included at a local restaurant in Jordan . Time permitting we may have tea with the bedouins in Wadi Rum .
After our visit, proceed to to The Syrian border, visit Bosra before continuing to Damascus.

For American , Australian , NZ , EU , Canadian and Japanese citizens, visa will be issued upon arrival at the border , your passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of arrival, our local rep will escort you to your hotel. Lunch is included enroute. Jordanian departure tax is included in our rate.

Syria will not issue you a visa , if your passport has any Israeli stamps or visa for Israel, you are responsible for ensuring that your passport is valid and in order .

DAY 6 - DAMASCUS - Monday (B)
Today we explore the Syrian capital, visiting the National Museum, with treasures dating from the 1400s BC; the bustling Old Bazaar, the Eastern Gate (Bab ash-Sharqi) in the Roman city walls; the Street Called Straight (Via Recta); the house of Anania; and the chapel with a window from which disciples lowered St. Paul so he could escape those who sought to kill him (Acts 9:24-25).

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
We are proud to be the only ones that are able to afford you such window on the true warm and hospitable Syrian people , come and meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Syria l! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. As some have inquired after they returned , feel free to ask about the recipes for the local dishes you will enjoy tonight , please let us know in advance of you prefer vegetarian meals.

Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 7 - PALMYRA - Tuesday (BD)
We drive to ancient Palmyra (Tadmor), in a desert oasis on the trade route between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, to visit its museum, the temples of Bel, Baal Shamin and Nebo, the Roman baths, the Tetrapylon, Diocletian's camp, and the Valley of the Tombs, before settling in at our Palmyra hotel.

DAY 8 - KRAK DES CHEVALIERS, HAMA and ALEPPO - Wednesday (BD)
Get your camera ready, for today we see the famously photogenic Krak des Chevaliers, the most spectacular 12th-century Crusaders' castle of all. From this marvel of military architecture we head north to Hama, one of Syria's prettiest towns, to see its great norias (water wheels), some up to 65 feet in diameter, scooping water from the fabled Orontes River. We continue to Aleppo for the night.

DAY 9 - ALEPPO - Thursday (BD)
The sights of Aleppo (Halab) include the Grand Mosque, the vast Ottoman bazaar, the 12th-century Citadel, and a camel caravanserai. We visit them all, then continue to the church (Qala'at Samaan) built to honor the Byzantine ascetic St. Simeon Stylites, who lived atop a column for over 35 years in the 5th century. We return to our comfortable Aleppo hotel for the night.

DAY 10 - SERGELLA , APAMEA, MAALULA - DAMASCUS - Friday (BD)
We head south to Sergella, one of the 500 Dead Cities, fabled ghost towns built between the 4th and 7th centuries which were abandoned mysteriously around the 9th century. Our next stop is Apamea (Qala'at al-Mudiq), the Hellenistic "city of a thousand columns" built by Seleucus I Nicator in the 2nd century BC and named in honor of his wife. We continue to Maalula, where villagers still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus, for a visit to the chapel of St. Sergius, before returning to Damascus for the night.

DAY 11 - DEPARTURE- Saturday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Prefer to fly back to Amman , Jordan ? Please click here . Wish to start in Damascus ? Please click here. . Salam & Bon Voyage . Combine with Lebanon .

RATES per person: in US

This tour operates each Wednesday from Amman, year round

Hotels in Syria - For the Five Stars modest Deluxe ( or similar)

• Damascus : Damascus Cham Palace Hotel , 5 Stars .
  
• Palmyra , Palmyra Dedeman Hotel , 5 Stars, or similar .
  
• Aleppo : Sheraton hotel , 5 Stars , or similar

:Sample First Class Charming Boutique Hotels in Syria :

• Talisman Hotel: Damascus
  Talisman is more than an hotel: it is more like a home. We will provide you all the services and luxury of a five stars residence. Two wide opened courtyards with outdoor swimming
  pool. Private and exclusive Turkish Hammam.
  
  
• Zenobia hotel: Palmyra
  built in 1920 … Agatha Christy was one of the welcomed guests , the Zenobia Hotel is ideally located in the middle of Palmyra archeological site; rooms offers a wonderful view of the traces of past civilizations, which you can explore at your ease.
  
  
• Riga in Aleppo , or similar

Your Locally escorted tour includes:

• All transfers in Syria and Jordan, always on a private basis.
  
• Guided sightseeing as per itinerary, with all entrance fees.
  
• Accommodation with breakfast daily .
  
• Pre-set menu meals (as indicated in the itinerary) : B= Breakfast. L = Lunch . D = Dinner
  
• Services of local professional guides throughout the tour
  
• Admission fees to museums and sites as detailed in the itinerary .
  
• Jordanian departure tax.
  
• Syrian departure tax .
  
• Complimentary visa for Jordan , Lebanon as well as Syria is issued upon arrival for EU , Australian, NZ, Canadian, American & Japanese passport holders. Passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival. Visa fee for Jordan, Lebanon and Syria . Visa issued upon arrival, American, EU ,Japanese, Canadian passport, your passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond arrival date. To allow us to secure your visa for Syria, please e.mail us your passport details : passport number, date and place of issue, date it expires, date and place of birth , no photos required.

  Syria will not issue you a visa , if your passport has any Israeli stamps or visa for Israel, you are responsible for ensuring that your passport is valid and in order .

• Tips to hotel and restaurant staff, drivers and guides

The tour does not include:

• International airfare from / to your home country .
• Travel Insurance
• Personal expenditures (beverages, laundry, special meals, etc.)

More Choices :

Combine this tour with any Travel in Style tour to Egypt, or Turkey for an even more exciting vacation adventure.

• Tour Syria & Egypt in 12-days including a Nile cruise .
  
• Jordan and Dubai Tour in a Week .
  
• Petra and Palmyra : Jordan and Syria : the 14-Days Edition with air fare from NYC .
  
• Tour Jordan , Syria and Egypt : An 18-Day Arabian Adventure
  

• Sultans , Caliphs and Pharaohs : Tour Turkey , Jordan and Egypt : (17 Days)
  Includes a Deluxe Dahabiya Yacht Nile Cruise , add Anatolia in a 32-Day version
  
  
• Add Egypt and camping with the Bedouins in Wadi Rum