This wonderful vacation starts in Tel Aviv, Israel. Next, travel via Jaffa to Caesarea, with visits to the Roman amphitheater and the impressive Crusader fortress; the ancient fortified city of Megiddo; and Muhraqa to Tiberias at the Sea of Galilee, where you will stay for two nights. A morning excursion is included to Cana, site of the first miracle where Jesus changed water into wine at a wedding, and Nazareth, where you visit the Church of the Annunciation and St. Joseph’s Church. Afternoon is at leisure. On your way to Jerusalem, cruise on the Sea of Galilee, then visit the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha, and Capernaum, where Jesus recruited his first followers among the fishermen, a baptismal site on the river Jordan, and Bet She’an with its fine Roman and Byzantine relics. During your 5-night stay in Jerusalem, excursions are included to Ein Karem, Bethlehem, and the Garden Tomb, as well as to Masada, the Dead Sea, and a guided walking tour through the Old City. Visit the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Via Dolorosa, the Wailing Wall, and more. A full day at leisure to relax or to join an optional excursion featuring the Israel Museum with the Shrine of the Book and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a visit to the Holocaust Memorial at Yad Vashem. On your final evening in Jerusalem, celebrate with your travel companions at a farewell dinner at your hotel. Next, travel via the Allenby Bridge, Jerash, the best-preserved Greco-Roman city in the Middle East, and Umm Qais to Amman, Jordan. On your way to the “rose-red city” of Petra, stop in Wadi Rum to experience a spectacular 4-wheel drive through the sand dunes and receive a keffieyeh, a local scarf. A full day of guided sightseeing includes a walk down the Siq, the narrow gorge made famous in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Admire the Treasury and sip tea in a Bedouin tent. Then, travel to the Dead Sea via Kerak and Wadi Mujib. Two nights here allow time for an included excursion to Madaba, Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land, and Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
