Join us to explore Israel, Palestine & Jordan, a region steeped in history, diversity and local traditions. Explore the many iconic highlights of the region while also experiencing the unique opportunity to connect with families and community members from a broad cross-section of multicultural backgrounds. You'll visit some of the most revered and historically important archaeological and religious sites including Petra, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Wailing Wall, Wadi Rum and the ancient cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Nazareth, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Amman, Jerash and Petra. Journey behind the scenes and join local families for a meal in their home; enjoy a local cooking class; meet the owner of a small coffee mill; visit with women from a local cooperative that is providing economic freedom for their families, and enjoy local dance performances. Journey with us to this Ancient Land to explore daily life and the many complexities of this beautiful and mysterious region. 

DOWNLOAD DAY BY DAY ITINERARY HERE

OPTIONAL EXTENSION: EGYPT

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Join us to explore Israel, Palestine & Jordan, a region steeped in history, diversity and local traditions. Explore the many iconic highlights of the region while also experiencing the unique opportunity to connect with families and community members from a broad cross-section of multicultural backgrounds. You'll visit some of the most revered and historically important archaeological and religious sites including Petra, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Wailing Wall, Wadi Rum and the ancient cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Nazareth, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Amman, Jerash and Petra. Journey behind the scenes and join local families for a meal in their home; enjoy a local cooking class; meet the owner of a small coffee mill; visit with women from a local cooperative that is providing economic freedom for their families, and enjoy local dance performances. Journey with us to this Ancient Land to explore daily life and the many complexities of this beautiful and mysterious region. 

DOWNLOAD DAY BY DAY ITINERARY HERE 

OPTIONAL EXTENSION: EGYPT 

Please note: All itineraries are subject to change based on availability of hotels, flights and hosting organizations at the time of finalization of booking. Comparable meetings and activities will be arranged should an itinerary change be necessary. 30 days before departure, a finalized itinerary will be available and reflect final details.
 

Depart from Washington, DC/Dulles or surrounding area and make your way to Tel Aviv this evening. Note: Gateway city is subject to change.

Arrive in Tel Aviv late this afternoon at the Ben Gurion International Airport. Upon arrival, the group will be met and transferred to your local hotel. Relax this evening and settle into your hotel.

Grand Beach Hotel is in the heart of Tel Aviv, a short distance from the leading cafes, cultural centers and restaurants. They offer a wide range of services, including a luxurious pool and sunbathing complex on the roof, kosher cuisine, under the supervision of the Tel Aviv Rabbinate and all within walking distance of the beach.

All travelers will gather this evening with your national guide and receive further information on the program.

Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. 

Overnight: Grand Beach Hotel (or similar)
Included meals: Dinner

After breakfast visit Arous El Bahar (Bride of the Sea), a nonprofit that empowers local women and provides them with the tools they need to improve their lives. Interact with the staff and learn about the important work they do in the community. 

After a local lunch drive to the Old Train Station located between Jaffa & Tel Aviv. This central hub, which once connected the holy land with its neighboring countries, now acts as an entertainment district and shopping center. Tour Neve Tzedek, founded in 1887 by Aharon Shlush, to escape the crowded Jaffa (22 years before Tel Aviv was founded). Many of the neighborhoods turn of the century houses can still be seen, and while the place has gone yuppie, it has retained much of its old charm. From Neve Tzedek, on to the Carmel Market for a fascinating tasting tour. With so many vendors, this bustling outdoor marketplace is considered the heartbeat of central Tel Aviv. 

Return to the hotel where dinner is on your own this evening. Enjoy a special dance performance by the Batsheva Dance Group at the Suzanne Dalal Center.

Overnight:  Grand Beach Hotel (or similar) 
Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch 

This morning head north to Haifa. Your first stop is to visit Beit Hagefen, an Arab-Jewish cultural center. Founded in 1963, their mission is to establish shared spaces that contain the diversity of identities and cultures in Israel and worldwide. 

Proceed to Wadi Nisnas, a unique Arab neighborhood, known locally for its delicious culinary delights. Enjoy lunch at one of the restaurants in the area on the footsteps of the spectacular Bahai Gardens.

Continue onward to Nazareth, one of the largest Arab cities in the country. Visit the old city of Nazareth stopping by a very old and special coffee mill owned by one of the local families, named El-Babor, to meet the owner to hear from him about the process of making the best cup of freshly ground coffee.

Check into Plaza Hotel Nazareth later today. Guest rooms have a safe, free Wi-Fi, minibar, bathroom amenities and AC. Located in the Golan Height overlooking Galilee the hotel has onsite dining, a business center, pool, gym, and spa.

This evening you will have dinner with a local family to enjoy delicious homemade Middle Eastern dishes and their warm hospitality.

Overnight: Plaza Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

This morning head out for the drive to Ramallah to visit Mahmoud Darwish Museum, a commemoration of the Palestinian poet and his achievement. Then head to the local town of Taybeh to visit the first ever micro-brewery in the Middle East.  Hear first-hand the family’s story, tour the facility, and enjoy tasting their delicious beers. Nadim Khoury (founder) sees Taybeh's beer as a small contribution to co-existence. It brings together Israelis and Palestinians—Christians, Jews, and Muslims, alike. The alcohol-free variety is halal, which permits Muslims to drink it.

After lunch head onward to visit the Church of Nativity and Shepherd’s Fields. The grotto is of great religious significance to Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. It is the oldest site used as a place of worship in the faith and is the oldest major church in the Holy Land. 

Check in at your hotel in Jerusalem with dinner on your own this evening. 

Ibis City Center Hotel is in Zion Square in the heart of the city. Guest rooms have free Wi-Fi, AC, hairdryers, minibar and safe. The hotel has onsite dining, web corner, and lounge.

Overnight: Ibis City Center (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

After breakfast drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city. Stop at Mount Zion to visit King David's Tomb and the Room of the Last Supper. Located on the upper floor of the tomb Cenacle (Latin for dining room), it is considered one of the holiest sites for Christianity in Jerusalem and the place where the last supper took place. Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion is known as the location of the passing of Virgin Mary into heaven at the end of her earthly life. It is a massive Benedictine church visible throughout the city. 

After lunch on your own, enter the Old City and walk through the Armenian and Jewish quarters to the recently excavated and restored Cardo, the Roman Road. See the Jewish Wailing Wall (Kotel). The Western Wall is a place of pilgrimage and sacred to the Jewish people as the only remains of the Second Temple.

Continue to the Christian Quarter to walk along the Via Dolorosa to follow in the footsteps of Jesus before his crucifixion. Head onward to tour the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the location of the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. It is a site of great religious significance and pilgrimage.

Meet members of the Shatil NGO to hear about their work towards a society based on equality of all citizens and residents of Israel. They envision a society that believes in the principles of social and economic justice and works to achieve them; a society that promotes human and civil rights, respects religious and cultural differences, and recognizes the importance of a truly shared society.

The group will enjoy a special home hosted Sabbath dinner to meet a local family tonight. 

Overnight: Ibis City Center (or similar)
Included meals: Breakfast & Dinner

After breakfast visit Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. This memorial is dedicated to the six million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. This incredible museum will walk you through the lives of those lost and those who were left behind who are honoring their memories. 

Lunch is on your own this afternoon. Afterward visit the picturesque village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist. Explore the “Machaneh Yehuda” market, one of the most charming marketplaces in Israel, where you will feel the special atmosphere of Jerusalem & the preparations for the Sabbath.

This evening the group will enjoy dinner followed by a night spectacular show at the Tower of David.

Overnight: Ibis City Center (or similar)
Included meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Check out of your Jerusalem hotel and make your way to Tel Aviv to the airport for your flight to Amman. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Lunch is on your own today. 

The Landmark Hotel is in the heart of the city and a lovely five-star property. With great panoramic views of the historic capital, the hotel has six restaurants and lounges. Guest rooms have all the amenities of a luxury hotel including lots of space, mini-bar, safe and free broadband internet. 

Enjoy a welcome dinner tonight at a local restaurant. 

Overnight: Landmark Hotel (or similar)
Included meals: Breakfast & Dinner

After breakfast start on foot to visit the Royal Society for Conservation of Nature (Wild Jordan) for a quick explanation on reserves throughout Jordan. You will have a chance to visit their shop if interested. 

Continue onward passing through shops and the old downtown to Hussaini Mosque. After the visit, walk through the vegetable market reaching the Nymphaeum and on to the Roman Theatre and its Folklore Museum. Your coach picks you up from there as you proceed to the Citadel for a visit. A close second to Petra on the list of favorite destinations in Jordan, the ancient city of Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it came under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities. Know at that time as Gerasa, the site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best preserved Roman provincial towns in the world.

Continue to Iraq Al Amir and visit the Women’s Cooperative Society. They offer many hands-on experiences including ceramic making or cooking classes. It is run by women in the local community whose focus is to protect their cultural heritage and provide economic security for their families. 

Return to Amman for dinner and overnight. 

Overnight: Landmark Hotel (or similar)
Included meals: Breakfast, Snacks & Dinner

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and head to Petra via the desert highway. Perhaps the words of Dean Burgon’s famous poem: ‘Match me such a marvel save in Eastern clime / A rose-red city half as old as time…’ reflect some truth about Petra. Yet words can hardly do justice to the true magnificence that is Petra. Some archaeologists have ranked ancient Petra as the eighth wonder of the ancient world – a truly justifiable claim. This remote dead city is one of the great archaeological treasures in the world, undoubtedly; it is the most important and famous attraction of Jordan. Much of Petra’s appeal comes from its awesome, multicolored sandstone high mountains; it is a secluded site of steep rocky slops, towering craggy mountain tops and high cliffs, into which most of the celebrated tombs, facades, theatres, and stairways are carved. Nature and architecture combine to give a mythical aura to the site. 

Lunch and dinner will be provided today. 

Check into the Movenpick Hotel later today and overnight. Rooms have a minibar, hairdryer, safe, coffee/tea maker, AC, free Wi-Fi & onsite dining. The hotel has an onsite fitness and wellness center.

This evening you are all invited to meet with Stephanie Altwassi from A Piece of Jordan. A Piece of Jordan is a community project – with a branch in both Jordan and the UK. With the unrest in the Middle East and the media coverage of the area, Jordan often gets painted with the same brush. A Piece of Jordan is working hard to show the real Jordan, the Jordan where people of all faiths live together, a Jordan that welcomes visitors from all walks of life and ensures they feel at home. A Piece of Jordan wants to challenge the media stereotypes of the Middle East – one project at a time.

Overnight: Movenpick Petra (or similar)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, depart to Wadi Rum, a stupendous, timeless place, virtually untouched by humanity and its destructive forces. Here, it is the weather and winds that have carved the imposing, towering skyscrapers, so elegantly described by T.E. Lawrence as “vast, echoing and god-like”. A maze of monolithic rock-scapes rise from the desert floor to heights of 1,750 meters creating a natural challenge for serious mountaineers. Hikers can enjoy the tranquility of the boundless empty spaces; explore the canyons and water holes to discover 4000-year-old rock drawings and the many other spectacular treasures this vast wilderness holds in store. Enjoy a 1.5-hour Jeep touring in a local Bedouin Jeep. 

Lunch will be provided at Wadi Rum. 

Proceed to the Dead Sea. At 410 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth. Jordan’s Dead Sea coast is one of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the world and it remains as enticing to international visitors today as it was to kings, emperors, traders, and prophets in antiquity. The main attraction of the Dead Sea is of course the soothing, abnormally salty water itself. The salt content of the water is 31.5% making the water so buoyant that it is impossible for visitors to sink. The water also contains 21 minerals including high levels of magnesium, sodium, potassium, and bromine and 12 of these minerals are found in no other body of water in the world.

Dinner will be provided at the hotel this evening. 

Enjoy some free time to explore the beautiful grounds this evening. The Hilton is located at the lowest point on earth, over 1,312 feet below sea level. Time permitting use the spa or other amenities like the infinity pools, mud baths or wander to the beach.

Overnight: Hilton Dead Sea (or similar)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast say farewell to Jordan and fly back to the U.S., with arrival the same day.

 Egyptian civilization spans 5,000+ years of recorded history. For millennia, Egypt maintained a strikingly complex and stable culture that influenced later cultures of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Cairo has long been the hub not only for Egypt but also for the whole world. It seems never to lose its sense of history—only to add it to it—and still boasts 12th-century fortifications alongside modern shopping malls. Camels and street bazaars add texture to this center for government and education.
 

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Day 1: April 15, 2022 - Fly to Cairo, Egypt
After breakfast at the group hotel at the Dead Sea, you will check out and head to the local airport for your flight to Cairo.

Upon arrival at the local airport, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel for the remainder of the day free to get settled.

You will have to obtain your Egypt tourist visa upon arrival in Cairo. There is a $28 fee due upon arrival (not included).

Lunch is on your own today with dinner at the hotel.
Overnight:   (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 2: April 16, 2022 - Cultural Explorations

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be met by a local guide and transferred for a full-day discovery of some of the priceless monuments around the old city, many under
UNESCO protection as a World Heritage Site. Begin with the legendary city of Memphis, which was founded in 3100 BC by Menes, the Pharaoh who united Upper and Lower Egypt. Memphis became the capital of the Old Kingdom and the heart of Egypt’s busy import-export activity, with traders from around the world giving it a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Next, move on to Sakkara, the former necropolis (cemetery) for the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis and the place where the very first pyramids were built as tombs for kings. Instead of the smooth sides featured on other pyramids, the pyramids here feature six steps on the outside, representing the pharaohs stepladder to heaven. Discover the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the first pyramid ever built and the world’s oldest freestanding stone structure.

After lunch at a local restaurant, head to the Giza Plateau.

The Great Pyramids of Giza are the only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built over 4,500 years ago as giant tombs for the mummies of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, who were a father, son and grandson. The pyramids are truly monumental in scale, with the largest, Khufu’s, constructed from over two million blocks.

Nearby sits the enigmatic Sphinx with the body of a lion and the face of a man wearing a royal head cloth, which workers may have based on King Khafre to guard his enormous funerary monument.

Your explorations this afternoon include admission to the workers tomb, and entry to Cheops Pyramid (the largest and most impressive pyramid build for Khufu).

Dinner is on your own this evening.
Overnight:   (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: April 17, 2022 - Cultural Explorations
After breakfast at the hotel, head out with a local expert guide for a visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, which opened on April 3rd, 2021. Located in Fustat, the first Egyptian capital after the Arab Islamic conquest, so it was a logical choice for the museum site, as the area is located at the crossroads of Egyptian history, and it includes many Coptic churches and monasteries nearby. The
museum displays a collection of 50,000 artifacts, presenting Egyptian civilization from prehistoric
times to the present day.

Explore the permanent collection today including the gallery of royal mummies. Make your way through the various periods and collections highlighting their society, culture, beliefs and influences on the world.

Enjoy lunch at the Nobel-prize-winning Egyptian author, Naguib Mahfouz restaurant which lies in the very heart of the Khan El- Khalili Bazaar.

After lunch visit the Citadel, a medieval fortress perched high on limestone hills above Cairo, which was built in 1176 to protect the city from Crusaders. While exploring you will see the grand, soaring architecture and rich decoration, the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, completed in 1363, is one of the finest in Egypt and also houses the mausoleum where Sultan Hassan’s sons are buried. Next door, discover the much newer Refaie Mosque, completed in 1912 with well-preserved, colorful decoration. Buried in tombs here are a Muslim saint, a companion of the Prophet Mohamed, Egypt’s last royal family and the last Shah of Iran.

Finally, visit the fascinating Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, reputed to be the largest bazaar in the Middle East. Originally founded as a watering stop for caravanserai in the 14th century, the bazaar has now grown to vast proportions. Wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets to find workshops and stalls selling all manner of things from woodwork and glassware to leather goods and perfumes.

Return to the hotel for some free time before your dinner cruise. Tonight you enjoy a leisurely dinner cruise on the Nile aboard a ‘Felucca’.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight:  (or similar)

DAY 4: April 18, 2022 - Return to the U.S.A
Return to the local airport for your flight home. 

Included meals: Breakfast

Inclusions: Group airport transfer and baggage handling, flight from Amman to Cairo, meals and activities as mentioned, tips and accommodations based on double occupancy.

Not Included: Hotel incidentals, spa services, and meals not mentioned. 

Nicola Balmain is CEO & Founder of Nanda Journeys. She is an avid traveller who has been working in the travel industry in the US and UK for 30 years,. She has visited  46 countries and has conquered 6 of the 7 glorious continents (once all in the same year!) Meeting people in their daily environment has opened up a world of friendships and memories for her, she wants to share those experiences with others, most especially in the Middle East! Nicola traveled to Israel, Palestine and Jordan in March 2019 to meet with our local partners and design this journey for you. She is dedicated to creating authentic experiences that allow you to see the true humanity and culture of a destination and is excited to journey with you to this special part of the world. 

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