Splendors of the Near East
A Grand Tour of the Holy-land
Israel and Palestine . Jordan and Syria
Private Touring - Start Weekly in Syria

Day 1- DAMASCUS, Saturday- Weekly Year Round
Our ground staff will meet you at the Airport and escort you to your hotel.
You can begin your (own) explorations of this "Arabian Nights" city just after you arrive. Please secure your visa for Syria prior to your departure from your home country.

DAY 2 - DAMASCUS , Sunday (BLD)
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). Lunch included in a local restaurant.

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 3 - PALMYRA - DAMASCUS, Monday (BLD)
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 returning to Damascus. Lunch included in a local restaurant. Dinner served at your hotel. 

DAY 4 - Damascus - Bosra- Amman, Tuesday (BD) 
Morning departure for Bosra then onward to Jordan & Amman Bosra was mentioned in Egyptian 18th-dynasty records as Busrana. It became part of Seleucid domains after Alexander's conquests and was seized by Judas Maccabeus in 163 BC. When the Nabatean kingdom rose to local prominence in the 1st century BC, Bosra came within the North reaches of their control. In 106 AD, the Romans extended direct rule and established "Provencia Arabia." It became heavily influenced in its cultural and civic life by Roman models. Bosra was made the hub of an important network of trade routes linking Egypt, Red Sea, Syria and the Mediterranean, Mesopotamian regions. It retained its importance through the Christian era of Later Roman Empire, it was however a Monophysite center and thus often on bad terms with Constantinople. Dinner & overnight Amman hotel.

Day 5, Wednesday - Amman and Jerash, (BD)
Today is dedicated for the visit of Amman, the capital of the Kingdom, with its archeological and modern sites, Ajlun and Jerash, the best preserved Roman City of the East.

Day 6 , Thursday -Kingdom of Jordan, Wed (BD) 
Today we visit Mt. Nebo where Moses is said to have been buried. Then continue on to Madaba and visit the oldest map of the Holy Land, St. George's Cathedral. and KERAK. Proceed to Petra for check-in and overnight at the hotel of your choice.

Day 7 , Petra : Friday (cB)
A full day tour of the most famous site in Jordan, the rose-red city of Petra. Venture through the SIQ (gorge between two towering mountains) until you reach the treasury which, like the most of the structures at Petra, is carved into the rose-red Nubian sandstone

Day 8 , Petra - Amman : Saturday (cB)
A full day at leisure to allow you to spend more time exploring Petra on your own, or ask us for the optional tour to Wadi Rum. Late afternoon return to Amman and your hotel.

We start our tour at the scale model of Jerusalem as it appeared in Herod's time, then go on to the Shrine of the Book to see the sacred Dead Sea Scrolls. Then it's on to Ein Kerem and Bethlehem for a visit to the Church of the Nativity, stopping at the Shepherds' Field on the way back to Jerusalem.

RATES per person

• Private Transfers in Israel, Palestine , Syria and Jordan.
• Accommodations according to the category chosen, including all taxes and service charges
• Meals as specified in the itinerary : cB = Continental Breakfast. L= set-menu lunch
• Private English-speaking guide
• Fully locally escorted private guided sightseeing, as per itinerary , in an air-conditioned vehicle
• All entrance fees on sightseeing tours
• Jordanian Departure Tax

Syria is truly the Land of the Book. The ancient alphabets of the Near East grew into Aramaic and then Hebrew, and finally Arabic and the modern Latin script that you're reading!

Jesus spoke to His Disciples in Aramaic. And nowhere else in the Holy Land does His language live as in
Maaloula, where His words may still be heard exactly as He spoke them. For the believer, or for anyone who values traditions of faith, it is a deeply moving experience.

Maaloula is just a short drive from Damascus, and home to Christian community that thrives after 2000 years.

As much as any land, Syria is the birthplace of the Christian faith. St. Paul converted on the road to
Damascus, and in the early centuries of the Church, six Syrian bishops were elevated to the Holy See as
popes. The grand Omayyad Mosque is built on a sacred site shared by Muslims and Christians for centuries, expressing the true brotherhood at the center of both faiths. Two million Syrians worship as Christians.

The full panoply of the Christian experience in the Near East has been played out in Syria. The Krak des
Chevaliers is a unique Crusader fortress , never conquered that stands intact as if ready to host the Knights of the Cross once again––and is a must stop for the visitor of faith to the holy sites.

• Once a vast Roman province, now a surprisingly friendly Arab country, Syria is finally being discovered by travelers. Names on the map of modern Syria positively ring with history: Aleppo, Damascus, Latakiya, Palmyra, the Euphrates, the Orontes. Travelers come to see all these and more. Expecting only desert, they find a varied country of plains, mountains,  valleys, rivers‹and yes, plenty of desert. 
• The climate is typical for the eastern Mediterranean: dry in summer with hot days and cool nights, mild and rainy in winter.
• The great Omayyad Mosque (705) in Damascus is wonderful. At Palmyra (Tadmor), a hundred miles east of Homs, are the extensive ruins of a fabulously wealthy Roman City ruled by the famed Zenobia. Its theater, Great Colonnade, monumental arch and various temples are on everybody's list of must-sees.
• While you're here, don't forget to meet the Syrians. Many visitors consider them the friendliest people in the eastern Mediterranean. Come see for yourself!

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Israel and Palestine

Everyone wants to go to the holy land. In Israel, faith and history are all around you, from the plains of Armageddon (Megiddo) to the Sea of Galilee, from the Red Sea resort of Eilat to the snow-covered slopes of Mount Hermon. Where else can you pray where the patriarchs prayed, walk where Jesus walked, and see where Muhammed began a fabled celestial journey? It's simply amazing: the Bible becomes your guidebook as you approach the Western Wall of Jerusalem's Temple, crowned by the magnificent Dome of the Rock; or stroll along the Via Dolorosa, now a path through a bustling bazaar, stopping for reflection at the Stations of the Cross. The hilltop city of Jerusalem is your base for day-trips to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus; Jericho, site of the famous Biblical battle, now a busy Arab town; the Dead Sea, where swimmers bob like corks in the mineral-rich waters; Masada, where a small band of Jewish zealots held off the armies of imperial Rome. Israel is much more than a place of pilgrimage, of course. Its Mediterranean coast has long sandy beaches and bustling seaside resorts. The Red Sea is among divers' favorite destinations for its abundance of colorful underwater life. Archeological digs are active throughout the country in summer, turning up ever more ancient cities. Whatever your beliefs, Israel is a must-see.

Egypt | Jordan | Morocco