Jordan & Lebanon Express

Once you arrive in Amman, you will be welcomed by our staff before we transfer to your hotel. We'll help you check in and show you where the local shops, cafés and restaurants are before we give you some free time to explore the city before we officially start the tour tomorrow.

We start the day by heading to the nearby ruined city of Jerash. It's hard not to be in awe of this masterpiece of Roman architecture which was once hidden under sand. You'll explore some of the city's ruined highlights, which includes theatres, baths, fountains, winding paved streets and striking hilltop temples. In the afternoon we take a city tour back in Amman, which is known as the 'white city' due to its vast collection of white limestone buildings. Your guide will give you a glimpse into Amman's rich history, pointing out the excavations and renovations made during from the Neolithic period, the Hellenistic period and the late Roman to Arab Islamic Ages. The Citadel is another highlight and you can see the ancient temple of Hercules, the 8th century Umayyad Palace, the Byzantine Church and the 6,000 seat Roman theatre. This intricate 2nd century theatre is still used today for cultural events.

King's Highway to Petra via Madaba and Kerak Another day of exploration awaits, starting with a drive along the picturesque King's Highway to Petra. Although this route takes a bit longer, its alluring views makes it worth going the extra mile. As we drive, we'll pass numerous wadis, olive groves and rural villages. We'll stop in Madaba to visit to the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. Your guide will also show you the famous 6th century Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land along with other biblical sites. Next, we'll make our way up Mount Nebo, which offers breath-taking views of the Holy Land. Back on the road, we'll cross more wadis, including the impressive Wadi al-Mujib before we reach Kerak Castle - which is one in a chain of Crusader fortresses lined across Jordan on the ancient Egypt-Syrian caravan route. This mammoth fortress was built in 1132 AD by the Crusader King Baldwin and then fell to Saladin in 1188AD. We won't make any more stops until we reach Petra, where we'll help you check into your hotel for the evening. You have some free time to do as you please, but we do suggest going on the Petra by Candlelight tour through the Siq to the Treasury.

Today is all about venturing around the prominent Nabatean site of Petra. Until the Romans took over in 106AD, the historic city was the ancient capital of the Nabatean commercial empire. For a while Petra was forgotten and then rediscovered by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. Perched on the edge of Wadi Aruba and protected by canyon walls and hills, this city is hard to reach. To enter, you must walk through a small cleft in the rock called the Siq. You will notice that there are very few freestanding structures in the city, as the Nabateans decided to fashion their homes and buildings into the colourful sandstone cliffs. After a 2-3 hour guided tour of this remarkable ancient city, you have plenty of time to amble around and do some discovering. During the guided tour, you will be taken through the Siq, rising 200m above and just 2m wide. There are still the remains of the terracotta pipes that brought water into the city along this wall as well as the ancient Nabatean water channel. When you leave the Siq, one of Petra's most impressive landmarks will blow you away - the Khazneh, also known as the Treasury. You'll get a glimpse of the ruined Roman amphitheater and Petra's colonnaded streets. We also suggest walking along the narrow gorge past the multi-colored sandstone cliffs to the Monastery. This is Petra's biggest carved monument at 50 metres high and 45 metres wide. From this point, the views of the Wadi Aruba and the Jordan Valley are breathtaking. This afternoon, we leave Petra and drive into the beautiful desert scenery of Wadi Rum, where friendly Bedouin hosts are ready to greet us at a comfortable camp beneath the towering rocks and cliffs. We spend the evening and night relaxing at the camp, watching the stars and enjoying a delicious traditional Jordanian meal.

Wadi Rum jeep safari, Dead Sea swim We spend more time amidst the desert scenery of Wadi Rum today on a jeep safari that passes by more sharp cliffs and intriguing rock formations. This area and its huge rust coloured rocky 'jebels' was made famous by the film Lawrence of Arabia, that celebrated TE Lawrence's time here during the Arab revolt of 1917-18. From Wadi Rum, we drive up north to the banks of the Dead Sea - the lowest point on earth, at over 400 metres below sea level. The sea receives a variety of incoming rivers including the Jordan River. When the rivers reach the sea, they merge together before evaporating and leaving behind a unique blend of salts and minerals, supplying local industries with high quality products. West of the Dead Sea, you can view the hills of Jerusalem. This area is believed to have been the home of 5 biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adman, Zebouin and Zoar (Bela). The tour will come to a stop and allow you to splash around in these salty waters. Normal swimming is not possible, so we suggest floating instead. As the water is so salty, avoid getting it in your eyes. Later today, we make our way back to Amman.

We leave Jordan today and transfer you to Amman airport for your flight to Beirut. Once you arrive, we'll meet you at the airport, and then transfer you to your hotel for the start of your trip. We'll help you check in before giving you some free time to relax or explore Beirut independently. Note: the Amman-Beirut flight is left out of the set tour price as it is often more cost effective for you to include this flight as part of your main international flight ticket. We are happy to book all your international flights, just this Amman-Beirut flight, or none of them at all, whichever works best for you. Direct flights are available with both Egypt Air and Middle Eastern Airlines. You can fly at any time during the day - all transfers in Amman and Beirut are included.

After leaving Beirut and heading north towards Byblos, we'll stop for an adventurous visit to the Jeita Grotto, where we can see one of the largest collections of stalactites and stalagmites in the world. We then head to Harissa, where we go to the top of the Basilica by cable car and enjoy great views over the bay below. Finally we visit the Baatara Gorge which consists of an enormous cavern, three levels high, into which a waterfall drops 255 metres during the spring months when the mountain snows are melting, and after periods of heavy rainfall. Formed from Jurassic limestone, the cave is also called the cave of the Three Bridges, as the waterfall cascades over three natural bridges. You can choose to do a small hike, or to explore the nearby Douma Village. Later today we drive to the scenic Qadisha Valley and spend the night at the Qozhaya Monastery, or a nearby guesthouse.

If we have been able to spend the night in the Monastery, you will have the opportunity to join the monks for morning prayers. After breakfast we'll take a short hike in the beautiful Qadisha Valley, or Holy Valley. It has steep slopes, springs, and waterfalls, and features many churches and monasteries. It is also a World Heritage Site. We'll then proceed to The Cedars Ski Resort, set at an altitude of 2000m. Found nearby is the Cedars of God, one of the last remnants of the cedar forests that used to cover these mountains. We also visit the village of Becharre, which was the birthplace of Khalil Gibran, the legendary poet and artist. His museum contains many of his manuscripts, paintings, and personal effects. Later today we arrive in Byblos, an ancient Phoenician city that is thought to have been inhabited for up to 7000 years. Locally, the city is known as Jbeil and is another UNESCO World Heritage site. Byblos is filled with significant historical and archaeological sites, and also features a lovely Phoenician harbour.

This morning you'll have some free time to explore the markets and coastline of Byblos further before we head back in land to continue our journey. Our destination today will be the village of Zahle, however we'll be making a stop along the way at the Ksara Winery which is possibly the oldest winery in Lebanon. The caves and tunnels have a total length of approximately 2 miles and have been unsed for generations as wine cellars. You'll have a guided tour of the caves and winery before sampling (and buying if you wish) some of the produce in a wine tasting session.

Today we head to Baalbek, undoubtedly one of the highlights of any visit to Lebanon. Called “Heliopolis” or “City of the Sun” by the Romans and Greeks, it features the most well-preserved temple complex in the Middle East. It is still largely intact after earthquakes, wars, and ravages. The Greeks and Romans dedicated the temple to the god of the sun, Jupiter. They dedicated two more to Jupiter’s partners, Venus and Mercury, to complete the triad of god. We then visit the only significant Umayyad site in Lebanon, Anjar. This was founded in the 8th century by Caliph Walid. Its mosques, palaces, and baths provide evidence that it was an imperial residence; it also features 600 shops, indicating that it was also an important commercial centre. We end the day with a drive back to Beirut where we'll spend our final evening in Lebanon.

Your transfer will take you to the airport for your return flight home.