Highlights of Israel & Jordan

(11 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Jerusalem, Galilee, Dead Sea, Petra, Amman, Tel Aviv

This comprehensive tour features our favorite highlights of Israel and Jordan and includes the top luxury hotels in both countries.

Begin in Jerusalem, one of the world’s most historically important cities. A city of countless monuments of enormous significance to Jews, Christians and Muslims—the entire Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—it is also a place of great beauty, with a balmy, Mediterranean climate and year-round sunny skies warming the golden hue of its limestone buildings. Today Jerusalem is a fascinating mélange of cultures, created by the traditions culled from the diverse backgrounds and religions of its varied citizenry. Your expert private guide will bring Jerusalem and its multi-layered history alive through comprehensive touring of the city. In addition to touring well-known attractions and areas such as the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Via Dolorosa, the Yad Vashem Holocaust and Israel museums, and the Mount of Olives, also visit fascinating but lesser-known neighborhoods, museums, and markets. Walk along the ramparts of the Old City. Learn about the city’s varied architectural styles, including Roman, Byzantine, Romanesque, Islamic, and Art Deco. Browse art galleries, specialty shops, food markets and souks as your guide helps you experience the very best the city has to offer. One day, opt for an excursion to Bethlehem.

Spend the next two nights in the Galilee region at a luxury spa resort in Rosh Pina. Enjoy private touring around the Sea of Galilee (also known as Lake Tiberias and Lake Kinneret), an area renowned for its beautiful landscapes and proximity to a number of important historical and biblical sites. Opt to visit to the mystical town of Safed (Tfzat), one of the four holy cities of the Talmud and the birthplace of the Kabbalah. Browse art galleries in Rosh Pina, sample wines at local vineyards, visit a kibbutz, or enjoy active pursuits such as a jeep excursion in the Golan Heights—a fertile region of springs, waterfalls and Crusader ruins.

Cross the border into Jordan for two days at the most luxurious resort on the Dead Sea. VIP services will be arranged for your border crossing. En route, tour Jerash in Jordan, one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Middle East. During a day at leisure, enjoy the resort’s lavish facilities, including a spa and a private beach where you can relax with a float in the salt- and mineral-laden water, famous for its buoyancy and therapeutic qualities. Advance reservations for spa treatments can also be arranged.

Next, spend an overnight at Petra, one of the world’s most impressive archaeological sites. The Nabataeans created this ancient city between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD, sculpting monuments and tombs into the surrounding mountainside—the most spectacular of which is the pink-hued Treasury. Learn about the history, beliefs, architecture and daily life of the Nabataeans during private touring of this fascinating ancient wonder.

Continue to Amman, the modern capital of Jordan. If desired, enjoy private touring en route of Mt. Nebo—with its Memorial Church of Moses containing exquisite ancient mosaics, and boasting gorgeous panoramic views of the Jordan River, Dead Sea and beyond—and the famed Mosaic Map housed in a church in Madaba.

Next, fly to Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest and most vibrant city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Enjoy a flexible introductory tour of the city’s most interesting sites, such as Old Jaffa, Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, the Bauhaus architecture district, Design Museum Holon, and the fashionable Neve Tzedek neighborhood.

Throughout the tour, sightseeing is very flexible and tailored to your interests, and accommodation at the best luxury hotels in Israel and Jordan. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange additional activities, such as an afternoon in Jerusalem’s Old City with a geo-political expert, private wine pairing dinners with an Israeli wine expert, a cooking lesson with a Michelin-star chef, family-focused activities, and special religious experiences.