Jordan & Israel Itinerary

Arrive to the airport early for a less stressful travel day, drink lots of water en-flight, stretch when you can, walk the airport during layovers, review study materials, rest, and get excited!

Few places in the world inspire the imagination of archaeologists, artists, and travelers like the city of Petra, the Nabatean capital of the first century and a possible location where Paul spent time in Arabia (Galatians 1:17). We will spend a FULL day here to explore the rock formations, architecture, and raw beauty of this wilderness wonder. After some initial morning teaching and orientation at some of the most historical areas, you will be free to explore the many trails, camel rides, and bedouin tea and lunch experiences that await! Dinner and our final night at Petra Guesthouse.

Today we continue from Petra to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the desert valley of Wadi Rum. Sometimes called the “Valley of the Moon” for its dramatic landscape, we will explore this region on a 2 hour jeep tour, perhaps even having some tea with the local bedouin. From there we shift perspectives and head to the shores of the Red Sea for a snorkeling excursion and an entirely different view of the world! Dinner and overnight in Aqaba, Jordan.

This morning we will cross into Israel, visiting Timna Valley Park, where we see more geological wonders, ancient copper mines, and ancient rock drawings. A highlight near Timna for our Biblical study is a full size replica of the Biblical Tabernacle, constructed to match Biblical descriptions. After our study and exploration we will continue north, stopping along the way at the gaping geological wonder of Maktesh Ramon, which served as the border between two Biblical wildernesses. We continue to Jericho Oasis for dinner and overnight.

Today we will descend to the oldest part of Jerusalem, the City of David, where we will walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the Pool of Siloam. We will then make our way to the Southern Steps Excavations, at the base of the Temple Mount. We will then head to Qumran for lunch and study on location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We will end our day with a float in the Dead (Salt) Sea. Dinner and overnight in Jericho.

Today we return to Jerusalem focusing especially on the time period of Jesus life and his death, burial, and resurrection. We plan to begin our day getting our hands dirty at an active archaeological site. We will continue to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and sites in the Old City including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We will end our day at the Israel Museum, visiting the Jerusalem model, the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, and the archaeological wing for our time period of study, before returning for our final dinner and overnight in Jericho.

Today our journey continues north to Galilee! On our way we will visit Caesarea Maritima, a major first-century Roman port city on the Mediterranean. Afterwards, we will ascend Mt. Carmel, where the famous contest by fire took place between God and Baal. Time permitting we will travel through the outskirts of Nazareth to overlook the Jezreel Valley for some additional teaching. Dinner and the next three nights at Ein Gev Holiday Village along the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus called many of His disciples around the Sea of Galilee, and we will wake up along its shore. We will travel around the immediate region, first to Capernaum, Jesus home-base for ministry. We will then ascend Mt. Arbel for a beautiful panoramic view of the region and study time, before continuing on to Magdala, where archaeologists excavated a first-century synagogue that Jesus may have visited. We will close our day together with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight at Ein Gev.

Today we travel to the most northern part of Israel. There are many sites in this area we love visiting, and final site plans will be determined closer to dates. Site experiences are likely to include Katzrin, a Talmudic site that helps us better understand village-life in Galilee, Dan, where the Israelites worshiped false gods, and Caesarea Philippi, and the Gates of Hades. Dinner and our final night in Galilee.

Today we will wrap up our time in Galilee and make our way back across the Jordan. After crossing the border, we will visit Pella on our way to Jerash, a well-preserved ancient Roman city in Jordan, often called the "Pompeii of the Middle East," with ruins like streets, theaters, and arches still remarkably intact. Located outside of Italy, it is one of the most well-preserved examples of Roman architecture globally. We conclude our day with a special meal together before our final night in Amman, Jordan.