Levantine Adventure
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon

March 13 - 29, 2011

$4870
per person, double occupancy, land only

Sat 13 Mar: Welcome to Jordan! Upon arrival at Queen Alia International Airport you will be met and assisted, then transferred to the Regency Palace Hotel for dinner and overnight. (D)

Sun 14 Mar: After breakfast, we will head north of Amman to visit Jerash. In Jerash we will see the ruins of one of the grandest Roman cities in the Middle East. Our tour of the site includes the Triumphal Arch, the Hippodrome, the Temple of Zeus, the Forum, the mile long street of Columns, the Nymphaeum, the Temple of Artemis and the Viaduct Church. The Amphitheater is still used for an arts festival and is remarkably well preserved. Afterwards we will visit some of the desert castles to the east of Amman. In the 7th and 8th centuries the Umayyad Caliphs built the Muslim treasures known as the Desert Castle. These were originally hunting lodges, caravanserais, and fortresses, and we will see the variety of uses, learn about their history, and have time to explore 3 of the best sites. We will return to Amman for dinner at Tawaheen El Hawa and overnight at the Regency Palace Hotel. (B/D)

Mon 15 Mar: After breakfast, we begin the day with a city tour of Amman. Amman, the capital of Jordan, offers both the old and new. See the Roman Amphitheater followed by the Citadel, the Archeological Museum, Folklore Museum, and the beautiful King Abdullah Mosque. After our city tour we will go to Mt. Nebo where you will visit the church on top of the hill from where, it is believed, Moses viewed the Promised Land. His tomb is also located at this site, as well as a beautiful array of mosaics in the floor of the church. You will be able to experience the spectacular panorama of the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Judean Hills, just as Moses did. Our next stop is the town of Madaba. In Madaba you will visit the Church of St. George, home to a stunning mosaic map of the ancient Middle East. We will continue south to Petra for dinner and overnight at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. (B/D)

Tues 16 Mar: After breakfast begin your exploration of Petra, the "Rose Red City." This incredible hidden city, inhabited by the ancient Nabateans, lay concealed from 100 AD until it was re-discovered in the early 1800's. Take a horse ride to the "Siq" (Canyon) entrance then walk the rest of the way through the narrow, winding cut in rocks into the valley. Your first glimpse of the magnificence of the place will be of the Treasury as you round the last bend on the pathway. The Treasury and the other buildings have been carved out of the canyon walls in the pink sandstone. Continue past the Roman Theatre, the Corinthian Tomb and the Palace Tomb. Return to the Crowne Plaza Hotel for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

Weds 17 Mar: After breakfast we will go to Wadi Rum for a 4x4 jeep tour of about 4 hours, exploring the desert canyons, rock formations and more. The canyon or wadi is a nature preserve and has an abundance of desert flora and fauna, set in a landscape sometimes called the Valley of the Moon. Afterwards we will Depart for the Dead Sea with a stop at Kerak. Kerak is a crusader fortress, built over older fortresses, located on the King's Highway in the area known in ancient times as Moab. The history during the Crusades of this fortress is filled with intrigue, treachery, and murder. But the history of this area goes back to the Iron Age and the ancient Nabateans. Continue to the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight at the Kempinski Hotel. (B/D)

Thurs 18 Mar: Today is a leisure day at the Dead Sea. The hotel has a spa where you can take advantages of its many services (at your own expense), or simply go to the beach and float in the healing and therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight at the Kempinski Hotel. (B/D)

Fri 19 Mar: After breakfast, visit Bethany on the Jordan River, the site of John the Baptist's settlement and where he baptized Jesus. Visit the archeological site then continue to the border with Syria. We will cross the border, meet our Syrian guide, and then visit the site of Bosra with our Jordanian bus. Bosra is a well-preserved black basalt city with on of the largest Roman amphitheater in the world. The amphitheater could hold 15,000 people, and could be emptied of all those people in five minutes. The amphitheater is still in use today as it hosts an annual music and dance festival. Bosra became one of the leading Nabatean (the builders of Petra in Jordan) cities before becoming the capital of the Roman province of Arabia in 106 AD. Continue to Damascus for dinner and overnight at the Cham Palace Hotel. (B/D)

Sat 20 Mar: After breakfast we start our sightseeing with a visit to the National Museum in Damascus. The entry of the museum is a restored gate from a desert fortress, and houses a vast collection of artifacts from the many civilizations that have inhabited the region, with many dating back thousands and thousands of years. After visiting the museum, continue on to visit the Tekkiye Sulimaniya Mosque. East of the National Museum and about 1 km west of the Old City of Damascus is the Tekkiye Mosque, also known as Tekkiya as Suleimaniyya. This Ottoman mosque was built at the order of Suleiman the Magnificent and planned by the famed architect Sinan. The mosque was built mostly by Christian masons and architects who had converted to Islam. The buildings that surround the mosque's courtyard were also built and planned by Sinan. They were built originally as accommodation for the Dervishes, famous for their religious chants and "whirling." It was used later as a khan to house pilgrims who were on their way to Mecca. Also visit the Omayyad Mosque, known for its unique artwork and also that its original structure was first a pagan temple, a Roman temple, then a Byzantine church, and now the great mosque. This will be followed by a visit to the tomb of Salahdine, the Azem Palace, and the Hananya Church. End your sightseeing with a drive up Kassioun Mountain for a view of the city of Damascus and the surrounding countryside. Dinner and overnight at the Cham Palace Hotel. (B/D)

Sun 21 Mar: After breakfast we will depart for Palmyra. On arrival we will have a tour of Palmyra. This pearl in the middle of the desert is one of the most graceful and splendid ancient sites in the east. It lies on the main caravan route between Persia and the Mediterranean and was home to the Nabatean Queen Zenobia before it was conquered by the Romans. Its glory and greatness are still evident after 2,000 years. You will visit the Palmyra Castle, the Museum, Roman Theater, the Queen's Bath, the tombs of Palmyra and the Temple of Bel. Return to the Zenobia Cham Palace Hotel for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

Mon 22 Mar: Today we head to Aleppo, stopping at the Crak Des Chevaliers crusader fortress along the way. It was built in 1031 as an Arab fortress, then the Crusaders held it from 1110 until 1271 when a four year siege by the Mamlukes ended the Crusaders' occupation. Roam the ramparts, see the Great Hall, kitchen, stables, barracks and more. Continue on to Aleppo for dinner and overnight at the Jdeideh Hotel. (B/D)

Tues 23 Mar: After breakfast we will have a full day of sightseeing in Aleppo. Aleppo was established over 10,000 years ago and vies with Damascus for the title of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Aleppo is famous for its souks housed in miles of labyrinthine passageways at the foot of the Citadel. These are some of the oldest markets in the world! Visit the Citadel, in the heart of the city surrounded by an impressive moat. Also visit the Great Mosque and the Aleppo Museum, wrapping up your tour with a visit to the Khans, or merchant houses of Aleppo. The architecture and history of these buildings will recall the days of the caravanserais that passed through Aleppo on their way to the west from Persia and Asia, loaded with spices, materials, and other goods to trade. Dinner and overnight at the Jdeideh Hotel. (B/D)

Weds 24 Mar: This morning we will head north to the Basilica of St. Simeon, where St. Simeon the Stylite, a Christian ascetic, settled in 412. He lived for nearly 40 years on the top of a column, surrounded by pilgrims. The basilica complex was built to accommodate all the pilgrims coming to see St. Simeon. A baptistery welcomed those who had not been baptized and prepared them for their pilgrimage to the other side of the complex where the church and column are located. Next visit the beautiful church at Qalb Lozeh. This basilica dating back to the 5th century is located in the small village of Qalb Lozeh meaning 'Heart of the Almond', and is one of the most beautiful basilicas in Syria. We will also have an opportunity to see the Dead Cities, or the ruins of several other Byzantine churches in the area. Return to Aleppo for dinner and overnight at the Jdeideh Hotel. (B/D)

Thurs 25 Mar: After breakfast we depart for Damascus with a stop in the village of Maaloula. The mountain village of Ma'aloula, which means "the entrance", probably referring to the gorge in between the mountains, is the only place in the world that still speaks Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. There are two important monasteries in Maaloula: Mar Sarkis and Mar Taqla. Mar Sarkis Monastery was built in the 4th century on remains of a pagan temple, and was named after St. Sarkis. Mar Taqla Monastery holds the remains of St. Taqla, daughter of a Selucid prince, and pupil of St. Paul. Continue on to Damascus for dinner and overnight at the Cham Palace Hotel. (B/D)

Fri 26 Mar: Today we will cross the border to Lebanon to visit the ancient site of Baalbeck, a magnificent Roman site, and Anjar, known for its Islamic architecture. Baalbek is one of the world's greatest historical and best preserved Roman sites. Located on the Beqaa plain in eastern Lebanon, the site contains the remnants of an Acropolis, temples to Jupiter, Bacchus, and Venus, and much more. Next we visit the site of Anjar, significant because it is a purely Umayyad site. Anjar was built in the neighborhood of an ancient stronghold called Gerrha by Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid bin Abdul Malek in the early 8th century. Continue on to Beirut for dinner and overnight at the Radisson BLU Hotel. (B/D)

Sat 27 Mar: After breakfast we will be introduced to the vibrant city of Beirut, the capitol of Lebanon. Throughout the centuries Beirut has been a center for commerce. The Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Europeans have all converged on Beirut. It was known for a time as the Paris of the east and was an important financial capital. More recently it has been battered down to be reborn yet again. After a stop at the National Museum we will visit the underground Jeita Grotto: caverns and galleries filled with stalactites and stalagmites. After visiting the caverns, we will head to the city of Byblos, on the coast north of Beirut. Byblos was an important center for papyrus trade, hence the name which means papyrus in Greek. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. Return to Beirut for overnight at the Radisson. (B/L)

Sun 28 Mar: After breakfast we will head south along the coast to visit Sidon and Tyre. 43 km south of Beirut, lies the third great Phoenician city-state which experienced its golden age during the Persian era between end of the 6th century BC and mid of 4th century BC. Sidon; ancient Sidouna, one of the famous names in ancient history, was an open city with many cultural influences, including the Egyptian Pharaohs and the Greeks. During the Persian period, Aegean sculptors contributed to the nearby temple of Eshmoun; the city's god, which was associated with the Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing. The Crusader period (1110-1291 AD) brought Sidon new prestige, as second of four baronies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. We will continue on to Tyre after our visit. Phoenician Tyre was Queen of the Seas, an island city of unprecedented splendor. It grew wealthy from its far-reaching colonies and its industries of purple-dyed textiles. But it also attracted the attention of jealous conquerors, among them the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great. It was founded at the start of the third millennium BC. Tyre originally consisted of a mainland settlement and a modest island city that lay a short distance offshore. But it was not until the first millennium BC that the city experienced its golden age. Return to Beirut and have a rest before going to a local restaurant for dinner. Overnight at the Radisson. (B/D)

Mon 29 Mar: Breakfast and transfer to Beirut Airport for departure. (B)

End of services.

Single Supplement: $1020

Included:

Caravan-Serai Tours, Inc.
3806 Whitman Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
Tel: 800-451-8097 or 206-545-7300
Fax: 206-547-8607