Lebanon and Jordan Tour

Today’s full privately guided tour of the Lebanese capital Beirut will enable you to discover the ‘Paris of the East’ with its many beautiful Ottoman and French Mandate period buildings and stunning National Museum.

Drive to Jounieh and take the cable car up to the heights of Harissa, where the Statue of Our Lady of Lebanon commands stunning views over the Mediterranean Sea. Continue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jeita to explore the magnificent complex of underground caves. You’ll arrive in Byblos in time for lunch (payable locally) by the pretty fishing harbour. This afternoon, discover the attractive medieval lanes of old Byblos, Crusader castle, and UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site on foot.

Travel south to the maritime city of Sidon, one of the great trading entrepots of early antiquity. On arrival, visit the 13th-century Crusader Sea Castle, wander through the bustling medieval maze-like lanes of the covered souq, and visit the Dibeen Palace. Next, drive up through the thickly wooded slopes of the Chouf mountains to see the beautiful late 18th-century Beiteddine Palace, then take a short walk through the Cedar scented forests of Barouk before visiting the picturesque medieval village of Deir Al Qamar and returning to Beirut.

A scenic journey east across Mt. Lebanon will bring you to Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley. Baalbek’s ruins are considered among the world’s most important Roman sites. The sheer scale and proportions of this UNESCO World Heritage Site never cease to impress. Amongst the site’s highlights are the Temple of Jupiter (one of the largest temples ever built) and the well-preserved and beautifully decorated Temple of Bacchus. Break your return to Beirut at Ksara where you will sample some of Lebanon’s famous wines.

A morning at leisure to relax or continue exploring Beirut independently. A private transfer will then bring you to Beirut International Airport. Fly to Amman, Jordan. On arrival, you will be met by a Corinthian Travel representative and transferred to your Amman hotel.

Start the day with a guided walking tour of Amman including the ancient Citadel, old souqs, and the Roman theatre. Following lunch, drive to ancient Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Middle East. On arrival, tour the ruins with a local guide, and then return to Amman.

Set off south along the Desert Highway to explore the stunning desert valley of Wadi Rum by 4WD vehicle (90 minutes). TE Lawrence described Wadi Rum as ‘vast, echoing and God-like’ and is sometimes likened to the moon’s surface. Late this afternoon, you will arrive in Petra.

A full day to discover the rock-hewn ruins of ancient Petra, Jordan’s foremost tourist attraction. Once the capital of the Nabataean Arabs who controlled the lucrative trade routes between Arabia and the Mediterranean coast, Petra or ‘Rekem’ as the Nabataeans called it, was ‘lost’ to the outside world for a thousand years until its rediscovery in 1812. The site is approached through a hairline crack in the mountain known as the Siq, and on emerging into the ancient city, you are greeted by the breathtaking sight of the vestiges of long-forgotten kings and once a fabulously wealthy empire – a spectacle that is unequalled in the Middle East.

Drive to the Crusader and Mamluk castle of Kerak, one of the largest medieval fortifications in the Middle East, then take the King’s Highway to the Ottoman market town of Madaba. This scenic and ancient road connects Amman with the Red Sea coast and passes through the biblical lands of the Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites. Next, visit Mt. Nebo, the spot from where Moses first saw the Promised Land, and then continue to the Dead Sea.

Today will be at your leisure by the Dead Sea.

A private transfer will bring you to Amman International Airport. On arrival, check in for your onward flight.