JERASH, MADABA & MOUNT NEBO IN PRIVATE

You'll begin this private tour with a pickup from your hotel in Amman, and travel by comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle to Jerash.

You will walk among the temples, theaters, squares, roads and streets with original columns, all within the city walls. Within these walls have been found remains of settlements dating from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad and Abbasid periods; indicating human occupation in this place for more than 2,500 years.

A local English-speaking guide will be included for your classic 2-hour tour of this Decapolis Roman city of Jerash. This ancient city was one of the most prosperous in the Roman Empire, covered in sand for centuries until its remains were discovered in 1806. You'll head to the ancient city gate and walk through the well-preserved ruins as your guide tells you stories about the city. You will see its arches, theaters and its elegant street with columns. You will take photos of the impressive Oval Plaza, the Temples of Zeus and Artemis, and the intriguing egg-shaped public square framed by standing columns.

You will travel to Madaba, known for its exquisite Byzantine mosaics. After about an hour, you will arrive and head to the Church of Saint George with a local guide. This 19th-century Greek Orthodox basilica houses the famous Madaba Mosaic Map, a 6th-century AD floor mosaic depicting the ancient Holy Land and Jordan. You'll look at this masterpiece and its detailed depictions of Jerusalem, Jericho, the Dead Sea, and other Biblical sites as your guide explains how it was unearthed in A.D. 1897. You will continue to the open-air museum known as the Archaeological Park, which houses a collection of ruins and mosaics such as the Church of the Virgin Mary and other mosaics of apartment houses. You will visit the historic Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist, with its beautiful bell tower for a breathtaking view of Madaba. You will also visit its underground museum in memory of San Juan Bautista. After admiring the mosaic, you will go to visit Mount Nebo, the hill where, according to the Bible, Moses was not only granted a view of the Promised Land, but also died. You will take in the impressive 45 views from the summit which stretches out over the Jordan Valley and on a clear day can stretch as far as Jericho and Jerusalem.

You will meet a local guide and enter the excavated remains of the Byzantine church that once graced the hilltop. Here, archaeologists have discovered a series of floor mosaics dating back to the 4th and 6th centuries AD. You will marvel at these intricate works of art with their still vivid illustrations of peacocks, soldiers, horses and hunters; while your guide shares facts about its creation and discovery.

After your visit to this wonderful Franciscan Monastery of Mount Nebo, you will return to your vehicle and be driven back to the hotel in Amman.

Greca Tip: Don't forget to load your camera to take excellent portraits of these places.