MADABA, MOUNT NEBO & BETHANY IN PRIVATE

Departing from your Amman hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver/guide, you will set out on your private tour traveling towards Madaba, the city of mosaics.

After about an hour, you will arrive at the Church of Saint George, the 19th century basilica in the heart of the city. This famous church is home to the Madaba Mosaic Map, a detailed floor mosaic of the Holy Land believed to have been created in the 6th century AD. You will admire the interior of the church and the impressive floor map, with its evocative depictions of the ancient Jerusalem, Jericho, and lands like Lebanon, Sinai, and Egypt. Then you will head 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 house mosaics on the floor. You will visit the historic Catholic Church of San Juan Bautista, with its beautiful bell tower from which you will have an impressive view of Madaba. You will visit its underground museum in memory of San Juan Bautista.

After these visits, you will continue to Mount Nebo, the hill where Moses is believed to have gazed upon the Promised Land. You'll soak up the panoramic views over the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley, and visit the Byzantine Hilltop Church to see its legendary mosaics. You'll gaze at the luminous pieces of early art and their vivid recreations of animals, people, and hunting wine-making scenes at this beautiful Franciscan monastery.

Along the way, you'll take in views of Jordan's arid landscapes. You will stop at Bethany beyond the Jordan River, known as El-Maghtas in Arabic, the site on the eastern bank of the river where Jesus is believed to have been baptized by John the Baptist. Together with a local guide, you'll take a tour of the riverbanks and excavated key ruins, discover how the site was hallowed as the site of Jesus' baptism by the Vatican and a visit by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000. You will drink in a powerful sense of spirituality, and you will know the remains of the Roman and Byzantine churches, caves, wells and baptismal pools. As you walk, you'll hear from your guide why archaeologists believe it was here that John the Baptist lived, preached, and performed baptisms. You will learn more about this famous Christian pilgrimage site and how it is considered sacred in the three main religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, as it is believed to be the place of the ascension of the prophet Elijah to heaven.

We will then drive to the lowest point on earth to have free time to swim in the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea for an experience not to be missed, as it is the first natural spa in the world.

After these visits, you will meet your driver again and return to your hotel in Amman, where the tour ends.

Tip Greca: Do not confuse. Bethany on this trip is not the same as Bethany in Jerusalem, where Mary Magdalene is believed to have lived and Lazarus was raised from the dead.