Syria is a beautiful country with some of the best ruins in the world. The Mesopotamians first occupied the region in 2300 BC. Since then, Syria has been controlled by Assyrians, Babylonians, Semitic Amorites, Persians, Phoenicians, Macedonians, Romans, Crusaders, Arabs and Turks, and each has left its fingerprints for the modern world to read. The Assyrians demonstrated the first widespread and practical use of the wheel (on war chariots); the Phoenicians, trading throughout the Mediterranean, bequeathed the alphabet to the Greeks and Romans; and the Crusaders built a chain of castles that can still be admired today.



Lebanon has always been a special country. Despite the recent years of war, Lebanon's long history, natural beauty and the spirit of its people give it a place in the hearts of all who have been there - whether in the halcyon years, or during periods of crises. Located at the meeting point of three continents, over the centuries Lebanon has been the crossroads of many civilizations whose traces may still be seen today.



Day One: Amman Airport, Amman Overnight
Tour leader will meet the group at Queen Alia International Airport and assist with formalities. Proceed to hotel for overnight.



Day Two: Amman City Tour, Jerash, Amman Overnight
Amman, the capital city of Jordan, is a city of contrasts, a mixture of ancient and modern. The city is crowned by the Citadel, a hill with the ruins of the Temple of Hercules, and a museum with artifacts dating back to the earliest settlement in the region some 700,000 years ago. At the foot of the Citadel is the 5,000 seat Roman theatre. Still rapidly growing, Amman is a busy commercial and administrative center with many modern facilities, restaurants, shops, hotels, and night clubs.

The Graeco-Roman city of Jerash is considered the best preserved and most complete city of the Decapolis, a confederation of ten Roman cities dating from the 1st Century BC. Today's visitors may wander among the original temples, theatres, plazas, baths and colonnaded streets, all enclosed within the remaining city walls. Nestled in a green and well-watered valley in the biblical land of Gilead, here in Jerash you will find remains from Neolithic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Omayyad and other times.



Day Three: Amman Free Morning, Jordanian-Syrian Border Crossing, Dara'a + Lunch, Bosra, Damascus Overnight
The city of Dara'a is located 100 Km south of Damascus. The origin of the name is a Canaanite word mentioned by the Pharaoh Thutmose III ( 1490-1436 BC) in his hieroglyphic tablets as "Athara'a". It was mentioned also in the old testament as "Idra'ai", while the Arab geographers called it "Athra'at". Many vestiges can be found in town such as caves and ancient dwellings, a Roman amphitheater, the remnants of Roman baths, and the old Oumari Mosque.

Situated about 40km east of Dara'a, Bosra is famous for its impressive and beautiful Roman theatre. It is an unusual structure in that it has a fortress built around it, probably constructed during the Omayyad and Abbassid periods. It is this fortress which has defended and preserved the theatre, thus accounting for its excellent state of repair today. The theatre seated 15,000 people and, unlike other Roman theatres, which were built into a hillside, the building is free-standing. Other Roman sites include the baths, monumental gates and some fine Corinthian columns.



Day Four: Damascus, Full Day City Tour, Damascus Overnight
Damascus is said to be the world's oldest inhabited city, today a thriving modern capital. Three thousand years ago it was the capital of the Arammean Kingdom and was later conquered by Alexander the great, when it became an important Greek City. Damascus has occupied a position of importance in the fields of science, culture, politics, art, commerce, and industry from the earliest times. It has been called 'al-Fayhaa' (the fragrant city); al-Sham, Jollaq, and 'Pearl of the Orient' as the Emperor Julian named it It was mentioned in the holy Qur'an as 'the many-column city of Aram, whose like has never been built in the land. It is impossible to enumerate all the places of interest in Damascus. The city is living museum-spanning thousands of years and archaeological treasures await the visitor at every turn.



Day Five: Damascus, Baalbak in Lebanon, Homs Overnight
Dating back over 4,000 years, Baalbak, Lebanon's greatest Roman treasure, is a collection of the largest and most noble Roman temples ever built, also among the best preserved. Towering high above the Beqaa valley, the Romans built their temples to worship their Gods Jupiter, Venus and Mercury. Baalbak is located on two main historic trade routes, one between the Mediterranean coast and the Syrian interior and the other between northern Syria and northern Palestine. Today the city, 85 kilometers from Beirut, is an important administrative and economic center in the northern Beqaa valley, crowned by the temples above.



Day Six: Homs, Krack Des Chevallers, Hama + Lunch, Apamea, Homs Overnight
Homs is the third most important city in Syria. It lies 160 kilometers to the north of Damascus. Like Petra and Palmyra, Homs was an Arab emirate in the 2nd century BC It was also the third station on the "Silk Road" after Doura Europos and Palmyra.

Also known as "Castle of the Knights", the well-preserved fortress of Krack Des Chevallers is situated on an important defensive site, a gap in the mountain range between the city of Homs and the sea. It was built in the 12th century and was used during the Crusades by the Knights Hospitallers and remained impregnable throughout.

Hama is a river town, built on the banks of the Orontes. The town is famous for the 17 huge wooden water wheels, known as norias, which once scooped water from the river and deposited it into the aqueducts, which then supplied homes, public buildings and farms. These wheels are about 20 meters in diameter and still turn today, although their water is not used.

Apamea is located on the right bank of the Orontes about 55 km to the north west of Hama. It overlooks the Ghab valley and was built by Seleucus Nicator, the first king of the Seleucids in Syria in 300 BC. He named it after his Parisian wife, Afamea. The city flourished to an extent that its population numbered half a million. As an Eastern crossroads, it received many distinguished visitors: Cleopatra, Septimus Severus and the Emperor Caracalla. In the Christian era, Apamea became a center of philosophy and thought, especially of Monophostism. Most of the uncovered ruins in it date back to the Roman and Byzantine ages. It is distinguished for its high walls and the main thoroughfare surrounded by columns with twisted fluting.



Day Seven: Homs, Aleppo + Lunch, Christian Quarter, Qalaat Samaan, Aleppo Overnight
Aleppo is the second capital of Syria 350 kilometers north of Damascus, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in history. Abraham is said to have camped on the acropolis which, long before his time, served as the foundation of fortress (where the Aleppo citadel is standing now). The Aleppo Citadel is 50 meters above the city, a ring of crenellated walls and towers rises from a steep glacis, encircling a mass of ruins from every period.

Qalaat Samaan Citadel is 60 kilometers northwest of Aleppo. It was named after the hermit Saint-Simon (Sam'an), a shepherd from northern Syria, who became a monk after a revelation in a dream. Following Saint-Simon's death in 459, the Emperor Zenon ordered that a cathedral be built where the saint used to pray. The layout was original, centering on the famous column from which Saint-Simon used to preach.



Day Eight: Aleppo, Citadel + Souqs, Eufraat Valley, Deir Ezor Overnight
In terms of spaciousness and originality, the covered souqs of Aleppo, which extend for more than 10 kilometers, are the most striking in any Islamic city. The souqs are named after the various crafts: hence, we find the souq of gold, the souq of copper, cotton, etc. Traditionally, there is always a fountain in the center and sometimes a little garden planted with jasmine and roses. Most of these souqs date back to the 15th century.

Deir Ezor is located in the northern part of Syria 320 km southeast of Aleppo city. It crosses the Euphrates river where a number of conquering armies and trade convoys passed. Today the city plays an important economic role in the country, especially after the inauguration of the great Euphrates Dam and the discovery of oil in the nearby areas. It is also regarded as a starting point to get acquainted with the Euphrates historical landmarks and ruins on both is banks. In short, the most wonderful human civilizations were brought up in this area.



Day Nine: Deir Ezor, Palmyra Full Day Visit, Palmyra Overnight
Palmyra is 150 miles (243km) north-east of Damascus, and is Syria's most famous tourist attraction. Situated at an oasis in the desert, this ruined city is at a considerable distance from any other water source, as it is 150km from the Orontes River in the west and 200km from the Euphrates in the east. The ruins have been extensively excavated and painstakingly restored.



Day Ten: Palmyra, Ezra'a + Lunch, Amman Overnight
Leaving Palmyra in the morning, we make our way south towards the Jordanian, Syrian border, with a stop in the town of Ezra'a for lunch.



Day Eleven: Amman, Madaba, Nebo, karak + Lunch, Petra Overnight
Madaba, the "City of Mosaics" is home to a wonderfully vivid, sixth century Byzantine mosaic map, the earliest surviving original map of the Holy land, showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. Scattered throughout Madaba's churches and homes are literally hundreds of other mosaics from the 5th to the 7th centuries.

10 kilometers to the west is the most revered site in Jordan, Mt Nebo, a hilly district with a spectacular view across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, believed to be the final resting place of the prophet Moses. Protecting the ruins of a 4th and 6th Century church, whose floor is still covered with marvelous mosaics, is a building constructed by the Franciscans who started excavating the site in 1933.

Approaching karak, you pass first through Wadi Mujib, a precipitous canyon some 1000 meters deep, guaranteed to set the mood for your visit to karak Castle, the largest late Islamic castle in Jordan. The fort is a dark maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways, an authentic medieval 12th century Crusader hilltop fortress, whose galleries, towers, chapels and ramparts recall the gallantry of the Crusaders themselves.



Day Twelve: Petra Visit, Aqaba Overnight
Petra, "the rose red city, half as old as time" is a must-see for the visitor to Jordan. Carved entirely out of solid rock and hidden amongst the ancient canyons of Jordan's south is this most mystic and glorious of Jordan's national treasures.

Petra, the once lost Nabataean city, includes temples, roman theaters, monasteries, houses and roads as well as the world famous Treasury Monument, featured in the closing shots of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Greatly prized as Jordan's window to the Red Sea, Aqaba brings a refreshing release from the rose-coloured desert to the north. Its sandy beaches and coral reefs are the most pristine on the Red Sea. Healthy and thriving, Aqaba's reefs are adorned with untold variety in its coral and fish.

For the history enthusiast, there are sites reflecting human habitation in Aqaba for at least five and a half thousand years. Of special interest are the early Islamic city called Ayla, the Aqaba Fort and a museum at the house of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the great, great grandfather of King Abdullah.



Day Thirteen: Aqaba Free Morning + Lunch at Hotel, Wadi Rum Visit with 4x4 Jeeps and Bedouin Dinner in Tent, Aqaba Overnight
Aqaba boasts some of the world's best scuba diving by day or night and the Aquamarina Group is fully equipped to cater to your every water sports need. There is snorkeling, diving, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, jet skiing and water-skiing to name but a few options.

The Aquamarina Group hotels all boast their own private swimming pools and guests at all the Aquamarina Hotels can use the private beach and other facilities at the Aquamarina I Beach Club Hotel.

Wadi Rum, the "Valley of the Moon" is one of the most beautiful deserts in the world. Imposing wind-sculpted mountains of granite and pink sandstone loom high above ever-shifting dunes of rust coloured sands.

Carved by the elements over many thousands of years, these extraordinary natural sculptures, coupled with the arid and barren nature of the desert, are truly reminiscent of the lunar landscape of the moon.

Home to some of the last remaining traditional Bedouin families in Jordan, Wadi Rum is a once in a lifetime experience, not to be missed.



Day Fourteen: Aqaba, Dead Sea Free Time + Lunch, Amman, Kan Zaman for Farewell Dinner, Amman Overnight
The Dead Sea, or the "Sea of Lot" lies in the Jordan Valley, the lowest point on the surface of the earth, some 400 meters below sea level. As the name suggests, the Dead Sea is devoid of life, due to its high salt and mineral content. But it is these natural elements which give the waters their curative powers and, try as one may, it is impossible to sink in the thick brine which is four times as salty as regular sea water.

The walled village of Kan Zaman, just outside Amman, dates back to the turn of the century. This fortress has since been transformed into a restaurant and handicraft complex, with small shops offering a wide variety of traditional hand-crafted products and workshops in which you can see glassblowing and wood carving. The popular restaurant, with its vaulted ceilings, specializes in authentic Arabic cuisine, and an additional treat is the nightly performance of Arabic music and dancing.



Day Fifteen: Amman, Amman Airport for Departure
Tour leader will collect the group from their hotel, proceed to Queen Alia International Airport, and assist with departure formalities.


Round trip 1: Jordan ¬

Round trip 2: Jordan ¬

Round trip 3: Jordan Highlights ¬

Round trip 4: Jordan, Syria and Lebanon ¬