16 Days Ancient Levant & Beyond Journey

About the destination: Beirut is the capital of Lebanon and the gateway to the country. It is multi-cultural and successfully blends the passions of the east with the refinement of the west. Modern and old and liberal and traditional, Beirut offers superb restaurants, amazing nightlife, excellent shopping and hotels of all ranges. It is also rich in history and architectural heritage that span several millennia and civilizations, with traces of Roman and Phoenician heritage visible to this day. Beirut is also a great departure point to explore the rest of Lebanon, which offers a blunt contrast to the wealthy capital with a western silhouette, all within no more than a two hour drive. With its beautiful architecture and scenery, delicious cuisine, exciting nightlife and amazing history, Beirut is a destination not to be missed.

About the destination: Damascus is the capital of Syria and its second largest city. Damascus is credited with being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and it has outlasted the many empires which invaded it. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Turks and countless others have shaped the city in one way or another. The result is a Damascus with multiple layers of civilization built over each other and often still visible to this day. The old-walled city, consists of a maze of narrow alleys, punctuated by enigmatic doors that lead into pleasing, verdant courtyards and blank-faced houses. The old city still has an authentic medieval feel to it and is still the religious and social center of the city. The old city, with its labyrinthine alleys, is most intriguing and boasts a tremendous number of beautiful historic buildings to visit and large souks to discover. By far, the most notable architectural marvel is the Omayyad Mosque, itself worthy of multiple visits.

About the destination: Amman, considered by some the cultural capital of the Middle East, is the capital of Jordan. Situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley, Amman today is a modern and cosmopolitan city full of ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques but you can see evidence of the city’s extensive past everywhere. The heart of all the town is the Citadel with Romans and Ammonites ruins. From the top of the Citadel you can see a wonderful landscape over the hills of the city. Whilst the city we see may not be very old, on the hill of the Citadel there is evidence of the ancient history of the city that was Greek Philadelphia. There is an interesting Archaeological museum worth visiting. Nearby, there is the Roman theatre and some museums with interesting displays of mosaics, jewelry and costume. A walk around the city brings you to mosques and a surprising variety of churches, souks and shops. Amman is a busy city where the modern and the traditional coexist side by side. Moreover, Amman is the perfect starting point if you want to visit all the area around this town. From Amman is very easy to reach Jerash, Ajlun, Pella, the Dead Sea and the Desert Castles.

About the destination: Petra, the fabled "rose red city, half as old as time", is a well-known ancient Nabataean city in the south of Jordan. Due to its breathtaking grandeur and fabulous ruins, Petra was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. The first major excavations of the site were in 1929 after the forming of Trans-Jordan. Since that time, Petra has become by far Jordan's largest tourist attraction. The site was included in the Steven Spielberg movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989 and was chosen in July 2007 as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The entrance to Petra is a long, winding sandstone canyon known as the Siq. There are minor carvings spotted here and there throughout the Siq, but the most impressive sights are the colorful and unusual sandstone patterns in the rock walls. There are also remains of terracotta pipes built into the sides of the canyon that were used in Roman times to carry water. Upon exiting the Siq, visitors can view the jaw-dropping grandeur of the Treasury (al-Khazneh in Arabic). Be sure to note the urn atop the Treasury structure. It has been rumored that the urn contained a Pharaoh's hidden treasure, and the urn bears the bullet pock marks where Bedouin travelers throughout the years have tested the theory. Past the next bend is the outer Siq or Street of Facades, a large canyon lined with the facades of various tombs. At the end of the Street of Facades is the 7000-seat Roman Theater. The theater was created by the Nabateans but later enlarged by the Romans. It is still used for occasional performances. On the side of the valley opposite the Roman Theater and a short walk up the hill, are the Royal Tombs. The name was given because they are quite grand in scale compared to the others in the area, but it is unclear for whom the tombs were originally constructed. The Monastery (ad-Deir), the largest carved monument in Petra, dates back to the 1st century AD. The interior, like that of the Treasury, is puny in comparison to the facade. The more than 800 steps up to the Monastery can take over an hour. Petra by Night happens on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 20:30. It is only made of candles, you'll hear a short play of Bedouin music and be served some tea in plastic cups while you sit on mats at the Treasury. It's best to see this before you see Petra by day, as it becomes far less impressive if you already walked up to the Treasury during daytime. It's not amazing, but it's something nice to do during nighttime.

About the destination: Tel Aviv, located on the Mediterranean coast, is the second largest city in Israel. Tel Aviv is Israel’s center of entertainment and it has everything you need, wonderful beaches, luxury restaurants and small trendy cafes, interesting architecture, theaters, museums, shops and lots of great clubs and bars. Roaming Old City of Jaffa and the beautiful parks and gardens around it, is probably one of the more authentic things there is to do in this city. The Old City of Jaffa is near the Jaffa Port, claimed to be the oldest port in the world. Today there are restaurants, galleries and shops and street festivals in this picturesque port. One of the major landmarks of Tel Aviv is the rise of the Old City of Jaffa with the spire of St Peter's Church. The promenade from the northern beaches to the walls of Machmoudia Mosque runs along the shoreline and it is one of the must-do of any time in Tel Aviv. Whatever the weather and whatever the time of the day, with the Mediterranean on one side, this is a superb walk. If cosmopolitan life, interesting cafes and restaurants, hip clubs, beautiful beaches and stunning deserts are your thing, then Tel Aviv is definitely your place.