Had a wonderful time. Got to visit all the sites I learned about from 12 years of Catholic school. Highlights were the Church of the Nativity without a doubt, floating in the Dead Sea (lots of fun) and the camel/cart ride in Petra (never laughed so much).
Comments
DDicarlo - We did this trip in October 2018 and we concur with you that the Church of the Nativity and Dead Sea were highlights. To make it even better, we arrived at the Church just at communion time and we were able to receive communion and we took pictures of it. We took great photos in the grotto. Also, our church here in Virginia has the identical name! We also went to many years of Catholic school that includes a Jesuit high school. The trip was amazing. Did you have dinner at a Jewish family's home on Shabbatt? We loved Haifa...in fact we loved everything about that trip and we would go back to Israel in a minute.
DDicarlo (or anyone else that has taken this trip) - approximately what time did your return to the Dead Sea motel after the tour to Jerash?
Just completed the tour in September. We returned to the hotel after the visit to the Jerash (FYI - Jerash is a spectacular Roman ruin site) shortly after lunch. We had plenty of time to take a dip in the Dead Sea, plus swim a bit in the pool right outside our room, all before dinner. That return time might make it difficult if you were thinking of getting a massage. Ask you Tour Director if that is you desire and see if you can get a reservation, at an appropriate time, well in advance of your arrival.
I did not go to Jerash. I have been to Roman ruins before and decided to take advantage of the resort to enjoy the amenities. I was not the only one, several others had massages, etc. Those who did go to Jerash returned around 3:30pm if I remember correctly so there was plenty of time to float in the dead sea, etc.
Thank you - very helpful.
Five guys and two ladies went to Jerash and it was fabulous. A not to be missed trip. We returned in the 3 PM time period and we had time and went straight to the pool right outside our room door like others have said. Many of the folks not going to Jerash had spa treatments - at least the ones with reservations. The spa got booked very quickly and many could not get appointments. So book early or even before you leave on the trip like my wife did if that's what you want to do.
Thank you, VirginiaTravelers. Just wanted to ensure that we would have sufficient time to float in the Dead Sea.
Hi. We are going on the Israel/Jordan tour on April 23. Very very excited about this and greatly appreciative of the comments on this board. We have traveled extensively over the past 30 years, because of business, but this is our first Tauck adventure. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions for us? Anyone else signed up for the 4/23 small group tour? Looks like we are in Jerusalem on Israeli Independence Day. That should be interesting.
I returned from this trip about a month ago. Great trip! There are other threads with comments about this trip, so just search the subcategory "Israel and Jordan," Which is not this one. Go up to the top of this page, click one level back (Egypt and Jordan) and you'll find an Israel and Jordan category.
A few comments:
-If you like biking, rent a bike in Tel Aviv. It's a very bike friendly city and with the Med on one side (with a bike trail following the water), virtually impossible to get lost. I biked down to Jaffa and around TLV.
-I highly recommend the Western Wall Tunnel Tour. It's a great way to see excavations (some active) underneath old Jerusalem. Cost is about $10. Suggest you buy tickets online as soon as you know your free time schedule.
-My favorite breakfast food, which I didn't discover until 4-5 days in, was shakshuka. You'll find it on the buffets. I had it for breakfast this morning, as Trader Joes carries it (minus the eggs)!
Thanks BKMD. We checked into the Western Wall tunnel tour, which really sounds great. Unfortunately, it turns out that our free time in Jerusalem conflicts with Israeli Independence Day, and there are no tours available at that time. Found the other thread you mentioned. That’s also very helpful. Thanks again.