Private Tour Madaba, Mount Nebo, Bethany Baptism Site & Dead Sea from Amman
Description
Escape bustling Amman for the day and see three of Jordan’s most important religious and historical sites on a private 8-hour trip. In addition to viewing the famous Mosaic Map at Madaba’s Saint George Church, besides other mosaics at Madaba’s Archeological Park, as well as visit Saint John Church. Tour of Mount Nebo, Moses last stop for a breathtaking view of the Holy Land. Enjoy panoramic views over the Jordan Valley from the top of Mount Nebo and admire ancient relics and mosaics in its Franciscan Monastery. Continue to visit Bethany, Jesus’ believed baptism site on the Jordan River recognized by the Vatican. Then, soak up under the sunshine and enjoy free time to swim in the Dead Sea’s waters, the lowest point on earth and the first world’s natural spa.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Depart your Amman hotel by a leisure air-conditioned vehicle with English-Speaking Driver who doubles up as your guide, and set off on your private tour, traveling to Madaba the city of mosaics.
Arrive at Saint George’s Church, the 19th-century basilica in the heart of the town. This famous church houses the Madaba Mosaic Map, an intricately detailed floor mosaic of the Holy Land believed to have been created in the 6th century A.D. Admire the church interior and marvel at the stunning floor map, with its evocative depictions of ancient Jerusalem, Jericho, and lands including the Lebanon, Sinai, and Egypt.
Proceed to the open-air museum known as the Archaeological Park, which houses a collection of ruins and mosaics like the Church of Virgin Mary and other floor house mosaics.
Visit the historic Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist, with its beautiful Bell Tower for a breath-taking view of Madaba. Visit its underground museum memorial of Saint John the Baptist.
Continue to Mount Nebo, the hill where Moses is believed to have gazed out over the Holy Land. Absorb the sweeping views over the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley, and visit the Byzantine Church on the summit to see its fabled mosaics. Behold the luminous pieces of early art and their vivid recreations of animals, people, and hunting winemaking scenes in this beautiful Franciscan Monastery.
On route, soak in views of Jordan’s barren landscapes, and pull up at Bethany Beyond the Jordan River, known as “El-Maghtas” in Arabic, the site on the eastern bank of the river where it’s believed Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Meet up with a local guide, and take a tour of the riverbanks and key excavated ruins, learning how the site was sanctified as the place of Jesus’ baptism by the Vatican and a visit by Pope John Paul II in 2000 A.D. Drink in the powerful sense of spirituality, and see the remnants of Roman and Byzantine churches, caves, wells, and baptismal pools.
As you walk, listen as your guide explains why archaeologists believe that it was here that John the Baptist lived, preached, and performed baptisms. Hear more about this famous Christian pilgrimage spot and how it is held holy in all three major religions — Christianity, Judaism, and Islam for being the believed site of the Prophet Elijah’s ascension to heaven. Please note: the Bethany in this trip should not be confused with Bethany in Jerusalem, where it's believed that Mary Magdalene lived and Lazarus rose from the dead.
Drive to the lowest point on earth for free time to swim in the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea for an experience not to be missed, as it the first world’s natural spa! Afterward, reconvene with your driver and return to Amman, where your tour ends with a hotel drop-off.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Confirmation will be received at the time of booking.
- Airport Pick-up and Drop-off by request.
- Contact your local operator (office phone number, emergency mobile number – out of office hours, or email address) a day before to reconfirm pick-up arrangements provided in your voucher.
- Tour activity is provided in English. For other languages by request.
- Clients with mobility issues, please contact us.
- Strollers and car seats for infants, please contact us.
- Most local tourist restaurants in Jordan do not serve alcohol, if you do not want a dry restaurant that does not serve alcohol, please contact us.
- Clients are advised to bring hats, sun screen, and comfortable walking shoes.
- Swim suit is required.
- Dress code at Churches: Modest.
- Visits to churches are not allowed during prayer times.
- Indicate special dietary requirements at the time of booking.
Reviews(8)
A very comprehensive trip including most of the highlights of the area. Great driver/guide Mr Basel who made the effort to deliver a memorable visit.
Thank you for choosing ZTT and for this amazing review of your stay. I hope you can post this review on our TripAdvisor page to share with more travelers. Our goal is always to provide a distinguished service, and our professional and dedicated team go the extra mile to ensure our travelers have wonderful trip. It is rewarding to know that our efforts at continuous improvement, are being recognized. We will be waiting for you again in Jordan!
We had a wonderful tour with our knowledgeable guide and driver, Mr. Basel. All the sites were spectacular and Mr. Basel explained the historical significance of every place we passed. We spent enough time at every stop that it was a full day trip and Mr. Basel was patient throughout. We were worried about the heat but we didn't have to. The car itself is air-conditioned and there was cold water for us. I highly recommend this tour with Mr. Basel.
Thank you for your comments and for sharing your experience with us. The nicest complement that our team can get is your desire to have other travelers visit Jordan, emphasizing how safe Jordan is at all times. We are truly happy to learn that you enjoyed your holiday with us and even, it was difficult to leave and that our professional team was there to attend to your travel needs at all times. What a complement indeed! Looking forward to your next visit.
Basel was excellent and very flexible! He provided a lot of information to us as we drove and at the various sitws. His car was clean and he had water available for us. We felt like the whole day was private with very few other travelers on our stops. I would recommend this tour!
Thank you for choosing ZTT and for this wonderful review of your stay. Our aim is always to provide a first-class service, and our professional and dedicated team go the extra mile to ensure our travelers have a memorable stay. It is rewarding to know that our efforts at continuous improvement, are being recognized. We look forward to welcoming you back with us in Jordan for many unforgettable moments to you, your friends, and family. I appreciate the time and effort in sharing your experience.
Our driver Mahmoud was wonderful. He personalized our trip, shared information about each place, and helped us find specific items. He had WiFi in the car, water, AC, very comfortable.
Great! Looking forward to have you and your family again with us! Thank you. 😊❤
Basel picked us up on time, and was actually early, which was good because there are a lot of places to visit. We started in Madaba, which is amazing. The mosaics that have stood the test of time, and tell the stories of the Holy Land are amazing, but to also see the mosaics being used to decorate St. George's is incredible as well. Basel handed us off to a fantastic guide, George, who explained the mosaics within St. George, as well as the mosaics at the Madaba Archeological Park, which houses the remains of the Virgin Mary Church. It is almost overwhelming how much is there. Once done in Madaba, Basel took us to Mt. Nebo, to have the same views that Moses had right before his death, and they are incredible. The Byzantine church on top of Nebo houses even more, and much larger mosaics. After this, we headed down into the Jordan Valley, and arrive at Beyond the Bethany. We are able to visit, what is believed to be the original baptism site of Jesus Christ, but as the River Jordan has moved in the last few decades, we walked to the new location to see Christian pilgrims being baptized along the shores of the River Jordan. It was amazing to see. We then proceeded to the Dead Sea resorts, and were able to go to the water, as we chose not to actually get in the water, but the option was there. We instead opted for a beer, and enjoying the view before heading back to Amman. Definitely recommend this trip. The conversation was great the entire time.
Thank you. Looking forward to having you, your family, and friends with us again
My mum and I had such an amazing time on this excursion! We had a lot of time to explore all of the sites and immerse ourselves without feeling rushed. Basil is an incredible guide; he’s friendly, knowledgeable and was always on hand to help, answering of our questions as well as providing us with local insights we wouldn’t have known if we explored the sites by ourselves. I highly recommend this private tour if you want to visit the main sites near Amman in a day 😃
Thank you. Looking forward to having you, your family, and friends with us again
Rip off - driver did not state that the tour must end at 5 pm otherwise you will have to pay an additional $25JOD.
Sorry to hear this comment from you and what a shame, you think it is a rip off when the tour is 8 hours and you did all the scheduled visits with full time as booked for each visit, asking by yourselves to extend time at the Dead Sea another two hours? I don’t understand what you expect. This comment is totally not appropriate, when we offered the best service to you and out of good will attended your petition on additional time requested by you directly with minimum cost for waiting time of extra 2 hours, as the driver’s right. Such an inappropriate comment from your side.
A very pleasant tour. We enjoyed our visit on each site, we were never rushed. Our driver was great and knowledgeable. Overall a great experience!
Thank you. Looking forward to having you, your family, and friends with us again
