Early morning departure from Eilat. We travel by air-conditioned bus through the Arava border crossing into Jordan, then along the same route the Israelites took after the king of Edom (Petra) denied them passage during the years of wilderness wandering. We pass the Biblical Mount Seir, and make a brief stop at Wadi Musa. Tradition has it that here is found the very rock which Moses struck (Numbers: 20:7-11).

Continue on to Petra, where a 2-3 hour guided tour begins. We enter Petra on foot, though the Siq, a narrow, winding gorge over 1 kilometer in length. We visit the Great Treasury (Al-Khazneh Farun), the Roman Theatre, the Royal Tombs (the Rainbow Tomb is a must for photographers), as well as hundreds of monuments, tricliniums, and obelisks, all carved from the multi-shaded, rose red sandstone.  

A walk through the colonnade of Roman Byzantine Petra brings us to the city centre for lunch. Afterward, we continue our tour to the hill of Al-Habis (crowned with a crusader-era fort) for a breathtaking panoramic view of deep gullies and uniquely colored rock formations.   

Horse-drawn carriages are an option for the return trip through the Siq, or horseback for the final kilometer. Back on the bus, we enjoy the scenic route along the ancient Kings Highway, overlooking Petra and the African Syrian rift valley, with the distant hills of the Negev (on a clear day) glistening in the sunset.  

Estimated arrival in Eilat is 7:00 - 7:30pm.

 Two day tour

We can customize a two day tour to Petra, complete with four star hotel accommodations. Or, if you have a taste for more adventure, a night in an authentic Bedouin tent, in Wadi Rum. Additional sites and attractions to visit include the high place of sacrifice, little Petra, Umm al-Biyara (thought to be the Biblical Selah), and the Monastery.  

Note

Before 1994, an Israel-based tour to Petra would have been impossible. In 1994, Philip Nickalls was privileged to lead the first one-day tour to the rose-red city of Petra.  Today... and hundreds of tours later... Petra is still a place of mystery and wonder, accessible to all. Join Philip Nickalls on a Biblical based tour and discover:

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