Begin with pickup at your Amman hotel, then travel to Umm Qais (also known as Gadara) in a private vehicle. You’ll find an amphitheater and lines of chipped stone columns, but the Roman ruins true drama comes from their stunning setting: the Sea of Galilee, Mt. Tabor, and the Golan Heights are visible in the distance, and the ruins are surrounded by bright wildflowers in the spring.
Continue to Ajloun Castle, a 12th-century Muslim castle built on the remains of a historic monastery. Hear how this fortress helped defend against Crusader attacks, fell to Mongol invaders, then was finally rebuilt by the Mamluks. Climb into a tower for views of the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea.
Make a final stop at the ancient city of Jerash, a Bronze Age settlement where you’ll find Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Artemis, and the Forum, a sprawling oval plaza surrounded by 160 Ionic columns. Learn how the city rose alongside a Greek federation of 10 cities, then lived through Christian and Muslim rule before falling during the Crusades. After visiting Jerash, make the return trip to Amman, where this tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel.
