Crusader Trails

20 days - from $4450

Discover the eternally coveted riches of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon

Petra, Palmyra, Baalbek, Byblos – the names roll off the tongue like an ancient Arabian fable. Indeed, few places in the world offer such an impressive mix of ancient monuments and flash points for literature. In Jordan, we explore the desert sands of Wadi Rum, the legendary lost city of Petra and the Crusader fortress at Shobak. We relax in high buoyancy at the Dead Sea, visit the evocative ancient sites of Jerash and Bosra, before heading on to cosmopolitan, diverse Damascus. Syria is an absolute delight; with fabulous bazaars in Aleppo; splendid ancient cities at Palmyra, Apamea and Ugarit; and amazing Byzantine mosaics at Maarat. At Krak, we explore the finest Crusader castle in the world. Arriving in Lebanon, we visit Crusader strongholds at Sidon and Tripoli, the beautiful Shouf Cedar Forest, Bcharre and the Qadisha Valley and the charming port town of Byblos – inhabited since 7000BC. The immense acropolis at Baalbek is further proof of a grand past, before our journey of discovery concludes in cosmopolitan Beirut.

Highlights

• Paleolithic Jeitta Grottos
• Crusader castle at Shobak
• Jordan's capital Amman
• Red Sea resort of Aqaba
• 2000 year-old ruins of Jerash
• The Dead Sea
• UNESCO World Heritage-listed Petra
• Baalbek's colossal stone block structures
• Beit Eddine Palace in the Chouf Mountains
• Wadi Rum's red earth desertscapes
• Shouf Cedars Forest
• UNESCO World Heritage-listed ancient city of Aleppo
• UNESCO World Heritage-listed Byblos
• Fourth most holy Muslim site - Umayyad Mosque
• Souk al-Hamidiyya of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Damascus
• The Phoenician city of Sidon
• The 'Dead Cities'
• The 2nd Century Roman theatre of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Bosra
• The pink granite columns of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Palmyra
• UNESCO World Heritage-listed 12th Century Crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers
• The colonnaded street of Apamea

Itinerary:

Day 1: Amman2: Aqaba3: Aqaba - Wadi Rum - Petra4: Petra5: Shobak - Dana - Madaba - Amman6: Jerash - Dead Sea - Amman7: Bosra - Damascus8: Damascus - Palmyra9: Palmyra - Krak des Chevaliers10: Krak des Chevaliers - Apamea - Aleppo11: St Simeon's Monastery - Aleppo12: Ugarit - Saone - Tartus13: Tartus – Beirut14: Beirut – Aanjar - Baalbek15: Bcharre – The Cedars - Qadisha Valley16: Tripoli - Byblos17: Byblos – Jeita Grotto - Beirut18: Beirut – Sidon – Beit Eddine - Deir Al-Qamar19: Deir Al-Qamar – Shouf Cedar forest - Beirut20: Beirut
Included:

• The services of Peregrine's expert English-speaking local tour leader throughout the tour, and professional local guides at some sites.

• Sightseeing (including entrance fees where applicable): Aqaba; Shobak Castle; Dana Village; Madaba; Jerash; Bosra; Damascus; Palmyra; Krak des Chevaliers; Hama; Apamea; Aleppo; Ugarit; Saone castle; Tartus; Baalbek; Umayyad city; Beit Eddine; Shouf Cedars forest; old Phoenician city of Sidon; Byblos; Jeitta Grottos; and Beirut.

• Wadi Rum jeep safari operated by the local Bedouin.

• Full day exploring Petra including the Monastery, old Roman road, amphitheatre, and several old tombs.

• Dinner in a Bedouin tent enjoying traditional desert hospitality under a blanket of stars.

• Off-the-beaten-track exploration of the 'Dead Cities' abandoned 1500 years ago.

• An afternoon at the Dead Sea.

• Winery tour including a visit to underground caves.

• Authentic accommodation including a night in a rustic local auberge in Deir el Qamar and in a hotel located in the souk of Byblos.

• Free time to explore Amman, Aqaba, Damascus and Beirut.

• Arrival transfer.

International flights, meals unless specified, drinks, departure taxes, visas, travel insurance, tips (see below), spending of a personal nature, optional sightseeing, departure transfer.