I have found that international flights out of Amman, Jordan usually happen extremely late at night / early morning. So my 0300 flight was no surprise. Since I didn’t want to waste a day of exploring, I decided to book a tour the day before. I found the “Private Madaba, Mount Nebo, and Dead Sea Tour from Amman with Lunch” on Viator for ~$190 USD. Keep in mind, the more people in your group, the cheaper per person it is!
Pick Up : 0900
My driver, Bader, picked me up from the Zaman Ya Zaman Hostel at 0900 in his smaller SUV. I had read reviews of this tour saying that small groups were put together, and they were upset. But since I was the only one that booked the tour that day, it was truly a “private” tour. Driving in Jordan can be a scary experience, but he really knew how to navigate and keep me at ease. En route, Bader taught me a couple of phrases in Arabic while pointing out olive groves as we drove by. Who knew that olives and olive oil were such a big thing in Jordan? I guess the Italians don’t have the market as cornered as I thought they did.
Stop One : The Church of St. George
Included in the tour price is the ~2JD it costs to enter the church, so Bader handed me the bills and I went in. The church itself is quite small with beautiful paintings all over, but the real prize is when you look down. The Holy Land mosaic map is delicately crafted into the floor and only protected by a small rope to hold people back. It got crowded in there way too quickly for me, so I admired, took a couple pictures, and headed back to the car.
Stop Two : Mount Nebo
If you’ve read the Bible, this is the place where Moses saw the Promised Land. When you walk to the top you have a view all the way to Jerusalem, and it’s absolutely incredible. There are plenty of photo spots and sculptures around every turn. Also, a church at the top of this hill contains even more intricate mosaics on the walls and in the floors.
Stop Three : Madaba Arts & Handicraft Center
I’m usually not a huge fan of feeling pressured to buy art (or anything for that matter), but this was kind of a cool experience. I was immediately given a tour of the workshop where men and women worked diligently at creating beautiful mosaics and pottery. This was pretty fascinating to me as an artist to see the work that goes into these incredible creations.
The only part I didn’t like, was being shuffled off into the store after and bombarded with a ton of art while being asked my price range. Even though I tried to convince them I had no money, I ended up walking away with a piece of art (Merry Christmas, mom). The piece I bought was small, but if you feel compelled to buy a large piece from them, be careful. I have read a lot of reviews saying people had bad experiences with receiving wrong or damaged items.
Stop Four : The Dead Sea
This tour has some sort of partnership with the Ramada Hotel which allows us access to their private beach on the Dead Sea. Bader lead me through the lobby and out to where the shuttle pick up is. The Ramada looks like a beautiful hotel, however they claim to be “on the beach” and that’s not very true. Walking would have been much faster this time, but my driver insisted that I wait for the shuttle.
Once you finally get to the water, there are a couple changing rooms to get into your bathing suits. As mentioned in my post about experiencing the Dead Sea, I suggest wearing a suit that you don’t mind ruining. Next, you’ll take a fresh water shower before entering the mud bowl. Cover as much of your body as you’d like, but make sure you keep it away from your hair, eyes, and mouth (you’ll thank me later). After letting it dry on your skin, hop in the ocean to float and rinse it all off!
Tip: Don’t drink the water, don’t lick it off your lips, and if it gets in your eyes immediately wash with fresh water.
For more tips and good things to know before you go, check out my post What to Expect : Dead Sea, Jordan. The shuttle took me and a few other travelers back to the hotel where I was to eat a buffet lunch. It was DELICIOUS and included with the tour. There was a large variety of foods such as beef okra, chicken, vegetables, salads, and cakes; something to suit everyone’s needs. It was so good that I forgot to take a picture of it… but here’s dessert!
Looking for more of Jordan? Check out my trip to Petra, what to expect at the Dead Sea, tips on how to drive in Jordan, and even tattoo culture in Jordan!
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Wow…what an incredible experience you had! Those mosaics, especially the one on the floor are so intricate and beautiful! I thank you so much for my beautiful mosaic for Christmas…that was very nice of you to think of me! 🙂 I love it and it has a special place in my heart and dining room. Standing where Moses stood to see the promised land would be an incredible experience. I so enjoy your travel blog and hearing all the details about your experiences…keep them coming! Sending love and prayers for continued safe and wonderful travels!
It was pretty amazing to see the Holy Land Mosaics in person for sure! Glad you liked your present.