Dubai & Jordan
December 7 – 17, 2010

Day 1: Monday, December 7 – Depart the USA
Join Tour Director, Larry Rupiper, and your fellow travelers at the New York/JFK airport for your Emirates Airways flight to Dubai at 10:40 p.m.  The excellent service, outstanding comfort, and superior technology Emirates Airlines offers, makes the international flight enjoyable and relaxing.  (In-flight Meal Service)

Day 2: Tuesday, December 8 – Arrive in Dubai 
Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, is situated along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.  Upon arrival in Dubai at 8:30 p.m. we are greeted by our English-speaking local guide and transferred to our hotel for our welcome dinner and a good rest.  (In-flight Meal Service, D) 

Day 3: Wednesday, December 9 – Dubai
Discover the new and the old Dubai on this morning’s city tour and enjoy Dubai’s most prominent landmarks including the magnificent Jumeirah Mosque, built in 1979, designed in the medieval tradition of the Fatimid mosques of Egypt.  Travel along the Jumeirah Public Beach, passing by the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and the Burj Al Arab, the most luxurious seven-star hotel in the world.  See Sheik Mohammed’s palace and view the amazing architecture of Deira Skyline on the southern embankment of Dubai Creek.

Visit the fascinating underground Dubai Museum housed in the Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1800 from sea rocks and gypsum, to defend the city from the raids of neighboring tribes.  Inside, feel the cooling effect of an old wind tower and wander past displays of local antiquities such as traditional khanjars (curved daggers) as well as musical instruments dated 300 BC.  View films depicting Dubai’s development from the 1930’s to the present day, market life from the 1950’s, desert life, and the early pearl divers risking their lives.  See weapons, tombs, and jewelry dated 3000 BC discovered by archeological diggings.

Cross the Dubai Creek via a water taxi called Abra, to visit the Spice Market and the Gold Souk for mounds of dazzling gold jewelry.  Lunch in a local restaurant, enjoy Ski Dubai, the world’s largest indoor ski resort, housed in the Mall of the Emirates.  This gigantic mall feels like all the biggest super stores in the world combined.  Even if you don’t like shopping, the Mall of the Emirates, especially Ski Dubai, will amaze you!  (B, L)

Day 4: Thursday, December 10 – Abu Dhabi Excursion
Journeying from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, we travel past the world’s largest manmade port at Jebel Ali and through a coastal desert studded with acacia trees.  Abu Dhabi, the capital and second largest city of the United Arab Emirates, is one of the world’s largest crude oil producers.  Enjoy a city sightseeing tour including Abu Dhabi’s oldest building, the Qasr al-Husn palace, the Emirates Palace Hotel, the Dhow yard (ship yard), the Corniche, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, the Heritage Village, and the fish market.  Stop at the Marina Mall following a buffet lunch in the Al Arish restaurant.  There is time for shopping before driving back to Dubai.  (B, L)

Day 5: Friday, December 11 – East Coast Excursion
Travel beyond the hustle and bustle of the city through the changing landscape of the desert.  Pass through the inland oasis town Al-Dhaid and through mountainous terrain.  Stop at a local market offering local produce, pottery, and carpets, and stop in Masafi, a village located on the edge of the Hajar Mountains known for its fresh water springs.  The village is divided into two parts, the larger part belongs to the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and the smaller part belongs to the emirate of Fujairah.  Pass through Dibba, a small coastal port and fishing harbor.  Continuing on, the scenery changes while traveling the coastal route along the beautiful blue Indian Ocean.  See the Al Bidya Mosque, the oldest mosque in the United Arab Emirates, and on the return trip, pass through the city of Fujairah, including a visit to its old fort.  (B, L)

Day 6: Saturday, December 12 – Dubai / Amman, Jordan
Bid farewell to Dubai and transfer to the airport for your flight to Amman, Jordan.  Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a city of contrasts with buildings dating back over 2000 years to the modern buildings of a major Middle Eastern city.  This afternoon, explore Jerash, known for its 6500 year old ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, also referred to as Antioch on the Golden River.  Return to Amman for an overnight stay with dinner at the hotel.  (B, In-flight Meal Service, Dinner)

Day 7: Monday, December 13 – Amman / Petra
This morning visit Mount Nebo, located west of Madaba, which offers stunning views of the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley, and the Holy Land towards Jerusalem.  Mount Nebo is believed to be the summit which Moses climbed to look over the Promised Land and the place where he died.  Visit Madaba, a friendly town in the heart of the Holy Land, best known for its mosaics, especially for the Madaba Mosaic Map, a large Byzantine-era mosaic map of Palestine and the Nile delta.  This beautifully detailed mosaic forms the floor of the St. George Church which dates back to around 560 AD.  Continue on to Umm Rasas, a rectangular walled city southeast of Madaba, which is mentioned in both, the Old and New Testament.  This city was fortified by the Romans and local Christians who were still embellishing it with Byzantine-style mosaics well over 100 years after the Muslim Umayyad ruling began.  Outside the city walls is the recently unearthed Church of St. Stephen with a perfectly preserved mosaic floor, the largest of its kind in Jordan, second only to the world famous mosaic map at Madaba. Overnight in Petra.  (B, L)

Day 8: Tuesday, December 14 – Petra
Enjoy a full day tour of Petra.  Two thousand years ago, Petra was a refuge for nomadic Nabateans who traveled north from Arabia.  Petra, a UNESCO Heritage Site, is famously described as “the rose-red city half as old as time.”  The city was created into a rocky outcrop providing a concealed fortress city.  To reach the city we travel through the awesome Siq, a winding mile-long fissure between overhanging cliffs.  At the end of the Siq towering on the horizon, appears Petra’s most impressive monument, El Khazneh, a massive royal tomb carved into the side of the mountain of solid rock.  The name El Khazneh means “the treasury”.  Beyond the El Knazneh there is a city, completely carved out of the rock, with soaring temples, elaborate tombs, a Roman Theatre, and paved streets for you to explore.  Petra is also home to Roman settlements on the same site.  Overnight in Petra.  (B, L)

Day 9: Wednesday, December 15 – Petra / Dead Sea / Amman
Travel along the coast of the Dead Sea with a stop for a unique swimming experience.  The surface and shores of the Dead Sea are 1,385 ft.below sea level, the lowest elevation on the earth’s surface.  The Dead Sea is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water and if you’ve neverbeen able to float in water, you will here!  Travel back to the hotel in Amman.  Farewell Dinner.  (B, D)

Day 10: Thursday, December 16 – Amman / Dubai
Enjoy this morning atleisure in Amman.  Transfer to the Amman airport for your 4:30 p.m. flight to Dubai.  (B, In-flight Meal Service)

Day 11: Friday, December 17 – Dubai / USA
Depart Dubai at 2:00 a.m. on Emirates Airways for your flight to New York/JFK arriving at 7:20 a.m.  The early arrival time affords ample time to connect to your flight back home. (In-flight Meal Service) 

PRICE INCLUDES
International Airfare from New York/JFK via Emirates Airways
Airfare from Dubai, UAE to Amman, Jordan
Airline Taxes, Transfers, Entry Visa to Dubai & Jordan
English-speaking tour guides throughout
Five star hotel accommodations in Dubai, Amman & Petra
Welcome and farewell dinner
Dubai city tour – Abu Dhabi excursion – Fujairah excursion
Ski Dubai and Mall of the Emirates
Farewell dinner at hotel in Amman
Admissions to tours listed

NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE
Roundtrip airfare from your home gateway to New York/JFK
Airline Luggage Fees
Meals not listed in itinerary, bottled water, and other beverages
Tips to the motor coach driver & local tour guides

Rupiper Travel reserves the right to make minor adjustments to the itinerary if necessary
Insurance is available for every tour

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