Israel and Jordan

Tauck Tours

Road Scholar

Odysseys Unlimited--the post tour extension includes Jordan.

National Geographic is a highly reputable company and you can trust their travel offers.

After a lot of looking around, we chose a Gate 1 small group tour for Israel and Jordan. It's this tour: https://www.gate1travel.com/signature/signature-collection/2018/deluxe-israel-15ddlxiljo19.aspx?SessID=

We haven't gone yet. We're booked for November. I picked this tour because it had the right combination of good pace, nice hotels, not religious and included both Israel and Jordan.

In my opinion, you can do Israel on your own. I still found some day tours once in Jerusalem, but didn't buy a tour for the entire trip.
Jordan, might be a good reason to buy a tour.

We have never done a tour with Gate 1, but I know their prices are great. Also, I have met several people that have done Gate 1 tours and loved it.

https://www.americaisraeltours.com/general-tours-to-israel/ultimate-classical-israel-tour/

This one includes a day trip to Petra.

Thanks so much. We are looking at all of your suggestions! I appreciate your help. Thanks again!

Here's one more to consider.

https://www.oattravel.com/trips/land-adventures/middle-east/israel-the-holy-land-and-timeless-cultures/2020/itineraries?icid=destcmp_isr_lk

I did an OAT tour in 2017 and am seriously considering this one for my next trip.

Imprint Tours has a tour of Israel and a tour of Egypt and Jordan in February 2020. You could do them back to back if you can get away for four weeks. The company is owned by Reid Coen, a Rick Steves guide, and the tours are run Rick Steves style. I loved the Imprint tour I took.

Thanks so much! You have been so helpful. I think we will sign up for the Road Scholar tour. Looks like people with similar ages and interests as ours.

I should also add that our 2nd trip included a Holy Land tour with America Israel Tours mentioned in another post, which will only typically present one side. The tour guide did not like me when he learned my husband and I had spent a few days before the tour began in the West Bank, specifically Ramallah, Hebron and Nablus (Abraham's Tomb, Jacob's Well, etc.). He avoided me for the remainder of the week---but interestingly enough, on the last day he asked me what company we toured with and when I told him Green Olive, and that Green Olive was a cooperative of Jews and Palestinians, he was quite surprised and hadn't heard of such a thing (no surprise). America Israel Tours was a good value and our guide was knowledgeable, but you will only get one side. If you can do both, getting both sides, it will fit in with your academic and historical desires---a traditional Israeli company's Holy Land tour will not. Israel & Palestine will amaze--the history renders you speechless.

We went on a two week tour in June with a church group from Dallas led by an old friend of ours. We had a local tour guide when we got there, but it was definitely a religious tour with a Christian emphasis. In fact, the tour guide asked my husband why nobody in our group wore any Christian religious jewelry. We are also signed up to return in November with a Road Scholar tour that will spend half the time in Jordan with a trip to Petra which we are especially looking forward to. The Road Scholar tour will be more of an educational tour with lectures along the way featuring the three major religions and the history of the area.

Thanks for your suggestions and insight about your experience.