Jerash, Madaba & Mount Nebo tour from Dead Sea: Private guide

Walk through 2,500 years of settlement in a single day across three ancient sites.

A private full-day tour from Dead Sea hotels to Jerash, Madaba, and Mount Nebo with an English-speaking driver-guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, and entrance fees included. You spend roughly two hours exploring Jerash's temples, theaters, and colonnaded streets with a local guide, then travel to Madaba to see the 6th-century Mosaic Map inside Saint George's Church and the Archaeological Park. The tour ends at Mount Nebo, where you walk through Byzantine church ruins and view the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and Jerusalem from the summit.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Dead Sea Museum1h
2. Jerash2h · entry included
3. Mount Nebo1h · entry included

Explore Jerash, Madaba, and Mount Nebo

• Pick up from Dead Sea hotel
• Travel to Jerash by vehicle
• Wander Jerash temples and plazas
• Visit Jerash with local guide
• Travel to Madaba
• Visit Saint George’s Church mosaics
• Explore Madaba Archaeological Park
• Visit Saint John the Baptist Church
• Drive to Mount Nebo
• Tour Mount Nebo and Byzantine church
• Return to Dead Sea hotel

The experience

You're picked up from your Dead Sea hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle and driven to Jerash, the best-preserved Roman city in the world. A local English-speaking guide meets you at the ancient city gate and walks you through the Oval Plaza, the Temples of Zeus and Artemis, and the egg-shaped public square ringed by standing columns. The ruins span more than 2,500 years of occupation: Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, and Abbasid periods all left their mark on the same ground.

After roughly an hour's drive, you reach Madaba and enter Saint George's Church, a 19th-century Greek Orthodox basilica built over the famous Madaba Mosaic Map. This 6th-century floor mosaic depicts the ancient Holy Land in richly detailed renderings of Jerusalem, Jericho, the Dead Sea, and other biblical sites. Your guide explains how it was discovered in 1897. You also visit the Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist, with its bell tower overlooking the city and an underground memorial museum, and the Archaeological Park, an open-air collection of ruins and mosaics including the Church of Virgin Mary.

The final stop is Mount Nebo, the hilltop where Moses was said to have seen the Promised Land. You walk through the excavated remains of a Byzantine church and see floor mosaics from the 4th to 6th century A.D.: intricate works still showing vivid illustrations of peacocks, soldiers, horses, and hunters. On a clear day, the views from the summit stretch across the Jordan Valley all the way to Jericho and Jerusalem. Your guide shares the history of the mosaics and the site before you return to your hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from the Dead Sea.
• private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver.
• entrance fees to Jerash, Saint George's Church and Saint John the Baptist Church in Madaba, the Madaba Archaeological Park, and Mount Nebo Memorial Church.
• local English-speaking guide at Jerash and Madaba.
• on-board Wi-Fi.

Options for this experience

3 options

Tour for holders of the Jordan PassGuide in English · 09:00Private day trip to Madaba's Saint George Orthodox Church, Mount Nebo, and Jerash, excluding entrance fees purchased with the Jordan Pass. Pickup is included.

Tour OnlyGuide in English · 09:00Private day trip covering Madaba's Saint George Orthodox Church, Mount Nebo, and Jerash, departing from Dead Sea hotels. Pickup is included.

Tour with LunchGuide in English · 09:00Private day trip covering Madaba's Saint George Orthodox Church, Mount Nebo, and Jerash, including lunch at a local restaurant. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 18 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Zaid Tours and Travel

Is this one for you?Pick this if you're based at the Dead Sea and want a private guide to set the pace through three archaeological sites. You'll move between Jerash, Madaba, and Mount Nebo on your own schedule rather than follow a fixed group itinerary.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's inside Jerash that makes it different from other Roman ruins?

Jerash was one of the most prosperous cities in the Roman Empire and remained buried under sand for centuries until its discovery in 1806. The site holds temples, theaters, plazas, and colonnaded streets all enclosed within the original city walls, with archaeological layers showing continuous human settlement for over 2,500 years.

Can I see the Madaba Mosaic Map, and what exactly is it?

Yes. The Madaba Mosaic Map is a 6th-century floor mosaic inside Saint George's Church that depicts the ancient Holy Land and Jordan in detailed renderings of Jerusalem, Jericho, the Dead Sea, and other biblical sites. It was unearthed in 1897 and remains one of the oldest maps of the region.

What will I see from Mount Nebo?

Mount Nebo offers panoramic views over the Jordan Valley. On a clear day, you can see as far as Jericho and Jerusalem. You'll also explore the remains of a Byzantine church on the hilltop with floor mosaics from the 4th to 6th century A.D. showing peacocks, soldiers, horses, and hunters.

How long does the tour take, and what's included in the price?

The tour runs about 10 hours and includes hotel pickup and drop-off from the Dead Sea, private air-conditioned transport, an English-speaking driver who guides you, entrance fees to Jerash, Madaba's churches and archaeological park, and Mount Nebo's memorial church, plus on-board Wi-Fi.

Do I need to arrange anything before the tour starts?

Contact your local operator a day before to confirm your pickup time and location. If you have mobility concerns, dietary requirements, or need a car seat or stroller for an infant, let them know at booking. Dress modestly for the churches and bring a hat, sunscreen, and comfortable walking shoes.