Amman to Madaba and Mount Nebo: Private day trip

Main attractions

• A Jordanian market town of Byzantine and Umayyad heritage, best known for the 6th-century Madaba Mosaic Map — the oldest surviving cartographic depiction of the Holy Land, preserved in the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St George; a detailed topographic map of the Middle East from the Nile Delta to Lebanon rendered in 2.3 million tesserae, with Jerusalem at its center
• The Archaeological Park preserves additional Byzantine mosaic floors of exceptional quality — the Hippolytus Hall mosaic and the Church of the Virgin both contain figurative and geometric work rivaling the finest in the region

What to eat

• Mansaf — Jordan's national dish of lamb cooked in fermented dried yogurt sauce served over rice and flatbread — at any of the traditional restaurants in the town center; Haret Jdoudna in a restored Ottoman courtyard house is the most atmospheric option

Main attractions

• The mountain from which Moses is said to have viewed the Promised Land before his death — a ridge above the Dead Sea valley in western Jordan at 817 meters, with a panoramic view across the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, Jericho, and on exceptionally clear days, the towers of Jerusalem visible on the horizon 50km distant
• The Memorial Church of Moses on the summit preserves some of the finest Byzantine mosaic floors in the Middle East — the 6th-century hunting and pastoral scenes are exceptional; the famous Brazen Serpent sculpture by Giovanni Fantoni marks the traditional site of Moses' viewpoint on the terrace outside

Take note

• The view is weather and visibility dependent — morning visits before haze builds give the best chance of seeing Jerusalem; the church and mosaics are worth visiting regardless of visibility conditions
• Mount Nebo is generally open daily from 8:00 AM, with closing times varying by season (earlier in winter, later in summer).