Amman to Mount Nebo and Umm ar-Rasas: Private day trip

According to the Bible, Moses scaled Mount Nebo for a glimpse of the Land of Canaan after leading the Israelites through the desert for 40 years, and though he could see it, God said he would not enter. It’s also said that the prophet Jeremiah hid the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant in a cave in the mountain. To commemorate Moses, a Byzantine church and Monastery were built at the very top of the mountain in the 4th century, and today, a modern chapel and museum protect its beautiful mosaic floors. From the top of the mount you can take in the Biblical view of the Promised Land that - on a clear day it's even possible to see Jericho and Jerusalem!

Said to be the site of the Biblical town of Mephaat, Umm ar-Rasas was built as a Roman garrison town in the 4th century to defend the frontier of the Roman Empire. During the Byzantine era, and even into the Early Muslim period, 16 churches were built at Umm ar-Rasas, and it remained a pilgrimage site until Muslim officials began threatening pilgrims with imprisonment. While much of the site hasn’t been excavated, many of the churches exhibit some well-preserved mosaics. The most notable is the one in the Church of St Stephen, which is the largest Byzantine mosaic in Jordan. Perfectly preserved, it includes fishing scenes, a map of major cities in the region, and the only surviving icon in the city. The town’s two square towers were likely used by ascetic monks who would sit atop them in isolation, and are probably the last vestiges of this practice.