Eilat

Bus & Minivan Tours

Discovered in the early 19-century, Petra was named as one of the 7 Wonders of the World in 1985. You’ll understand why once entering through the Siq. Seeing the Treasury for the first time is breathtaking. The workmanship and sheer size of it will amaze you. Explore Petra and see facades, tombs, a Roman theater, and burial caves. See how the Nabateans controlled all the water of the region and marvel at the great water cisterns they built. A driver will pick you up from your hotel in Eilat in the morning. After about 3-hours you will arrive at Petra to enjoy the sights and tour with your personal guide. Dine at a local restaurant and try an extensive selection of oriental dishes. You will arrive back at your hotel in the evening.

Experience a perfect trial for those who aren’t sure if they’d like to scuba dive or not. Choose from a 25 or 40-minute dive for a taste of the scuba diving experience. After arriving at the dive center, fill out a brief medical form and get a thorough briefing on the equipment you’ll be using. After a transfer to the dive site, you’ll be off and running on your diving experience. The dive begins with a 10-15 minute briefing by an experienced instructor in Russian, English, or Hebrew. Then, on the level that allows your head to stay above the surface, go through a few tasks designed to make you feel confident in the water and with the scuba equipment. After that, proceed to actual trial scuba diving. Your instructor will confidently lead you to the magical underwater world of bright coral and colorful fish, always next to you to assure your safety. After the dive, head back to the dive center, ready to take on further scuba adventures.

Snorkel the underwater world of Eliat's colorful coral reefs, and admire the more than 10,000 different kinds of fish, sponges, coral and other sea creatures that live there. Take the option for an underwater photo shoot to take some great memories home with you, if you like. Assemble at the meeting point, and rent or purchase your mask, snorkel, and fins from the local partner's diving center. Then, set off an unforgettable journey to Eliat's coral reefs. Receive brief instructions on swimming techniques and equipment safety rules from your experienced instructor before plunging into the water. Capture the experience by ordering an underwater, digital photo shoot from the diving center, at additional cost. Make fantastic souvenirs with photos of your friends and family with the abundant sealife and vibrant corals in the background. Please note that you cannot touch anything while you are underwater so as not to harm the natural balance. For the same reason, it is prohibited to feed the underwater inhabitants.

After an early departure from Eilat and crossing into Jordan, you will travel 2-3 hours along the scenic mountain route, to Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After passing the Obelisks in front of the cave, you will enter the narrow, 1,200 meter long canyon, the Siq, where you have the option to ride for the first few hundred meters. As you walk through the gorge with the towering red stone on either side, you can marvel at the incredible sites carved into the red mountain. The magnificent exterior of the treasury with its Corinthian columns is particularly well-preserved as it is deeply carved into the rock and protected by overhanging rock. To give you an idea of the height, the funeral urn alone, tucked away up in the heart of the exterior is eleven feet high.  The monumental building known as Ad Deir, is over forty meters high, its columns reaching more than two stories. At the Roman theater, you can all but wonder who filled the seats. Marvel at the sacrificial altar and the numerous tombs, each uniquely designed. After a late lunch, you will cross back to Eilat.

Day 1: After an early departure from Eilat and crossing into Jordan, travel 2-3 hours along the scenic mountain route and through the desert to Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World – briefly stopping for an overview. Pass the Obelisks in front of the cave tomb, then enter the narrow, 1,200 meter long canyon, the Siq, with an option to ride for the first few hundred meters. Walk through a gorge with the towering red stone on either side and marvel at the incredible sites carved into the red mountain. The Deir (temple) will dwarf over you, forty meters high with columns reaching more than two storeys tall. See the Roman theater and its uniquely designed tombs, along with the sacrificial altar. Then, after dinner in Petra you will have a free evening.  Day 2: In the morning spend free time exploring Petra on your own and enjoy the Bedouin market. Begin the return journey after lunch, and stop at a number of observation points to enjoy scenic views of the desert landscape and of Wadi Rum, before crossing to Eilat.

Entering Petra, through the Siq, you'll arrive at the famous Treasury. One of the reasons Petra is one of the seven wonders of the world is the spectacular Treasury facade. With numerous statues, facades, temples, tombs, caves, and a Roman theatre, Petra is an unforgettable experience in ancient architecture. The Nabateans inhabited Petra over 2000 years ago and prospered from building a water conduit system. Water was sold to the passing caravans, merchants, and travelers. After an earthquake in 363 A.D. Petra fell into a decline. Without enough resources to rebuild it the city, people left Petra. Tour Itinerary Day 1: 8:30 AM – pickup from your hotel in Eilat 9:00 AM – cross the border and drive to Petra 11:00 AM – start the touring day 3:30 PM – lunch at a local restaurant 5:00 PM – check in to your hotel and free evening Day 2: 8:00 AM – breakfast at the hotel 9:00 AM – free time to explore Petra or surrounding markets 4:30 PM – pickup from the hotel 6:30 PM – arrival to Aqaba 7:00 PM – drive to border and passport control

The tour departs from Eilat and heads towards Petra, crossing the Aravah border along the way. Ride through the dusty desert landscapes, and marvel at the vast sandy scenery that stretches out all around you. Follow the scenic route alongside the mountains before arriving at Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Upon arrival, explore the highlights of the site with your expert guide and listen to fascinating stories and legends about the people who once lived here. As you amble around, admire the vibrant hues of the rocks from which most of the buildings here were carved, earning Petra the nickname ‘red-rose city’. Following your tour, enjoy some free time to wander around the site at your own leisure and focus on the areas that interest you most. After the tour, start the return journey to Eilat in the direction of the port region of Aqaba. Along the drive, stop at a selection of observation points to marvel at the breathtaking landscape of the Wadi Rum desert, where the red rocky mountains blend into the sunny horizon.