Day 1: Amman
On arrival at Amman's Queen Alia International Airport, you are met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. This is simply an arrival day so you may arrive in Amman at any time. Note that hotel rooms are generally only available after midday. The balance of the day is free to explore your surroundings, but normally a Welcome Meeting is held in the evening where you meet your tour leader and fellow travellers.
Day 2: Jerash - Dead Sea - Amman
The Roman city of Jerash is one of the grandest ancient cities in the world, its archways and theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets constitute a striking collection and make it a beautiful place to explore. Grand ionic columns encircle the city's centrepiece, the Oval Plaza, a wonderfully atmospheric place to linger after exploring Jerash's riches. We visit the site in the morning and later drive down to spend the afternoon at the Dead Sea. Relax on the shore or take a dip like no other – the warm, highly saline waters make swimming difficult but bobbing on the water's surface a unique pleasure. Afterwards we return to Amman for the night.
Day 3: Madaba - Mount Nebo - Dana Village - Shobak Castle - Petra
This morning we drive to Madaba, where we visit the Greek Orthodox church of St George that houses a 6th century mosaic map depicting the old city of Jerusalem. This is of particular interest, as it clearly depicts Palestine and Lower Egypt around 550 AD. We continue on to Mount Nebo, where a monastery believed to be the burial place of Moses is located on a hill overlooking the Holy Land. The custodians of this monastery are Franciscan monks and it also contains some of the most impressive mosaics in the world. We then travel to Dana, where we stroll though the ancient village. Recent finds have revealed evidence of Palaeolithic, Egyptian, Edomite, Assyrian, Nabataean and Roman civilisations. We visit workshops where local artisans sell attractive silver jewellery and charms to support their families and their local community. The final part of our drive today takes us to Petra via the ancient Crusader castle at Shobak.
Day 4: Petra
A regular and fully justified contender for the '8th Wonder of the World' title, the iconic Petra view – the Treasury's glorious façade, glimpsed from the narrow cleft known as the Siq – is arguably the single most striking sight of the entire region. The first sight of the exquisite craftsmanship among such stark scenery is a moment that both manage to be eagerly anticipated and also be still an unlikely and almost surreal surprise. Petra's greatest surprise, however, is its size. With our guide we explore the old Roman road, amphitheatre and several old tombs. We also climb up to the Monastery – the site's second beautiful façade – from where we have a magnificent view of the entire site. This is a memorable day exploring a truly extraordinary destination and sure to be one of the highlights of our trip. There is a cafeteria on the site, where we can enjoy a light lunch. In the mid-afternoon we return to our hotel and our tour leader will try hard to persuade us to take a Turkish bath! It's perfect timing after a day exploring Petra, as well as being his a great experience - Petra is an excellent – and safe - place to try this tradition of the region. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 5-6: Petra - Wadi Rum
We have the chance to return to Petra on an optional second visit (please note that you must pay the entrance fee today if you wish to go in). Afterwards we continue driving on to spellbinding Wadi Rum, a landscape of rugged sandstone mountains standing tall among an ochre desert floor. We head into this desolate, romantic protected area in rather rickety old jeeps, operated by the local Bedouin community. This is an attempt by the Jordanian Government to bring much-needed income into this region - an initiative we also support. After time for lunch in the small village of Rum and a browse around the excellent and informative visitor's centre, we visit several of Wadi Rum's distinctive rock formations and soak in the vast silence and spectacular desert landscapes. The visitor's centre is also a great spot to buy some jewellery and knick-knacks, mostly made by a women's co-operative which is aimed at supporting traditional local industries. Wadi Rum is a truly beautiful place with towering sandstone mountains. It fully deserves the amount of time we spend here, with the wind-sculpted rock formations changing hue throughout the day from sunrise to sunset. We also meet our Bedouin friends and ride camels to our traditional Bedouin tent situated deep within Wadi Rum. The Bedouins live in scattered camps throughout the area. We enjoy an evening with them at one of their camps, which is set in an amazing location. Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18. Much of David Lean's movie on his exploits, 'Lawrence of Arabia', was actually filmed in Wadi Rum. One morning it's well worth rising early and watching the cliffs change colour as the sun comes up. This morning walk (the length of the walk will depend on how energetic we are feeling) may involve scaling one of the large dunes to enjoy sensational views of the surrounding area. Keen photographers will be delighted!
Day 7: Aqaba
We continue down to Red Sea town of Aqaba, where we enjoy free time to relax. The sea is teeming with colourful marine life, so it is an ideal place for indulge in some optional scuba diving or snorkelling depending on time. Our tour leader can help us to arrange these activities. Alternatively you may just like to relax by the hotel's swimming pool or walk around and enjoy the ambience of this coastal town; this is sure to be a welcome break after our time in the desert.
Day 8: Aqaba - Amman
We leave the beach and travel up the Desert Highway and the King's Highway on our way back to Amman. On arrival we enjoy an orientation tour of Jordan's fascinating and hilly capital. Known as Rabbath Ammon during prehistoric periods and later as Philadelphia, this ancient city, once part of the Decapolis League, now boasts a population of around 1.5 million people. The most impressive sight is probably the Roman Theatre which is located in the heart of the city. We also visit the old market - a great place for photo opportunities. Tonight we take the opportunity to enjoy a farewell dinner (optional) with our fellow travelling companions. A good option is the Kan Zaman Restaurant, which is a favourite with locals.
Day 9: Amman
Your trip ends today after breakfast. Check-out time is usually around 12 noon and you are free to leave at any time. If you have arranged a private airport transfer you will be advised of the pick-up time. Additional accommodation can be pre-booked if you wish to spend more time exploring Amman.
Tour Grade: Culture
The greatest cities in the world and the richest historic sights; the finest regional food and the must-see spectacles. Museums and markets, medinas and mosques – from Hobart to Hong Kong, Cairo to Caracas, get under the skin of local life and explore what your destination means to its own people. Dive headlong into exotic metropolitan buzz – the souks of Marrakech, La Paz’s markets – or adventure to remote African hills to explore ancient and mysterious rock art. Take in cutting edge art at Bilbao’s dazzling Guggenheim, or soak up timeless rhythms sitting under a balanzan tree in Mali listening to Tuareg musicians. Whatever it is, wherever you are, there’s no greater adventure than learning how another culture ticks.
