12 Tages | 11 Nächtes
Welcome to Jordan! Our representative meets you with a signage in front of the immigration Amman Airport. Get to know your friendly, English speaking chauffeur. 45 minutes transfer to your hotel in Amman.
Drive 1 hour to Jerash, once a member of the Decapolis, but its heyday had been under the Romans. It is considered as the best example of a Roman provincial city in the whole Middle East. A local guide will make history come alive. Explore the spectacular Forum, the Roman colonnaded street, the Nymphaeum, theatres and the Temple of Artemis. Back in the capital continue to the historical places in downtown Amman. You start with the visit of the Citadel to enjoy views over the hilly capital. On the Citadel itself you see remains from the Roman to the early Islamic period, like the Hercules Temple and the Umayyad Palace, and the small Archaeological Museum. Not far away we find the Roman Theatre, which can accommodate up to 6,000 visitors. In the heart of downtown we stroll the markets (Souq). Return transfer to hotel in Amman.
Check out from hotel and drive to Mt. Nebo, believed to be the burial site of Prophet Moses. If the weather allows you will have like him a view of the Promised Land. In the remains of the Moses Memorial Church, constructed in the 4th century, you see beautiful mosaics. Short ride to the town of Madaba, known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaic art. Certainly you see the popular 6th century map of Palestine in the Greek Orthodox St. George’s Church. If open, visit to the St John’s the Baptist Church to climb the bell tower. Afterward we drive to Kerak along the famous ancient biblical caravan route, the King's Way. We have a short stop in Wadi Al-Mujib, a great wide valley with magnificent geological formation. Visit in Kerak the famous Crusader castle built in 1132/34 by King Baldwin I. of Jerusalem. Overnight at the simple Dana Hotel.
Dana village is the starting point for your trek to Petra. Meet your Bedouin guide and escape into the nature. The Dana Reserve is characterized by a chain of valleys and mountains which extend from the top of the Jordan Rift Valley down to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba. Hike downhill through sandstone gorges to Feynan. You will see along the trail the beauty and various landscapes of the area. The tour ends in Wadi Feynan, where 3,000 years ago copper had been mined and worked up. Dinner and overnight in the Feynan Eco Lodge in the middle of the desert. The lodge serves vegetarian meals only and is lit by candles in the night.
Cross the area of Feynan, where Iron Age settlements had been discovered. From Roman times you see an aqueduct and a mill. A Byzantine church commemorates early Christians forced to work in the copper mines of Feynan. You walk through a hamada landscape, a flat and stony desert. West from you lies the Wadi Arava Desert and in the east you view the mountain ranges of Jabal Sharah. Follow dried river beds, mostly over flat terrain with occasionally gentle uphill trekking. Wild camping in Wadi Barwas. The tents will be set up for you. The tent offers space for 2 persons and is equipped with mattresses. No bathroom is available, water for washing will be provided.
Today a more difficult trek lays ahead of you. We leave the stony desert and trek for about three hours into the mountains following an old Bedouin trail. This is a steep and challenging section, a zig zag route and with boulders to climb. The trail offers stunning views towards the Wadi Arava desert. The pass is known as Ras Naqb Shdeid. Continue downhill to a river valley with juniper and pistachio trees. See a waterfall and pass by a pool. Continue hiking through thick vegetation until you reach the camp, set up for you to relax in your tent in Ras Al Feid.
We continue our trek to Shkaret Mseid along shepherd trails into the remotest areas of Jordan. Nevertheless humans had been here, you spot every now and then ruins from Nabatean and Roman times. After a while the trail is not well defined anymore. Climbing higher you see some of the most spectacular sceneries of the country, surrounded by dark, rugged mountains and wadis. Continuing downhill the landscape softens, and you enter a pale coloured sandstone area with interesting rock formations, typical for the Petra region. Wild camping at Shkaret Mseid.
Leave your camp and walk towards a broad valley. You recognize signs of increasing human habitation like Bedouin camps and flock of sheep. These families do farming and grow vegetables, fruits and olive trees. We will pass more Nabataean ruins like olive presses and ancient water infrastructures. The path takes us to a saddle with great views of the Wadi Arava, then we continue towards Little Petra. Enter Siq Al Barid a narrow passage, to enter the heart of Little Petra with its tombs, monuments, cisterns and water channels. It is believed to be a caravanserai, and gives a hint what to expect in Petra. Ovenight Little Camp, where you have the opportunity to take a warm shower.
Today we take the back route from Little Petra to the Monastery El Deir. We pass by the remains of the Neolithic village Beidah, walk across open farmland before we enter mountainous area. The path opens up to see the impressive façade of the Monastery El Deir, 45 meters high, cut in the sandstone rock. Explore the monument and its surrounding areas with great panoramic views. Climb around 800 stairs down to the lower parts of Petra. Here you follow the main trail along famous landmarks like Qasr Al Bint, the Royal Tombs, the Treasury, through the Siq to the main gate. Overnight at hotel in Petra.
Drive 1.5 hours to Wadi Rum where you have two days to explore the beautiful landscape. Hike through the Rakabet Canyon to traverse the massif of Jebel Um Ishrin, which will take about two and a half hours. We continue by jeep to the Burrah Canyon, stopping to see the sand dunes of Um Ishrin, the Nabatean inscriptions, and Lawrence's House. Following that, we will have lunch in the canyon. Cross over to Red El Beidha, which will require some rock scrambling. This portion of the trip will take about two hours. At the end of the canyon we will proceed by jeep to Jebel Burdah to visit the Burdah Rock Bridge.
After breakfast hop in the jeeps to head south and drive 40 minutes through the red desert to a ridge called Jabal Al Hash. You are accompanied on an easy hike up the ridge to the top of the mountain. There you will discover magnificent views to the north and south. The guide will then lead you along the scenic ridge for 3 to 4 hours to bring you back down to the base of the mountain. After, we will find a shady place to have a lunch break with a Bedouin tea. Then we will drive you close by the border with Saudi Arabia to the White Desert. Go to the Elephant rock and Qatar Spring, a natural spring coming directly from a rock. Return to the campsite for another night in the desert.
At a prearranged time the driver picks you from Wadi Rum, to transfer you about 4 hours to Amman Airport to say farewell to our country. In case of a morning flight we recommend to return to Amman on day 11.