14 Days | 13 Nights
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 to check-in.
Drive to Salt, the former capital of Jordan. Nowadays home to around 89,000 people. The town has a different identity and architecture than other cities in Jordan. Here you walk along Hammam Street to see the highlights of the 19th century architecture of this period, yellow houses with long-arched windows in picturesque narrow streets. Well known is the Abu Jaber mansion, built between 1892 and 1906, reputed to be the finest example of a 19th century merchant house in the region. It had been transformed into the Historic Old Salt Museum. You have time to wander up and down the alleys in the old city and get different perspectives and views of the old houses. Then proceed 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). Overnight Amman.
Morning time we drive two hours from Amman to Gadara, known as Umm Qais. The town belonged to the famous Decapolis, a union of 10 cities, founded by Alexander the Great. Several poets and philosophers lived here, and this is the place where the Biblical miracle of the Gadarene swine took place. In Umm Quais you see ruins of theatres and a colonnaded streets and have an overwhelming view over the north Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee. Best time to visit is spring when the surrounding hills are lush and green. We continue then to Jerash, the best example of a Roman provincial city in the whole Middle East. The well preserved ruins had been hidden for centuries in sand, before the excavations started in 1925. Wander along the spectacular Forum, paved and colonnaded streets, the Nymphaeum, theatres and the Temple of Artemis. Return to your hotel in Amman.
Today starts our tour to the Desert Castles in eastern Jordan, fine examples of early Islamic architecture and art. The Amra Castle adorns with its zodiac dome and Omayyad fresco paintings depicting the life in the 8th century. You see the fortress-like mysterious Qasr Kharanah and the black basalt Roman/Medieval Islamic fort at Azraq, where Lawrence of Arabia stayed in the winter of 1917. Close by Azraq Oasis is located; Azraq is the Arabic word for blue. This is a unique wetland through the only permanent source of fresh water in approximately 12,000 square kilometres of desert. Unfortunately through the overuse of water the size of the reserve shrank. But still visitors can see here several natural and ancient built pools, a seasonally flooded marshland, and in springs and autumn it is a popular place for bird watching. Overnight 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. Proceed to Dana Village, where you'll spend the night.
From the village escape today 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. Meet your local Bedouin guide and hike about 14 km 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 Ecolodge, located in the middle of the desert. The lodge serves vegetarian food only, is powered by solar energy and lit in the evenings by candles.
Free morning to discover more of the surrounding areas or sign up for one of the group activities the lodge offers. Possible is a hike or a Bedouin experience. A small fee might apply which goes directly to the local host families. Latest check-out from your room is 11:00. A jeep ride takes you to the reception centre, where you meet your driver again and hit the road to Little Petra for about 2 hours. Little Petra gives you a glimpse what to expect in Petra. You enter the site through a narrow canyon which opens up to carved buildings, tombs and water channels. 15 minutes ride to your hotel in Petra.
Today visit the highlight of Jordan, the red rose city Petra! The Nabateans settled here more than 2,000 years ago, making it an important junction for the spice and silk routes. You are able to start as early as 06:00, but early birds, don’t forget to ask the hotel for a breakfast box the day before. Meet your local guide and pass the narrow canyon, the so called Siq, with its colourful sandstone. At the end you will be rewarded with a view of the most beautiful monument: the Treasury. Continue via the Street of Facades to the Royal Tombs and Pharaoh's Castle. After around 2 hours the guide says farewell to you at the restaurant area. You have free time to explore Petra on your own, for instance follow the stairs to the High Place of Sacrifice. Return to the main gate. Overnight Petra.
Petra offers several trails to explore more of the vast, ancient city. Today we take the back route from Little Petra to the Monastery El Deir. We start from Little Petra, once a caravan stopping point, where you see sandstone façades to a much smaller scale than Petra. 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 views over the Wadi Arava. Follow around 800 stairs down to the lower parts of Petra, where you recognize the main trail you followed the day before ending at the entrance gate. The hike is moderate and takes about 4 hours to reach the Monastery. There is just one exposed area where it might be a little challenging for people being afraid of heights. In the afternoon drive 1.5 hours to Wadi Rum, short ride to your campsite. Dinner and overnight in a tent.
Embark a 4x4 and with your Bedouin driver uncover more of Wadi Rum, the largest and most magnificent of Jordan’s desert landscapes, a timeless place. The rugged scenery, the changing colours of sands and mountains, the serene atmosphere will make you understand why Wadi Rum is one of the most impressing desert landscapes in the world. The setting had been used for Hollywood movies. You see canyons, red sand dunes, Nabatean rock inscriptions and a natural rock bridge formed over centuries. Hit the road to Aqaba at the Red Sea, the only seaport in Jordan. Transfer to your hotel for a free afternoon.
Two free days to enjoy the Red Sea resort of Aqaba. Just relax at the beach or have fun with water activities. Diving or snorkeling are very popular because of the various marine life and coral reefs. Other options are the visit to the Mamluk Fort and the archaeological dig Ayla, a stroll along the beach promenade and the local markets. If you happen to be in Aqaba on a Friday, visit in the evening the Souk by the Sea where local artisans show their products. Book a food experience with Aqabawi or just try the local Sayadieh dish at one of the fish restaurants. Overnight Aqaba.
Except breakfast and overnight at the hotel, no other services are provided.
Say farewell to the Red Sea and travel around 3.5 hours along the scenic Arava Road to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is known as the lowest place on earth, located more than 400 meters below sea level. Its waters are a dense, rich mix of salts and minerals. Check into your hotel with a private beach. Free time to make the floating experience in salty waters or use the black mud on the shores for a beauty mask leaving your skin soft and nurtured.
Latest check out from your room is 12:00. Depending on your flight departure transfer to Amman Airport to say goodbye to Jordan.