Sightseeing : Wonders of Jordan
14 days / 13 nights
Complete tour discovering the wonders of Jordan, which will take you through the ages to see and feel the diversity of cultures, history and landscape. You will be delighted by the visit of Nabatean tombs which carved into the rocks, Byzantine mosaics, Roman towns, Crusaders castles and the ocher sand dunes of Wadi Rum. Enjoying unique sceneries in the heart of Dana Biosphere Reserve, and will be touched by the hospitality of Jordanian Bedouins.
Day 1 : AMMAN
Upon arriving Queen Alia International Airport or at land borders, you will be received by our representatives. Transfer to your hotel in Amman.
Meals : -
Accommodation : Shams Al-Weibdeh Hotel 4* or similar
Day 2 : AMMAN / DESERT CASTLES / AMMAN
Departure to the east to visit the Desert Castles : Qasr Al Kharraneh, Qasr Amra and Qasr Al-Azraq, built by the Omayyad Caliphs of Damascus in the 8th century AD as hunting lodges. Wildly varied in architectural style. After lunch, we return to Amman. Visit of Amman Old Town with its Roman Theater and Citadel. The ancient and modern capital of Jordan was built on seven hills. From the top of the citadel, one of the highest hills, you have a splendid view of the old city. Visit of the Jordan Museum. Dinner in the city and night in Amman.
Meals : breakfast, dinner
Accommodation : Shams Al-Weibdeh Hotel 4* or similar
* Jordan Museum closed on Tuesdays
Day 3 : AMMAN / JARASH / AJLOUN / UM QAIS / AMMAN
Departure to visit the splendidly preserved Greco-Roman city of Jarash. Jarash is one of the most important and best preserved Roman city of the Decapolis. It is also known as the Pompeii of the east. Drive through the pine forests and olive groves until the fortress of Ajloun, known as Qa'lat Al Rabaht. Overlooking the Jordan Valley it was built in 1184 by Izz Al-Din Usama, a general in the army of Saladin. The castle controlled traffic along the road connecting Damascus and Egypt. Road to visit Um Qais. Historically known as Gadara, Um Qais is one of Jordan's most unique Greco-Roman Decapolis sites. Tucked away in the black basalt hillside, at a height of 378 meters above sea level, Um Qais offers an incomparable panoramic view over the northern Jordan valley, the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberius), the Yarmouk Gorge and the Golan Heights. On a clear day, snow topped Mount Hermon is visible. Drive to Amman. Dinner and night in Amman.
Meals : breakfast, dinner
Accommodation : Shams Al-Weibdeh Hotel 4* or similar
Day 4 : AMMAN / UM ER-RASAS / MADABA / MOUNT NEBO / DEAD SEA (King's Way)
After breakfast we will head to Um Er-Rasas, a UNESCO world heritage site containing remains from the Roman, Byzantine and early Muslim periods (end of 3rd to 9th centuries AD) and a fortified Roman military camp. The site also has 16 churches, some with well-preserved mosaic floors. Particularly noteworthy is the mosaic floor of the Church of Saint Stephen with its representation of towns in the region. Departure to Madaba, the 'City of Mosaics' which has the most famous mosaic map depicting Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Road to Mount Nebo. Mount Nebo is where Moses was given a view of the Promised Land and where he died and was buried. Here there are ruins of 4th and 6th century churches whose floors are still covered with marvelous mosaic. The memorial of Moses offers spectacular views of the Jordan Valley. After the visit, departure to the Dead Sea, 442m below the sea level, austere, brutal, flooded by a blinding light. Free time to swim and relax. Dinner and night at the hotel.
Meals : breakfast, dinner
Accommodation : Ramada Hotel 3* or similar
Optional superior accommodation : Holiday Inn Hotel 4* or similar for a supplement of 69 JOD per person per night
Day 5 : DEAD SEA / BETHANY / KERAK / DANA (King's Way)
Drive along the shore of the Dead Sea to visit Bethany, the site of John the Baptist, where Jesus was baptized. Road to Kerak for a visit of the Kerak castle, built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. We will arrive in the evening at the lodge with the sunset over the mountains of Dana. Dinner and night in Dana.
Meals : breakfast, dinner
Accommodation : Dana Eco Lodge Guest House 3* or similar
Optional activity : Wadi Mujib Canyon
Departure for a 2-3 hour trek in the Mujib nature reserve. This reserve offers many hiking trails through spectacular landscapes of gorges and rivers.
Difficulty: From "easy" at the end of the dry season (September to October) to "sporty" in spring when the wadis are still very heavy with rainwater in winter.
Note: The wadi is closed from the end of October to April due to the risk of flooding in the event of rain. The canyon can be closed outside its periods depending on bad weather. In this case, you will be offered another activity.
Supplement: 18 JOD per person to be paid on site
Day 6 : DANA / SHOBAK / LITTLE PETRA / PETRA (King's Way)
In the morning, visit of the Dana biosphere reserve, one of Jordan’s hidden gems. The focal point of the reserve is the charming 15th-century stone village of Dana, which dangles beneath the King’s way on a precipice, commanding exceptional views of the valley below. Road to visit the Shobak castle, a Crusader castle on the eastern side of the Arabah, perched on the side of a rocky, conical mountain, looking out over fruit trees below. We continue our tour by car to visit Little Petra. A suburb of the ancient city, it comes complete with its own mini-Siq, tombs, temples and various examples of domestic architecture, including water channels and some faint frescoes. Dinner and night at the hotel in Petra.
Meals : breakfast, dinner
Accommodation : Petra Seven Wonders Hotel 3* or similar
Day 7 & Day 8 : PETRA
Two full days to discover and visit Jordan's Jewel, Petra, a city fully carved into the rock. There is no other site of its kind in Jordan, or perhaps throughout the Middle East. Dinner and night in Petra.
Meals : breakfast, dinner
Accommodation : Petra Seven Wonders Hotel 3* or similar
Day 9 : PETRA / WADI RUM
Another great day has been planned! Leaving Petra focus on the timeless and unspoiled Wadi Rum, one of the world's most outstanding desert landscapes where monolithic mountains of sandstone and granite rise out of the rose-red desert sand creating a magnificent scene. Lying 120 km south of Petra and 68 km north of Aqaba, Wadi Rum is the classic picture of a sandy desert with sandstone hills rising sheer out of the valley floor. There are many ways to explore this unspoiled desert retreat. It is the ideal location for hiking, climbing and trekking. The scenery here has not changed since Colonel T.E. Lawrence’s time. Wadi Rum is still one of the most striking natural landscapes in the world. In the morning, enjoy a 4x4 jeep ride inside the Wadi, in the afternoon a 2 to 3 hour hike escorted by your bedouin local guide. Diner and night at the camp site under the stars.
Meals : breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation : Sand Stars camp or similar
Day 10 : WADI RUM
For our second day in the desert, we go south to Jebel Hash mountain. A 3-4 hour trek will take us to its summit from where the views of the Saudi and Jordanian desert are magnificent. Back at the bottom of the mountain, we have lunch in the shade before continuing our hike through the valley of Halg Umm Nughra and its ocher dunes. Back at the camp, a Bedouin dinner will be cooked on site for a friendly moment altogether, before joining our Bedouin tent.
Meals : breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation : Sand Stars Camp or similar
Day 11 : WADI RUM / AQABA
Breakfast in the desert then transfer to Aqaba. The day is free to enjoy this charming little city shaded by palm trees and pristine sandy beaches or to discover the coral reefs considered by divers to be the richest in the world. All you need is a diving mask. Dinner and night at the hotel.
Meals : breakfast
Accommodation : Aqaba Mövenpick City Hotel & Resort 5* or similar
Day 12 : AQABA (Red Sea)
Free day at leisure in Aqaba. Those interested in snorkeling can do so at one of the world's best conserved coral reefs. Dinner and night at the hotel.
Meals : breakfast
Accommodation : Aqaba Mövenpick City Hotel & Resort 5* or similar
Day 13 : AQABA / AMMAN
Last morning to enjoy the Red Sea. Return to Amman in the afternoon. Dinner at the Tawaheen Al-Hawa, a restored former caravanserai that has become a meeting place for Jordanian families. Night at the hotel.
Meals : breakfast, dinner
Accommodation : Shams Al-Weibdeh Hotel 4* or similar
Day 14 : AMMAN
Transfer to the airport and departure.
Meals : breakfast
Accommodation : -
Why choosing this tour :
• Flexibility and adaptation to your wishes
• Promotes contact with locals and the discovery of local culture
• Local English-speaking guide
• Group limited to 15 participants maximum
• Guaranteed departure from 5 people
