Passage to Petra - 6 days
Check out Roman ruins, crusader castles and the views across the holy lands, bob like a cork on the Dead Sea, range across the ruins at the Rose City of Petra and enjoy a desert safari at stunning Wadi Rum. All this in six totally amazing days!
Day 1: Amman
Sunday. Welcome to Jordan and the start of an amazing adventure. Arrive Amman, included transfer to our hotel and overnight.
Overnight - Amman
Day 2: Mt Nebo & the Promised Lands
Amman - Mt Nebo - Umm ar Rasas - Petra. Today, we tour the citadel, Archaeological Museum and enjoy free time in the local souq before before visiting Mt Nebo. Having led the Israelites for 40 years through the wilderness, Moses finally saw, from this awesome vantage point, the Promised Land, that God forbid him to set foot in.
Later we visit Umm ar Rasas, a haunted deserted city on the ancient caravan routes. Large mosaic floors of its dozen or more churches dating from the Byzantine and Umayyad periods have been painstakingly cleaned and protected. The mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen dates to 785, over 150 years after Muslim rule was established in Jordan, and depicts the cities of the day including Jerusalem, with Palestinian cities below such as Nablus and Gaza. Overnight - Petra (B)
Later we visit Umm ar Rasas, a haunted deserted city on the ancient caravan routes. Large mosaic floors of its dozen or more churches dating from the Byzantine and Umayyad periods have been painstakingly cleaned and protected. The mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen dates to 785, over 150 years after Muslim rule was established in Jordan, and depicts the cities of the day including Jerusalem, with Palestinian cities below such as Nablus and Gaza. Overnight - Petra (B)
Passage to Petra - 6 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
Day 3: Petra
Petra. Chief among Jordan’s many archaeological riches is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Rose City of Petra. The city was first settled around the 6th century BC by the Nabataean tribe from Western Arabia. Rediscovered in 1812, it remains on the list of many travellers. We access the hidden archaeological treasures of the Rose City on a walk through a narrow, deep siq, where the rocks finally give way to reveal the famous facade of Al-Khazneh (the Treasury). It's also possible to ride a horse through the Siq.
Continuing our walk, we’ll then go on to explore chunks of this fantastic once-lost city which is full of tombs, temples, an impressive amphitheatre and a Roman colonnaded street. The intrepid can ascend the hundreds of rock-cut steps to Ad-Deir. Better known as the Monastery, Ad-Deir has a similar facade to that of the Treasury, but is far bigger and the views from the nearby cliff-tops are awesome. Want to learn how to cook Middle Eastern food? Consider opting for our Petra Kitchen bolt-on tonight! Overnight - Petra (B)
Continuing our walk, we’ll then go on to explore chunks of this fantastic once-lost city which is full of tombs, temples, an impressive amphitheatre and a Roman colonnaded street. The intrepid can ascend the hundreds of rock-cut steps to Ad-Deir. Better known as the Monastery, Ad-Deir has a similar facade to that of the Treasury, but is far bigger and the views from the nearby cliff-tops are awesome. Want to learn how to cook Middle Eastern food? Consider opting for our Petra Kitchen bolt-on tonight! Overnight - Petra (B)
Day 4: Wadi Rum
Petra - Wadi Rum. A chance to revisit Petra before our afternoon drive to Wadi Rum. A vast, silent landscape of ancient riverbeds, pastel coloured stretches of sandy desert and amazing rock formations known as jebels that rise from the desert floor, the desert landscape of Wadi Rum represents some of the most stunning countryside on the planet. Boarding 4x4s jeeps, we take a safari through the sand dunes, getting up close and personal to the surrounding scenery of Wadi Rum. Tonight, we enjoy a Jordanian dinner. Overnight - Wadi Rum (B, D)
Day 5: The Dead Sea & Karak Crusader Castle
Wadi Rum - Karak - Dead Sea - Madaba. This morning, we explore the well preserved 12th century crusader castle of Al Karak. It took the Crusaders some twenty years to build. Once finished in 1161, it became the residence of the lord of Transjordan, by then the most important fief of the Crusader kingdom, rich in produce and tax revenues. Note: Shobak crusader castle maybe visited as an alternative to Karak, depending upon weather and opening times.
Descending some 1300 metres, straddling the border between Jordan and Israel we arrive at the lowest point on the planet's surface - the Dead Sea. Indulge an mud wrap and an afternoon of swimming and floating in the ever warm mineral-rich body of water. Later we drive to Madaba, a bustling Muslim-Christian market town and enjoy a wonderful traditional Jordanian meal! Overnight - Madaba (B, D)
Descending some 1300 metres, straddling the border between Jordan and Israel we arrive at the lowest point on the planet's surface - the Dead Sea. Indulge an mud wrap and an afternoon of swimming and floating in the ever warm mineral-rich body of water. Later we drive to Madaba, a bustling Muslim-Christian market town and enjoy a wonderful traditional Jordanian meal! Overnight - Madaba (B, D)
Day 6: Madaba
Friday. Madaba - Amman Airport. Explore Madaba your way, before hotel check-out and included onward departure transfer to Amman's Queen Alia airport. (B)
Perseids Meteor Shower departure - 11 Aug 2012
|
Why not combine a holiday to Jordan with the amazing celestial spectacle of the Perseids Meteor shower? The Perseids meteor shower is a spectacular celestial light show, that has mystified and amazed sky watchers for nearly 2000 years. The night sky is lit up by often over 60 meteors per hour! You can witness the incredible meteor shower from our desert camp in Wadi Rum, where you will pend two incredible nights star-gazing, when the meteor shower is at its peak on the 13th and 14th August. Please see the Go Guide for details of the amended itinerary. Supplement applies. Our tours that are present for Perseids meteor shower are: Perseid's Meteor Shower - departing 11 AUG 2012 Road to Jersualem - departing 11 AUG 2012 Pyramids, Petra, Promised Land - starting 04 AUG 2012 |
Spend the festive season in Petra!
23rd December Xmas departure - Enjoy a magical Christmas in the Rose City. On Xmas eve, after visiting Petra enjoy an Anglo-Jordanian feat at the Petra Kitchen!
28th December New Year's departure - On 31 December, after a visit to Petra and a 4 x 4 safari across the stunning Wadi Rum, settle down in our desert camp and enjoy a special New Year’s Bedouin party with musical entertainment, a lavish New Years Eve buffet dinner, party games, fireworks and champagne toast. A small supplement applies.
Tour Details
- Starts in: Amman / Ends in: Madaba
- Departs: Sundays - year round
- No local payment required
- Breakfast:5, Lunch: 0, Dinner: 2
- Hotel Rating: 3 star (+ Wadi Rum camp)
- Tour Guide: Yes
The Inside Track
Petra Cooking Class…and a recipe for Lentil Soup
Our guest blogger Adam Groffman went to Jordan with us over the festive season having won our XMAS I ..
Taking in the view from Mount Nebo, Jordan
Adam Groffman is a well-known travel blogger who travelled with us to Jordan over December after he ..