Totally Jordan - 8 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 eight totally amazing days!
Day 1: Amman
Saturday. Welcome to Jordan and the start of an amazing adventure. Arrive Amman, included transfer to our hotel and overnight.
Overnight - Amman
Day 2: Ancient Cities & Roman Ruins
Amman - Jerash - Umm Qais - Amman. Heading north, we visit Jerash, the Graeco-Roman city known as the ‘Pompeii of the East’. Built over 2,000 years ago, Jerash is widely regarded as the best-preserved city of the Decapolis, a confederation of 10 Roman cities dating from the 1st century! We’ll explore the site taking in the colonnaded street, amphitheatre, nymphaeum, forum and more before continuing to Umm Qais (Gadara), a dramatic black-basalt Roman city of the Decapolis with panoramic views over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. Overnight - Amman (B)
Totally Jordan - 8 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: Mt Nebo & Umm ar Rasas
Amman - Mt Nebo - Umm ar Rasas - Petra. This morning, we tour the citadel of Amman, Archaeological Museum and enjoy free time shopping in the local souq, before visiting Mt Nebo - the single most important biblical site in Jordan. 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. We too can enjoy the excellent views offered of the Jordan River Valley, the northern shore of the Dead Sea, Jericho on the opposite bank and (on clear days) the towers on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
Later we visit Umm ar Rasas, a haunted deserted city on the ancient caravan routes. The village is the site of the now ruinous Roman garrison town of Kastron Mefaa, which developed during the Byzantine and Umayyad periods into a relatively important city. Large mosaic floors from two of its dozen or more churches 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 and seven Trans-Jordanian cities including Philadelphia (modern-day Amman), Madaba and Karak. Overnight - Petra (B)
Later we visit Umm ar Rasas, a haunted deserted city on the ancient caravan routes. The village is the site of the now ruinous Roman garrison town of Kastron Mefaa, which developed during the Byzantine and Umayyad periods into a relatively important city. Large mosaic floors from two of its dozen or more churches 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 and seven Trans-Jordanian cities including Philadelphia (modern-day Amman), Madaba and Karak. Overnight - Petra (B)
Day 4: The Rose City
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)
Day 5: 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 desertscape 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 6: Dead Sea
Wadi Rum - Karak - Dead Sea - Madaba. This morning, we explore the vast well preserved 12th century crusader castle of Al Karak. It took the Crusaders some twenty years to erect their fortified stronghold, which through the proceeding centuries withstood countless attack and siege. 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 to the lowest point on the earth's surface we arrive at the Dead Sea. Sitting at 422 metres below sea level we spend the afternoon swimming, lathering up with a detoxifying mud bath and bobbing about in the ever warm mineral-rich body of water. After we drive onward to the bustling Muslim-Christian market town of Madaba. Overnight - Madaba (B, D)
Descending some 1300 metres to the lowest point on the earth's surface we arrive at the Dead Sea. Sitting at 422 metres below sea level we spend the afternoon swimming, lathering up with a detoxifying mud bath and bobbing about in the ever warm mineral-rich body of water. After we drive onward to the bustling Muslim-Christian market town of Madaba. Overnight - Madaba (B, D)
Day 7: Madaba
Famed for it’s Byzantine mosaics, including the fascinating map of the Holy Land made in the 6th century out of two million stone pieces and now housed in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, Madaba, its mosaics, quaint village shops and local market are all here to explore. Overnight - Madaba (B)
Day 8: Madaba
Saturday. Madaba - Amman Airport. Explore Madaba your way, before hotel check-out and included onward departure transfer to Amman's Queen Alia airport.
(B)
Totally Jordan Perseids Meteor Shower departure 11 Aug 2012
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Why not combine this tour with the amazing celestial spectacle of the Perseids Meteor shower? This magical event has mystified and amazed viewers for almost 2000 years. Our special Totally Jordan meteor departure starting 11 August 2012 includes two spellbinding nights of stargazing in the wonderful setting of the Jordanian desert. Take a look at our special Totally Jordan - Perseid's Meteor Shower itinerary.
Other tours that include the meteor shower are: Road to Jersualem - departs 11 AUG 2012 Pyramids, Petra, Promised Land - starting 04 AUG 2012 |
Tour Details
- Starts in: Amman / Ends in: Madaba
- Departs: Saturdays - year round
- No local payment required
- Breakfast:7, Lunch: 0, Dinner: 2
- Hotel Rating: 3 star
- 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 ..