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!
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!
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 10 Aug 2013
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 10 August 2013 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.
Prices shown are per person travelling. 'Twin/Double' prices per person apply when there are 2 people travelling, sharing a room. The 'Single supplement' applies for single travellers who require their own room and needs to be added to the 'Twin/Double' price. If you are happy to be paired up with another single traveller of the same sex on your tour, this can be arranged, thus avoiding the single person supplement.
All our scheduled tour departures are guaranteed subject to a minimum of 2 travellers.
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!
Bolt-ons
Make the most of your time away! Listed below are the optional activities that are available on this trip. Please note that you will need to book these prior to travel as we cannot always guarantee availability of these activities once you are on holiday.
Ever wanted to know how to make real, authentic Middle Eastern hoummus? Based just up the road from the entrance to the Rose City, Petra Kitchen - a locally managed business staffed by local Jordanian people, offers a hands-on approach to the preparation of a Middle Eastern repast. At Petra Kitchen, enjoy a cooking session which will result in the mysteries of dishes such as baba ghanoush, fattoush, sambousek b’jibn (cheese triangles) and proper hoummus-from-scratch dispelled before your very eyes and with your very involvement. Then enjoy the fruits of your labours - a faraway feast, fit for a king, sultan or khedive! Something good’s cooking at the Petra Kitchen!
Take an inspirational journey to the revered Holy Land. Serving as a pillar to the Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths, we tour Jerusalem - the heart of the Promised Land and beyond, visiting some of world's most sacred and historical sites. This bolt-on fits perfectly with our Totally Jordan and Deserts Ruins and Reefs group tours.
Experiences
If you are interesting in trips with similar experiences to this one, then check out some of the ones we've listed below.
Get your adrenaline pumping with our selection of off road adventures. Take an exciting 4x4 ride across the red desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan or the Western Desert in Egypt, or perhaps test out your Quad biking skills by the coast in Morocco.
Enjoy the great outdoors, getting back to basics and soaking up the scenery. From camping for a night in the Sahara Desert, under a blanket of stars in Jordan's Wadi Rum or even on the snow in Antarctica! We also offer longer camping expeditions through the wilds of Africa. The choice is yours.
Experience breathtaking sunsets, incredible starry skies and the vast, beautiful landscapes of some of the world's most spectacular deserts. See the incredible limestone formations of the White Desert in Egypt, camel trek across the endless rolling sand dunes of the Sahara or India's great Thar Desert and climb Dune 45 in Namibia.
The Rose City of Petra is the jewel in Jordan’s glittering archaeological crown, and is now one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Accessed on a walk through a narrow, deep and winding cleft in the rock that is known as the Siq, the end prize is the hidden valley where the Rose City of Petra lies. And the first sight to behold is the façade of Al-Kazneh – aka the Treasury of Petra. This rose red building actually served as a royal tomb, but got its name from the legend that pirates hid their treasure there. With a backstory like that and its amazing appearance its no surprise to learn that it was this building that served as the Holy Grail’s resting place In Indiana Jones and the last crusade.
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Petra is full of ancient tombs, temples and ruins ripe for modern-day discoverers like us!
Highlights & Inclusions
Below is a list of key highlights and what is included on this tour. Further, where appropriate, we have listed the items that are not included in the tour price.
Trip Highlights
Amman - Citadel, Archaeological Museum and souq
Umm Qais - Roman Decapolis city
Petra - Nabataean Rose City
Umm ar-Rasas - ancient walled city on the caravan route
Madaba - Christian market town, Church of St George, Jordan’s finest Byzantine mosaics
Jerash - Ruins of ancient Roman city
Dead Sea - opt for a dip
Wadi Rum desert
Mt Nebo - view across the Promised Land
What's Included
Breakfast daily, 2 dinners
1 night - Wadi Rum deluxe desert camp
Dead Sea - free time, swim & detox
Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 and day 8
All relevant transfer and transportation in private modern air-conditioned vehicles
6 nights 3 star hotels
4 x 4 desert safari through the sand dunes of Wadi Rum
Touring of Amman, Jerash, Umm Qais, Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Umm ar-Rasas, Mt Nebo and Madaba
Escorted by licenced Jordanian Tour Guide
What's Not Included
International flights and visa
Tip for your tour guide. We recommend you allow $3 - 5 USD per day, per traveller. Tipping your guide is an entirely personal gesture.
Tipping Kitty: $35-45 USD
Laundry, drinks and items of a personal nature
Entrance Fees: $135-145 USD
Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard when necessary.
Toledo - Amman
A modern hotel, the Toledo is a well appointed hotel with airy rooms. All rooms have views of the famous King Abdullah Mosque and several historical churches.
Our Rating : Standard —
Local Rating: 3 Star Hotel
Petra Moon Hotel - Petra
Just 300 ft from the entrance gate to Petra, the Petra Moon hotel features spacious rooms with private balconies and flat-screen TVs. It also has a roof garden with a seasonal outdoor pool. The soundproofed rooms and suites at Petra Moon come with satellite channels, a DVD player and extra-long beds. Each has air conditioning and a private bathroom..
Our Rating : Standard —
Local Rating: 3 Star Hotel
Rainbow Camp - Wadi Rum
A rustic camp, with beds inside the tents.
Our Rating : Simple —
Local Rating: Deluxe Camp
Madaba Inn - Madaba
The Madaba Inn is a basic hotel, with spacious rooms. The restaurant serves both local and international food and the cafe serves light meals.
Our Rating : Standard —
Local Rating: 3 Star Hotel
Postcards
Here's what some of our past travellers have written in to us and said about their experiences on this trip.
Totally Jordan - 8 Days
I had a fantastic holiday. Our tour guide was very helpful, organized and friendly.
Vanessa Greenway ,
Totally Jordan - 8 Days
I had a great time on this tour, Jamilah was a wonderful guide, told us a lot about Jordanian Culture. The pace of the tour was good, hotels were excelent and so were all the places that we had dinners and lunches at. I would definitely reccomend this trip to friends!
Laura Pinto ,
Totally Jordan - 8 Days
A most wonderful experience! We are more than happy we decided to visit Jordan, Thank you to all staff who were involved, "top work"!
Wendy Cowling ,
Totally Jordan - 8 Days
Hi Charlie
Just wanted to say what a great time I had in Jordan. I loved everything!
Jamileh was such a good guide. She supplied us with lots of interesting information, had a great sense of humour and gave a good insight into life in Jordan. Thank you Jamileh!
I particularly enjoyed the candlelight walk down the Siq into Petra, the wild flowers and the peacefulness of Umm Qais, the colours and rock formation and camping in Wadi Rum. The early morning walk to the High Place in Petra was also great. I also liked the views, albeit hazy, of Israel from different points along the tour.
Thanks again
Jacqueline Mordue,
Totally Jordan - 8 Days
our guide, Jamila was loveley. Petra by night & the kitchen both a must do, Jerash & Wadi Rum unexpected delights. Thank you Jamila, Shuktan!
Tammy MacKenzie ,
Totally Jordan - 8 Days
I'm very pleased with holiday, we had an excellent tour leader who looked after us very well, thank you very much!
Kirtsteen Mills ,
Totally Jordan - 8 Days
Our tour leader was excellent, she was very knowledgable, friendly & had a great sense of humour. Thanks Jameela!
Amber Larner ,
Totally Jordan - 8 Days
Organisation of the tour was fantastic, I believe that a good tour leader makes all the difference, and Jamila was amazing, the hotel in Petra was great , the most comfortable we stayed in, I'd suggest to add 'torch' to the list of items to bring in your 'Go Guide', it's needed in Wadi Rum at night. All in all, the trp was fantastic :)