Petra & the Bedouin Trail

On arrival at Amman International Airport, we greet you and begin your Jordan journey with a drive to your hotel in the historic town of Madaba. We help you settle in – a welcome pause after the flight. You then have free time to explore at your own pace, perhaps visiting the Church of St George to see its celebrated mosaic map. Relax this evening and get ready for the days ahead.

We begin at Little Petra – a compact Nabataean enclave of carved façades, narrow passages and ancient frescoes – before taking a short jeep transfer to the mountain trailhead. We hike a lesser–travelled back–route into Petra’s highlands, rewarded with wide desert views and a memorable arrival at the magnificent Monastery. We climb the famous stone steps to its vast façade – with panoramas over Wadi Araba – then descend into the ancient city to explore the Royal Tombs, the Roman amphitheatre and the colonnaded street. We continue through the dramatic Siq, its sandstone walls etched with historic water channels and lined with terracotta pipes, emerging at the Treasury to consider its Nabataean design and enduring legends. If time permits, you can linger for photographs before we make our way out.

We travel south from Petra into the spectacular landscapes of Wadi Rum, a route framed by rugged sandstone massifs and wide open desert. From the Visitor Centre we set out on the Bedouin Trail towards Um Ishrin Siq, walking among towering formations as the sands shift through a palette of colours. We make camp near the canyon.

We hike deeper into Wadi Rum through the Um Ishrin Siq to Lawrence’s House, then continue to the Um Fruth Rock Bridge. We explore ruins linked to T. E. Lawrence and scramble onto the natural arch for sweeping desert views – an outstanding vantage point across the sands. If you’d prefer a gentler pace, you can linger below for photos before we regroup.

We strike out from Um Fruth and trek towards Um Muqur, then climb Jebel Umm ad–Dami – the country’s highest peak. From the summit we enjoy far–reaching views across Wadi Rum and towards the Saudi border before descending to camp.

We hike across classic Wadi Rum scenery from Um Muqur to the Jebel Burdah area, then scramble up to the Burdah Rock Bridge – rewarded with sweeping views over the surrounding cliffs and dunes.

We leave the Jebel Burdah area and walk towards the narrow Burrah Canyon. It’s a gentler day on foot – time to pause and savour the play of light and shade on the canyon walls – before we make camp nearby.

We hike through Burrah Canyon, continuing via Siq Um Tawaqi and the Siq Lawrence back towards Wadi Rum village. We reflect on the area’s links to Lawrence of Arabia as we end our desert trek at the Visitor Centre. We then travel by road to Amman – trading the desert’s hush for the lively rhythm of the capital – for our final nights’ stay.

You have free time in Amman before your scheduled airport transfer. We collect you from your hotel and take you to Queen Alia International Airport in good time for departure.