Travel to Jordan: Jordan Adventure Sweepstakes

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Jordan Adventure Sweepstakes

			DAYS: 9 GRADE: I define HIGHLIGHTS: Amman guided tour of historic Petra sandy beaches of Aqaba Jerash Madaba Mt. Nebo Dead Sea 4WD excursion camel ride and overnight camp in Wadi Rum spectacular natural beauty and cultural heritage ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] SEASON: Year-round Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

Travel to Jordan by entering to win a free trip to Jordan sponsored by Wildland Adventures, fully outfitted by ExOfficio, with support from Marriott Hotels and the Jordan Tourism Board!

This Jordan adventure tour traverses the spectrum of the modern and the ancient in a land of spectacular natural beauty and cultural heritage. Hike and ride horseback into Petra, Jerash, Madaba, and Mt. Nebo where Moses first saw the Holy Land, ride camel and camp in beautiful Wadi Rum, and float in the restorative waters of the Dead Sea! Travel to Jordan following the ancient 'Kings Highway' in the footsteps of Ramses II, the Queen of Sheba, Marcus Anthonius and Cleopatra, and Lawrence of Arabia.

We're sad to say, due to legal restrictions, non-U.S. citizens and residents of New York, Florida and Rhode Island are not eligible to enter the sweepstakes. For complete rules and registration information, click here.

DAY 1 :  AMMAN ARRIVAL
On arrival in Amman transfer to the Amman Marriott Hotel for dinner and overnight. [D]

DAY 2 :  DEAD SEA VIA JERASH
Our Jordan tour begins with a visit to Jerash, one of the world's most extensive restorations of a provincial Roman town. Explore its theaters, temples and colonnaded streets, then visit the nearby Castle of Ajloun. With a splendid view over the Jordan Valley it was built to protect the region from invading Crusaders, one of a chain of forts which lit beacons at night to pass signals from the Euphrates as far as Cairo. We enjoy lunch with a local Jordanian family before descending to the Dead Sea. Overnight Marriott Dead Sea Spa. [BLD]

DAY 3 :  DEAD SEA
Spend the day relaxing in the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea and enjoying the optional spa facilities. Overnight Marriott Dead Sea Spa [BLD]

DAY 4 :  DRIVE PETRA VIA MT. NEBO, MADABA & KERAK CASTLE
Our Jordan adventure continues south on the 3000-year-old Kings' Highway to Mount Nebo where Moses is supposed to have first viewed the Holy Land just before his death. Next, we visit the 6th century Madaba Church with its Byzantine mosaic floor map - the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land in existence. En route to Kerak, the Kings' Highway plunges 600 meters into Jordan's miniature Grand Canyon; Wadi Mujib (Biblical Arnon). The massive Crusader fortress at Kerak was built in 1136 ACE by the Christian invaders, and fell to Salah ud Din Al-Ayyoubi in 1189 ACE. After our visit, we take lunch at the Kerak Resthouse before continuing to the Dana Nature Reserve (1 hr). Dana Nature Reserve is a system of wadis and mountains extending from the top of the Rift Valley to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba, an elevation drop of over 1600 meters. This vast, newly developed reserve serves as a refuge for endangered species, including ibex, mountain gazelle, badgers, red fox and wolf. Explore the walking trails before dinner.  Dana Village has been continually occupied for about 6000 years and is now coming back to life with color and vitality through assistance from local conservation groups and determination of the local population. Overnight the Petra Marriott Hotel. [BLD]

DAY 5 :  PETRA TOUR
Spend the entire day exploring Petra. Ride horseback through the Siq then explore the valley on foot with a local expert guide. Visit the Treasury, the houses and tombs cut into the valley walls, and the remains of the city. Following lunch the afternoon you are free to wander the valley at your leisure including additional places of interest such as the High Places and the spectacular Monastery. Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the contemporary "Seven Wonders of the World," a labyrinth of tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways and colonnaded streets mostly carved from the kaleidoscopic-colored sandstone. Petra's wealth and grandeur have been immortalized by the remarkable facades carved from the sheer rock walls of the valley. Petra was rediscovered and introduced to the western world in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt.  Dinner and overnight Petra Marriott Hotel. [BLD]

DAY 6 :  DRIVE WADI RUM
This morning we drive to Wadi Rum, a beautiful desert oasis. For centuries the local Bedouin people pitched their tents here to water their flocks and so Rum has long been a central gathering point. Wadi Rum was the setting for the film "Lawrence of Arabia" which depicted the campaign of the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence when he accompanied the Arab cavalry as it attacked and captured Aqaba from the Turks during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18 ACE. On arrival at the resthouse where the road ends we mount camels and ride into the desert to an overnight camp. Dinner and overnight 4 star tented camp. [BD]

DAY 7 :  DRIVE AQABA
Our Jordan adventure continues mounting our camels for an early morning ride through Wadi Rum. The silence and calm is biblical in proportion, the dramatic scenery enough to make an unbeliever believe! We drive onward traversing the spectacular desert landscape of Wadi Rum to the beaches of Aqaba on the Red Sea. For part of the way we follow the Haj railway line T.E. Lawrence and his Arab irregulars blew up on several occasions. On arrival in Aqaba, the remainder of the day is at leisure. Snorkel and swim in the the crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea and marvel at the varied and beautiful undersea world of coral, fish and marine life just meters from the beaches. Overnight Movenpick Tala Bay Resort [BLD]

DAY 8 :  AMMAN AM IN AQABA. PM DRIVE AMMAN
After enjoying one final morning of this Jordan vacation lounging on the beach, we take the fast Desert Highway to Amman (4 hrs) for overnight at the Amman Marriott Hotel. [BLD]

DAY 9 :  RETURN TO U.S.A. OR BEGIN EXTENSION
Transfer to the Queen Alia International Airport for departure or begin trip extension (not included in Jordan vacation sweepstakes) [B]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Adrian Chalker 1(800)345-4453