Travel to Jordan: Jordan Explorer

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Jordan Explorer

			DAYS: 11 GRADE: I-II define PRICE: From $2195 per person HIGHLIGHTS: Amman Desert Castles Jerash Mt Nebo Dead Sea Dana Nature Reserve Petra Wadi Rum Red Sea dinners with local families ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges Wilderness Camp 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

Jordan offers a rich contemporary culture and takes pride in its environment with the calming nature reserves of Dana and Wadi Rum, the busy Dead Sea resorts, and the quiet Desert Castles. On our itinerary we traverse the spectrum of the modern and the ancient, visiting Jerash, Madaba, Mt. Nebo, the Dead and Red Seas, and some of the wonderfully preserved Crusader Castles. We also take two nights to camp or stay in a guesthouse in the Dana Nature Reserve in a tented camp and / or in the village guest house. We also include the 'Wildland Touch' - dinner as guests of local families in both Amman and Petra, and a 4WD excursion and camel ride into Wadi Rum before some compulsory relaxation at Aqaba on the Red Sea.  Families are welcome to join (minimum age 10 years for group departures). Private departures and regional trip extensions are available. As you travel from modern Amman to historic Petra on the ancient Kings Highway, you are in good company; almost every Middle Eastern historical character you can think of has traveled this road, including; Ramses II, Moses, Abraham, the Queen of Sheba, Marcus Anthonius, Queen Cleopatra, the Emperor and God Augustus, Queen Zenobia, the Prophet Mohamed, Coeur de Leon, Christ, Lawrence of Arabia, Gamal Attaturk, and now you - the list goes on and on.

DAY 1 :  AMMAN: ARRIVAL TRANSFER
On arrival at Queen Alia International Airport, we are met and transferred to our hotel. Amman was the capital of the Ammonites in 1200 BCE, known in the Old Testament as Rabbath-Ammon. During the 3rd century BCE, Amman was renamed Philadelphia (Greek for "Brotherhood Love") after the Ptolemaic ruler Philadelphus (283-246 BCE). Following Seleucid and Nabataean rule, the Roman General Pompey made Philadelphia part of the Decapolis League - a loose alliance of ten city-states bound by powerful commercial, political and cultural interests under allegiance to Rome. During the Byzantine period, Philadelphia was the seat of a Christian Bishop but the city declined somewhat until 635 ACE when the region became part of the Islamic caliphate and its original Semitic name Ammon or Amman was restored. Dinner and overnight at the Ammon Qasr Metropole Hotel.

DAY 2 :  AMMAN: DESERT CASTLES FAMILY DINNER
This morning we take an excursion out of town to the Eastern Desert Castles (1.5 hours each way) including Karraneh, Amra, and Azraq, which Lawrence of Arabia used as his winter HQ during the worst part of the Arab campaign against the Turks in W.W.I. On our return to Amman we have the privilege of dining with a Jordanian family at their home. Our guide will serve as interpreter.  Return to the Ammon Qasr Metropole Hotel. [BL]

DAY 3 :  DEAD SEA: DRIVE VIA UM QAIS, AJLOUN AND JERASH
We begin our journey through Jordans fascinating history with a visit to Um Qais, or Gadara (site of the biblical Gadarene Swine story). (1 hr). Um Qais was a cultural center, home to poets and philosophers such as Theodorus, founder of the School of Rhetorics in Rome. Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee, Um Qais boasts an impressive colonnaded terrace and the ruins of two theaters. We also visit the nearby Castle of Ajloun or Qalaat Errabadh (Arabic for "Hilltop Castle"), with another splendid view over the Jordan Valley. Built in 1184-85 ACE by Ezz Eddin Osama bin Munqethe, a nephew of the Ayyubid leader Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi (Saladin), to protect the region from invading Crusaders, it was one of a chain of forts which lit beacons at night to pass signals from the Euphrates as far as Cairo. We then visit Jerash, one of the worlds most extensive Roman restorations. We explore its theaters, temples and colonnaded streets.  Heading south on the 3000-year-old Kings Highway, we first visit Mount Nebo, where Moses is supposed to have first viewed the Holy Land just before his death (he never reached Palestine himself, as the war of annihilation of the indigenous population took longer than the time he had left). From Mt. Nebo there is a view of Moses brother Aarons Tomb, high on the mountainside. Next, we visit the 6th century Madaba Church with its Byzantine mosaic floor map - the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land in existence. We take lunch at the Lebanese House Restaurant before descending to the Dead Sea for relaxation. There is some time to take advantages of the facilities of the Spa at additional cost (to be paid direct). Overnight at the Movenpick Dead Sea Spa. [BL]

DAY 4 :  DANA NATURE RESERVE: KERAK CASTLE
This morning we depart and drive south to the town of Kerak (1.5 hrs). En route, the Kings' Highway plunges 600 meters into Jordan's miniature Grand Canyon; Wadi Mujib (the Arnon of the Bible). 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 Keraks Christian ruler, Renauld de Chattions greed and cruelty in attacking peaceful pilgrims to Mecca prompted a retaliatory attack. De Chattions repeated breaking of his and King Guy of Jerusalems solemn oath to protect and respect pilgrims was the defining feature of the Crusader period. In truth, the Crusaders were the barbarians and the Arabs the sophisticated and superior culture, their patience at the barbarity of the Crusaders at last eroded into forcing the Crusaders out of Palestine for good. After our visit, we take lunch at the Kerak Resthouse, before continuing to the Dana Nature Reserve (1 hr), 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. There is some free time to explore the walking trails before dinner.  Dana Village has been continually occupied for about 6000 years. Although this ancient stone village was nearly abandoned during this century, it is now coming back to life with color and vitality through assistance from local conservation groups and determination of the local population. Overnights are at the Rummana Campsite (tented camp with shared facilities) or in the village at Dana Guest House (private bedrooms; shared bathrooms). [BL]

DAY 5 :   DANA NATURE RESERVE
We spend today in Dana Nature Reserve exploring its diversity of landscapes which range from wooded highlands and rocky slopes to gravel plains and sand dunes.  There are a variety of nature trails, from easy one hour hikes to more strenuous five hour hikes. Established in 1993 and covering 320 square kilometers, Dana is the "showpiece" of Jordans Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), embracing two major bio-geographical zones and four vegetation zones and supporting a wide variety of wildlife, including many rare species Todays itinerary is flexible according to the groups interests. Overnight at Rummana Campsite (tented camp with shared facilities) or Dana Guest House (private rooms; shared bathrooms) [BL]

Note: During winter months Oct-Feb hiking trails are closed at Dana and the itinerary is modified.

DAY 6 :  PETRA: SHOBUK CASTLE
This morning is left free to explore the village and village projects.  At noon we depart for Petra (1.5 hrs), stopping en route for lunch and a short visit at Shobuk Castle, a ruin more atmospheric than detailed.  We arrive in Petra late afternoon. The remainder of the day is at leisure at our hotel. Fulcrum of the ancient world's spice and incense trade for 400 years, Petra is a city hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, approachable only through the Siq, a kilometer long sheer-walled chasm that a force of twenty could hold against an entire army. Built by an industrious Arab people called the Nabataeans who more than 2000 years ago moved up the Red Sea coast from Saudi Arabia (Felix Arabia) to settle in southern Jordan and establish their capital at Petra. The Nabataeans dominated both the land and the Red Sea coastal trade, which included goods that arrived by ship from the Far East (China, India etc), and the goods of the Frankincense Route, which came overland from Sheba (Yemen) and from Africa (Somalia, Abyssinia). From Petra, these goods were distributed around the Mediterranean and Europe. Petra flourished for 400 years and was the premier trading city of its age. Overnight at the Crown Plaza Petra. [BL]

DAY 7 :  PETRA: RED ROSE CITY, HALF AS OLD AS TIME
Today we spend the entire day exploring Petra, with our local guide and taking lunch at a restaurant on site. We mount our horses and ride through the Siq to the Treasury, then explore the valley on foot with our local guide. One of the most important archeological sites in the Middle East, Petra is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the contemporary Seven Wonders of the World. Inside the Petra valley, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways and colonnaded streets mostly carved from the kaleidoscopic-colored sandstone abound. Petras wealth and grandeur have been immortalized by the remarkable facades carved from the sheer rock walls of the valley.  Although militarily invulnerable, by 106 ACE as the city fell to the Romans - not through attack but by cutting off the water supply, Petra had already fatally declined in wealth and importance, its place taken by Palmyra in Syria, whos ascendancy to the primary trade city of the Near East was rapid.  Petra was rediscovered and introduced to the western world in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt (although local people always knew of its existence). We visit the Treasury and the houses and tombs cut into the valley walls, the High Places, and the spectacular Monastery. Return for overnight at the Crown Plaza Petra. [BL]

DAY 8 :  PETRA: FREE DAY IN PETRA
Today is left entirely free to explore Petra on our own. In addition to the valley sites there are the High Places, and the spectacular Monastery to visit. Close by is Mini-Petra and the Neolithic site Bayyida, accessible by taxi. Overnight at the Crown Plaza Petra. [BL]

DAY 9 :  AQABA: DRIVE AQABA VIA WADI RUM
After breakfast we drive to the truly spectacular Wadi Rum (1.5 hrs).  On arrival we set off in 4x4 vehicles into the spectacular wadi, on both sides the brilliant yellow sand is sandwiched by towering red sandstone cliffs, which soar vertically three hundred feet or more almost touching the azure blue cloudless sky.  Wadi Rum was the setting for the film "Lawrence of Arabia" which gave birth to the mythology that T.E. Lawrence and the Arab irregulars rode through Wadi Rum en route attack the Turks at Aqaba. Unfortunately, this never happened. Although the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence depicted in the film did accompany the Arab irregular cavalry as it captured Aqaba from the Turks during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18 ACE, the Arab forces, quite logically, took the more direct, faster and easier route along which the highway to Aqaba now lies. But the legend has brought many to Rum, and when they arrive, it matters not who has been there before, for Rum is one of the earths truly beautiful environments. After lunch at the Wadi Rum Rest House, we continue by road (1 hr) to Aqaba on the Red Sea. The crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea hide a varied and beautiful undersea world of coral, fish and marine life just meters from the beaches. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Movenpick Aqaba Hotel. [BL]

DAY 10 :  AMMAN: DRIVE TO AMMAN
This morning is free to enjoy the beach with lunch at our hotel.  After lunch we take the fast Desert Highway to Amman (4 hrs) for overnight at the Ammon Qasr Metropole. [BL]

DAY 11 :  FLY: DEPARTURE OR BEGIN TRIP EXTENSION
Transfer to the Queen Alia International Airport for departure or begin trip extension [B]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

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