Travel to Jordan: Jordan Explorer

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Jordan Explorer

The "Treasury" at Petra

Travel to Jordan exploring modern Amman to historic Petra and the sandy beaches of Aqaba.  Following the ancient 'Kings Highway' in the footsteps of Ramses II, the Queen of Sheba, Marcus Anthonius and Cleopatra, the Prophet Mohamed, Jesus, and Lawrence of Arabia, our Jordan adventure traverses the spectrum of the modern and the ancient in a land of spectacular natural beauty and cultural heritage. We visit the nature reserves of Dana and Wadi Rum, Jerash, Madaba, and Mt. Nebo, where Moses first saw the Promised Land, and we float like a cork in the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Discover dramatic Crusader Castles, take a 4WD excursion and camel ride into Wadi Rum desert, then explore Petra for two full days with our expert guide. Designed for active travelers including families we are invited guests for dinner in local homes.  We can design private custom itineraries for families, or honeymoon adventures, or luxury Jordan vacations with possible extensions to Israel, Syria and Egypt.

	History and modernity live comfortably together in Jordan

DAY 1 :  AMMAN: ARRIVAL TNF
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 or similar [D]

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. Overnight Ammon Qasr Metropole Hotel or similar [BD]

Floating in the Dead Sea!

DAY 3 :  DEAD SEA: JERASH, AJLOUN. FAMILY MEAL
We begin our journey through Jordans fascinating history with a visit to Jerash, one of the worlds most extensive restorations of a provincial Roman town. We explore its theaters, temples and colonnaded streets.  We then visit the nearby Castle of Ajloun or Qalaat Errabadh (Arabic for "Hilltop Castle"), with a 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 add the Wildland touch by taking our lunch with a local Jordanian family before descending to the Dead Sea. There is some time to take advantages of the facilities of the Spa at additional cost (to be paid direct). Overnight Marriott Dead Sea Spa or similar [BLD]

	Watch the sun set over the beautiful valleys of Jordan.

DAY 4 :  DANA NATURE RESERVE: MT NEB0, MADABA, KERAK
Heading south on the 3000-year-old Kings' Highway, we first visit Mount Nebo, where Moses is supposed to have first viewed the 'Promised' 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. 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 almost abandoned, it is now coming back to life with color and vitality through assistance from local conservation groups and determination of the local population. Overnight Dana Guest House (private bedrooms; shared bathrooms) [BLD]

DAY 5 :   DANA NATURE RESERVE: DAY HIKES

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. We have a four hour guided walking tour in the morning with a lunch box (included). The afternoon is free to choose our own walks and activities in the reserve. There are a variety of nature trails, from easy one hour hikes to more strenuous four hour hikes. Established in 1993 and covering 320 square kilometers, Dana is the "showpiece" of Jordan's 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. Today's itinerary is flexible according to the group's interests. Overnight Dana Guest House (private rooms; shared bathrooms) [BLD]

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

The Siq at Petra.

DAY 6 :  PETRA: SHOBAK CASTLE
This morning is left free to explore Dana village and projects.  At noon we depart for Petra (1.5 hrs), stopping en route for lunch and a short visit at Shobak Castle, a ruin more atmospheric than detailed.  We arrive in Petra late afternoon, with the remainder of the day at leisure. 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, to Syria, Turkey and Europe. Petra flourished for over 400 years and was the premier trading city of its age. Overnight Crowne Plaza Petra or similar[BLD]

DAY 7 :  PETRA: RED ROSE CITY, HALF AS OLD AS TIME
Today we spend the entire day exploring Petra. We mount our horses and ride through the Siq then explore the valley on foot with our local guide for four hours. We visit the Treasury, the houses and tombs cut into the valley walls, and the remains of the city. Following lunch at a restaurant on site (included), the afternoon is free to wander the valley at our leisure. 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. Petra's 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 - 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). Places of interest include the High Places, and the spectacular Monastery. Dinner and overnight Crowne Plaza Petra [BLD]

DAY 8 :  PETRA: FREE DAY & DINNER WITH JORDANIAN FAMILY
Today is left entirely free to explore Petra on our own. Our entrance fees to Petra are included (but no guide). 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. This evening we have a second oportunity to meet a Jordanian family and to share their hospitality and food. Overnight Crowne Plaza Petra [BD]

	Patient Camels at Wadi Rum.

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 on an hour and a half exploration in 4x4 vehicles. On both sides the brilliant white-yellow sand is sandwiched by towering red sandstone cliffs which soar vertically three hundred feet or more into the air, almost touching the azure blue and generally 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 earth's 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. Dinner and overnight Movenpick Aqaba Hotel [BLD]

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 Ammon Qasr Metropole. [BLD]

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 Adrian Chalker 1(800)345-4453