Jordan Explorer - Jordan - ITINERARY & DATES

Day 1: Amman

On arrival at Queen Alia International Airport, you are met and transferred to your 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 Al Qasr Metropole Hotel.

Accomodations: AlQasr Metropole Hotel

Day 2: Amman

Join your guide for a walking tour of Amman. This is a city of hills, so bring your walking shoes and high spirits. Explore Jebel al-Q’al’a (Citadel Hill) with its Roman Temple of Hercules and Byzantine Ummayad Palace. Then it’s a tour of street food – public markets and bazaars. If you’re game, try a hookah at a local café. Overnight Al Qasr Metropole Hotel

Accomodations: AlQasr Metropole Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Jerash/Ajloun Nature Reserve

We begin our journey through Jordan’s fascinating history with a visit to Jerash, one of the world’s 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 returning to Amman. Overnight Al Qasr Metropole Hotel

Accomodations: AlQasr Metropole Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Madaba Walking Tour/Dana

Today we drive the famous Kings' Highway stretching from Amman to Petra. Almost every historical character from the Middle East that you can think of has traveled this road; Ramses II, the Queen of Sheba, Queen Zenobia, Moses, Marcus Antonius, Cleopatra, Augustus, Mohamed, Richard Coeur de Leon, Christ, Lawrence of Arabia, Gamal Attaturk - the list goes on and on. Today, it is your turn. Original Roman milestones stand at the side of the road, their distances still relevant.

Our first stop is Madaba, the “City of Mosaics.” While most visitors to Jordan make a quick stop in this charming village to glimpse its most famous mosaic, a 6th century Byzantine map - the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land in existence - you will meet some of the people responsible for the very survival of these fabulous works of art! Join your guide for a stroll through the Madaba “Souq” getting a glimpse into the daily lives of merchants as they go about their business. Finally, we make a stop at the Apostles Church, with its spectacular mosaic dedicated to the 12 Apostles, its centerpiece dominated by a regal woman personifying the sea and all its real and mythical creatures. We continue to the Dana Nature Reserve, a visionary program combining scientific research with sustainable tourism, benefitting the traditional inhabitants of the village. 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. Our accommodations this evening are at the award-winning Feynan Eco-Lodge. Overnight and dinner at Feynan Eco-Lodge

Accomodations: Feynan Ecolodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: Dana

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. Enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony with the local hosts. 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. Look for the tiny but brilliant blue agana lizard, or the black iris, which could be thought of as Jordan’s national flower. Today's itinerary is flexible according to your personal interests. Overnight and dinner at Feynan Eco-Lodge

Accomodations: Feynan Ecolodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Shobak Castle/Petra

Enjoy a leisurely last morning at Feynan before checking out. We stop en route to Petra for a visit to Shobak Castle, the first fortress to be constructed by the Crusaders in Transjordan. The original fortress has been rebuilt by subsequent conquerors – Mamlukes and Ottomans, with delicate calligraphic inscriptions carved into exterior walls dating from the late 13th century. The castle boasts secret passages and mysterious deep stairwells descending into the cliff on which the fortress is perched. Shobak is also surrounded by additional ruins of Ottoman homes an ancient palace complex and ghostly arches of a long-crumbled church. We arrive in Petra, the crown jewel of Jordan archeological sites, in late afternoon. This evening, join other guest for a brief walk to the Petra gateway and through the ‘Siq’ (sheer chasm). Following the glow of hundreds of candles, emerge from the narrow chasm to the magnificent Treasury of Petra, fully illumined in firelight and breathtaking in its magical beauty. Listen to the melancholy strains of Bedouin music and sip a welcoming cup of hot, sweet tea as you are seated and embark on a magic carpet ride of tales of the ancient Nabataean people who constructed this amazing wonder of the world. Return to your hotel after the event. Overnight Petra Guest House.

Accomodations: Petra Guest House

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7: Petra

Today we embark on a four hour guided tour of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. No amount of hype can prepare you for the thrill of entering the ancient city through the dramatic chasm of the ‘Siq.’ Inside Petra valley there are caves, buildings, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways, and colonnaded streets carved from the kaleidoscopic-colored sandstone. We explore the valley with our local guide and learn that for more than 400 years Petra was the fulcrum of the ancient world's spice and incense route; a city hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, approachable only through the 'Siq', the kilometer long sheer-walled chasm that a force of twenty could hold against an army of ten thousand. Built by an industrious Arab people called the Nabataeans who moved up the Red Sea coast of Felix Arabia (Saudi Arabia) to settle in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago-the Nabataeans dominated the Frankincense Trade Route from Sheba to their capital at Petra. Petra bacame the center for trade goods arriving via the Red Sea from the Far East and which came north overland on the Frankincense Route from Sheba (Yemen) and from Africa (Somalia, Abyssinia, etc). Following the tour, enjoy lunch in the valley at the Basin Restaurant, then continue exploring the myriad trails on your own. This evening, you have the option of joining other travelers for a cooking class at the Petra Kitchen, a fun and active hands-on experience rewarded with a shared meal of typical Jordanian cuisine. You may find yourself chopping vegetables for salad or assigned something more intricate – the point is to have fun with your fellow travelers and share the fruits of your labors! Overnight Petra Guest House

Accomodations: Petra Guest House

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8: Wadi Rum

After breakfast we drive to the truly spectacular Wadi Rum (1.5 hrs). On arrival we set off with our local Bedouin guide on an hour and a half – two hour exploration in 4x4 vehicles. On all sides the brilliant white-yellow sand is sandwiched by towering red sandstone cliffs which soar vertically three hundred feet or more into the air, contrasting brilliantly against 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 to 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. Enjoy hot tea at sunset while watching the colors of the dunes and rugged mountains catch fire. Overnight ina comfortable private tent under the stars at King Aretas Camp

Accomodations: Wadi Rum Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9: Dead Sea

Depart this morning from Wadi Rum for the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth. The views of the entire Jordan Valley are spectacular as we descend. Enroute, we visit the Crusader castle of Kerak and Mt Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land for the first time, but was denied entry. This is a serene spot for reflection and strolling through the gardens. Arrive to the Dead Sea in time to jump into the saline waters which enable you to bob like a cork, never sinking. Overnight Dead Sea Marriott

Accomodations: Dead Sea Marriott Resort and Spa

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 10: Dead Sea

This day is free to take advantage of a number of fascinating excursions. You may choose to visit the river Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, Lot’s Cave, or perhaps the Zikra Initiative, a community engaged in what they call “Exchange Tourism.” Or pamper yourself with a massage and spa services at the hotel. Overnight Dead Sea Marriott

Accomodations: Dead Sea Marriott Resort and Spa

Meals Included: Breakfast