Country(ies): Jordan
Tour type: Private
Group size: Min: 1 | Max: Any
Accommodation: No Accommodation
Meals: Breakfasts - 10, Lunches - 2, Dinners - 2
Transport: A/C car/minibus & 4x4 vehicle
Highlights: Hidden rose city of Petra, stunning desert scenery at Wadi Rum, float in the Dead Sea, mysterious desert castles, beautiful nature reserves, wonderfully preserved Roman ruins at Jerash, and snorkelling in the Red Sea.
Jordan is becoming an ever more popular tourist destination, and the county boasts a wonderful mix of barren desert landscape, rich wildlife reserves, important historical sites and unique cultural heritage. From the bustling street of the capital Amman and idyllic beaches of the Red Sea to the the salty waters of the Dead Sea and historical gems of Petra, Kerak and Jerash, our 11-day Jordan Discovery tour covers essential attractions that this captivating country has to offer.
This tour of Jordan starts in the bustling cosmopolitan capital Amman. After a tour of the city we head out to the desert castles and nature reserves to the east of the city. Next, we travel south to the Red Sea port of Aqaba for some rest and relaxation on the beautiful beaches. There is plenty to do here including swimming, diving, snorkelling and many other fun water sports. Our next stop is the stunning desert scenery at Wadi Rum, where we’ll take a jeep safari through the sand dunes and rocky outcrops and stay in a bedouin camp. We then drive to Petra, the long-lost Nabataean city, recently rediscovered and now regarded as the highlight of any trip to Jordan. Continuing north we’ll take a walk through Dana Nature Reserve, visit the crusader castle at Kerak, the beautiful mosaic at Madaba, and take a dip in the Dead Sea. The tour ends with a visit to the well preserved Roman remains at Jerash.
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Upon arrival at Amman airport, our staff will meet you and transfer you to your hotel for the start of your trip. They'll also help you settle in and introduce you to the local area.
OVERNIGHT:
Amman hotel
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 0, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
Extra day in Amman - pre-tour - Standard level
Single room supplement (JOTMJD)
We start our tour of Jordan with a visit to the 'Desert Castles', some of which date back over 1,000 years. Although called 'castles' they are in fact a collection of forts, palaces and bath houses, but still make for an interesting trip. The most impress of them include Qasr Hraneh, Qasayr Amra and Qasr Hallabat.
In the afternoon, we focus on two of Jordan's nature reserves, starting with the Azraq Wetlands Reserve. This Lakeland area is home to many buffalo and wild horses, and also to a myriad of bird species. The reserve has seen a decline over recent years due to the draining of the lakes, however there is a project underway to restore them to their original state.
Heading south we reach the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, home to some of Jordan's most endangered indigenous species, including Onager, Gazelle, Arabian Oryx and Ostriches. We spend some time viewing the wildlife from specially constructed towers, that offer a great view over the area. In the late afternoon, we return to Amman where the evening is free for you to relax at your hotel or venture out to explore some of the city's many souks and markets.
OVERNIGHT:
Amman hotel
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 1, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
None
massive seating area, which once seated six thousand spectators, the view over the surrounding area is spectacular. The original amphitheatre was built sometime between 169 and 177 AD, under the reign of Marcus Aurelius.
Next, we take some time to visit the Odeon, which is situated near the amphitheatre. Smaller than the amphitheatre, it dates back slightly earlier and seats around 500 spectators. I was most likely used for council meetings and smaller theatrical performances.
After our short tour of Amman, we drive south along the Desert Highway to the Red Sea port city of Aqaba, where we spend a couple of days relaxing in a luxury beach resort.
OVERNIGHT:
Aqaba hotel
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
None
Your day today if free to relax and soak up the sun, sea and sand of the Red Sea. There are plenty of water sport to try out or you could head out to explore Aqaba city. The colourful reefs around Aqaba offer some excellent diving opportunities for the qualified diver and for the non-divers, a snorkelling trip is well worth the effort.
OVERNIGHT:
Aqaba hotel
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
Snorkelling in the Red Sea
Leaving the coast behind, we next drive into the desert for a jeep safari at Wadi Rum. The spectacular mountain scenery here is dominated by the towering, rust-coloured, rocky 'jebels' and beautiful sand dunes. The area is most well known as a hide out for TE Lawrence during the time of the Arab Revolt in 1917-18, and made famous by the film Lawrence of Arabia. We first enjoy a traditional Bedouin lunch, before climbing aboard jeeps for a drive through the sheer cliffs and bizarre rock formation that make up this stunning natural wonder.
We spend the night tonight in a small but extremely comfortable Bedouin camp located right inside the desert reserve, backed against the cliffs and with the desert sands opening out in front of us. You'll sleep in traditional goat hair tents in comfortable beds with all bedding provided.
OVERNIGHT:
Deluxe Bedouin desert camp
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 1, Dinners - 1
EXTRAS:
Camel Ride in Wadi Rum
After breakfast in the Bedouin camp, we leave the desert and make the short journey to Petra. Your day there starts with a 2-3 hour guided tour of the main sites where you'll learn more about the Nabatean traders who built it, the way the temples and buildings were carved into the colourful rock faces and the reasons behind that, and the history of future occupiers such as the Romans whose ruins include a well preserved amphitheatre. After lunch you have plenty of time to explore the site further, perhaps climbing up to the High Place of Sacrifice, or the huge Monastery from where there are fabulous views over the Jordan Valley.
OVERNIGHT:
Petra hotel
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
Petra by night
Petra camel ride
You have the opportunity to revisit Petra this morning if you wish. Later we leave the hotel and visit 'Little Petra', a precursor to the main site at Petra before we drive along the King's Highway to the Dana Nature Reserve. Dana is Jordan's biggest nature reserve, and covers an area of around 320km². Established in 1989, it's the only reserve in Jordan that encompasses all the countries four bio-geographical zones - Irano-Turanian, Saharo Arabian, Mediterranean and Sudanian penetration. This gives rise to a unique diverseness in terms of habitats and species, with more than 690 plants (3 of which were thought to be new to science when discovered) and 449 animal species. 25 of the world's endangered species can be found in the reserve, making it an area of international importance.
We spend the evening at the famous Feynan Eco Lodge and hope for a beautiful sunset enjoying the spectacular views.
OVERNIGHT:
Feynan Eco Lodge
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 1
EXTRAS:
None
We start today with a guided walk through the nature reserve to enjoy the diverse animal and plant life. We then continue driving along the scenic King's Highway to the old crusader fort of Kerak. Built in 1132AD by the Crusader King, Baldwin 1 of Jerusalem, the castle has had a colourful history and still remains largely intact. The views over the surrounding countryside are spectacular.
We continue north navigating the many wadis, including the 1km deep, majestic Wadi al-Mujib, before arriving at Madaba. This important Christian town is home to the famous and priceless Byzantine era mosaics, including one of a 6th century map of Palestine.
We then climb up Mt. Nebo, used as a memorial to Moses, to marvel at the views across the Dead Sea to Israel. On a clear day it's possible to see the domes, spires and minarets of Old Jerusalem. We finally head down out of the hills to the Dead Sea where we spend the night.
OVERNIGHT:
Dead Sea hotel
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
None
Today we start with a visit to the recently discovered Baptism site. It is believed that John the Baptist lived here, and is therefore likely to be the site that Jesus Christ was baptized.
In the afternoon you have some free time at the Dead Sea to enjoy a swim, or more accurately a float. At over 200m below sea level, the intense salinity - around 33%, of the waters here - caused by the intense evaporation rate, leads to a very strange swimming experience. You can also try covering yourself in the local mud, well known for its therapeutic properties.
OVERNIGHT:
Dead Sea hotel
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
None
Our first visit today is to Ajloun Castle, which was built between 1184 and 1185 AD by Izz al-Din Usama - the nephew of Saladin. The castle is thought to be one of only a few such built specifically to protect the country from Crusader attacks. The drive to Ajloun is a lovely one, through hills and mixed forests. In the afternoon we visit the famous Roman remains at Jerash, probably Jordan's second most visited tourist site. The ruins at Jerash are wonderfully well preserved and are a fine example of a provincial Roman city. We take a full guided tour of the site and there is plenty of free time to explore further on your own. Finally we return to Amman for our final night in Jordan.
OVERNIGHT:
Amman hotel
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
None
You have some free time in Amman today for some last minute shopping or a little extra sightseeing, before our guide transfers you to the airport for departure.
OVERNIGHT:
N/A
MEALS:
Breakfasts - 1, Lunches - 0, Dinners - 0
EXTRAS:
Extra day in Amman - post-tour - Standard level
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If you are looking for a tour and not finding what you are looking for, have a look at our best other related tours to check out for your travel plans. At Egypt Uncovered, we offer a variety of tours to suit your needs. So sit back, relax, and let us help you plan the perfect getaway.
This tour is designed as a sample tailor-made tour itinerary. As such we do not offer set group departure dates that you can join. Rather, the tour is available for you to do privately starting on any date of the year. Guideline seasonal prices are given below, based on 2 people travelling. If you would like to adjust the tour itinerary, or there will be more or less people travelling, please contact us and we will customise a price for you.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often use on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination you're visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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