Jordan in Depth

Visit Dana Wildlife Reserve, the Desert castles and the magnificent tombs and temples of Petra, relax at the Dead Sea.

Highlights:

• Dana Wildlife Reserve
• Desert castles
• Amman Philanthropy Project
• 'Rose-Red City' of Petra
  

Day 1 - London/Amman
Your journey begins in the afternoon with a British Midland International flight to Amman, Jordan's capital inhabited since Roman times. The essence of Jordanian hospitality awaits your arrival at the Intercontinental Amman.

Day 2 - Amman
This morning visit downtown Amman with your expert guide. The capital of Jordan, Amman, is known in history as Rabbath-Ammon and in Greco-Roman times as Philadelphia. High above the city, at the ancient Citadel, study the traces of Amman's many lives: the regal columns of a roman temple in silhouette against the sky, the elegant capitals of a Byzantine church, endlessly inventive carvings in the Umayyad Palace, fascinating displays in the Archaeological Museum, and digs and ruins everywhere you step. At the foot of the Citadel, take a seat in the Roman Theatre, a deep-sided bowl carved into the hill and still used for cultural events. This afternoon is at leisure to explore Amman.

Day 3 - Umm Qais, Jerash & Ajloun
Today you will visit Umm Qais, Jerash and Ajloun. Take a pair of binoculars to enjoy the view of the north Jordan Valley, Golan Heights and Sea of Galilee from the dramatically situated Roman era town in Jordan, Umm Qais. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to Ajloun to visit Al Rabad Castle.

Drive to the Greco-Roman city of Jerash for a visit. Second only to Petra in tourist appeal, the ancient city of Jerash in remarkable for its long chain of human occupation. Here at a well-watered site in the hills of Gilead, remains from Neolithic times have been found, as well as Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad. Jerash's golden age, however, arrived with Roman rule. Jerash was a member of the Decapolis, a dynamic commercial league of ten Greco-Roman Cities. Today it is acknowledged as one of the best-preserved province cities of the Roman Empire. Return to Amman for the evening.

Day 4 - Amman Philanthropy Project & Desert Castles
Abercrombie & Kent believes passionately that travel should both respect the natural environment and benefit the indigenous peoples whose lands we visit. We support a carefully chosen project in every destination where we operate. Visit the Madrasati or "My School" initiative which is an innovative grassroots project to rehabilitate schools and improve their learning environment. It was started by Queen Rania and supports the physical renovation of public schools in Jordan, including painting, beautification and minor construction work. It also works with teachers, parents and students to start Parent Teacher Associations, training for teachers, and student awareness about many subjects, including health issues. The project to date has partnered with twelve other NGOs to enhance the education work done so far for the poorest communities. The project includes work with the Jordan Education Initiative to identify the training and equipment needs of the Jordan River Foundation on their Safe Schools Initiative.

Head out to visit the desert castles of Kharraneh, Amra and follow in the footsteps of T.E.Lawrence at Azraq. At Kharraneh, the most complete of the Omayyad castles, climb the stone stairways leading to the upper floor to see several rooms displaying some of their original decoration of arches, vaults, semi-domes and plasterwork medallions. Explore the abandoned ghost town of Umm al-Jimal, a once thriving metropolis. Return to Amman for the evening.

Day 5 - Amman/Petra
Famed for its scenic beauty, follow the ancient Kings' Highway, travelling through rugged scenery to once-flourishing Byzantine towns. Your first stop is Mount Nebo the mountain where Moses was allowed to see the Holy Land but not allowed to enter it. Nowadays the mountain is a memorial site. Here you will find the "Church of Moses", built by the first Christians. Ever since the first days of Christianity this mountain has been a holy place and a destination for pilgrimage. Like Moses, you can have a great view over Jordan, the Dead Sea and Israel. When the weather is clear, you should even be able to see Jerusalem, which is about 60 kilometres away.

Continue to Madaba the "City of Mosaics" that stands perched on an archaeological site with more than 4,000 years of history buried beneath it. The quality and quantity of mosaic flooring has made Madaba one of the most prominent cities in the world for mosaics. Visit St. George's Church which houses the world famous mosaic floor depicting a large mosaic map of Palestine. Centrally located on this mosaic floor is a detailed map of Jerusalem as it was during the sixth century AD. At the Church of the Apostles, at the southern entrance of the city, is a mosaic floor attributed to the craftsman Salamanios, depicting the sea, with the central figure of a woman encircled with a selection of creatures, vegetation and an inscription.

Enjoy a visit to Jordan Jewel for Art & Mosaic a philanthropy mosaic project where young disabled artists create works of art in a huge workshop. Enjoy watching the artists in situ. The project supports hundreds of families.

After lunch at a local restaurant in Madaba, continue to Kerak to visit the Crusader's castle that was built here overlooking a valley. Situated midway between Jerusalem and Shobak, another Crusader castle, Kerak is perched on a hilltop 1,000 metres above sea level and surrounded on three sides by a valley. After walking around the castle, proceed to Petra. Check into your hotel the Movenpick Resort Petra.

Day 6 - Petra
Today enjoy a full day visiting Petra with your expert guide. Put on your walking shoes for a trek through the 'Rose-Red City' of Petra. Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over 1km in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80m high cliffs. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself. The colours and formations of the rocks are dazzling. As you reach the end of the Siq you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury).

The ancient city of Petra was built from 800 BC to 100 AD by Nabetean Arabs. In this era Petra was a fortress, carved out of craggy rocks in an area which was virtually inaccessible. In the first and second century, after the Romans took over, the city reached the peak of its fame. Petra covers an area of about 100 square km where over 800 monuments can be found. When shipping slowly displaced caravan routes, the city's importance gradually dwindled; it fell into disuse and was lost to the world until 1812, when it was re-discovered by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

There are hundreds of elaborate rock-cut tombs with intricate carvings - unlike the houses, which were destroyed mostly by earthquakes, the tombs were carved to last throughout the afterlife and 500 have survived, empty but bewitching as you file past their dark openings. Here also is a massive Nabataean-built, Roman-style theatre, which could seat 3,000 people. There are obelisks, temples, sacrificial altars and colonnaded streets.

Your walking tour continues down the path to the impressive 8000-seat Roman Amphitheatre. Archaeologists first believed that the Romans constructed the site in the 2nd century; further excavations have now shown that the amphitheatre was actually carved out by the Nabataeans around the time of Jesus Christ.

Day 7 - Petra/Wadi Rum
Spend the morning exploring the fascinating city of Petra some more. Visit the Royal Tombs, which are considered to be the most impressive burial places in Petra. Carved into the face of Jebel Khubtha, the Royal Tombs consist of the vaulted Urn Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb and the three-storied Palace Tomb, which is one of the largest in the monument. Enjoy lunch in Petra before heading into the desert sands of Wadi Rum.

Arrive at sunset into Wadi Rum. This protected area covers 720 square kilometres of dramatic desert wilderness. Huge mountains of sandstone and granite emerge, sheer-sided, from wide sandy valleys to reach heights of 1700 metres and more. Narrow canyons and fissures cut deep into the mountains and many conceal ancient rock drawings etched by the peoples of the desert over millennia. Bedouin tribes still live among the mountains of Rum and their large goat-hair tents are a special feature of the landscape. Experience an exhilarating 4-wheel drive trip over the dunes of Wadi Rum, whose dramatic lunar landscapes will forever be associated with Lawrence of Arabia. Spend the night in King Aretas Camp in Wadi Rum.

Day 8 - Wadi Rum/Dana Biosphere Reserve
This morning enjoy an optional balloon flight or camel ride in this stunning location. Continue to Dana Nature Reserve that covers a system of wadis running down to Wadi Araba just north of Petra, and is home to wildlife, jawdropping landscapes, and thousands of years of history. Explore the Dana Nature Reserve on foot, where you may see mountain gazelles and Nubian ibex.

Working directly with local village and Bedouin communities, income generating projects have been created that use the Dana Reserve's natural beauty and wildlife to generate employment opportunities and alternative livelihoods. Your accommodation for this evening is the Dana Guest House.

Day 9 - Dana Biosphere Reserve/ Dead Sea
After breakfast check out from hotel. Drive via the Desert Highway to the place where Jesus was baptised - known as Bethany Beyond or the Baptism Site. The excavations conducted at Bethany in Jordan have uncovered a first century AD settlement with plastered pools and water systems that were used almost certainly for mass baptisms, and a fifth to sixth century Byzantine settlement with churches, a monastery, and other structures most probably catering to religious pilgrims. After your visit drive to the lowest point on the Earth - the Dead Sea for an afternoon at leisure.

At 400 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea is infinite in what it has to offer. Ever since the days of Herod the Great, people have flocked to the Dead Sea in search of its curative secrets. Due to high annual temperatures, low humidity and high atmospheric pressure, the air is extremely oxygenous, and the high content of oxygen and magnesium in the air make breathing a lot easier. With the highest content of minerals and salts in the world, the Dead Sea water possesses anti-inflammatory properties, and the dark mud found on The shores have been used for over 2,000 years for therapeutic purposes. Check into your hotel the Movenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea for your final night stay.

Day 10 - Dead Sea/London
Time to head home on your international flight from Amman to London.

Pricing
At A&K all of our journeys are individually tailored to suit your needs and timescale. As a guide, this 10 day suggested journey in Jordan will cost from £3,395 per person based on two adults sharing with flights from the UK and subject to availability.