Description

Outdoor Enthusiasts (8D7N, incl. trekking)

Highlights

• Jerash
  Jerash, a city north of the capital Amman, has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. It’s known for the ruins of the walled Greco-Roman settlement of Gerasa.
• Petra
  Dating back to around 300 BC, Jordan’s most famous archaeological site was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom and is also known as the “Rose City.”
• Wadi Rum
  The protected area covers 74,000 hectares and is situated in southern Jordan, near the border with Saudi Arabia. It features a varied desert landscape consisting of a range of narrow gorges, natural arches, towering cliffs, ramps, massive landslides and caverns.
• Dead Sea
  The lake’s surface is 430.5 metres below sea level, making its shores the lowest land-based elevation on Earth.

Tour Overview:

Day 1 . Arrival in Amman

Welcome to Jordan, a place which once captivated ancient travellers and continues to enthrall a new generation of visitors with its diverse mix of modernity and tradition.

From the enchanting starkness of Wadi Rum to the restless city centre of urban Amman, Jordan is a unique destination offering breathtaking sights, charming accommodation and exquisite cuisine.

Our representative will meet and assist you upon arrival at Amman International Airport. After that, you will be transferred to your hotel in Amman for check-in.

The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Overnight in Amman.
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 . Amman – Ajloun Reserve – Jerash – Amman

Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Drive northwards to the Ajloun Woodland Reserve located in the Ajloun Highlands. It features a Mediterranean landscape dominated by open woodlands of oak and pistachio. The rich greenery of Ajloun has made it a popular spot for picnickers and hikers. The area has a long history of human settlements, due to its Mediterranean climate, dense forests and fertile soil.

Enjoy trekking along the Rockrose Trail, which is about 8km long. It will take approximately 3-4 hours, passing across heavily wooded valleys and ridges, inside and outside the nature reserve. This highly scenic trail passes through villages and olive orchards and offers beautiful views of the West Bank and Syria. There are some steep climbs en-route that demand a reasonable level of fitness. Picnic lunch box.
We recommend to hire a local guide who will explain the different types of vegetation as well as the medicinal purposes of the various plants.

Proceed to Jerash, which is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved Greco-Roman cities outside of Italy. Excavations have made it possible for us to marvel at two theatres, several temples, a market, thermal baths and the famous Cardo Maximus Alley of 600 metres of bordered columns.

Drive back to your hotel in Amman for a buffet dinner.

Overnight in Amman.
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch Box, Dinner

Day 3 . Amman – Mujib Reserve – Karak – Dana Nature Reserve

Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Today we will drive to the lowest Nature Reserve on earth. It borders the Dead Sea at 400 metres below sea level. The Mujib Nature Reserve, which surrounds Wadi Mujib, is a deep and majestic canyon that cuts through rugged highlands, and drains into the Dead Sea. Visitors are fascinated by Mujib’s serenity and pristine wilderness.

Enjoy trekking along the Siq Trail, which will take around three hours. This is a moderate hike into the main gorge of the Mujib River (the Siq). It starts at the visitor centre near the Mujib Bridge, from where you take the cantilevered walkway over the dam and follow the course of the river between towering sandstone cliffs to the base of a large waterfall. Depending on seasonal rainfall levels, the gorge may contain pools deep enough for swimming. (Please expect to get wet and bring additional clothes.)

Lunch at the Mujib Reserve Restaurant.

In the afternoon we will drive to Karak to visit the Crusaders Castle built in the 12th century AD. The castle is situated on a hilltop about 1,000 metres above sea level and is surrounded by a valley on three sides.

Proceed to the Dana Nature Reserve for your dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight at the Dana Nature Reserve.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 . Dana Nature Reserve – Shawbak – Petra

Dana Nature Reserve is a world of natural treasures. Visitors will experience the beauty of Rummana Mountain, the timeless tranquility of Dana Village, and the grandeur of the red and white sandstone cliffs of Wadi Dana. The Dana Village area, overlooking the scenic Wadi Dana, has been occupied since 4.000 BC.

The reserve is an area of staggering beauty, history and biodiversity. The only reserve in Jordan that encompasses the four different bio-geographical zones of the country (Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, Saharo-Arabian and Sudanian), it is a melting pot of species from Europe, Africa and Asia. Such a combination of natural communities in a single area is unique in Jordan and many of Dana Biosphere Reserve’s animals and plants are very rare. So far, a total of 800 plant species and 449 animal species have been recorded in the reserve, of which 25 are known to be endangered, including the Sand Cat, the Syrian Wolf, the Lesser Kestrel and the Spiny Tailed Lizard.

Enjoy the 8-km-long White Dome Trail. Trekking this route will take about 3 to 4 hours and contours the huge escarpments of Wadi Dana between Rummana Camp and Dana Village. It offers breath-taking views of the canyon-like Wadi and passes through terraced gardens.

Drive to Shawbak to visit the Crusader Castle. Once called “Mont Real”, Shawbak dates back to the 12th century AD. It is perched on the side of a mountain, with a grand sweep of fruit trees below.

Proceed to the greatest city of the Arab nation which dates back over 2,000 years: Petra.

Overnight in Petra.
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch Box, Dinner

Day 5 . Petra

Begin your visit with a walk or a short horse ride from Petra’s main entrance to the entrance of the old city “Al Siq”, through a narrow 350-metre-long canyon. As you reach the end of the Siq, the first and greatest monument of Petra slowly comes into view: the famous Treasury “Al Khazneh”. Petra, “The Rose City”, is an extraordinary and unique place, which was built by the Arab Nabateans more than 2,000 years ago. The Nabateans carved their monumental tombs, palaces, temples and treasury from the desert’s natural rose-coloured rocks and sandstones.

Buffet lunch at Crowne Plaza Basin Restaurant.

If you are interested you can visit the Monastery after lunch by climbing 800 steps to reach it. The Monastery is similar in design to the Treasury, but is much larger (50m high x 45m wide) and less decorated. The facade is flat on the lower level and deeply carved on the upper level, with engaged columns and two half-pediments flanking a central urn (10m high).

Overnight in Petra.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 . Petra – Wadi Rum

We continue our tour and drive to the protected area of Wadi Rum, which is also known as the Valley of the Moon – a unique place unlike anywhere else you have ever been.

You will be picked up by local Bedouins to explore this splendid desert. The Bedouins will drive you with their 4×4 Bedouin pick-up-trucks (6 persons per vehicle) for approximately six hours. Among others, you will visit the Seven Pillars, the Yellow Sand Dunes, Um Al Tawaqi, Siq Lawrence, Siq Al Barrah, the Rock Bridge Um Fruth, the Burdah Rock Bridge and the Red Sand Dunes.

Buffet dinner & overnight at a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum.

Overnight in Wadi Rum.
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 . Wadi Rum – Dead Sea – Amman

Transfer from Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth – about 400 metres below sea level. Spend the rest of the day bathing and relaxing in the gently lapping waters of the Dead Sea and be amazed that you can`t sink!

Lunch at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel.

In the afternoon proceed to Amman and rest at your hotel until dinner time. At the Tawaheen Al Hawa Restaurant, which features typical Bedouin decoration with an oriental atmosphere, you have the chance to interact with the locals and even share a water pipe.

Overnight in Amman.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 . Departure from Amman

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel followed by free time at your leisure, after which you will be transferred to the Amman International Airport for your departure.
Meals: Breakfast