Historical Jordan and Aqaba - Superior Tour

Tour Highlights:

• Amman
• Jerash, "the Jewel of the North"
• The Dead Sea
• The Kings Highway
• Mt. Nebo
• Kerak, the Crusader Castle
• Petra
• Al Beidha
• Wadi Rum

Day 1 - Airport - Amman
You will be greeted on arrival at Queen Alia International Airport and then transferred to your hotel in Amman for an overnight stay.

Day 2 - Amman – Jerash – Dead Sea - Amman
After breakfast, proceed to visit Jerash, ‘the Jewel of the North’ - one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world. The ancient city of Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. It will prepare you for the equally impressive Petra later in the trip. The site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. It has been restored over the last 70 years, to uncover comprising paved and colonnaded streets, handsome theatres, soaring hilltop temples, baths, fountains, spacious public squares and plazas, and city walls pierced by towers and gates.
Continue your journey to the lowest point on Earth as you visit the Dead Sea, over 400m below sea level. As part of the Jordan Rift Valley, the Dead Sea is surrounded by the picturesque rolling hills of Jerusalem and other mountains to serve up a stunning landscape. The Dead Sea is famous for the high salt content of its water, allowing holiday-makers to float on the surface. This is due to the landlocked nature of the Dead Sea meaning water does not flow out of it but just evaporates leaving the salt crystals behind. The area is also suspected to have been home to multiple biblical cities. Return to the hotel in Amman for overnight stay.

Day 3 – Amman – Madaba - Mount Nebo – Kerak – Petra
After breakfast, drive from Amman along a biblical road the 2000 year old Kings Highway, which links prehistoric villages from the Stone Age and biblical towns. ‘The City of Mosaics’, Madaba, is the first stop, 30km south of Amman. Take the opportunity to visit the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, where the famous 6th Century Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land and other biblical sites can be found. The burial site of Prophet Moses can be found at the next stop, Mt. Nebo.
The mountain, 817m above sea level, offers an exquisite view of the Holy Land. Continue driving via the Kings Highway, to arrive at Kerak, a 12th century castle that has been inhabited since the Iron Age. It was a significant place for the Moabites due to its location; surrounded by valleys and high above sea level. Travel to Petra for overnight stay.

Day 4 – Visit to Petra and Wadi Rum
After breakfast, visit one of the New 7 Wonders of the World – the “Rose Red City” of Petra. Celebrating the 200th year of its rediscovery in 2012, the ancient Nabatean city of Petra is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. Built over 200 years ago by the Arab Nabeatans from the desert’s natural rose-coloured rocks and sandstones, Petra is filled with historical monuments of cultural significance. From the entrance of Petra, enjoy a walk or short horse ride through the “Siq”, a 1.2km long narrow canyon. The greatest monument of Petra, “Al Khazneh” (the treasury monument) comes into view at the end of the Siq. To make the most of the experience, a professional guide will walk you through this magical city, helping you to discover why the why the city was such an important business hub in ancient times. Spend the night at a hotel in Petra.

Day 5 – Petra – Little Petra, ‘Al-Beidha’ – Wadi Rum – Aqaba
After breakfast, encounter one of the suburbs of Petra, Little Petra, ‘Al-Beidha’, only 10 mins away. A narrow 350m long gorge called Siq al-Barid, the "cold Siq", called such as the high walls do not enable sunlight from entering to warm it, provides the unique entrance to Little Petra. Having already seen Petra to be an important business hub, you can appreciate Little Petra, which provides the entry and exit point for Petra was an important trade route. Caravans from surrounding areas arrived here to rest and trade, and this suburb has a similar feel to Petra, with buildings carved into the rocks. One of the buildings still contains the remains of painted frescoes dating back to the 1st century AD. One of the most naturally astounding areas of Jordan for many people is Wadi Rum, a vast desert, which you will explore in a 4x4 jeep. Bedouin tribes inhabit some areas of the desert. The ancient valleys make it a popular place for hikers whilst its tall sandstone mountains are a popular challenge for climbers. Wadi Rum most famous due to its connection British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18. Wadi Rum was the location for a large proportion of the filming of Lawrence of Arabia. Using separate transportation, transfer to Aqaba, for overnight stay.

Day 6 & 7 - The Red Sea
After breakfast, spend the day at leisure and overnight in Aqaba.

Day 8 – Aqaba – Airport
After breakfast, you will be transferred from Aqaba to Queen Alia International Airport with full assistance through all airport procedures to end your trip.

* Please note: this tour only departs on Mondays.