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Highlights
Amman -
Jerash - Ajloun -
Madaba - Nebo - Karak - Shobak - Petra - Wadi Rum - Dead Sea
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Introduction
Parts of the country are so rich in archaeology that
it is literally impossible not to step tens of thousands of years
back into time. The unique majesty of Petra, the Roman splendor of
Jerash, and the elegant Omayyad fortress-palaces scattered in the
eastern desert are only a few of the major attractions. And in
addition to a splendid wealth of ancient cities, castles, Christian
churches, and mosaic masterpieces, the landscape offers some of the
most breathtaking vistas to be had anywhere on earth.
This 9 day trip
has been designed to provide you with the resources and the time to
gain an understanding and appreciation of the country and its
compelling history. The itinerary includes several highlights,
including a private tour of ACOR, the American Center of Oriental
Research. Here we will enjoy a private tour of collections,
including the intriguing Petra Scrolls. |
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Day by day tour itinerary
Day 1:
Arrive Amman, Jordan
Arrive
Amman International
Airport. Meet & assist at Queen Alia International Airport by your
professional iExplore representative, who will assist you with visas,
luggage, and customs.
Transfer in modern
air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel, Amman Marriott Hotel pre-check
in will be arranged, and guests will go directly to their rooms, and
luggage will follow immediately.
Meals provided: None
Accommodation: Amman Marriott Hotel |
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Day 2:
Amman
You are collected from your hotel for a full day
city tour of
Amman.
Start the day by
visiting the Citadel, the Archaeological Museum, the Roman Theatre,
the Folklore Museum, walk down town through the bazaars and the Gold
market, then on to visit Darat al Funun.
Darat al Funun is a
home for the Arts and the artists of Jordan and the Arab World.
Overlooking the heart of Amman, Darat al Funun is housed in three
historical residences built in the 1920’s alongside the remains of a
6th century Byzantine church. It speaks of an enduring ancient legacy
of urbanism, architecture and cultural identity that is now being
enriched by a modern flowering of the visual arts.
Enjoy lunch at Fakher
El Din Restaurant.
After lunch visit the
Nature Centre of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and
walk through the oldest part of Amman located in “Jabal Amman” the 1st
circle, where most of the houses of the well known families of Amman
was living or still living till today. Most of the houses are built in
the 1920’s or 1930’s.
Visit Jordan River
Design Shop for handicraft during the waling tour.
End the tour at the
“Pacha” Turkish Bath for bath with a massage and dinner at the
courtyard of the Pacha Turkish Bath.
Meals provided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Amman Marriott Hotel |
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Day 3:
Jerash & Ajloun
You are collected from your hotel for a full day
excursion to Jerash and Ajloun.
In
Jerash, the Roman
excavations are of about the same size as the modern part of the town.
Sometimes called the Pompeii of the East, Jerash flourished in the
first century AD and thrived by trade due to the benefits of the “Pax
Romana.”
Located north of Amman
in the biblical land of Gilead lies this city sheltered in a fertile
and well-watered valley. At its height, Jerash was home to over 25,000
people. Theatres and temples were continuously added as the city
thrived under the Roman empire. In 330 AD Emperor Constantine
announced that Christianity would be the new religion of the Roman
Empire’s eastern half, and Jerash fell into the newly formed Byzantine
segment. A spate of building ensued, some temples were transformed to
churches, and many new churches were erected, with mosaic floors
similar to those found at Madaba. The massive ruins are spread over a
large area divided and crisscrossed by colonnaded streets whose
pavements still show the grooves of chariot wheels.
Enjoy lunch at the
Green Valley Restaurant in Jerash, and continue on to Ajloun.
Visit the castle of
Ajloun “Al Rabad Castle.” Qalat er-Rabad, this is the name in Arabic,
is located on a high peak overlooking the city of Ajloun. According to
Salah-Eddin biographer, this castle was built between 1184 and 1185 by
one of the Salah-Eddin nephews, to oppose the Crusaders castles of
Kerak and Shobak.
Return to Amman for
dinner and evening at leisure.
Meals provided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Amman Marriott Hotel |
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Day 4:
Amman - Petra
Hotel checkout, depart Amman for a full day
excursion to Mt. Nebo, Madaba, the King’s Highway, Kerak, and on to
Petra for overnight.
Drive to Mount Nebo,
the mountain where Moses was allowed to see the Holy Land… and not
allowed to enter it. Nowadays the mountain is a memorial site. Here is
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.
South of Amman proudly stands the “City of Mosaics,” Madaba, perched
on an archaeological site with more than 4000 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. St.
George’s Church 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.
Return to your vehicle
and proceed to Kerak to visit the Crusaders Castle of Kerak and lunch
at Kerak King’s Castle Restaurant.
Visit the Crusaders
Castle of Kerak, famous of its crusader fortress in the center of
underground galleries, rooms and secret passageways and its thick
defensive walls pierced by narrow arrow slits where crusader archers
held out bravely but in vain for over 100 years. It was the crusaders
who made Kerak famous. Payen Le Boutellier, the lord of Montreal,
built the fortress in 1142. He made Kerak the new capital of the
province because it was situated on the king’s highway, where it could
control all traffic from north and south.
Return to your vehicle
and proceed to Petra via the Desert Highway, for hotel check-in and
dinner this evening.
Meals provided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Petra Marriott Hotel. |
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Day 5:
Petra
You are collected from your hotel for a full day
tour of
Petra.
Start the visit with a
horse ride from the main gate of Petra to the entrance of the old
city. Then walk on foot along the to visit the rose-red city of Petra.
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. Nowadays Petra is Jordan’s number 1 tourist
attraction, known as the “rose-red city half as old as time”. The
Khazneh (the Treasury,) starred in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Buffet lunch inside
Petra at Basin Restaurant.
Meals provided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Petra Marriott Hotel. |
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Day 6:
Petra & Wadi Rum
This morning, enjoy a return visit to the site of
Petra. After lunch,
drive to Wadi Rum, pick up your 4x4 vehicle and driver for a 3-hour
drive inside the beautiful desert of Wadi Rum and enjoy the sunset.
Wadi Rum. Otherwise
known as Valley of the Moon, the landscape of Wadi Rum with its
immensity, color and awe-inspiring shapes creates an almost
supernatural atmosphere. The setting for the film Lawrence of Arabia
and the actual location where T.E. Lawrence set his camp, whose book
“The Seven Pillars of Wisdom” was named after the seven natural
columns varying in height located in route to Wadi Rum.
Bedouin camps are
evident in the Wadi, which is still home to a number of Bedouin
families, who welcome visitors with the hospitality and generosity
that Bedouins are so famous for. Enjoy a special dinner under Bedouin
tents with local music entertainment.
Meals provided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Petra Marriott Hotel. |
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Day 7:
Petra - Dead Sea
Check-out and transfer to Little
Petra for a half-day visit.
Return to your vehicle
and drive to the Dead Sea Marriott Resort via the Desert Highway.
Arrive the Dead Sea
Marriott Resort and check in, enjoy the balance of the day at leisure.
Dead Sea, at
400-meter’s 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 2000 years for therapeutic purposes.
The Jordan Valley
Marriott Resort & Spa is an exceptional resort located on the east
shore of the Dead Sea. It is situated in one of the most unique places
and is on the lowest point of earth, 400 meters below the sea level.
Most rooms are facing the sea. The hotel offers an upscale treatment
spa with renowned dead sea salt and mud treatment.
Meals provided:
Breakfast
Accommodation:
Dead Sea Marriott
Resort |
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Day 8:
Dead Sea
Enjoy the day at your at leisure for swimming and
using the Sanctuary Spa. This afternoon you are collected from the
hotel for a drive to the Baptism Site.
The Baptism Site: The
excavations conducted at Bethany in Jordan have uncovered a I Century
A.D. settlement with plastered pools and water systems that were used
almost certainly for mass baptisms, and a V-VI Century Byzantine
settlement with churches, a monastery, and other structures most
probably catering to religious pilgrims. Return to the hotel late
afternoon and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Meals provided:
Breakfast
Accommodation:
Dead Sea Marriott
Resort |
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Day 9:
Dead Sea - Amman -
Depart
After breakfast, check out from hotel and luggage
will be stored at your vehicle.
Transfer to Queen Alia
International Airport for your departure flight. The drive from the
Dead Sea Movenpick Resort to the airport will take around 45 minutes.
Our representative will assist you with in check in and immigration
procedures.
Depart Amman
International Airport. |
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