Tour of Jordan
Day 1
of Jordan Tour
Arrive in Amman
Arrival in Amman, Jordan.
Amman, the modern and ancient capital of Jordan, is one of the oldest
continuously inhabited cities in the World. The city's modern buildings
blend with the remnants of ancient civilizations.20 kilometers from the
airport to the hotel
Overnight in Amman. Dinner if required.
Day 2
of Jordan Tour
Amman - Jerash - Desert Castles - Amman
This morning we leave Amman by bus for a tour of the extensive Roman
site of Jerash about 45 kilometres. In the 1st and 2nd centuries AD,
Jerash was a wealthy city and is today considered one of the most
important and best preserved of all Roman sites. We visit the famous
elliptical Forum, the beautiful amphitheatre with its superb natural
acoustics, and the site of the huge Temple of Artemis.
This afternoon we travel east from Amman into the Jordanian Desert. Here
we see some of the Desert castles built by the Omayyed Caliphs in the
8th century AD. Of particular interest are Qasar Amra with its unique
frescoes of hunting scenes and dancing girls. Qasar Azraq, built
entirely of black basalt, was used as a base by Lawrence of Arabia in
his later campaigns against the Turks.
We return to Amman via a road that is one of the main trade routes
between Jordan and nearby Iraq.
Overnight in Amman. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 3
of Jordan Tour
Amman: City Tour - Dead Sea - Petra
This morning we tour Amman, visiting the Roman amphitheatre, Folklore
Museum, Museum of Popular Traditions, Archaeological Museum, and the
ruins of the Hercules Temple.
From Amman we travel to Madaba about 35 kilometers, a small city famous
for its magnificent mosaic floors. A unique mosaic covers the floor of
St. George's church and consists of a huge map of the Holy Land as it
appeared in the 6th century AD.Half of the population of that city are
Christians Greek orthodox
Driving to the edge of the Jordan Valley we reach Mount Nebo from where
Prophet Moses first saw the Promised Land. On a clear day you can look
down to see the Dead Sea and the River Jordan. On the other side of the
valley is the city of Jerusalem. Here we see a huge mosaic of hunting
scenes covers the floor of a ruined Byzantine church.
We leave Mt Nebo and travel south via the Dead Sea Highway, making a
stop at the Dead Sea en route. King David, King Herod, Jesus, and John
the Baptist were closely linked with the Dead Sea and its surroundings.
During the Egyptian conquest it is said that Queen Cleopatra obtained
exclusive rights to build cosmetic and pharmaceutical factories in the
area. Later on, the wily Nabateans discovered the value of bitumen
extracted from the Dead Sea used by the Egyptians for embalming their
dead. The Dead Sea contains 10 times more salts and minerals than the
Mediterranean Sea. The high salt and mineral concentration enables
everyone to float in its waters but doesn't allow the proliferation of
fish and other marine life.
We continue to Petra, arriving in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Petra. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 4
of Jordan Tour
Petra: Site Tour
Petra was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom from the fourth century BC
to the 2nd century AD. From the 12th century until its rediscovery in
1812, Petra was lost to the world--a closely guarded secret of the local
tribes. Today the 'rose red city half as old as time' is probably the
most impressive archaological site in the Middle East, rivalling the
temples and Pyramids of Egypt in grandeur.
This morning, on our way into the hidden valley of Petra, we will see
the Obelisk Tomb and the irrigation system which carried water from a
dam throughout the desert city. Access to the monuments of Petra is
through a narrow gorge in the towering rocks called the 'Siq'. As we
emerge from the 'Siq' you stand in awe in front of the 'Treasury' (El
Khazneh), a graceful structure carved from the living rock. After
pausing to admire the elegant columns and carvings we carry on into the
valley where elaborate tombs are carved into the multi-coloured walls.
Everywhere the sandstone swirls and twists in shades of red, orange,
yellow, pink and white. Next we will see the Roman amphitheatre, carved
directly out of the mountain, with space for over 3,000 spectators.
Further on in the main valley of Petra, are the Royal Tombs including
the Palace Tomb and the Silk Tomb. We visit the temple of the Nabateans'
main god, Dushara, and we also see the 'Temple of the Winged Lion'. Our
formal guided tour of the site terminates with a visit to the Petra
Nabatean Museum.
At this point, you may explore further on your own, or return to our
hotel to relax and / or shop. You may also take a strenuous walk up a
narrow pass to see the magnificent 'Monastery' building, El Deir. The
views of Petra and the surrounding area are expansive. The walk is
steep, mostly on steps carved into the rock, and will take APPROXIMATELY
one hour up (30 minutes down).
This evening after dinner you may like to go for a drink in a bar partly
built into a 2,000 year-old Nabatean tomb!
NOTE: Access to Petra is by means of footpath only. The main sites occur
near ground that is level and well-worn, though the overall site is
huge. Our pace is leisurely with frequent breaks; however, to fully
experience Petra you must be prepared for a considerable amount of
walking and little shade.
Overnight at Petra. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 5
of Jordan Tour
Petra: El Beida
This morning we take a tour by bus to the nearby site of 'el Beidha'
(known as 'Little Petra'). We will also see a settlement dating from the
Neolithic period, some 8,500 years ago. This is one of the oldest sights
in the Middle East; it shows evidence of habitation by a Pre-Pottery
population who were herders experimenting with agriculture. We return to
our hotel by bus.
This afternoon you can either relax or re-enter the breathtaking main
site of Petra (the entrance fee today is at your own expense).
You may wish to explore on your own, or join your Tour Leader on a steep
walk to the 'High Place', which (some believe) was the site of human
sacrifice to the Nabatean gods. From here it is possible to see the tomb
of the Jewish prophet, Aaron. This site offers the best views of the
entire site of Petra, but should be attempted only by the fit!
Overnight at Petra. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 6
of Jordan Tour
Petra - Aqaba - Wadi Rum - Aqaba
Leaving Petra we stop briefly at 'the Spring of Moses', supposed to have
magical properties.
We continue down the Desert Highway to Jordan's only port, Aqaba, on the
Red Sea. We will have time this afternoon to relax or visit the Red Sea
beaches.
Later this afternoon we make an excursion to Wadi Rum where Lawrence of
Arabia conducted many of his campaigns during the First World War. While
at Wadi Rum we take four wheel drive vehicles out into the desert where
the sand is red and the rocks look like gigantic multi-layered chocolate
cakes melting in the setting sun. We may be invited into a goat-hair
tent to share a glass of tea with some Bedouin tribesmen--the nomadic
herdsmen of the desert who made up Lawrence's army. Running along the
floor of the valley is the Hejaz Railway that Lawrence blew up
repeatedly. After sunset we return to Aqaba.
Overnight in Aqaba. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 7
of Jordan Tour
Aqaba - Shobak - Kerak - Amman
Today we travel along the historic King's Highway from Aqaba to Amman.
Along this route castles and towns were positioned a one day's travel
distance apart. The first castle we come to is Shobak Castle, built by
the Crusaders in 1115 and sacked by Moslem forces under Saladin in 1189.
Farther north we explore Kerak Castle, also a 12th century Crusaders
fortress. The castle's huge water cisterns and commanding position on a
hill top allowed it to hold out against many sieges.
We continue to Amman, arriving in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Amman. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 8
of Jordan Tour
Departure
Departure from Amman.
Breakfast
Desert paramours Trek and Travel, Petra - Jordan
Wadi Mousa - Tourist St. P.O.Box: 143, Zip: 718111, Tel: 00962 777 282 730, Fax: 00962 3 2155 955
E-mail: info@desertparamours.com, www.desertparamours.com
