When not half board, we usually eat in local restaurants and the leader arranges bookings for those in the group who would like to join. We suggest you budget around 20 Jordanian dinars (US$28) per person per non-included meals. If you are vegetarian, please note that main meals are limited in choice; however, meze is almost always available in restaurants and is a good, filling vegetarian choice. There is a good choice of seafood available when at the Red Sea. At the Wadi Rum camp, we enjoy a traditional dinner called zarb, which is cooked underground. This consists of rice with a selection including chicken, lamb and vegetables. Vegetables are cooked separately from the meat.

Alcoholic drinks: Alcohol is available in Jordan, but not widely. Many hotels do not sell alcohol and do not allow it to be brought in from elsewhere. It is best to plan if you’ll want a drink, your tour leader can tell you what’s possible and may be able to arrange a stop at a supermarket or liquor store (depending on location). In Petra, the unique Cave Bar in Petra Guesthouse is open to the public. A less expensive option is the bar in the Petra Palace Hotel, which is also open to all.

Explore Little Petra, a narrow gorge of carved facades thought to have hosted caravans on the ancient trade routes. Wander rock-hewn stairways to quiet viewpoints and hear how this satellite settlement complemented the grandeur of Petra.

See caves, triclinia and the famed Painted House with delicate Nabataean frescoes. This visit is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, offering a contemplative counterpoint to Petra’s monumental scale.

Hike centuries-old steps to the High Place of Sacrifice, a mountaintop sanctuary with ancient ritual altars and sweeping vistas over the Nabataean city. This guided ascent reveals Petra’s spiritual dimension beyond its famed facades.

Along the way, your leader shares insights into Nabataean beliefs, cliff-carved obelisks and processional routes. The path is steep in sections but richly rewarding, offering fresh angles on canyons, tombs and the rugged escarpments that shielded Petra from the outside world.

Explore the hilltop Amman Citadel, taking in sweeping skyline views and remnants of empires at the Temple of Hercules and the early Islamic Umayyad Palace. Your guide brings the layers of the capital to life, from Bronze Age foundations to bustling modern neighborhoods below.

Continue to the Roman Theatre, a 6,000-seat amphitheatre carved into the hillside. Hear stories of ancient Philadelphia (Amman’s Roman name), and appreciate how the city’s heritage threads through its present-day markets, cafes and lively downtown streets.

Travel Jordan’s storied King’s Highway to see the 6th-century St George’s Church mosaic map in Madaba, a beautifully detailed cartographic portrait of the Holy Land. At the Mount Nebo viewpoint, gaze across the Rift Valley toward the Dead Sea and Palestine, a panorama tied to the story of Moses.

Venture inside Kerak Crusader Castle, a rugged 12th-century fortress of vaulted halls and passages. Understand the clash of medieval powers and pause for photos and reflection with dramatic vistas over wadis and desert escarpments.

Walk the shadowed chasm of the Siq and emerge before El Khazneh (the Treasury), its rose-hued facade glowing in sandstone light. Continue through Petra’s heart past rock-cut tombs, the theatre and the colonnaded street, where Nabataean craftsmanship meets Roman urban flair.

Hear how caravan wealth once flowed into this hidden valley and how ingenious channels sustained life in arid mountains. Trace chiselled stairways and weathered facades, and pause for photos and reflection as colors shift from copper to crimson through the day.

Ride a 4×4 into Wadi Rum, tracing sandy valleys and wind-sculpted canyons beneath towering sandstone massifs. Stop to sample Bedouin tea in the shade of cliffs and watch the sunset wash the desert in copper and gold.

This UNESCO-listed landscape is tied to T.E. Lawrence and Arab Revolt lore, but its story stretches back to prehistoric petroglyphs and caravan paths. Your Bedouin driver reveals hidden springs, rock bridges and viewpoints that capture the silence and scale of the desert.

Experience Bedouin hospitality at our private desert camp, where a traditional zarb dinner cooked underground is unearthed in fragrant steam. Share mint tea by the fire as musicians’ rhythms and conversation mingle with the hush of the dunes.

Your hosts explain desert lifeways—from goat-hair tents to seasonal migrations—while constellations brighten a desert night sky free of city glare. It’s an evening of stories, aroma and warmth that roots you in the human heart of Wadi Rum.

Stroll the old souq with your leader, browsing spices, sweets and copperware before you step inside Aqaba Castle (Mamluk Fort). Its crenellations and courtyards recall Red Sea trade routes and regional power struggles.

Continue to the Bait Al Sharif Hussein bin Ali Museum to trace the story of the Arab Revolt and the city’s role in shifting Middle Eastern history. Sea breezes, palm-lined paths and the glow of late afternoon frame this coastal interlude.

Unwind with private beach club access at Berenice, where loungers, shade and calm, clear Red Sea waters invite a slow afternoon. Swim, read or simply take in views across the Gulf of Aqaba to rugged mountains beyond.

Located near Aqaba Marine Park, the shoreline hints at nearby coral gardens and reef life. Those who wish may rent snorkel gear on site, while others savor a relaxed pause between desert adventures and the mineral shores of the Dead Sea.

Float effortlessly in the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea from the hotel’s private beach, then smooth on mineral-rich mud said to rejuvenate skin. The saline stillness and desert backdrop create a uniquely serene sensation.

Learn why hypersalinity of around 34% and evaporation at the lowest point on Earth shape this landscape’s shimmering crusts and mirrored light. Rinse off, relax by the pools, and enjoy the mellow glow of late afternoon by Jordan’s inland sea.

Climb around 800 steps hewn into the mountainside to reach Ad-Deir (the Monastery), a colossal rock-cut facade set on a secluded plateau. Stone benches and shaded ledges provide restful pauses on the ascent.

From the summit, take in sweeping plateau views over sandstone ridges and distant wadis. This challenging hike is an optional experience at additional cost, arranged locally by your tour leader during your time in Petra.

Share a home-hosted dinner with a local family in Wadi Musa. Savor Jordanian mezze and family recipes—perhaps mansaf, maqluba, or fragrant rice with spiced meats—served with warm hospitality in a relaxed setting.

Conversations open windows onto daily life, traditions and Petra’s community rhythms, making this a meaningful cultural exchange. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour and subject to host availability.

Dine at Dar Ne’meh, a women-led initiative showcasing regional ingredients and time-honoured cooking. Taste heritage dishes prepared with care, from seasonal salads and stews to aromatic rice and sweets.

Proceeds support training and artisan livelihoods, turning dinner into a contribution to community resilience. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable with your tour leader in Aqaba.

Visit UNESCO-listed Al-Maghtas on the east bank of the Jordan River, revered as the site of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. Walk shaded paths to chapels, archaeological remains and baptismal pools near the riverbank.

Guides illuminate early Christian pilgrimage traditions and recent discoveries that confirmed the location’s significance. This is an optional experience at additional cost, arranged locally from the Dead Sea with a short transfer.

Discover one of the Middle East’s finest Roman cities as you join a guided tour of Jerash. Walk the sweeping Oval Plaza, follow the colonnaded Cardo and admire grand monuments including the Temple of Zeus and theatres that reveal the ambition of this Decapolis city.

Buried for centuries under desert sands, Jerash displays remarkably intact streets, gates and forums. Learn how prosperity flowed here through trade routes, and test the acoustics in the South Theatre before you pause for photos and reflection amid towering Corinthian columns and limestone arches.