Your itinerary
Day 1
DAY 1
Arrival in Amman
Day 2
Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum – We set off early to make the most of the day, travelling south along the Desert Highway through the sandy heart of Jordan to Wadi Rum – the ‘Valley of the Moon’. Nothing prepares you for the awe-inspiring sight that greets us: the sandstone massif that TE Lawrence described as ‘vast, echoing and god-like’. The magnificent cliffs and stone buttresses rise sheer from the sea of red sand, together forming a timeless panorama of monolithic rocks.
The twisted huge bulk of this network of canyons, rock bridges and ravines are one of the world’s most stunning desert environments. Quite apart from the visual experience – the silence is almost unnerving; bizarrely you cannot hear anything at all.
After transferring to 4×4 vehicles, we tour the canyons and valleys before arriving at the Wadi Rum Space Village, a Bedouin-style tented camp. This evening enjoy a traditional ‘zarb’ dinner – a delicious barbecue cooked for hours under the hot desert sand. All tents have twin or double beds with private shower and WC.
Meals: Dinner
Day 3
Little Petra
Little Petra – First, we see where vast caravans, some with over a thousand camels, gathered for their epic journeys, exploring the mysterious rock-carved rooms of ancient ‘hotels’ in the area, known as Little Petra. We stay two nights, with breakfast and dinner, at the four-star Old Village Hotel and Resort.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 4
Petra
Petra – Along with the Taj Mahal and the Pyramids, Petra is one of the world’s ‘must-see’ sights, firmly deserving of its accolade as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Famous throughout history, its huge wealth was amassed from its time as the centre of the ancient caravan routes, which traded as far as China and rivalled that of the Romans. A city to match was created, with sophisticated public buildings and libraries, lavish houses, colonnaded streets, and astonishing villas carved from solid rock.
We walk down the increasingly narrow gorge and, just as you think the vertiginous sides could not get any narrower, the incredible vista of the Treasury appears like a mirage through a slit in the rock. The perfection of its proportions and the sheer vastness of this edifice are astounding. Beyond, there’s an entire city waiting to be discovered: the amazing Royal Tombs, the theatre, the Street of the Facades, the Great Temple, early Christian churches, and the main colonnaded road that ran through the centre of this ancient but tremendously cultured city.
The afternoon is at leisure, so you may wish to return to your hotel and enjoy its facilities or remain at the site to continue exploring.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 5
King's Highway & Mount Nebo
King’s Highway & Mount Nebo – Heading north towards the Dead Sea we travel on the scenic King’s Highway, following an ancient caravan route. It passes through some of Jordan’s most spectacular scenery with views across arid, rocky peaks.
We visit the Crusader castle at Shobak, one of the region’s best-preserved forts, before continuing to Mount Nebo, where Moses first saw the Promised Land. According to Jewish and Christian tradition, the climb was so arduous that this remains his final resting place, leaving Joshua to lead his people over the River Jordan.
We also visit nearby Madaba, where St George’s Church houses a superbly intricate, 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land. We stay for two nights at the four-star Holiday Inn Dead Sea, with breakfast and dinner, 400 metres below sea level. It has several swimming pools, spacious air-conditioned rooms, as well as a small beach. You must take a dip in the Dead Sea, it’s one of life’s ‘must-do’ experiences.
Due to the salt content being 30 per cent, compared with normal seawater at 3 per cent, you float so easily. You cannot actually swim, but bob around like a cork and even while wading, you physically have to push your feet to the bottom to stand up!
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 6
Jerash
Jerash – Ancient Jerash is the largest and best-preserved Roman city in the region, known as the Pompeii of the east. Its beautifully colonnaded main street and forum, the hippodrome, baths and theatre are a superb example of Roman town planning on a truly grand scale.
In the afternoon we return to our hotel and have some free time to enjoy the hotel facilities or take a dip in the Dead Sea.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 7
DAY 7
Return home
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Shobak Crusader Castle (Montreal)
Visit Shobak Crusader Castle (Montreal), perched on a lonely knoll guarding ancient trade routes. Ramble along battlements, peer into hidden stairways, and trace weathered inscriptions as panoramic desert views stretch to the horizon.
This 12th-century stronghold witnessed sieges and shifting power until the forces of Saladin claimed it. Your visit unpacks crusader strategy, frontier life, and the enduring imprint of medieval fortifications on the Jordanian landscape.
Mount Nebo Viewpoint & Madaba Mosaic Map
Stand on Mount Nebo, where tradition holds that Moses saw the Promised Land, and gaze across the Jordan Valley and the shimmering Dead Sea. Visit the memorial church to view intricate mosaics that speak to centuries of pilgrimage and devotion.
Continue to St George’s Church in Madaba to admire the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land—an exquisite cartographic artwork detailing biblical sites. Guides illuminate symbols, craft techniques, and the region’s role as a crossroads of faiths.
King’s Highway Scenic Drive
Travel the storied route as you travel the King’s Highway, an ancient caravan route that threads the highlands of central Jordan. From the coach, take in far-reaching vistas over arid, rocky peaks and deep desert valleys etched by time.
Along this historic spine of the country, your Tour Manager shares tales of traders and pilgrims who moved incense, spices, and ideas along the same path—ideal moments to pause for photos and reflection on the landscapes that shaped Near Eastern history.
Jerash Guided Tour of the Roman City
Step through Hadrian’s Arch and join a guided tour of Jerash, among the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere. Stroll the colonnaded Cardo and Oval Forum, admire the Nymphaeum, and appreciate the scale of baths and temples lining the grid.
Discover how this Roman city of the Decapolis thrived with trade and spectacle, from the acoustics of the theatre and hippodrome to the city’s meticulous urban planning. Columns, paving grooves, and inscriptions reveal daily life in the imperial east.
Dead Sea Float & Lakeside Time
Savor a once-in-a-lifetime sensation as you float in the Dead Sea at the lowest point on earth. The dense, buoyant, mineral-rich waters support you effortlessly—reading a book while bobbing is no exaggeration.
Learn why salinity here approaches 30% and how evaporation fuels this natural spa. Make use of the resort’s beach and pools, rinse off silky salt crystals, and soak in the lakeside atmosphere framed by desert mountains and luminous horizons.
Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp Overnight & Zarb Dinner
Experience desert hospitality as you stay overnight in a Bedouin-style camp set amid silent sands and rugged cliffs. As evening cools, torches glow and the Milky Way sharpens above the tents, inviting you to stargaze under desert skies far from city lights.
Feast on a Bedouin specialty as you enjoy a traditional zarb dinner, slow-cooked beneath the sand for hours to achieve aromatic tenderness. Comfortable tents with private facilities balance authenticity with ease, while dawn paints the mountains in rose and gold.
Little Petra Caravan Oasis Visit
Explore Little Petra (Siq al-Barid), a Nabataean outpost where ancient traders once gathered supplies and shelter. Walk a narrow gorge to rock-cut facades, climb into caravanserai caves, and examine rock-hewn chambers that hint at the bustle of caravans preparing to enter Petra.
Gain insight into the Nabataeans’ command of desert trade routes linking Arabia, Egypt, and the Levant. Your guide brings to life the site’s role as a staging post, from communal dining niches to stairways carved directly into the pale sandstone.
Petra Guided Exploration via the Siq & Treasury
Walk the shadowed canyon to walk the narrow Siq and emerge before the Treasury (Al-Khazneh), its rose-red facade soaring from living rock. Continue through Petra’s heart to discover cliffside tombs, temples, and streets that reveal the ambition and artistry of the Nabataean capital.
With your guide, explore the Royal Tombs and Theatre, early churches, and the colonnaded main street that once anchored a cosmopolitan crossroads of caravan trade. Learn how water engineering and commerce forged a city now celebrated as a UNESCO site and one of the New Seven Wonders.
Wadi Rum 4x4 Desert Safari & Seven Pillars
Discover otherworldly desert scenery as you join a 4×4 desert safari across Wadi Rum – the Valley of the Moon. Drive beneath towering sandstone massifs, weave through canyons and over rippling red dunes, and feel the profound quiet of a landscape where the wind and shifting light set the mood.
Hear echoes of T. E. Lawrence’s description of this place as “vast, echoing and god-like” and pause to admire the famed Seven Pillars of Wisdom rock formation. Your guide reveals geology and Bedouin lore that have shaped this timeless wilderness.
