Day
1
SAT I AMMAN
Upon arrival at the Amman Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Amman for dinner and overnight. (D)
Day
2
SUN I AMMAN I DESERT CASTLES I AMMAN
Start your adventure today with an exciting Amman city tour. Explore the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, visiting the Roman Theatre, Citadel, and the Folklore & Archeological Museum. Next, delve into the Desert Castles, located in the eastern desert of the Kingdom. Here you will see the fresco art and zodiac dome of the Qasr Amra baths; discover the fortress-like Qasr Kharana; and venture along to the Medieval Islamic fort at Azraq. Tonight, you will enjoy dinner at your hotel in Amman. (B,D)
Day
3
MON I AMMAN I MADABA I MT. NEBO I SHOBAK I PETRA
This morning, enjoy a scenic drive along the King’s Highway to visit Madaba, the City of Mosaics. The oldest mosaic map of the Holy Land exists on the floor of Saint George’s Church, and the city features many famous mosaics that exist in both public and private buildings. Visit Mount Nebo, the alleged burial site of Moses, overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, where Franciscans built a simple structure that protects a 4th and 6th Century Byzantine church. Continue to Kerak for a photo stop before proceeding to Shobak Castle. Built in 1115, it was the first of many fortifications built by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem to guard the road from Egypt to Damascus. It successfully resisted a number of sieges until it fell to Saladin’s troops in 1189. Dinner and overnight at Petra hotel. (B,D)
Day
4
TUE I PETRA
After breakfast, you will begin your full day visit of Petra; a city carved into the rose-red Sharah Mountains by the Nabateans and lost to civilization until rediscovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer, John Lewis Burkhardt. Walk through the Siq, a narrow and winding fissure between the cliffs, to reach the Treasury, the Roman Theater, the Courts, Qasr Bint Pharaoun, the Temple of the Winged Lion and other breathtaking monuments. Dinner and overnight at Petra hotel. (B,D)
Day
5
WED I PETRA I LITTLE PETRA I WADI RUM
After breakfast, depart from Petra to Little Petra. Stroll through the 8,000-year-old excavated Stone Age villages at Beidah and Basta. Wander among the ruins of the biblical Edomites to explore the sprawling remains of the Roman legionary fortress at Udruh. Continue on to Wadi Rum, where the blockbuster “Lawrence of Arabia” was filmed across the desert terrain. Hop into 4x4 vehicles for a two-hour desert tour. Enjoy dinner and an overnight camp stay in Wadi Rum. (B,D)
Day
6
THU I WADI RUM I BETHANY I DEAD SEA
After breakfast at the hotel, depart via Araba Road to visit Bethany – site of John the Baptist’s settlement where Jesus was baptized. Continue to the Dead Sea, with its year-round sunny skies and dry air, located in the Jordan Rift Valley about 422 meters below sea level. Its famously hypersaline water makes floating easy, and its mineral-rich black mud is used for therapeutic and cosmetic treatments. Take your time to enjoy a leisurely afternoon swim. Tonight, you will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at your hotel in the Dead Sea area. (B,D)
Day
7
FRI I DEAD SEA
A day at leisure greets you today with splendid opportunities for relaxing in the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea. Tonight, you will savor in a delicious dinner at your hotel in the Dead Sea area. (B,D)
Day
8
