Jordan - Petra & the Dead Sea - Once-in-a-lifetime experiences

Once-in-a-lifetime experiences

Gaze wide-eyed at one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, drive stunning desert highways, and visit the lowest location on Earth. See for yourself some of the world’s most awe-inspiring sights on this remarkable escorted tour to the friendly, welcoming Kingdom of Jordan. Discover Amman’s mix of ancient and ultra-modern, Jerash’s Roman remains and astonishing, breathtaking Petra. Travel through pristine desert landscapes, take the fabled King’s Highway to Madaba, then end your unforgettable holiday with a few days relaxing on the shores of the mysterious Dead Sea.

Highlights

Petra – one of the Seven New Wonders of the World
Floating lazily in the mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea
Sampling delicious street food during your guided tour of Amman
A 4x4 adventure through the dunes and dry riverbeds of Wadi Rum
Little Petra (Al Beidha Siq), the Byzantine mosaics at Madaba and the astonishing views from Mt Nebo
Drive the Kings' Highway visiting Madaba and Mount Nebo

Inclusions

Six nights’ half-board accommodation* at four-star and five-star hotels in Amman (2 nights), Petra (2) and the Dead Sea Resort (2)
Return flights to Amman
Comfortable, air-conditioned coach travel and transfers throughout
All visits and excursions
The services of a friendly, experienced tour manager
*Owing to the late arrival time at the start of the holiday, dinner on this night will be a light, cold plated meal served in your room

Day 1

Arrive in Amman, settle in to your hotel and enjoy a first evening in this friendly city that's built between desert hills and mixes modern amenities with occasional, striking remnants of the past. Depending on the time you arrive, you may have time to enjoy a cocktail or perhaps take a stroll before a light plated dinner is served in the hotel.

Day 2

Board the coach this morning to head north to Jerash. Just outside the modern city lie the impressive remains of Gerasa, once one of the Middle East’s most important Roman strongholds. The great Hippodrome, theatres, plazas, streets and baths that archaeologists have recovered from the sands over the last 80 years are startlingly well-preserved, and have led to Jerash being nicknamed the Pompeii of the East.This afternoon, return to Amman for a guided tour. Visit the ancient citadel, atop the highest point in the city and famed for its Roman, Byzantine and Islamic Umayyad remains, see the striking city-centre Roman amphitheatre and discover two of the city’s most fascinating collections, at the Archaeological and Folklore museums. You’ll also have the opportunity to taste some of the city’s famous street foods - like falafel and sticky, sweet kanafeh pastries - as you wander in the company of your guide. Return to the hotel for dinner at the end of a wonderful day.

Day 3

Board the coach after breakfast, and relax as you take a two-hour drive south, into the desert, to the extraordinary rose-red mountain outcrop of Wadi Rum, which rises from the endless, inhospitable sands. Here, you’ll board a rugged 4x4 all-terrain vehicle for a two-hour drive through the unearthly landscape. You’ll have the chance to walk to hillside Lawrence spring, and take a gentle hike through a desert canyon to visit a Bedouin camp, where you will be greeted with mint tea and traditional bread.At the end of the tour you'll turn north again, heading to your four-star hotel close to the extraordinary desert city of Petra. Rest, relax and enjoy dinner amid wonderful, surroundings as you enjoy your first desert sunset.

Day 4

You’ll have an early start and an early breakfast this morning, but an unforgettable day awaits. Follow the breathtaking trail through the narrow, 80-metre-high red-rock gorge of the Siq and into the ancient Rose Red city of Petra. Your first view of the city as the passage widens will be of Al-Khazneh (The Treasury), the iconic temple/mausoleum carved into the rock over 2000 years ago by the Nabataean people who settled here. Petra is a magnificent architectural and engineering marvel that extends across hundreds of acres into the sands of Wadi Rum, inevitably exceeds all visitors' expectations, and unquestionably deserves its status as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. It simply has to be seen to be fully appreciated. At the end of a wonderful day, return to the comfortable surroundings of your desert haven.

Day 5

Leave Petra and your hotel behind after breakfast, today, and travel a little way north to the excavations at the Al Beidha Siq, known as Little Petra, and an intimate, less-visited contrast to the glories of the Rose-Red city.Back aboard the coach, head north once again, following the King’s Highway before turning east to ancient Madaba. Here the 19th-century Greek Orthodox Church of St George stands guard over an extraordinary Sixth-century mosaic map of the region that has drawn visitors for centuries. Later this afternoon you’ll climb Mount Nebo, the supposed resting place of Moses, from which you can just make out the rooftops of Bethlehem and Jerusalem across the vast expanse of the Great Rift Valley and the River Jordan below. You’ll then head down onto the valley floor to the northern shores of the mysterious, mineral-laden Dead Sea where another sumptuous resort hotel waits to welcome you.

Day 6

Enjoy all the delights of your shore-side hotel today, including the chance to float in the waters of the Dead Sea itself - one of the strangest sensations on earth. Take advantage of the hotel pool, laze on the private beach, treat yourself to a spa treatment using natural Dead Sea products, or make use of the hotel’s well-equipped gym. How you spend your last day in Jordan is up to you.

Day 7

Board the coach for the return journey up from the Dead Sea shore, and back to Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport where you'll check in for your flight home at the end of a truly fascinating and unforgettable few days.

Further Information

Passports and visas

British citizens will require a visa to enter Jordan. Your passport must be valid for six months after your arrival date in Jordan. We can arrange a visa on your behalf, free of charge, when you supply your passport details. Customers of other nationalities should check with the Jordanian Embassy, as a different visa application process may be required.

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 30 minutes.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made. In many developing countries access is sometimes not as easy as at home. Should you have walking difficulties, getting around monuments and attractions may be harder and, in some cases, impossible. Should you have any concerns whatsoever please do contact us prior to travel.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Travel vaccinations

Requirements and advice can vary over time, and from person to person, so please contact your GP about eight weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or any other preventive measures.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.