Itinerary
Day
1
SUN I AMMAN
Upon arrival at the Amman Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (D)
Day
2
MON I AMMAN I MADABA I MT. NEBO I KERAK 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
3
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
4
WED I PETRA I LITTLE PETRA I WADI RUM
This morning, you will have a short drive to Little Petra, where you will walk through the 8,000-year-old excavated stone-age villages of Beidah and Basta, wander among the ruins of settlements of the biblical Edomites, and explore the sprawling remains of the Roman legionary fortress at Udruh. Continue to Wadi Rum, where the movie “Lawrence of Arabia” was filmed. Here you will enjoy a 2-hour Jeep tour to view the desert and its awe-inspiring moon-like landscape. Enjoy dinner and an overnight camp stay. (B,D)
Day
5
THU I WADI RUM I BETHANY I DEAD SEA I AMMAN
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. Travel back to Amman for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
Day
6
FRI I AMMAN I JERASH I AJLOUN I AMMAN
This morning, travel to Jerash, the best-preserved example of Roman civilization in Jordan. Considered part of the “Decapolis”, the ten big Roman cities of the eastern frontier, it has also been called the Pompeii of the East for its unique state of preservation, featuring theatres, churches, temples (Zeus and Artemis), a Nymphaeum, and colonnaded streets. Next, you will visit Ajloun, the 12th Century Castle built by Saladin in his successful campaign to drive the Crusaders from Jordan in 1189. It is an outstanding example of Arab/Islamic military architecture. Return to Amman for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
Day
7
SAT I AMMAN TO USA (OR EXTEND YOUR STAY)
After breakfast, transfer from your hotel to Amman Airport for your departure flight home. (B)
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