The Red Sea, Dead Sea and fascinating Petra….Jordan has it all. Lively modern cities rubbing shoulders with ancient streets, castle keeps that have kept their looks since the Crusades; this destination is every traveller’s Holy Grail.
Extras
A land of ancient cities, friendly people and out of this world landscapes. Late evening arrival with check-in.
After breakfast, we visit Al Salt City. Tightly built on a cluster of three hills, the splendid yellow sandstone buildings incorporate a variety of styles. The most beautiful is the Abu Jaber mansion with its painted fresco ceilings built between 1892 and 1906.
We then move on to once the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom, Amman is now a contemporary and busy energetic city. Recently known as the ‘White City’ due to the white stone used, today our guided tour explores the incredible 1900 year old Roman Amphitheatre, the Folklore & Archaeological Museum, Jordan Museum, and one of the world’s oldest inhabited areas standing on the highest hill in downtown Amman; the Citadel.
Today we take the King’s road travelling to the ‘City of Mosaics’; Madaba. Famous for its beautiful mosaics in the public and private buildings, we view St. George’s Orthodox Church which houses a two-million piece jigsaw of the oldest map of the Holyland depicting Jerusalem and other centres of pilgrimage. We continue on to Mt Nebo, the alleged final resting place of Moses overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea.
A full day at this exquisit city carved into the rose-red sandstone of the Sharah Mountains by the Nabateans. Once lost to civilisation, we can walk along the Siq, a narrow gorge that pierces through cliffs to the dramatic Treasury. Explore the Roman Theatre, the Courts, Qasr Bint Pharoaun as well the Temple of the Winged Lion. As the sun sets, it’s easy to imagine caravans laden with incense, silk and spices kicking up the dust as they creep over the horizon.
Today takes us to Little Petra & Beidah where we can walk through the 8000 year old excavated stone ages villages as well as the ruins of settlements of the biblical Edomites and the Roman legionary fortress at Udruh. After this we continue on to the Wadi Rum Desert. It is here the dramatic ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ was filmed and with it’s breathtaking moon-like landscape, we take a tour in 4×4 vehicles.
Leaving the desert, we head for the Dead Sea. With its’ year-round sunny skies and dry air, the Dead Sea is about 422 meters below sea level and one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. Well-known for its mineral-rich mud and waters, boasting health properties. We spend a leisurely afternoon swimming at Dead Sea Spa Hotel before continuing to Iraq Al Amir; the Hellenistic ruins of Qaser El-Abd. Consisting of an enormous palace, it is thought to been built by Hyrcanus of the powerful Tobiad family during the 2nd century AD.
On our final day we visit the Graeco-Roman city of Jerash, hidden under desert sands until its excavation 70 years ago. The result is one of the best preserved cities of its kind. Our tour features, churches, theatres, temples and colonnaded streets. We finish at the 12th Century Ajloun Castle; an exceptional example of Arab military architecture. It was built in 1184AD by Saladin in his campaign to drive the Crusades out of Jordan.
Transfer early this morning to the airport for your flight home.
We stay in comfortable hotels throughout as detailed below (or similar)
A full 10-year passport is required and should be valid for 6 months beyond the date of departure. Clients who are joining our main group flight will be part of a group visa on arrival, which is included in your tour package. Non-British passport holders and those arriving on separate flights should check visa requirements with the Jordanian Embassy.
For further information about entry requirements please contact:
Jordanian Embassy
6 Upper Phillimore Gardens
London
W8 7HA
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7937 3685
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7937 8795
Website: www.jordanembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Please check with the Embassy for up to date opening hours.
Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your sole responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant embassies and/or consulates of the countries in which you are planning to travel.
Previous travel to Israel
Evidence of a previous visit to Israel like an Israeli entry/exit stamp in your passport does not normally cause any difficulties when entering Jordan. It is, however, for the Jordanian authorities to determine the right of entry into the country. If you have any concerns, you should contact the Consulate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in London.
The transfer time between Amman Airport and Hotel is approximately 40 minutes, depending on the traffic.
We suggest a Group Collection to cover guides, transfer drivers, and hotel staff of minimum £70.00 per person. Your Tour Leader will collect this on your behalf and distribute it accordingly, thus relieving you of the burden of who, when and how much to tip. The tipping of housekeeping will be left to your individual discretion (a small amount left in your room on departure should cover this and would be much appreciated). As is customary, ‘the hat’ will be passed around for the driver and guide on all optional excursions. For any meals that are not included in your itinerary, or taxi fares, your Tour Leader can advise of an appropriate % to add on.
Jordanian dinar
Cash machines are available throughout Amman and in other major towns and cities. ATMs are less widely available in rural areas, though most petrol stations on major roads offer ATMs.
Credit Card Acceptance: In hotels and some larger shops/restaurants.
Recommended Currency for Exchange: Sterling and US$ are widely accepted though exchange rates tend to favour the US$. It is worth taking some money in cash. You may be able to order Dinars from your bank although the rate will usually be lower than purchasing currency in country.
During the day when sightseeing, we recommend casual, lightweight cotton clothing, that covers the shoulders and knees (both men and women). You will find that smart casual wear is acceptable, even in the best hotels during the evening. We would recommend an umbrella or hat for protection against the sun. Comfortable shoes are a “must” for sightseeing. From time to time, your guide will advise you about observing local customs. On certain occasions it will be necessary to remove your shoes to enter temples so easily removable footwear (eg. trekking sandals) is recommended. Women are advised not to wear shorts or dresses that are too revealing as this can attract unwelcome attention in the streets of Muslem towns – loose fitting trousers or slacks are ideal. Women should also cover their head and shoulders when entering a mosque and men should wear long trousers.
A reasonable level of fitness/mobility is required as we include plenty of sightseeing/travelling, sometimes with early starts. We would not recommend this holiday for those with walking difficulties.
Certain parts of this trip will involve climbing steps to historical landmarks, therefore reasonable level of fitness is required
The order of the itinerary and events may be subject to change
Please note: Alcohol is not widely available in Jordan. It is only permitted inside in certain hotels and bars.
Month(s) | Highest temperature | Lowest temperature |
---|---|---|
January | 12 °C | 3 °C |
February | 14 °C | 4 °C |
March | 17 °C | 6 °C |
April | 23 °C | 10 °C |
May | 27 °C | 14 °C |
June | 30 °C | 17 °C |
July - August | 32 °C | 19 °C |
September | 30 °C | 17 °C |
October | 26 °C | 14 °C |
November | 19 °C | 9 °C |
December | 14 °C | 5 °C |
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