Jordan: Kingdom of History

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Amman (Welcome to Jordan)

  

  Arrival in Amman at the airport to obtain the visa. Welcome by your driver at the airport (Queen Alia). Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Amman.

• day 2

  Amman - Umm Qays - Jerash - Amman

  

  After breakfast, visit Umm Qays, known for its scholars and philosophers of the 1st century. The old city, still buried under the sands, houses an astonishing theater made of black basalt (western theater), the remains of a Byzantine church adjacent to a courtyard scattered with sarcophagi carved and sculpted from the same black stone, as well as a well-preserved underground mausoleum (300 m west of the nymphaeum). An important city accessed by a monumental gate, Gadara also had a large public fountain, a macellum with colonnades, a forum where you can see the remains of shops, and a hippodrome. Next Jerash or Gerasa: it is the second most important site in Jordan after Petra. Today, it is considered one of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities in the Near East. The heyday of Gerasa dates from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Jerash is the very example of Roman municipal planning, vast and formal, throughout the Near East. It is adorned with colonnaded paved streets, immense temples on the hilltops, charming theaters, vast public squares, baths, fountains, and walls pierced with towers and gates. Return to Amman for dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 3

  Amman, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Kerak, Petra

  

  Breakfast at the hotel, then visit of Madaba. Nicknamed the city of mosaics, Madaba had 14 churches and was home to an extraordinary school of mosaicists. Their art reached its peak in the 5th and 6th centuries. You will visit, at the Saint George Church of Madaba, the "map of Palestine" unearthed in 1898 during the construction of the church. This mosaic from the mid-6th century, barely altered, traces the geography of Byzantine Near East. It originally measured 25 m by 5 m and was made up of two million tesserae. Then, you will visit Mount Nebo, 10 km northwest of Madaba. Moses, having left the plains of Moab, climbed to the top of Mount Nebo, at Pisgah, which faces Jericho... The presumed site of Moses' tomb, Mount Nebo, rises to 840 m in altitude. It became a universal place of pilgrimage from the beginning of the Christian era. Next, drive to Petra. We will follow the King's Highway, which follows the presumed ancient route of the Hebrews led by Moses during the Exodus, a route of about 200 km, with a remarkable view of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Stop in the Mujib Valley. Continue to Kerak via the King's Highway. Panoramic stop in the Al-Mujib Valley, which resembles the Grand Canyon in the United States. Arrival in Kerak (possibility to eat in Kerak). After the meal, visit the reputedly impregnable castle. Continue south to the rose-red city of Petra. Arrival in the evening in Petra. Check-in at the hotel for dinner and overnight.

• day 4

  Petra (A day of visit)

  

  Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a full day of sightseeing in Petra: the "rose city" Petra, "the stone" in Greek, comes from the Aramaic toponym "RQM" (pronounced "rekem" or "rakmou"), which means "two-colored." The geology is indeed the origin of the red city, entirely carved into soft sandstone. You will cross the Siq, a narrow and long fissure caused by a prehistoric earthquake. Suddenly, at the end of the Siq, the most majestic monument of Petra appears, "Al Khazneh" or the "Treasury" with Greco-Roman decor. There are hundreds of carved buildings, temples, royal tombs, houses, funerary chambers, reception halls, baths, monumental staircases, arched gates, paved streets, and above all the Roman theater with about 3000 seats. You will cross the Roman cardo and visit Qasr El Bint, the only temple still standing and in good condition. Lunch possible at the on-site restaurant. In the afternoon, climb to Mount El Deir or the Monastery (optional), and free time. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

• day 5

  Petra, Little Petra, Wadi Rum

  

  Breakfast at the hotel and departure towards Little Petra, then drive to Wadi Rum - the Wadi Rum desert. If Petra is the result of the work of man combined with that of nature, the cliffs, peaks, and valleys of Wadi Rum owe their "serene beauty" and "overwhelming grandeur" solely to nature. This desolate site was indeed one of the main locations of the Great Arab Revolt, magnified by director David Lean in one of the most impressive scenes of his film "Lawrence of Arabia". Tour in a "local" Jeep in the desert for about two hours. Then, dinner and overnight in a Bedouin camp under the tent.

• day 6

  Wadi Rum Aqaba

  

  After breakfast, drive to Aqaba. Free time in the city of Aqaba to enjoy a moment of relaxation; several activities are offered. Aqaba is the perfect opportunity to relax after the pink desert, heading north. Its sandy beaches and coral reefs are the most authentic of the Red Sea, and Jordanians work diligently to preserve them. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Aqaba. Option: snorkeling among the corals and colorful fish of the Red Sea from a diving center. For those who wish, scuba diving in the midst of some of the best-preserved coral reefs in the world.

• day 7

  Aqaba, Wadi Araba, Dead Sea, Amman

  

  Breakfast. Departure for the Dead Sea on a beautiful road through Wadi Araba, which enters the soft and colorful sand desert, then crosses mountains with beautiful canyons, skirting the Dead Sea from south to north. Then, drive to the Dead Sea for a swim and an unforgettable experience on a private beach. With a length of 75 km and a width of 15 km, the Dead Sea covers an area of 920 km², almost twice that of Lake Geneva. The maximum depth of the Dead Sea is 399 m. The lower level of the Jordan depression is therefore 410 m below sea level, making it the lowest point on the globe. Return to Amman. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 8

  Amman - Departure airport

  

  After breakfast, transfer to the airport for departure and return.