Travel in complete freedom in Jordan - Self-drive tour

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Amman (Welcome to Jordan) (Distance 35 km)

  

  Arrival in Amman. Welcome by our agent at the airport (Queen Alia). Visa issuance, then transfer with driver to your hotel for the night. Overnight in Amman.

• day 2

  Amman, Mount Nebo, Madaba, Kerak, Petra (330 km)

  

  After breakfast, a rental car will be made available to you at your hotel by one of our representatives. Then, you will begin your self-drive journey towards Mount Nebo, located 45 km from Amman. Visit its sanctuary, the presumed site of Moses' death and burial place. Next, take the road to Madaba, 10 km from Mount Nebo. It is in this city that you will find the Madaba Map, a map of the Holy Land dating from the 6th century, kept in the Church of Saint George. Then, you will drive along the road towards Kerak, about 100 km to reach your destination. This regional road, called the King's Highway, allows you to discover central Jordan. It is the route taken by Moses and the Hebrews during the exodus from Egypt to Palestine, and also the one taken by the Magi when they went to Yemen to seek gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It also allows you to cross a magnificent valley called the Al Mujib Valley. Panoramic stop in the Al Mujib Valley. Visit the castle reputed to be impregnable. Continue south to Petra, 180 km from Kerak. Upon your arrival in Petra, you will head to your hotel for the night. (Overnight in Petra)

• day 3

  Petra

  

  After breakfast, a day is devoted to visiting Petra, the moving rose-red city now declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The pink city "Petra," "the stone" in Greek, comes from the Aramaic toponym "RQM" (pronounced "rekem" or "rakmou"), which means "two-colored." Geology is indeed at the origin of the red city, entirely carved into soft sandstone. In total, there are nearly 800 monuments, mostly tombs, scattered across Petra over 100 km². A wonder of the world and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the most famous site in Jordan and even in the Middle East. You will cross the Siq, a narrow and long fissure caused by a prehistoric earthquake. At the end of the Siq suddenly appears Petra's most majestic monument, "Al Khazneh" or the "Treasury," with Greco-Roman decor. What a dazzling spectacle of beauty... Beyond the Treasury, there are hundreds of carved buildings, temples, royal tombs, houses, funerary chambers, banquet halls, baths, monumental staircases, arched gates, paved streets, and especially the Roman theater with about 3000 seats. You will cross the Roman cardo and visit the Qasr El Binet, the only temple still standing and in good condition. In the afternoon, optional ascent to Mount El Deir or the Monastery, free time and overnight at the hotel (overnight in Petra).

• day 4

  Petra Wadi Rum (150 km)

  

  After breakfast, visit of the "Little Petra", the site of Siq el-Bared and the Neolithic remains of Beidah. Then, you head south towards Wadi Rum, about 120 km from Petra, for a 2-hour excursion in a local jeep which allows you to discover the unique and multicolored desert landscape of Jordan. This is the Valley of the Moon, a filming location for Hollywood movies thanks to its exceptional scenery in the world. At the end of the day, you enjoy a beautiful sunset over the desert. Typical dinner and overnight in a Bedouin camp (overnight in Wadi Rum).

• day 5

  Wadi Rum Aqaba (60 km)

  

  After breakfast at the camp, drive to Aqaba. The journey takes about an hour, as there are about 60 km between Wadi Rum and Aqaba, on the Red Sea. You will take a tour of the city and discover the beach, with the possibility of engaging in sea activities, such as snorkeling among the corals and multicolored fish of the Red Sea, from a diving center. For those who wish, it is possible to go scuba diving among some of the best-preserved coral reefs in the world. As foreigners are advised not to swim on the city side, as the beach there is very popular, it is recommended to go to the beaches equipped for swimming, 15 km south of Aqaba. This is also where there is a marine park with corals and colorful fish. A beautiful natural aquarium to discover with mask and snorkel. Overnight at the hotel (overnight in Aqaba).

• day 6

  Aqaba, Dead Sea, Amman (320 km)

  

  After breakfast, you take the beautiful Wadi Araba road towards the Dead Sea, 250 km from Aqaba, for a swim and an unforgettable experience. The Greeks called it the "Asphaltite Lake," the Muslims the "Stinking Lake," the Hebrews the "Salt Sea" or "the Sea of Lot," in reference to the destruction "by sulfur and fire" of Sodom and Gomorrah, the two cities on the lake's shore from which only Lot and his family managed to escape. 75 km long and 15 km wide, the Dead Sea covers an area of 920 km², nearly 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 the level of the free seas and, as such, it represents the lowest point on the globe. In the afternoon, return to Amman, 50 km from the Dead Sea. You head to your hotel for some free time and the night (overnight in Amman).

• day 7

  Amman - Jerash - Amman, visit (100 km)

  

  Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Jerash. In the morning, departure towards the ancient city of Jerash or Gerasa, about 45 km north of Amman, via the northern road. It is the second largest site in Jordan after Petra. Today, it is considered one of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities in the Near East. Jerash is the very example of Roman municipal planning, vast and formal, throughout the Middle East. It is adorned with colonnaded paved streets, immense temples on the crest of the hills, charming theaters, spacious public squares, baths, fountains, and walls pierced by towers and gates. Return to Amman, the old city. Visit the citadel and discover the great monuments of the capital of Jordan. You stroll towards the Roman theater and the city center, then return to your hotel for the return of the rental car and for the night (Overnight in Amman).

• day 8

  Amman Airport

  

  After breakfast, transfer to the airport for departure.