This tour highlights the rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes of Jordan. The journey takes in the fantastically preserved classical city of Jerash, the biblical site of Mount Nebo, and Petra, the rock city lost to the world for a millennium and recently classified as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The shifting sands of Wadi Rum and the curative waters of the Dead Sea complete your exploration of this country. Tour Itinerary: Day 1 (28 Oct): Our staff will meet at the Queen Alia International Airport, Transport to hotel in Amman. Day 2 (29 Oct): Um Qais (Gadara) - Jerash - Ajloun - Overnight in Amman. Morning departure to Umm Qais (ancient Gadara), one of the most brilliant of Greco-Roman cities then to visit Jerash, one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world with its theaters, temples, churches and colonnaded streets. Proceed towards Ajlun to tour the 12th century Saracen Castle built by one of Saladin’s lieutenants in the campaign against the Crusaders.Return to hotel in Amman for overnight. Day 3 (30 Oct) Madaba - Mount Nebo - Bethany (Baptism site) – Dead Sea. Drive southwards, visiting Madaba Saint George’s church which is famous for the unique mosaic map of the Holy Land, which can be found in the church floor. Proceed to Mt. Nebo, the place where Moses looked over the Holy Land and the Dead Sea. That is the place where Moses was seen for the last time; therefore we consider this place as burial place for Moses. You can visit here the memorial church of Moses. If the sky is clear Jerusalem, Jericho and Bethlehem will meet your eye at the other side of the Dead Sea. Afterwards Drive to the site of john the Baptist's settlement at Bethany beyond the Jordan; through the lowest point on earth the dead sea and see where Jesus was baptized, back to the dead sea is one of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes on earth. It lies on the western frontier of Jordan and is well-known to be the lowest spot on earth, 400 meters below sea level. The unusually salty and mineral rich water, the rich black mud along the shoreline, the thermal mineral springs are healing both for your body and your soul. They have attracted kings, emperors, traders and prophets since antiquity. Drive back to hotel Overnight in Amman. Day 4 (31 Oct): The Kings Highway - Karak - Dana Village - Overnight in Petra. After breakfast, via the king's highway which without doubt one of the most ancient routes in mankind history, the King's Highway winds its way through the different ecological zones of the country, including forested highlands, open farmland plateaus, deep ravines, as you progress to the south is the massive Crusader fortress at Kerak, built in 1136 and retaken by the Arab forces of Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi, drive to Dana the Dana Village area, overlooking the scenic Wadi Dana, has been occupied since about 4000 BC. Dana is Jordan’s largest nature reserve, covering some 320 square kilometers of spectacular mountains and wadis along the face of the Great Rift Valley. From scorching sand dunes in the west to cool mountain tops in the east, the Dana Biosphere Reserve is home to a great variety of wildlife. Drive to Petra for overnight. Day 5 (1 Nov): Petra - Full Day. Petra no visit of Jordan will be complete without having seen the capital of the ancient Nabatean kingdom, Petra. The long-lost city of Petra, carved entirely by man into the rose-red sandstone rocks, puts your imagination to the test. It's a mystic and glorious place, an eternal tribute to a lost civilization. Petra was the central meeting point of the Nabatean spice routes which originated from the Persian Gulf, Western Arabia and the Red Sea. About two thousand years ago Petra became the capital of the Nabatean Empire. The city was so renowned that one of its kings, Aretas IV, is even mentioned in the Bible. The natural richness of the mountainous area combines in a superb way with the refined culture and massive architecture of the Nabateans, who carved their theater, temples, façades, tombs, monasteries, houses and roads entirely into the rose-red sandstone rocks. No wonder UNESCO placed Petra on its World Heritage List. One enters Petra by passing the Siq, a deep and narrow gorge, at the end of which all of a sudden dramatically appears the most famous monument in Petra: al-Khazneh or the Treasury. Maybe you will recognize it as the stage of the final sequence of the movie 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'. But the Treasury is just the start. Walking and climbing in Petra hundreds of buildings carved in stone and eroded through the centuries into fabulous multi-colored walls will be revealed to you. Day 6 (2 Nov): Wadi Rum - Full Day. Visit to Wadi Rum is a journey to another world, a silent and timeless place where you will be dwarfed to insignificance. 'Vast, echoing and Godlike', that's how Lawrence of Arabia described. The uniquely shaped massive mountains rise out of the rose-red desert sand. This desert is the home for the local Bedouin tribes. Overnight in a Bedouin camp Day 7 (3 Nov): Aqaba - Free Time - Overnight in Amman. Aqaba lies at the Red sea. Jordan's only port is the place to be. The waters of the Red Sea are crystal clear and have an abundant marine life. Aqaba offers a wide variety of opportunities to explore this amazing underwater world, such as scuba diving and snorkeling. The Red Sea is home to more than 140 species of coral and countless species of brightly colored fish. And if you are lucky you may also experience close encounters with friendly sea animals like turtles and dolphins. The weather near the Gulf of Aqaba is splendid all year around. Even in the midst of winter the temperature hovers steadily around 20ºC. The water temperature averages from 22.5ºC in winter to 26ºC in summer. Day 8 (4 Nov): Transfer to Airport. Important Notes: Please also note that this program requires extensive walking over uneven and rocky terrain and some long days of touring with early morning starts. ONLY 4 Seats LEFT Notes: Rate per person 3 stars: $661, Single Supplement $86 
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