Ancient & Modern - Jordan

Ancient & Modern — Jordan Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea

This privately-chauffeured tour brings together all of Jordan’s remarkable highlights, from Amman, Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. It uses the finest hotels and offers a chance to explore Jordan in depth at a leisurely pace 

At a glance

• Jordan is incredibly interesting historically, and this itinerary enables guests to see the best of the country in a more leisurely fashion
• The views are spectacular: across the countryside from Kerak Castle, over Wadi Araba from Petra's Monastery and of course in the spectacular Wadi Rum
• Even Wadi Rum is bursting with history, being the location in which Lawrence of Arabia's Arab Revolt was launched, and giving you the opportunity to visit the Seven Pillars of Wisdom and TE Lawrence's house
• Spending a night at the Wadi Rum Desert Camp gives an immense feeling of space and tranquility
• Jordan's spas utilise Dead Sea materials, excellent for recuperating at the end of a busy itinerary

Description

Jordan is in many ways the ultimate destination; it contains a multitude of things to see and do from the cultural and adventurous to the relaxing – all within a few hours drive of each other. Jordan’s people are wonderfully warm and remarkably welcoming and it’s natural beauty is simply stunning.

Your journey begins in Amman, a bustling city full of life and best explored on foot. Amman is perfectly located for exploring the Roman town of Jerash to the north – quite possibly the best preserved still is existence. The site is continually being excavated and offers a chance to take you back to the time when Jordan was the barbaric outpost of the Roman Empire and the vital trading hub between the wild and untamed yet mysterious East and the Roman West. With shops, temples, amphitheatres and the colonnaded agora, Jerash is an absolute marvel to behold.

Staying in Amman gives guests the opportunity to visit the Desert Castles of Amra, Azraq and Kharraneh. These strongholds date back to the early decades of Islam, mostly built during the Umayyad dynasty, and giving visitors a good feel for the infrastructure of the time as these impressive structures filled purposes such as caravanserais and baths, as well as residences.

It is always worth taking the King’s Highway to Petra rather than the newer Desert Highway, it winds through glorious wadis (valleys) and small towns. There are a number of interesting places to stop, such as the Crusader Castle at Kerak or the religious sites of Mt Nebo or Madaba.

Petra itself is an absolute gem – only rediscovered in 1812 by John Louis Burckhardt, it was the city of the Nabateans who before the Romans, cornered the trading routes between East and West. Accessed by a narrow canyon, the site has a multitude of things to see and so. A walk up the 1000 or so steps to the ‘Monastery’ is certainly worth the effort. During your stay in Petra we will also include a visit to Little Petra and Petra Kitchen to learn a little about Arabic cookery if you so wish (we understand it is not everyone's cup of tea).

A short drive to the south lies Wadi Rum, famous for the scenery in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and offering spectacular geological marvels and sandstone spectacles. You will begin your desert experience with a drive through by 4 x 4. After watching sunset in the desert you will drive to your own private camp where you will spend the night under the stars. For many this is the highlight of their time in Jordan. The camp manager, along with a Bedouin family, will prepare a BBQ, after which you can relax around the fire drinking tea, playing cards and chatting, before you retire to your comfortable private tent for the night — the camp has been custom designed to offer the best standards possible with total exclusivity.

The Dead Sea is 400 metres below sea-level, and has drawn people to its ozone rich air, medicinal waters and UV filtered sunlight. The resorts on the banks are exceptional and it is the perfect relaxing end to a stay in Jordan.

Itinerary

Stay: 5 Stars Hotels 

Location / Route

Overnight

0 night

Fly  to Amman

Day flight

3 nights

Amman

The Four Seasons, Amman

2 nights

Petra

Movenpick Resort Petra

1 night

Wadi Rum, Jordan

Wadi Rum Desert Camp

4 nights

Dead Sea

Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea

0 night

Fly Amman to your Country 

Day flight

When to travel

 

For a small country, Jordan has an extraordinary range of climates. The best time to visit climate-wise is in spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November), when the daytime temperatures aren't too extreme. April is probably the best month, when temperatures are warm and wildflowers are in bloom. March can be cold and rainy in the north but is balmy by the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea.

Location and directions Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea

The Four Seasons, Amman is located on Al-Kindi Street between the prestigious Al Sweifiyah residential area and the Shmeisani financial district, in the heart of Jordan’s bustling capital city Amman. Next you'll head to The Mövenpick Resort Petra which is located directly at the entrance to the historic city of Petra. Petra lies about 3.5-hours south of modern Amman, about 2-hours north of Aqaba, on the edge of the mountainous desert of the Wadi Araba. Then onto Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea which sits at the lowest point you can get to on Earth while remaining on its surface, at the north end of the Dead Sea, east of the West Bank. Needless to say, it is central to some of the most pivotal sites in Western and Middle Eastern history, including the baptism site of Jesus Christ, the ancient city of Jerash, and the Lost City of Petra.

How to get there

5-hour direct flight to Queen Alia International Airport, Amman. The Four Seasons is a 30-minute transfer from Amman.

 

 

 

For cancellation up to 3 days, a full refund will be given. For cancellation up to 1 days, 50% refund will be given.