A 10-day cultural discovery of Jordan

Amman Airport - Amman

Day 1: Welcome to Amman!

On your first day, you will arrive at the airport. A driver will meet you in the arrivals hall and drive you north to Amman, the capital of Jordan for an overnight stay at your hotel.

Amman City Tour

Day 2: Sightseeing Tour of Amman City

Set off on an Amman tour this morning for a look at the main attractions of the city. Discover some of the ancient sites of Amman including The Citadel and the Temple of Hercules situated within it. Visit the Roman amphitheater and the Folklore Museum with displays related to Jordanian history and culture.

Then, take a walk through the downtown souks. You have free time to explore the various shops and markets. In the late afternoon, you’ll visit the Jordan River wine-tasting room, to try some of the wines of Jordan. Overnight in Amman.

Jerash - Ajloun

Day 3: A Look at the Ruins of Jerash

After breakfast, you will drive north to spend the morning walking among the beautiful Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash. Walk along the colonnaded street, visit the ruins of the Temples of Zeus and Artemis, and see the Hippodrome which was used for chariot racing. After lunch, continue north to Ajloun Castle, a well-preserved Muslim fortress built by a nephew of Saladin.

In the late afternoon, return to Amman or spend the night at RSCN forest reserve in Ajloun. You also have the option to enjoy lunch/dinner with a local family.

Um Qais - Al Himma - Salt

Day 4: Explore Umm Qais

This morning, travel further north to Umm Qais, the site of the ruins of the Decapolis city Gadara. Take in the panoramic vistas of the neighboring lands and the Sea of Galilee. Continue onwards to the hot springs of Al Himma for a soak in the thermal waters.

Return south and stop in the Byzantine town of Salt for a walk around one of the oldest towns in Jordan.

Overnight in Amman.

Qasr Amra - Qasr Azraq - Rscn Azraq Wetlands

Day 5: Discover the Umayyad Desert Castles

Today, your driver will meet you at your hotel to travel out to the Eastern Desert known for the Umayyad Castles. See Qasr Hallabat that was originally established by the Roman emperor Caracalla, later destroyed and rebuilt by the Umayyads.

You will also stop at the Qasr Kharanah castle. With its high walls and four corner towers, it looks almost like a fortress, but is said to have served as a meeting place for the Umayyad caliphs. Next up, discover the large black fortress Qasr Azraq, used by the Romans, Byzantines, and Umayyads. In the 16th century, the Ottomans stationed a garrison here.

After the Umayyad Castles tour, you will also have time to visit the RSCN Azrag Wetlands Reserve. Later, return to Amman for your overnight stay.

Madaba - Mt Nebo - Karak

Day 6: Madaba Mosaics, Mount Nebo & Crusader Castle

This morning, you will drive south along the King’s Highway, an ancient trade route. You can stop along the way at Madaba known for its mosaics especially the 6th-century mosaic map on the floor of a church.

Then, make your way to Mt Nebo and the memorial site to Moses. Continue south, passing through the dramatic landscape of Wadi Mujib and stop at Karak. There is time for lunch at a café and to explore the ruins of one of the largest crusader castles in the Middle East.

Then go further south, to Little Petra to visit the northern suburb of the main site. Arrive in Petra for your overnight stay.

You have the option to enjoy a Jordanian cooking class as well.

petra

Day 7: Magnificent Petra

Can any trip to Jordan be complete without Petra? You will explore this ancient city, one of Jordan’s national treasures and its best-known tourist attraction. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago.

Then and now they are admired for their advanced culture, splendid architecture and wonderful complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You have the day to explore this fantastic site – walk through the winding gorge known as Siq to the famous Khazneh (Treasury), past the Street of Facades with its clusters of tombs and the rock-cut theater. Then climb up to the High Place of Sacrifice, or visit the Royal Tombs.

There is an option of going to a Turkish Bath. It’s the perfect place to relax.

Overnight in Petra.

Wadi Rum

Day 8: Experience Wadi Rum and Stay in a Bedouin Camp

From one magnificent UNESCO World Heritage site to another! This morning your driver will collect you to journey further south to the riveting landscape of Wadi Rum. Go on a 4-hour jeep tour to see some of the sites: the Nabatean inscriptions, rock canyons, and formations, Lawrence’s Spring and house.

After lunch, you will proceed to a Bedouin Camp for an overnight stay. Take in the beauty of your surroundings and enjoy dinner under the stars.

You also have the option of going for a sunset camel ride.

Dead Sea - Bethany

Day 9: Take a Dip in the Dead Sea

Does your bucket list include a visit to the Dead Sea? Fulfill your wish today as you travel four hours north for a dip in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea. Marvel at the striking landscape and the buoyant waters with extremely high salinity levels.

Then, in the afternoon, travel to the Jordan River and the Bethany site where Jesus was baptized. Afterwards, head up into the mountains to Amman for your overnight stay.

Airport

Day 10: Farewell, Jordan!

After all these wonderful days of exploring Jordan, your trip has come to an end. This morning, your driver will take you to the airport for your flight home.