8 días por Jordania

Small-group tour of Jordan featuring the highlights of Petra, Jerash, the Dead and Wadi Rum plus much more

If you're looking to explore some of Jordan's most popular attractions such as Petra and Jerash, then this small-group Jordan tour is ideal, as we delve deep into its rich history, unique culture, its Middle Eastern cuisine and its rugged beauty. We start in Jordan's busy capital of Amman - as we make our way to its towering 'Desert Castles' before we explore Amman on foot, enjoying falafel and hummus at a local restaurant before we learn a few Arabic phrases to use throughout the Jordan tour. From Amman, we make our way to Jerash - one of the best Roman sites in the Mildde East. We'll take a hike to the imposing Aljoun Castle and search for the massive Bronze Age Dolmens, before spending the night with a Jordanian family as we learn more about their lifestyle. The next stop on our Jordan tour is a visit to the Roman Mosaics at Madaba, which offers breathtaking views of Jericho and Israel from Mt. Nebo, before we head to the Dead Sea to stay in a 4-star hotel, floating in its highly saline waters. After spending a few days at the Dead Sea, we'll head to the beautiful scenery of Dana Biosphere Reserve for a short hike in the hills around Dana village before we make our way to the Crusader Castle at Shobak. From here, we make our way to Petra - the main attraction of our Jordan tour. We'll enjoy a guided tour of this rose-red city, before getting some free time to explore it independently. You can choose to walk up to the Monastery and the High Palace of Sacrifice before we make our way to the Wadi Rum Desert, where we'll camp underneath the stars with the Bedouins. The next day sees head out on a jeep safari through Wadi Rum's desert terrain before spending time helping a local Bedouin shepherd with a few of his daily activities, as we gain a better insight into the lives of the locals. After lunch, we'll say goodbye to the desert as we make our way back to Amman to visit a coffee shop, try a shisha or enjoy a game of backgammon, as we look back at our time in Jordan. This Jordan tour connects well with our Egypt and Israel tours, and can also be run privately at any time if our group departures don't work for you or you would like to customise the itinerary a little, perhaps adding on some time by the Red Sea in Aqaba.

Day 1, Your Jordan tour begins in Amman. Airport to hotel transfer included Once you arrive at Amman's Queen Alia International Airport, we'll be there to meet and transfer you to your hotel in Jordan's busy capital city. Once you've settled in, we'll let you know the plan for the next few days and arrange a time to collect you tomorrow. You have the rest of the day free to relax in your hotel or explore the city independently. | OVERNIGHT: Amman hotel | EXTRAS: Extra day in Amman - pre-tour, Single room supplement (required for solo travellers if a same-sex room share is not available) Day 2, Visiting Jordan’s imposing Desert Castles After a tasty breakfast, we start the day with a trip to Jordan's ancient desert castles of Qasr al-Kharrana, Qal’at al-Azraq and Qseirr Amra which can be found along the old trade routes which were frequently used during the Umayyad era. There are still reminders left behind of this time period, such as frescoes, wells and bathhouses - visiting it will give you great insight into learning how these ancient structures were built. We make our way back to Amman at lunchtime, where we'll have falafel and hummus at a local restaurant. Afterwards, we'll head out on a sightseeing tour of Amman - visiting its popular attractions such as the Citadel, the Amphitheatre and the Jordan Folklore Museum. We'll also have some time to visit Amman's markets, giving us the chance to taste some of its unique sweet treats such as Knafeh - before we are taught some basic Arabic phrases which will come in handy throughout our Jordan tour. | OVERNIGHT: Amman hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch Day 3, Exploring the ancient city of Jerash & Aljoun Castle After spending a few days in Amman, we'll make our way to the city of Jerash, which is often known as the "Pompeii of the East". Its known for being one of the largest and well-preserved Greco-Roman cities outside of Europe. We'll explore some of Jerash's top sites, which includes the Forum, its Roman colonnaded streets, the Nymphaeum and the Temple of Artemis - built on one of the highest points in the city. From Jerash, we'll visit the Aljoun Castle, which served as the base for Saladin’s Arab forces when he defeated the Crusaders in the 12th century. Its also a great destination for a hike, with its surrounding mountains, hills and forests boasting a variety of trails. After exploring the Aljoun Castle, we head to the Rasoun village, where we'll meet our homestay hosts for the evening, who will help us settle into their home. We'll then make our way to the hills around the village to witness the Bronze Age Dolmens - megalithic tombs created with massive stone slab atop two or more standing stones. We'll head back to the village, where we'll enjoy a traditional Arabic meal made by our hosts, as we spend the rest of the night chatting and gaining insight into their daily lifestyle in Jordan. | OVERNIGHT: Rasoun homestay | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 4, Travel from Ajloun to Madaba, Mount Nebo & the Dead Sea After a shared breakfast this morning, we'll say our final goodbyes to the Jordanian family as we make our way to Madaba, visiting the impressive Madaba Map - the oldest preserved map of the Holy Land as well as its beautiful Byzantine mosaics. After visiting Madaba, we'll head to Mount Nebo - the location where Moses cast his eyes over the Promised Land and it's also his final resting place. We'll have some lunch before we travel to the Dead Sea, giving you the perfect opportunity to float in its salty waters or relax poolside at a Spa Resort. | OVERNIGHT: Dead Sea Spa Resort | MEALS: Breakfast Day 5, Exploring Dana Biosphere Reserve and Shobak Castle en-route to Petra Today, we'll make our way down the Dead Sea coastline, passing lots of deep canyons and gorges as they meet the sea. After we pass some salt flats at the southern end of the Dead Sea we head up through the mountains towards Petra, stopping for a short walk in the beautiful scenery and hills of the Dana Biosphere Reserve along the way. This is Jordan's largest nature reserve, and there are great views of the valleys and hills on the various trails around the restored Dana village. Spring is a particularly lovely time to visit with the terrain surprisingly green and full of flowers. We'll stop for lunch and take a walk before continuing to the imposing crusader castle at Shobak, finally arriving at Petra in the evening. An option is available this evening to get a first taste of Petra on the atmospheric Petra by Night tour, during which the Siq Trail and area outside the Treasury are lit up with hundreds of candles. | OVERNIGHT: Petra hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Petra by night Day 6, The rose-red city of Petra and a Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp We start the day with a visit to one of the modern 7 Wonders of the World - the ancient city of Petra. We'll make our way through the winding Siq, until we reach the impressive Treasury. Our Jordan tour guide will educate us on its history, as we learn how this magnificent site was built by the Nabatean people, who carved caves and tombs into the sandstone cliffs which surrounds you. We'll have some free time to hike up to the imposing Monastery with great views overlooking the Jordan Valley or to walk up to the High Place of Sacrifice. Later in the day, we'll head to the Wadi Rum desert, as we'll spend the night camping underneath the starry skies with the Bedouins. You can sleep in a traditional goat hair tent, with a proper bed and all bedding provided, or take a sleeping bag and find a secluded location to sleep outside under the stars. | OVERNIGHT: Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 7, A jeep safari and Bedouin experience in Wadi Rum. Travel to Amman We'll enjoy breakfast with the Bedouins, before we head out on a jeep safari, over the sands of the Wadi Rum desert, stopping every now and then to marvel at its towering sand dunes and rock bridges. Afterwards, we'll take part in a few activities inspired by Bedouin traditions, such as assisting a local shepherd with his cattle until we reach a Bedouin tent, where we'll help make lunch. Other activities which you can participate in include shearing the sheep & goats hair, milking, grinding grains, and roasting coffee until our lunch is ready. After lunch, we head back out in our jeep as we make our way back to camp, before we journey down the Desert Highway, back to Amman. Tonight, we'll explore the town, visiting a coffee shop or café near our hotel in Downtown Amman to enjoy a shisha, a game of backgammon and to reminisce on our Jordan tour. | OVERNIGHT: Antika hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch Day 8, Free time in Amman. Hotel to airport transfer included You have the day free to do some final shopping and sightseeing in Amman before we collect you at our hotel and transfer you to the airport to board your flight home. Further sightseeing tours are available today if you have a late afternoon or evening flight, including a trip to the Baptism Site at Bethany on the Jordan River. This tour also connects well with several of Encounters Travel's Egypt and Jordan tours; please contact us for ideas and help with connections. | OVERNIGHT: N/A | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Extra day in Amman - post-tour, Aqaba extension