Highlights of Jordan

On arrival at the airport, you’ll be warmly greeted and escorted to the stylish W Hotel in the heart of the city. The rest of this day is yours to relax, enjoy and explore as you wish.

After breakfast and check out, you’ll join our engaging Jordanian Trip Leader to start your foray into history – starting with Jerash. Just 45 minutes north of the capital, Jerash is celebrated as the best-preserved provincial Roman city in the world – and fondly referred to as the Pompeii of the East. Enter through the imposing triple-arched gateway built to honor Emperor Hadrian and then explore a wealth of ancient sites including the impressive Oval Plaza and Temple of Zeus.   Then set out along the historic King’s Way, a trade route of vital importance in the ancient Near East. Traveling southward, you’ll make your way to Madaba where you’ll visit St. George Church to see an incredible 6th-century mosaic depicting Biblical sites from Egypt to Palestine; with 157 Greek captions, it is the oldest-known map of the Holy Land. Then sit down to a home-cooked meal in a restored century-old residence before ascending Mt. Nebo, the traditional burial site of Moses. At the summit, with its panoramic views of the Jordan Valley, there stands a Franciscan structure that was erected to protect the remains of a 4th-century Byzantine church. Continue along the King’s Highway to Petra and check in to your choice of deluxe hotel. Before bidding farewell for the evening, your Trip Leader will be happy to assist with suggestions and assistance for dining on your own this evening. Meals B+L

Mighty Petra #WHS# was a strategic link in ancient caravan routes and is still stunningly preserved after nearly 2,000 years. Built by the Nabataeans and later abandoned, it was lost to civilization for centuries until its re-discovery by a Swiss adventurer. The entire city is carved into the sides of a deep gorge, and the only entrance is through a narrow opening called the Siq. This morning, as your Trip Leader leads you into Petra from between these 100-foot cliffs, a remarkable vista will unfold before you… Temples, tombs and dwellings chiseled out of the solid, rose-hued stone. Over the next 3 hours, your expertly-guided tour of Petra includes the famous Treasury and other ancient monuments like the haunting Street of Facades and the Roman Theater. After your guided tour, you can linger on to explore more of the Valley at your own pace: Numerous tombs, large and small residences, temples, bathhouses and other public spaces offer fascinating insight into what life was like when Petra was a thriving city. We’ve included full-day entry, so you can even return to your hotel to relax or have lunch before returning later in the afternoon to continue your independent exploration.   This evening, we’ll take you to the Petra Kitchen for a hands-on culinary experience. Working alongside local villagers under the supervision of a skilled chef, you’ll prepare a variety of traditional Jordanian dishes. It’s a congenial, enriching and fun evening. Enjoy the bounty of your labors when you sit down with fellow travelers for a wonderful well-earned dinner!  Meals B+D

Check out after breakfast and join your Trip Leader for today’s adventure that takes you deep into the captivating landscapes of Wadi Rum #WHS#, immortalized in the epic film Lawrence of Arabia. Traveling in comfortable 4WD vehicles, you’ll discover a remote region where sandstone and granite mountains rise sheer-sided from wide sandy valleys to reach spectacular heights of 4,000 feet and more. At Khazali Canyon, you’ll enjoy a guided 20-minute hike to see ancient Nabataean inscriptions and drawings. Sit down to a traditional Bedouin lunch with a local family before returning to Amman.  Meals B+L  

You’ll be escorted to the airport today for your onward journey.  Meals B