Signature Jordan (2009)

This morning enjoy a fascinating introduction to Jordan's political, cultural and commercial hub, Amman. The ancient Citadel towers above the city from atop Jabal al-Qala'a. Here you begin the day's discoveries among ruins and artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age. Today you also have an opportunity to deliver supplies to an impoverished Balquees School in Amman, where you meet the students and tour the school with its administrators. This is part of a grassroots project initiated by Her Majesty Queen Rania to support local public schools. Continue on to Jerash, known as the "Pompeii of the Middle East" for its extraordinarily well-preserved Roman ruins; the grooves of chariot wheels are still visible in the cobbled streets. Walk beneath the Triumphal Arch and among the ruins of the Hippodrome and the Temple of Zeus. Witness a reenactment of Roman games, including gladiator contests and a thrilling chariot race. Four Seasons Amman B L

The city of Madaba is best known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. It also houses the famous sixth-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Two million pieces of colored stone depict villages as far as the Nile Delta. From here continue to Mount Nebo, where, according to the Bible, Moses viewed the Promised Land which he would never enter. As the sun sinks below the horizon, visit Wadi Rum where T. E. Lawrence lived with his Bedouin allies during World War I. M?venpick Resort Petra B L

UNESCO has described Petra as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage." Spend a full day exploring the "rose-red" city, sculpted from a mountain range by the Nabataeans in the third century BC. Major sites include the Treasury, the Temple of the Winged Lions, baths, markets, storerooms and tombs. M?venpick Resort Petra B L

Visit the former Crusader town of Kerak and its fortress, complete with underground galleries and secret passageways where Crusader archers held out bravely for over 100 years. Continue your drive to the Dead Sea and your resort hotel, a luxurious retreat surrounded by beautiful gardens, lagoons, olive trees and bamboo palms. Kempinski Hotel Ishtar B L

Explore at your own pace or relax at your resort hotel. Go for a dip in one of your hotel's nine fresh-water pools or thread the experiences of your journey together in a private pergola positioned a mere few steps away from the Dead Sea. You have a full day to soak in the health benefits from the Dead Sea's highly oxygenated air and healing salts and minerals. Kempinski Hotel Ishtar B

Return to Amman to board your international flight. B