Amman
A land of contrasts, the intriguing destination of Jordan mystifies from the start. It's a place best known for images of the entrance to the city of Petra made famous in near-endless documentaries and well-known Hollywood blockbusters like Indiana Jones. Beyond Petra, Jordan's natural treasures simply amazes travelers...from its mineral rich Red Sea, to its desert, and the Jordan Valley. Here you will journey to one of the best-preserved Roman settlements of Jerash. Then tour Ajloun Castle overlooking the West Bank. In Amman you can choose among a variety of exciting optional excursions or explore on your own. Next you will visit Madaba and the Church of St. George and step on Mt. Nebo, the site where Moses was to have seen the "Promised Land." ......
Transfer from the Amman Airport to your hotel.
Journey north to Jerash, a town that is considered one of the finest preserved Roman provincial settlements. Then, overlooking the West Bank, tour Ajloun Castle, an enormous fortress built by a general of Saladin from 1184-1185 to control local iron mines. Enjoy an optional authentic cooking and dining experience at Beit Sitti, a culinary school whose name translates to ''my grandmother's house'', or join a walking tour through the old market of Amman. (B)
Depart from Amman for Petra via Kings Highway. On this history-laced route, visit Madaba and the Church of St. George. Stand on Mt. Nebo, the site where Moses was to have seen the Promised Land and his believed burial place. Soak in the expansive views over Jordan Valley; on a clear day, you can see as far as Jericho and Jerusalem. Continue on to Dana for free time at the Dana Guesthouse lounge that overlooks the valley and mountains before beginning a two hour tour of the village with a local guide. Continue on to Petra for the evening. (B)
Once an important intersection for trade routes that linked East and West, Petra was founded in 200 B.C. by the Nabataean, an ancient people responsible for the valley's most arresting monument - Al- Khazneh (Treasury). Chose to enter Petra by horseback and being your full day tour at Al-Khazneh, the massive facade carved out of rose-hued rocks that face Siq, a narrow gorge at the entrance to the city. Then try your hand preparing a regional meal during an optional cooking and dining experience at Petra Kitchen. Today you can also choose to partake in an optional Turkish bath. (B)
Travel south from Petra to Wadi Rum for a jeep tour of the desert. In this isolation region, the land is mostly void of human settlements though the pounding winds have etched away the cliffs to form natural skyscrapers as tall as 5,742 feet. This terrain served as the background of the famous 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia. Continue to your hotel near the Dead Sea for leisure time - perhaps take a swim at the lowest point on Earth and enjoy the nutrient-rich benefits that are bottled by the beauty industry. Today you can also choose to participant in an optional camel ride or authentic Bedouin tea experience. (B)
Transfer from the Dead Sea area to the Amman Airport for your departure. (B)