Jordan Holidays: Sun and Fun Red Sea to Dead Sea

Day 1 Amman Airport – Amman Hotel (+/- 40km)

Meet & Assist upon arrival at the gate of the flight, finish the formalities, luggage pick up and transfer to Amman Hotel for overnight.

Day 2 Amman – Madaba – Mount Nebo – Kerak – Petra (+/- 300km)

Amman to Petra: Visit Madaba and the Basilica of St. George. In the floor of the church is the remarkable 6th century mosaic map – its two million pieces of coloured stone depicting the hills, valleys and towns of the Holy Land.

Travel on to Mount Nebo, 800m above sea level, where you can stand on the site where Moses looked out over the “Promised Land”. The magnificent mosaic is second only to Madaba’s world famous mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

Continue to visit the best preserved crusader castle in Jordan - Karak. Arrive at Petra, check in and overnight.

Day 3 Petra Visit – Aqaba (+/- 120km)

Petra to Aqaba : Take a fascinating tour to admire the natural beauty and breathtaking architecture of this ancient city. Walk through the Siq, a colourful narrow gorge over a kilometre long which leads to the magnificent Treasury. See royal tombs, the Roman-style theatre, beautiful temples and museums. Take an optional walk to the monastery or the high place of sacrifice.

Often described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, it is without doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and the greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab civilization who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India, and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece, and Rome.

The Nabataean Kingdom existed for centuries, and Petra became widely admired for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels. Ultimately, however, the Roman Emperor Trajan annexed the Kingdom.

By the 14th century, Petra was completely lost to the West, and so it remained for almost 300 years.

Then in 1812, a Swiss traveler, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt persuaded his guide to take him to the site of the rumored lost city. Secretly making notes and sketches, he wrote, “It seems very probable that the ruins at Wadi Musa are those of the ancient Petra.” Arrive at Aqaba Hotel for overnight.

Day 4 Aqaba Free

Greatly prized as Jordan’s window to the sea, Aqaba brings a refreshing release from the rose-coloured desert to the north. Its sandy beaches and coral reefs are the most pristine on the Red Sea, and Jordanians continuously work hard to preserve it as such. Indigo-colored deep water lies just off shore in Aqaba, offering kaleidoscopic marine life within easy reach. Exploring means a leisurely drive to a private spot and a short swim out to the reef. Unusual vertical currents and sea breezes make diving cool and pleasant, even in the heat of the summer.

Day 5 Aqaba Free

Aqaba’s reef is thriving, adorned with variety in its coral and fish. Common species are branch coral, fungia, and montipora, and the rare archelia, a black, tree-like specimen found at great depths and first discovered by the Late King Hussein himself. Darting through the reef are clownfish, Picasso triggerfish, goby, sea anemone, parrotfish, pipefish, and countless others.

Two of the most intriguing are the harmless, plankton-eating whale shark, the largest fish in the world, and the willowy garden eel, almost invisible in the sea grass.

Aside from some of the world’s best scuba diving, Hotels and other beachfront operators can organise other water sports for you.

There is snorkelling, fishing and sailing to pass the time or glass-bottomed boats for those who prefer.

Day 6 Aqaba – Wadi Rum – Dead Sea (+/- 290km)

Aqaba to Dead Sea, through Wadi Rum, the largest and most magnificent of Jordan’s desert landscapes, this is a stupendous, timeless place, virtually untouched by humans.

A maze of monolithic rocks capes rise up from the desert floor to heights of 1,750 meters creating a natural challenge for serious mountaineers. Hikers can enjoy the tranquility of the boundless empty spaces; explore the canyons and water holes to discover 4000-year-old rock drawings and the many other spectacular treasures this vast wilderness holds in store. Also known as ‘The Valley of the Moon’, this is the place where Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and T.E. Lawrence based their headquarters during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in World War I, and their exploits are intrinsically woven into the history of this amazing area.

The Dead Sea has an historical and spiritual legacy of its own. It is believed to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar (Bela).

Today its eastern shore is sparsely populated and serenely quiet. With much of the landscape virtually unchanged since ancient times, this is a favorite spot for a holiday drive. Spend the day sunbathing, swimming, or dining. Relax in the gently lapping waters and be amazed that you can’t sink! Treat yourself to a soothing massage, or try the well-known healing powers of minerals from the sea’s muddy floor.

If you’d like a more leisurely stay, spend the night at a comfortable hotel that looks across the sea to the western banks. This west-facing view affords visitors to the Dead Sea the unique treat of its spectacular sunsets.

Day 7 Dead Sea – Free Day

What to see: Lot’s Sanctuary, one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Jordan is located near modern Safi. For decades, guided by the Madaba mosaic map of Palestine which pointed to the existence of such a site, archaeologists have searched for ancient Zoar.

Here, Lot and his daughters are believed to have sought refuge in a cave after God destroyed the city of Sodom, according to the book of Genesis. The cave is on a hill near a tiny spring, overlooking the Dead Sea.

A dried pillar of salt nearby is said to be the remains of Lot’s wife, who disobeyed God’s warning not to look back as she fled Sodom.