Country(ies): Jordan
Tour type: Small Group
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 14
Accommodation: 3 to 4-star hotels, local homestay & Bedouin camp
Meals:
Transport: AC minivan/minibus & Bedouin jeep
Highlights: Desert Castles, Amman city tour, Roman Jerash, Ajloun Castle, Rasoun homestay, Dolmans hike, Madaba mosaics, Mt. Nebo, Dead Sea swim, Dana Biosphere Reserve, Shobak crusader castle, Petra, Wadi Rum jeep safari, Bedouin desert camp
This is our signature Jordan small-group tour. The tour features Jordan's most famous highlights like Petra and Jerash, with some different experiences and activities to really show you as much of Jordan's different scenery, culture, food and history as possible.
We start by heading out of Amman to discover some of Jordan's famous Umayyad 'Desert Castles', situated amidst the sands on ancient trading routes. We'll also explore Downtown Amman on foot, enjoying a tasty lunch of falafel and hummus in a local restaurant and picking up some Arabic tips from our guide. Next we head north to the amazing Roman site of Jerash, one of the very best preserved in the whole of the Middle East. An afternoon hike through the forests near Ajloun Castle to see some Bronze Age Dolmens follows, before we spend the night in a simple but comfortable local homestay, eating and chatting with the family.
The Roman mosaics at Madaba are next, and the amazing views towards Jericho and Israel from Mt. Nebo follow, as we descend towards the Dead Sea for a night in a 4-star resort and a swim, or float in the amazing salty waters. From the Dead Sea our next short hike takes us around the restored Dana Village in the Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan's largest nature reserve. A visit to the Crusader Castle at Shobak then follows before we explore Jordan's main highlight, the amazing lost city of Petra. We have time for a guided tour here, as well as free time to hike up to the Monastery and High Place of Sacrifice for some amazing views. Finally we head to the beautiful desert scenery of Wadi Rum where we'll spend the night in a comfortable Bedouin camp against the towering cliffs. The next morning we take a jeep safari through the sand dunes and past amazing rock bridges before spending some time with a local Bedouin shepherd, learning about their nomadic way of life and how they look after their animals in the desert. After a tasty lunch in the desert, we head back north to Amman for a final evening in a coffee shop, perhaps enjoying a sheesha and game of backgammon while looking back over our time in this amazing country.
This 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.
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Safer Encounters changes:
As well as our enhanced hygiene and social distancing protocols, the following changes are being made to this tour during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Maximum group sizes are reduced to 10
- The Amman city tour and Desert Castles trip have been moved from Day 2 and will now be done when you return to Amman. This will ensure we have enough time in Amman to take a PCR test and obtain the results before you return home.
Regular small-group departures run throughout the year and the tour can also be booked privately on any other date and customised to fit your personal requirements.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Rum Art Hotel
Amman
The Rum Art Hotel is rare in Amman in that it is a decent mid-range hotel located within easy walking distance of lots of shops, cafes and restaurants. This is ideal if you have any free time before or after the main tour, and also in the evenings.
Rasoun Homestay
Rasoun
This is a friendly local homestay in Rasoun village near Ajloun Castle. Accommodation is in shared rooms holding up to 4 people. Bathrooms are separate and shared. Overall you can expect a simple but comfortable and very welcoming experience.
Dead Sea Spa Resort
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea Spa hotel is a comfortable resort style hotel located on the banks of the Red Sea. Access to the Dead Sea itself is directly from the hotel, with spa treatments and Dead Sea mud to lather yourselves with before swimming also available.
La Maison
Petra
La Maison is a comfortable, mid-range hotel in Petra with an excellent location less than ten minutes walk from the Visitor Centre and entrance into Petra.
Rahayeb Camp
Wadi Rum
This Wadi Rum desert camp has a fantastic location on the desert sands against the cliffs in the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Accommodation is in permanent goat hair tents with proper beds and all bedding provided. The food is generally excellent.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination youre visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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Jordan Encounters & Country Reviews
Product Review
Posted 3rd of Jan 2019
Just amazing affordable price.
Product Review
Posted 14th of Aug 2018
Overall good. Need better transportation. Tour guide good but needs to be more respectful of the female guests less touchy feely
Product Review
Posted 21st of Nov 2017
A fabulous trip. Wonderful experience being part of a small group touring a truly amazing country. Sami, our guide, was fantastic - superb knowledge, delivered in a fun and relaxed style. A really outstanding, memorable trip.