There’s a reason why so many wonderful films like Dune, The Martian and Lawrence of Arabia were filmed in Jordan – it has a landscape like no other country! From Wadi Rum’s red desert, to the forests of the north, and way down to the lowest point on earth: Jordan is as diverse as it is beautiful. Add to that a rich and ancient (Biblical!) history plus a warm culture that welcomes visitors with a smile and a cup of coffee – and you have one of the perfect destinations for a great adventure.
Our trip includes airfare departing from most cities serviced by Turkish Airlines, plus just about everything else! The only “extras” you will pay for are a few meals. Our US based guide will be traveling to Amman from Houston and will meet up with everyone in Istanbul airport to continue on to our destination in Amman. Our partners in Jordan will meet us at the gate when we arrive and accompany us through customs and then off to our 5 star hotel in the capital city. From there we will begin our journey visiting the impressive Roman ruins in Jerash, the Byzantine relics in Madaba, one of the great wonders of the world in Petra, and the surreal martian landscape in Wadi Rum. We will stay in five star hotels, a guest house in Petra, a Bedouin camp in Wadi rum, a candle lit ecolodge in Dana Nature Reserve, and then finally we will relax at our 5 star spa resort hotel on the Dead Sea. Along the way we will have tours daily, delicious meals and the absolute best time! Some of our activities include: touring the ancient Roman city of Jerash, the Baptism site of Jesus, Mt Nebo (where Moses first saw the Promised Land), magnificent Petra, Madaba and its Byzantine relics and gorgeous church; a jeep ride through the red Wadi Rum Desert; a camel ride; a professional Jordanian cooking class; Petra by night; two scenic hikes from our ecolodge in Dana Nature Reserve; floating in the Dead Sea; and optional world class spa treatments at our hotel on the Dead Sea.
To continue the adventure, add on an optional stopover stay in Istanbul on the way home – highly recommended!
DESCRIPTION:
The price for this tour is $4250 per person double occupancy (sharing a
room). Single occupancy is an additional $595. The deposit to hold
your space for this trip is $500. The remainder of the trip cost is due by
December 1, 2021. The trip is nonrefundable after that date. Your
package includes airfare from Houston (or another mutually agreed
upon airport), 8 nights hotel accommodation, all transfers, tours and
meals/beverages as specified on the itinerary. Please note that
Pathfinders Travel Concierge and its owners are not responsible for
flight delays or cancellations. Tours are booked through a third party
and we cannot be liable for cancellations or any injuries that occur on
tours or while traveling on this trip. Hotels my be change if necessary to
a similar property. Travel insurance is required for this trip. We can
assist you in finding a policy that suits your needs. Please read over the
attached itinerary before agreeing to the terms and conditions of this
trip.
ITINERARY:
DAY 1
AIRPORT PICK UP IN AMMAN
Welcome to Jordan! We should all be arriving together via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines tonight. Our guide will meet our group at the gate to escort us through passport control and help us get our bags and load up for the short trip to Amman and the fabulous W Hotel. Time to relax before we begin our adventure.
DAY 2
AMMAN
This morning, we will visit the old city of Amman with our expert local guide. We’ll marvel at the Citadel, the Roman Theatre, and stop for some of the best Jordanian street food at the famous Al Quds falafel shop. After, we will hop on our bus and head to Jerash- one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world outside of Italy. We will finish the evening at the famous restaurant Faker al Deen to taste some of Jordan’s most delicious dishes. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 3
AMMAN TO PETRA
After breakfast, we’ll drive several hours south stopping at Madaba for a look at some of the best- preserved Byzantine mosaics at the beautiful St. George Church. Lunch will be a fun traditional meal at Hikayet Sitti. After lunch we will visit Mt Nebo to see Moses’s view of the Holy Land. We’ll finally continue to the most iconic site in Jordan: Petra. Half built, half-carved into rose colored rock, Petra is one of the world’s most important archeological sites. We will visit Petra by candlelight tonight. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 4
PETRA
Snap some Insta-worthy photos and snag a few moments of solo time as we start the day back in the Rose City of Petra. Our guide will lead us through the narrow Siq to the spectacular Treasury carved into the mountain. Explore on your own for a few hours, hiking up to the monastery if you’re up for a climb. We will cook our own dinner tonight, with the help of a few chefs, at Petra Kitchen. Meals: breakfast, dinner
DAY 5
PETRA TO WADI RUM
We’ll head to the red desert of Wadi Rum after breakfast, first stopping at the Disi Women’s Cooperative. This community project was set up to help Bedouin women turn their creativity into employment. The women here will show us traditional pottery making,in their studio. In the afternoon we will head to our Bedouin camp and experience a thrilling jeep ride through the desert and a fun camel riding adventure. Our day will end with a traditional Zarb dinner – meat and vegetables cooked underground for hours and simply delicious! Then we’ll end the evening with some star gazing by the fire. Meals: breakfast, dinner
DAY 6
WADI RUM TO Feynan EcoLodge
Settle in for a scenic drive north to the Dana Biosphere and the award winning ecolodge at Feynan. National Geographic has called it one of the top 25 ecolodges in the world! The solar powered lodge is lit by candles and stars at night and the locally sourced vegetarian meals are divine. We’ll enjoy lunch at the lodge, go for a guided sunset hike with one of the rangers, and later return home for dinner and star gazing up on the roof. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 7
DEAD SEA
We’ll enjoy a few hours of hiking after breakfast with a guide from the ecolodge. After, we will take the Jordan Valley Highway to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. We will first stop at Bethany Upon Jordan, the baptism site of Jesus on the Jordan River. Enjoy a few hours relaxing at our spa/beach hotel, where we can float in the sea, grab some healing mud from the ground for a full body mask, hang by the pool, or have a treatment at the hotel’s fabulous spa. Dinner will be traditional mezze and grilled meat at the 1312 Restaurant at the Hilton Hotel. Meals: breakfast, dinner
DAY 8
free day + Farewell dinner
After breakfast, enjoy some beach or spa time. There is an option to arrange a trip to the Main Hot Springs through the hotel. If weather permits there will be an option to hike through Wadi Mujib canyon. This will be arranged through Wild Jordan. In the evening we will enjoy or final farewell dinner together. Tomorrow morning we will all be transported together to the airport for out departure to Istanbul.