Canyon Trails & Bedouin Adventures

Day 1
Those on the group flights will be met on arrival into Amman Airport and transferred to the start hotel. Those not on the group flights will join us at the hotel this evening - full details of where to meet the group will be provided in your Final Joining Instructions. Amman is a modern city with an ancient history and is the starting point for your adventures in this desert kingdom.

Day 2
This morning you drive (approx. 1 hour) north to Jerash. With a history stretching back at least 2300 years, Jerash is one of the finest examples of a provincial Roman town anywhere in the world. Although it was inhabited in pre-Roman times, it was with the coming of Alexander the Great that things really took off! As one of the league of ten cities known as the Decapolis, Jerash (otherwise known as Gerasa) grew in importance until, in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, it was home to more than 25,000 people. The extraordinarily complete remains, which include a forum, a nymphaeum, hippodrome, two theatres (complete with numbered seats!) and several temples, date mainly from this period. Along the famous Colonnaded Street, grooves in the paving stones show where chariot wheels once rolled - you will love playing gladiators! Elsewhere, remnants of exquisite mosaics still cover some floors. You have time to wander the site and imagine life in ancient times. Later drive (approx 1 hour) to Ajloun Reserve. Here you follow one of the marked forest trails for approx. 2 hours learning about the local flora and fauna as you walk. Then take part in some activies; there are cooking classes to learn how to make some local dishes, you can discover how to make soap, try out some Arabic writing and make a tee-shirt to take home as a reminder of your holiday in Jordan.

Day 3
This morning you visit Aljoun Castle which was built by Arabs in the 12th century to protect them from the Crusaders. Then drive (approx. 2 hours) to the shores of the Dead Sea - at 400 metres below sea level it's the lowest place on earth. Here the salinity of the water makes it so dense that anybody attempting to swim finds that they float, rather than sink. It's a remarkable feeling. Your hotel also has plenty of swimming opportunities today.

Day 4
Today you will take a guided walk at Wadi Mujib (Ibex Trail) in a nature reserve in the 2nd largest canyon in the world. The trail runs parallel to Dead Sea and you will discover dry wadis, colourful rocks and the famous rock 'statue' of Lot's wife. You may be lucky to see the desert dwelling goat species of Nubian Ibex. Tonight you stay in an Eco Lodge where the accommodation is basic but the location is something else!

Day 5
Today you drive onwards (approx. 2 hours) to reach Dana Nature Reserve. Founded in 1989 Dana is the largest reserve in Jordan and is a very special place, with a system of wadis and mountains, it has often been described as a 'piece of heaven'. Here you take a walk in the surrounding picturesque Ottoman village and its terraces to enjoy the spectacular natural scenery. Later you will learn how to make silver jewellery and dry fruit jam. Then it's competition time as you can either draw or submit a photograph which best captures your experiences here.

Day 6
Onwards today to Petra (approx. 45 mins drive), undoubtedly one of the highlights of any visit to Jordan. On arrival you will enjoy tea with a local Bedouin family before exploring 'Little Petra's impressive siq and pathway. Locally called Siq Al-Barid, a smaller scale and less crowded version of Petra, the site includes tombs, temples, water channels and cisterns carved out of the rock as well as the remains of frescoes on plaster. You can then have a go with the traditional local game 'Seven Stones', where precision skills are required, and enjoy sharing tea with a Bedouin family.

Day 7
The next day is a full discovery of the wonders of Petra. Petra's exact location was unknown in the West until 1812, when the Swiss explorer J.L. Burckhardt, a convert to Islam, made a short detour to sacrifice a goat at the nearby meli (tomb) of the prophet Harun. As he picked his way towards the foot of the mountain, he stumbled across the siq, the narrow defile that leads to Petra - and the rest is history. The siq has multi-coloured rocks all the way through and you can see the layers of strata as you walk to Petra. Since that day many others have made their way along the same path and, as Burckhardt must have done, gazed in awe at the splendid monuments that adorn this remote valley. You'll make your way to the fabled site, following the same path as Burckhardt, which funnels you through the banded rock walls that tower above. At the end of the kilometre-long path, you are rewarded by a glimpse of the most beautiful building of all - the Khazneh or Treasury - so-called because the Bedouin believed that the urn crowning the edifice held a cache of gold and jewels. The first sight of this perfectly proportioned tomb, carved from the towering rock, is truly unforgettable, but there's much more to come! Some 2,400 years ago the Nabateans taxed the trade caravans that plied between Arabia and the eastern Mediterranean and, using the proceeds, built the first houses and temples here. Later these taxes proved even more rewarding, and today the Nabatean legacy includes houses, tombs, temples, a (Roman-built) amphitheatre. As you come across local stalls you will get a chance to become a local shop keeper, locally dressed and trying on your best 'Alan Sugar' skills! It is well worth making the hour or so ascent up the rocky path, which leads to the monastery, a vast structure rivalling even the Treasury. Time should also allow you to climb to one of the High Places, the mountain-top altars where ritual sacrifices were made; from here there are spectacular views of the mountains, valleys and canyons below. NB - Watch out for donkeys on the walk up to the monastery, they can be quite pushy so take care.

Day 8
Today you drive to Wadi Rum which offers some of the most extraordinary desert scenery. From a distance, Wadi Rum's sheer sandstone cliffs appear to hover like a shimmering mirage on the horizon. It's only from close quarters that you can fully appreciate just how large some are, rising to a height of 1800 metres. It's hard to describe the majesty of this setting without sounding too effusive, suffice to say that the beauty that captivated Lawrence of Arabia is just as evident today. To the Howeitat Bedouin, who have taken it as their own, the area is known as the Valley of the Moon. These people are reputedly the remainder of Lawrence's Arab army who marched with him from Azraq in the north, then stayed behind once battle was done. You will enjoy a 4WD desert discovery, stopping to enter a narrow siq where many inscriptions can be seen. Passing Thamud nomads from Saudi Arabia and the Nabatean people have both left their mark on the surrounding rocks. Nature provides a number of rock bridges that offer some stunning views. There is also the opportunity to explore by camel as the sun goes down. What better than the vast desert land of Wadi Rum to challenge the local Bedouins over a football game... You camp in the protected area of Wadi Rum, surrounded by high mountains and sand dunes and in true desert fashion, you can sleep in a traditional Bedouin tent or under the stars. As the sun sets on the rocky outcrops - the sandstone changes hue, passing through a spectrum of yellow, gold, orange, red and finally purple, as the shadows lengthen and the stars come out. Around the desert camp fire you will listen to local songs, wearing the typical 'dish-dash' robe, and the ladies may have a go at traditional belly dancing, or the fascinating 'ululation', the Arabic women's traditional highpitched tongue trill. Children (and adults!) will love camping in the desert - the skies are clear and stars stand out brightly. The Milky Way, satellites and shooting stars can be clearly seen - a great way to learn a little about the solar system.

Day 9
Today you drive to Madaba, famous for its 6th century mosaics set in the ground like giant jigsaws. Next, you drive to the small town of Kerak. Here a formidable Crusader castle overlooks a long, winding road down to the Dead Sea. The Crusaders had a huge impact on the region in the 11th - 13th centuries, and fought the forces of Islam in a long campaign, which saw many atrocities committed. Their temporary successes can be attributed - at least in part - to an outstanding ability to construct impregnable defensive fortifications, of which Kerak Castle is a prime example. Amazingly - given that it is over 850 years old - a great deal of the structure remains intact, and you can explore the dungeons, passages, refectory and kitchens of the castle, which also houses a small museum. You will then get more active in your 3 hours walk through Wadi Bin Hammad Canyons, aiming for a small waterfall, walking through the lush world with hanging gardens, with palms and ferns growing wherever you look and you might even see orchids and sugarcane. You will end the walk at the hot springs, perfect location to rest and relax before your one hour drive back to Amman for your last evening in Jordan.

Day 10
For those not on the group flights, the tour ends here after breakfast. Those travelling on our group flights will be transferred to the airport for their flight home.