Itinerary Expand all Fly to Amman; transfer to hotel. Fly to Amman, transfer to start hotel. Day 1 Start Amman. Start Amman. Day 2 Visit Jerash; ride/drive through olive groves and villages to Madaba. After an initial briefing, we transfer by bus for approximately 45 minutes to the ancient city of Jerash. Known in Roman times as Gerasa, Jerash is one of the best preserved examples of a Roman provincial town in the Middle East. It is a vast site with incredible ruins that enable you to almost visualise Roman life there, from the dramatic chariot racing to imagining the trading and bartering that went on along the colonnaded streets. After a good couple of hours absorbing the atmosphere of this incredible site we get back on the bus for a short transfer to the beginning of our ride, having lunch en route. When we arrive we will be introduced to the cycling team and our bikes. This afternoon we will cycle for approximately 3 and a half hours through the foothills of the Jordan Rift Valley. This is the most fertile region of Jordan and also the most populated. We will wind our way down quiet roads and through small villages taking in the landscapes of this region. The cycling is on good roads and much of the time you will be descending. In places there may be some loose gravel that you will need to watch out for and there is one fairly long ascent. You will be briefed about the ride before you set off and the support vehicles will always be on hand. At the end of the ride we will leave the bikes for the day and transfer to Madaba, the 'city of mosaics'. The bus journey will take approximately 2 hours. There are a number of nice restaurants in Madaba for you to choose from as well as coffee and sweet shops for those of you that want to try your first mouth-watering taste of baklava. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 3 Ride to Mt Nebo; exhilarating descent to the Dead Sea for a float in the saline water; drive to Petra. This morning we will wake up in Madaba, the 'City of the Mosaics'. Madaba is the most important Christian centre in Jordan and is famous for its Byzantine era mosaics. The most important of these is the 6th Century mosaic of Jerusalem and the Holy Land that covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox church of St. George. This morning we will have the opportunity to observe the mosaic and marvel at its detail and natural colour. We will then have a very short transfer to take us out of the centre of town where we will be reunited with our bikes. Today's ride starts with a 7km mild ascent up Mt Nebo. We will take a pit stop at the top of Mt Nebo, reputedly the burial place of Moses but certainly the site for a spectacular view over the valley below. From here it's a fantastic descent to the shores of the Dead Sea. Parts of this descent are quite steep but support will be at hand and you can take your time. We follow the coast on a smooth tarmac surface to Suwaima where we can change and take a float in the famous waters. After a shower, it's back on the bus for the long drive south (approx. 3 hours) along the Kings Highway towards Petra. In many places the route is spectacular and there will be a couple of stops to admire the view on the way. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 4 Explore the fascinating UNESCO city of Petra. We now have two full days to explore Petra. Petra the 'Rose-red city, half as old as time', was hidden for centuries until the Swiss explorer Burckhardt made his great discovery in 1812. The Nabateans, an Arab tribe that arrived here in the 6th Century BC, founded Petra. Building at Petra began in the 3rd Century BC and continued through the Roman period, financed by taxes levied on the desert caravans. Two features of Petra are unique: firstly, it is a city made defensible by being built down a series of chasms, rather than on a hilltop; and secondly, it is built directly into the rock - beautiful red and yellow sandstone carved into the most impressive facades which glow in the brilliant sunlight. During our time in Petra we will have the opportunity to explore the site from all angles. We will walk down the narrow Siq with the sandstone chasm rising 80m to either side of us and revealing El Khazneh, the Treasury as we reach its end. Set in stunning sandstone mountains there will also be an opportunity to explore the higher caves and the 'high place of sacrifice' giving a fantastic panorama of the whole site. At ground level we will pass the houses and tombs of the rich citizens, and the amphitheatre. A long walk beyond the centre is El Deir, the Monastery, with its superb facade topped by a huge urn. The Monastery is set in a more remote location of the site and we will have to climb around 800 steps to reach it, but it is well worth it. Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Guided tour around Petra; cycle to Little Petra. In the morning we cycle to the north of the main city to Little Petra and the Siq Al-Barid. A classical temple stands guard outside the miniature siq, which is believed to have been an important suburb to the city of Petra itself. The narrow file, only some 350m long, is crammed with triclinia, water channels and cisterns. Of particular note are the remains of painted frescoes on plaster dating from the 1st Century AD, which are to be found in one of the biclinia. Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Ride via Wadi Araba to Aqaba on the Red Sea. It's an early start today to avoid the heat for our first real desert experience. After a short transfer to Tayba village, we begin riding mostly on tarmac to Ar-Rajif. The road cuts through traditional Bedouin territory and is a seasonal stop for the nomadic shepherds of south Jordan so the chance of a local 'tea break' are high! The road is in a good state of repair, with some sections having been recently resurfaced. However, parts are quite heavily potholed and there is a chance that sand and stones have blown across the road and make for a loose surface on top of the tarmac, so care should be taken. We head into the desert and follow the road down to Gharandal via Dilagha to Wadi Araba. There are a few ascents and descents on today's ride and it is our longest and hardest day of riding. However, it is also the most spectacular and rewarding. The road takes you on an amazing journey through the desert and makes for a very satisfying day of riding. This day is all about the cycling allowing us to immerse ourselves in the landscape. After our desert crossing, it's a short drive to Aqaba on the Red Sea. Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Free morning to visit the beach, explore Aqabal or snorkel; afternoon drive/ride to Wadi Rum and camp overnight in desert. This morning we have free time to lounge on the beach, swim, or snorkel. The transport and entrance to one of the private beaches is included in your trip. The hire of snorkelling equipment is extra to be paid on the day. In the early afternoon we will transfer out of town for around 45 minutes and then we will get on the bikes for the last time. This ride will take us into the Wadi Rum on a relatively flat desert road. The desert scenery today is quite different to that experienced yesterday and will evoke a sense of more recent history than what we have been experiencing until now. This is where Lawrence of Arabia and Prince Faisal assembled the Arab tribes for the attack on Aqaba in the First World War and also where sections of the film of 'Lawrence' were shot. Tonight we will experience Bedouin hospitality with a traditional meal, sweet tea and camping out in goat-hair tents in the desert. We will be able to contemplate our week of adventure as we gaze up at the star-lit sky, warmed by a fire. If you like you can pull your mattress outside and sleep under the stars. Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 8 Morning desert drive into the Wadi Rum; drive to Amman. After breakfast we take a 4x4 drive vehicle into the area for around 2 hours for a desert adventure. Following lunch, surrounded by the vastness of the desert and towering rocky outcrops, we transfer back to Amman, a journey of approx. 4 hours with a stop en route.Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Transfer to airport; fly to London. Transfer to airport, fly to London. Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 End Amman. End Amman. Meals included: Breakfast
Jordan Visas are required by most nationalities, including British, and can be obtained at the border or Amman airport. At time of print, visa fees (usually 40JOD) have been waived for all nationalities travelling to Jordan with a tour operator and spending a minimum of 2 nights in country. Our airport representative will meet and assist you with obtaining the free visa on arrival in Jordan at Customs & Immigration. He will be carrying an Exodus sign. For more information on the free Jordan Visa, please see the link below:http://international.visitjordan.com/MediaCenter/News/JordanianGovernmen...
Jordan There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid.
Hotels, Camping & Chalets We spend 2 nights in a 4-star hotel in Amman, 1 night in a standard hotel in Madaba, 3 nights in a standard hotel in Petra, 1 night in a 4-star hotel in Aqaba. We also have one night in a desert camp in Wadi Rum. The private camp is for the sole use of the Exodus group and offers an unforgettable experience. Throughout the tour the hotels have en suite facilities and air conditioning. Some hotels have more facilities than others however it is always good to keep in mind that the star rating in Jordan is quite different to what you may expect at home. Sometimes we use less centrally located hotels in the interests of comfort. Accommodation in Petra is limited and demands on the infrastructure are high; this creates occasional problems with hot water and general plumbing for all hotels. In general, the hotels in Petra are older style and more basic in comparison with the rest of Jordan. At the Wadi Rum camp there are traditional style tents equipped with basic beds, sheets and blankets. There are plumbed toilets and basins, and simple shower facilities with (limited) hot water. Single supplements are available for this trip however cannot be guaranteed at Wadi Rum. Please enquire at the time of booking for details and up-to-date prices.
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Reviewed November 2019 Stephanie Clare Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Excellent mix of history, scenery and cycling A great introduction to Jordan with the two main bases covered: Wadi Rum and Petra, with a healthy sprinkling of cycling in-between. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The scenery in Wadi Rum closely followed by Petra. What did you think of your group leader? Ab (Abdullah) was excellent: extremely knowledgeable, courteous, and with a great sense of humour. He was always approachable and understanding - nothing was too much trouble for him. Despite the unscheduled changes on our trip (a flooded hotel and an overnight change in law re cycling trips), he worked through these issues, communicating regularly, and we completed all the activities we were scheduled to do, albeit in a different order. He was incredibly hardworking and never seemed to be "off-duty". He was in every sense a true professional. For us, he made the trip and is a credit to Exodus. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? As a couple we only spent 450JD (we didn't really buy any souvenirs as none of them really interested us and a lot of it was very similar). Our 3/4 season sleeping bags were unnecessary for Wadi Rum, just a liner or lightweight sleeping bag would have been sufficient when we were there in late October - check temperatures before you go for an idea. We didn't use that many of our own snacks as our guide was great at providing these and it was something different everyday. You don't need your own bike repair kit as the team mechanic is following behind you. As others have mentioned there isn't a huge variety in the food, but there is plenty to eat. Remember to take a water bottle, the one disappointing thing about Jordan is the amount of plastic rubbish you see littering the sides of the roads. Finally the cycling was more ascent and descent than we had anticipated from the trip notes. The cycle at Wadi Rum is flat, the rest isn't!
Reviewed October 2019 Eileen Cowling Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Wadi Rum and Petra cycling We throughly enjoyed our cycling trip to Jordan. Gave us a fascinating insight into a completely different culture. Unique and amazing cultural sights and enjoyable cycling through stunning desert landscapes. Our guide was excellent and gave us so much information on Jordan. Hotels and food generally OK. Although we would recommend this trip it is more of a sightseeing tour with opportunities to cycle rather than a predominantly cycling trip. There is quite a bit of coach travel but this is well worth while to see the breath of the country covered by the trip. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Petra, floating in the Dead Sea and the overnight stay and jeep ride in the Wadi Rum. What did you think of your group leader? Excellent. Very knowledgeable and keen to inform us on the country. Worked very hard to ensure we enjoyed our trip despite some issues that arose that were outside his control. Socialable and engaging with the whole group. Went that extra mile.b Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Bring Mosquito spray for the overnight stay in the Wadi Rum. Think about buying a Shemagh (traditional bedouin headdress), as well as being stylish it's very effective in keeping the sun off when walking around.
Reviewed September 2019 Darren Huston Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Bit rushed trip Jordan is very nice place while choosing this trip i was expecting to enjoy scenery as well but there were very few stoppage in this trip. Although all arrangements was good and we enjoyed cycling. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing Petra Treasury
Reviewed July 2019 Shane Shudra Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Beautiful Cycle Trip Through Jordan! Petra & Wadi Rum by bike was an amazing journey through Jordan's stunningly beautiful desert landscape, on very quiet roads. It was quite challenging in late May with the heat, but so rewarding! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? For me it was the second cycling day from Mt. Nebo down to the Dead Sea. It was a spectacular 30+km trip mostly downhill that really left me speechless! I purposely fell behind the group so I could enjoy the amazingly stark scenery with no one else around! Including virtually no vehicle traffic! Once we got to the Dead Sea, we spent time floating in the Dead Sea. It couldn't have been a better day! What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader was good. He was not the regular leader for the cycling trips, so I feel he didn't take into account what cycling or more active groups needed or wanted. Snacks and water not quite as readily available as usual on Exodus trips, looked at us funny when we wanted to walk instead of taking taxi's, things like that. That being said, he was a very knowledgeable man and very passionate about his country. I learned a lot! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Go! Jordan was amazing! Such a wonderfully compact country with some truly breathtaking scenery!
Reviewed July 2019 Kelsey Baron Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Stunning roads to bike on! You can't beat the scenery on some of those rides, my goodness. It really takes your breath away. The roads barely have any cars on them as well so you really feel like you are on your own. Starts off easy and gets harder, worth all the effort! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Desert night at Wadi Rum. It was so amazing to pull out the beds and sleep under the stars. What did you think of your group leader? He was okay. I felt like we never knew what was going on it was always a surprise. It made it difficult to plan ahead and be prepared. There were a few times when I didn't pack correctly for the day because he never took the time to explain some of the small things. For example, our day at Petra. It was really hot so I didn't want to carry my backpack, so I used a spybelt and my pockets and carabiners to carry water, sunscreen and money. He had told us we'd be doing lots of walking so I made sure to wear the right shoes. However as we are unloading from the bus he hands us a bag which contains our lunch in it. He says to hide it when we go through security - well I didn't have a backpack to put it in! I wasn't the only one who didn't bring a backpack because we didn't know we were going to be carrying stuff. We made it in okay but then I spent the first 3 hours of my day carrying a plastic bag full of stuff and my sandwhich spend many hours in the sun before I tried to eat it. It is a small thing forsure, but his heads up the night before about the fact that we should bring a backpack because we would be carrying our lunch and would need to hid it would have gone a long way to make my day more comfortable. This is just one example of many days where similair things happened. There were other times when the water bottle was empty or he stored it somewhere in the hotel but didn't tell us where so I'd end up having to buy bottled water anyway. He told us that he is not the usual guide for this trip and had only guided 1 cycling trip before. I wonder how different my experience might have been with an experienced cycling guide. My friend who had done this same trip last year suggested that we ask the guide to organize Shisha for us for our night in the desert, which his guide had done for them. It sounded like a great experience to be under the stars, listening to bedoin music, drinking sweet tea and smoking shisha. I talked it up to a few people in the group and we were all excited for this opportunity. So I asked our guide if he could help us organize this and he said "we'll see". Needless to say, the desert night came and went and he never got us anything. Not only that but he didn't bother to tell me that he wasn't able to organize it. Communication was lacking with him. Perhaps if I had known he wasn't going to put in the effort, some of us could have maybe tried ourselves to organize it. I do feel like I missed out that night because I had gotten so excited about it and he let me down. Overall you could clearly tell he was knowledgable and passionate about Jordan and its history. I just felt he lacked good communication and going the extra mile for us. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? There are no panier bags! So bring a bum bag. Is there anything else you would like to add? Great trip overall! Thank you.
Reviewed April 2019 Philip Warner Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Our wonderful journey through Jordan. An excellent,well organised cycling tour in a very welcoming and interesting country. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? To me there were a few inspirational moments on the tour. The mosaics and the whole interior of the “Church of the Map”at Madaba was very inspirational. Again,Petra and camping out in Wadi Rum was quite inspirational. What did you think of your group leader? Our tour leader Ab (Abdullah ) was excellent. He was always pleasant,had plenty of patience and hard working. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? In winter months you need clothes for all types of weather. When walking to the water at the Dead Sea,I would recommend wearing sandals or some sort of rubber shoes because the layers of salt are quite sharp underfoot. Is there anything else you would like to add? I thoroughly enjoyed the tour from start to finish. We had an excellent tour leader, bus driver and cycling guides. Whenever we were cycling we had a tourist police escort. The police were also quite friendly. We had more lunches than was advertised in the trip notes. Ab kept on feeding us with snacks. Beside the cycling, the tour was quite varied. There was a lot of walking, some quite strenuous at Petra,whilst it was quite relaxing at Aqaba..
Reviewed January 2019 Anastasia Kondylis Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Jordan Cycle Tour The trip was a good way to see a lot in a short amount of time, but rushed. There weren't many moments to stop and take in the scenery or actually fathom where you were and what you were experiencing. The cycling was incredible and the main highlight. We cycled through remote areas and experienced scenes that we would have otherwise not had opportunity to see. The experience in Wadi Rum was somewhat disappointing and lacked the unique cultural experience. The food that you receive in the Middle East caters for all food types and is delicious, but we were not given the opportunity to order our own meals, which caused a few issues if you are constantly eating bread and rice all you want is a bit of vegetables. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Cycling throughout Jordan was incredible. The views were spectacular, the cultural side of being able to see the Jordanians way of life and how they live was great. What did you think of your group leader? The group leader was a real let down and really ruined the trip for many of us. As someone with such an important role on a trip such as this you can really make or break it. He had obviously done this several times and seemed rather disinterested and unexcited, not giving much more than was necessary and didn't go out of his way at all. He rushed when there wasn't need to and took more time when wasn't necessary. We would be all standing waiting to cycle and he was either having a coffee chatting to his friends or having a smoke - a real annoyance. He didn't cater for any dietary requirements and the lunches that we received for shocking in comparison to the amount that we paid for meals. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If you are wanting to exercise and travel this is a good way to do it, we cycled and walked a lot. You meet extremely interesting people and learn a lot about yourself.
Reviewed December 2018 Guy Dixon Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike petra and wadi rum by bike Petra and Wadi Rum were the highlights, and the basics were covered in terms of being met at the airport etc., but we lost one day due to bad weather and the following day, despite excellent weather. Aqaba is very much a Russian holiday destination these days and we found the coral and snorkeling disappointing and surprisingly expensive. Nevertheless, Petra is impressive, as is the Wadi Rum desert. The hotels were OK. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Petra What did you think of your group leader? He was friendly for much of the trip. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Avoid Aqaba if you can. Is there anything else you would like to add? If it rains, the tour leader should have a plan B. This part of the Red See is definitely not one of the best diving sites in the world.
Reviewed December 2018 Mike Henderson Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Wonderful Jordan This trip is a wonderful way of seeing most of the important sites in Jordan with a bit of cycling thrown in! Please note it’s not really a cycling holiday as there are quite a few bus transfers, one of which was over 6 hours. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were many-floating in the Dead Sea, seeing the Treasury in Petra, snorkelling in the Red Sea, riding a camel in Wadi Rum. Every day had a highlight. What did you think of your group leader? I have been on many Exodus trips and all the local group leaders have been excellent but Eddie in Jordan was outstanding! His organisation was faultless and he spent a lot of time informing us about Jordanian history and culture. It was also a pleasure to meet his wife at our farewell dinner. FIras ,who was our cycling leader, was also outstanding . He was very safety conscious, honest about the route ahead and very encouraging to the less able cyclists. We also had a Tourist Policeman with us all week and whenever we were cycling we had a police escort! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Just bear in mind that cycling is not a major part of the trip but , if you want to see the best of Jordan, then this is the trip for you. A reasonable degree of fitness is needed for the cycling as there a few challenging hills. Is there anything else you would like to add? This trip exceeded my expectations and I’m now an expert on Jordanian culture!!
Reviewed November 2018 David Evans Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike Amazing adventure This was a busy , varied and hugely enjoyable trip . Eddie and the team looked after us brilliantly and gave us access to amazing places What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Meeting Mefle the last remaining inhabitant of Petra What did you think of your group leader? Eddie was very knowledgeable and great fun too
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