Jordan: Lost City Of Arabia

Group Tour

Overview

The fabled lost city of Petra needs no introduction… hidden away in the heart of the Jordanian desert for centuries, Petra obtained a mythical status with much speculation as to whether it existed at all. When the Swiss explorer Burckhardt befriended the local Bedouins in 1812, he 'discovered' the magical city, and it finally became known to the western world.  

However, there is much more to Jordan than just Petra and on this diverse trip we’ll enjoy a incredible variety of experiences ...

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HIGHLIGHTS

At a glance

MEALS

9 x Breakfasts
8 x Lunches
8 x Dinners

TRANSPORT

On this tour we will use minibuses and open-air 4WD vehicles whilst in Wadi Rum.

GROUP SIZE

Maximum: 12

EXPERT TEAM

The full services of a Wild Frontiers Tour Leader with local guides where appropriate

ACCOMMODATION

1 night x Premium
4 nights x Superior
4 nights x Simple

ENTRANCE FEES

All entrance fees for sights mentioned in the itinerary

FITNESS RATING

Low / Moderate

WILD MILES

This tour will earn you 4530 Wild Miles

ACCOMMODATION

As an overall ethos, wherever possible we aim to use characterful accommodation that enhances the overall travel experience, not just offers a bed for the night. This can obviously vary dramatically from country to country and from trip to trip.

On this trip accommodation will vary from hotels in Amman, Petra & The Dead Sea to guesthouses and homestays in Dana, Ajloun and As-Salt with two nights in a Bedouin style fixed camp in Wadi Rum.  Our camp in Wadi Rum will have separate communal/shared bathroom facilities.

Please note: At the Ajloun homestay all members of the group may be required to share with other clients in communal dormitory style accommodation with shared bathroom facilities.

Please noteAt the As-Salt guesthouse you may be required to share a twin or triple room with ensuite bathroom facilities.

Please note that the accommodation mentioned in the itinerary is intended as a guide only and is always subject to availability. 

FITNESS RATING

LOW: You should be comfortable walking around towns and cultural sites. May include some optional walks (typically 1-2hrs).

LOW/MODERATE: May be of a long duration and/or involve numerous border-crossings. May include easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-3hrs/day). You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle.

MODERATE: May include several easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-5hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle. Previous experience of similar trips helpful.

MODERATE/HIGH: May involve several days of moderate hiking (up to 3-6 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.

HIGH: May involve several days of moderate/strenuous trekking (up to 4-7 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a very fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.

Wild Miles Club

When you book a trip with Wild Frontiers you are awarded points, which are based on the return distance from London to the arrival city of your trip. Points are awarded for all our holidays, including both our escorted group tours and tailor-made trips. When you accrue points, you will qualify for the following discounts on all future bookings:

Blue More than 10,000 points 2.5% discount
Bronze More than 30,000 points 5% discount
Silver More than 45,000 points 7.5% discount
Gold More than 60,000 points 10% discount

Positive Impact of this Trip

Tree
Ten trees are planted per passenger on this trip
Community
Supports Wild Frontiers Foundation community projects
Wind Turbine
A contribution to renewable energy projects

Map & Itinerary

Individual departures may vary so please refer to the information in the tour specific links in the Dates and Prices section below

Jordan: Lost City Of Arabia
EXPAND ALL ITINERARY DAYS
COLLAPSE ALL ITINERARY DAYS

Day 1 Tour starts in Amman

Day 1 Tour starts in Amman

A short drive from Amman airport is the hectic capital of Jordan, Amman. Positioned between the desert and the fertile Jordan valley, it is a city of contrasts, offering plenty to encourage you to want to delve further into its downtown and urban areas. Due to the late arrival time of our suggested flights, accommodation for this night is included in the tour cost and those arriving earlier will be able to check-in from mid-afternoon on DAY 1.

Toledo Hotel or similar

Day 2 Amman - Jerash - Ajloun

Day 2 Amman - Jerash - Ajloun

After breakfast we will head out to experience the downtown area of Amman including the many souks leading up to the Roman Theatre and Citadel. The Roman Theatre, cut into the northern side of a hill, is one of the most impressive remnants of Roman Philadelphia in Amman and is a highlight not to be missed. The Citadel, sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel Al Qala'a, and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon. The most notable sights are the Temple of Hercules and Ummayad Palace.  During the tour, we will also get a chance to experience a lunch spot favoured by locals, Hashem restaurant is famed for its falafel and hummus.  For desert we then head to Habiba Sweets one of the most famous food stalls in Amman to indulge the popular Middle Eastern dessert of Knafeh. From here we will then drive to Jerash to explore the extensive ruins of the sprawling Roman provincial city. The city's many monuments still retain the atmosphere of the once thriving metropolis, famous in its time for its magnificent temples, amphitheatres, and oval colonnaded forum. We then will continue to Ajloun where we will overnight with a local host family.
*Walking distance: 4-5km approx 2-3 hours.

Village Homestay
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 Ajloun - As Salt

Day 3 Ajloun - As Salt

This morning we'll hike part of the Al Ayoun Trail, a section of the famous Jordan Trail. At the end of the trail we will visit a traditional handicraft co-operative run by Wild Jordan. The workshops here were set up by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) to provide employment for local women in the area. There will be an opportunity to buy local goods from the soap house and cookie shop. Next we return to our local host family to enjoy a hearty homecooked lunch. We'll then continue to the only tourist guesthouse in As-Salt, a former capital of Jordan, known for its multi-faith heritage. This afternoon we will delve into the city enjoying a walk around its sand-coloured buildings, which has been awarded UNESCO's World Heritage status, with churches, mosques and and souk-like streets. Tonight we will have the chance to contribute to our dinner and help our host make the bread of which we will later enjoy.

Local Guesthouse
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 As-Salt – Mount Nebo – Madaba – Dana Nature Reserve

Day 4 As-Salt – Mount Nebo – Madaba – Dana Nature Reserve

As-Salt, a former capital of Jordan, is known for its multi-faith heritage. Today we will delve into the city enjoying a guided walk around its sand-coloured buildings, which have been nominated for UNESCO's World Heritage status, churches and mosques and will finish with the souk-like streets. We will then depart to Madaba, a town once known as one of the most important Christian centres east of the River Jordan. Madaba is home to some of the most extraordinary mosaics in the Middle East including the famous 6th century map of Palestine, believed to be the oldest map of the Holy Land still in existence. We will make a visit to Madaba's famous Byzantine Church, to view for ourselves the most important relics of early Christian art. After lunch at a local restaurant, we make a stop at Mount Nebo, one of the reputed sites of the tomb of Moses.  The summit of this lonely, wind-swept mountain commands spectacular views over the Dead Sea to the West Bank and Jerusalem and we can see the springs where Moses supposedly smote the ground to bring forth water. Standing amongst extensive ruins is a small church, housing some fine and beautifully preserved 6th century mosaics, which are still being uncovered. We then set off for the crusader castle of Kerak before we will continue our journey to the village of Dana, driving along the spectacular King’s Highway.
*Approx 4hrs drive time

Dana Guesthouse or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 Dana Nature Reserve – Shobak Castle - Petra

Day 5 Dana Nature Reserve – Shobak Castle - Petra

This morning we can soak up the stunning scenery of Dana Nature Reserve as we enjoy a hike in the valley, maneuvering between the unique rock formations and making our way over boulders to enjoy the unique landscape . We then head South to Shobak Castle, one of the most important crusader castles in Jordan.  Shobak was built by the Crusader King Baldwin I in 1115 and sits atop a hill surrounded by valleys. Its defenders withstood an 18-month siege from the armies of Saladin before succumbing in 1189. We then continue on to the ancient city of Petra, where we'll check-in to our hotel. This evening we then visit Petra by night – accompanied by over 1,800 candles that have been set up to light our way through the Siq and to emphasise some of the most remarkable features of this narrow passageway. Our journey culminates at the Treasury, where the facade glows with the soft light of hundreds of candles. Sitting on the cool sand, enjoying a glass of mint tea, we watch the local Bedouins play in this magical atmosphere.
*Walking distance in Dana: Approx 4-5km
*Please note for some departures Petra by Night will occur on Day 6.

Petra Moon Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 Petra

Day 6 Petra

This morning we'll drive a short distance to Little Petra. This site is much less visited than the main site at Petra, however is still fascinating and has a charm all of its own. Once a suburb of Petra, entry is through a narrow siq. The site is thought to have been a commercial area, caravans would have paused here, attracted by the huge cistern. Today’s hike will bring us into Petra via a spectacular, but little-known, Bedouin trail through the mountains. After visiting Little Petra we'll take a open-air 4WD shuttle (approximately 20 mins) to the starting point of the walk. We follow an ascending path where huge views begin to open up across the Great Rift Valley to the west. The trail descends towards Petra and opens onto one of the city’s most impressive sights: the immense rock-cut façade of ad Deir, the Monastery. We can rest and drink tea here, and explore the ruins, before descending the 800 stone steps of a Nabataean processional way down into the heart of Petra. Along the way there are traces of ancient stone steps, and eroded relief carvings of deities or ‘god blocks’ cut into the rock walls. This old Nabataean processional route will then leads downwards, turning back towards Petra and following the main siq for the classic entry into the city. This will bring you out at Petra’s most famous monument, the Treasury. This itinerary offers a long, wonderful day’s hiking around Petra, and means you can experience the two greatest approaches to the city in a single day.
*Walking distance: 15km approx 4-5 hours.

Petra Moon Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 Petra – Wadi Rum

Day 7 Petra – Wadi Rum

Today we'll return to Petra via the "secret road" Madras Trail Hike. We will begin the walk following the crowds through the main gates but then immediately leave them behind and strike out on our own into silent, unspoilt desert landscape. The trail follows an old Nabataean processional route towards what was once the city’s sacred centre, the High Place of Sacrifice. Along the way there are traces of ancient stone steps, and eroded relief carvings of deities or ‘god blocks’ cut into the rock walls. The route brings us out above the High Place of Sacrifice, from where we can see down across the whole of Petra and west towards Jebel Harun, Petra’s highest peak. From here we will descend through the Wadi Farasa, which has some of best temples in the city (including the Garden Tomb and the Roman Soldier’s Tomb), emerging right in the heart of Petra. This wonderful walk takes us away from the crowds and leaves plenty of time to explore the tombs and temples of Petra before leaving the site through the main siq. Leaving Petra behind us we strike into the desert of Wadi Rum in open-air 4WD jeeps. With sheer sandstone cliffs and multi-coloured shifting sands this beautiful area is steeped in history. We enjoy a short sunset drive before arriving at our camp for two nights under the stars.
*Walking distance: 15 km approx 4-5 hours.


Salem Mutleq Camp or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 Wadi Rum

Day 8 Wadi Rum

Our day in the desert will be a combination of desert hiking and driving in our open-air 4WD jeeps to points of interest such as unique rock formations, ancient petroglyphs and a visit to 'Lawrence's House'. In between our desert sights, we will find a shady spot for our lunch. On return to our campsite there will be opportunity for an optional camel ride at sunset. 
*Walking distance: Approx 3-4km

Salem Mutlaq Camp or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 Wadi Rum - Dead Sea

Day 9 Wadi Rum - Dead Sea

Departing Wadi Rum after breakfast we set off for the crusader castle of Kerak, before continuing on towards the saline waters of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth. Rich in minerals and high in salt content (around 33%), the Dead Sea is one of the most remarkable bodies of water on earth and we will have a chance to bathe in its saline waters. This evening we enjoy our final night and dinner as a group, a perfect place to reflect on the incredible experiences of the past few days.
*Driving time: Approx 4-5hrs.

Holiday Inn or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 Tour ends at the Dead Sea

Day 10 Tour ends at the Dead Sea

The tour ends this morning at the hotel. Those on the suggested group flight will be transferred to Amman Airport.

Breakfast

ACCOMMODATION USED ON THIS TOUR

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Accommodation displayed here should be taken as a guide only. *Please refer to the Detailed Itinerary of your individual departure for more information.

PRIVATE HOLIDAYS: DATES DON’T FIT?

All group tours can be taken on a private basis.

Additional Details

Responsible Travel

With local people, culture and eco-systems in mind, responsible travel and sustainable tourism are at the core of Wild Frontiers. We believe that a successful trip not only delivers a unique and unsurpassable journey for our travellers but also benefits the people and places we visit.

When designing our tours, we actively seek out experiences that have a positive impact on the communities and precious environments we visit - from supporting social enterprises; resting our heads in rural homestays; and eating at locally owned restaurants; to helping fund conservation projects that protect wildlife and their habitats. 

Visit the Responsible Travel area of our website to read more, including the work of the Wild Frontiers Foundation through which we fundraise to aid community empowerment and education projects.

Wild Jordan Project

On this tour we stop at the Women’s Co-operative centre in Ajloun which forms part of the Wild Jordan Project . Workshops have been set up by Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) managed nature reserves to promote the use the natural assets of protected areas. This in turn creates sustainable economic and social benefits for the local communities. Over 60 local women have been empowered through the workshops by providing them with employment and are helping to alleviate poverty in areas that offer few other employment opportunities. One example is Nehal Fayez, who states ‘’It’s the best job ever!” Nehal believes that being financially independent is really important in order not to be a burden on society. The Soap House is in the remote mountain village of Orjan and is reliant mostly on agriculture from its orchards that produce olives, grapes and other fruit. During our stop you will be given the opportunity to purchase soap and biscuits to support the project.

 

Reducing Single Use Plastic

We recognise the environmental issues and challenges around single-use plastic in many countries we visit and are actively working with our partners on the ground to reduce plastic waste on our tours and within the hotels and restaurants we visit. You can help to reduce your personal plastic waste by taking a refillable, filtered water bottle with you on your trip. Filtered water bottles can be refilled from water sources including your hotel room and restaurant taps, drinking fountains and refill stations. Every time you refill your bottle without the use of single-use plastic, you will be helping to reduce waste and protect the environment. Filtered Water Bottles | Wild Frontiers (wildfrontierstravel.com)

Getting There

If you would like us to send you a quote for the suggested tour flights or on any alternative flight that may suit you better, please let us know, noting that for our US clients, we will most likely refer you to one of our preferred partners. For this trip our suggested flights from the UK (subject to change) are shown below.

If you wish to arrange your own flights you are completely free to do so and in this case we can arrange any transfers or supplementary accommodation that you may require. However please note that if you are planning on making your own flight arrangements, we recommend that you first check with us to see if the trip is guaranteed. We then suggest that you purchase flights that are flexible and ideally refundable as due to the nature of adventure travel, itineraries and destination accessibility can change at any time. For more information, please refer to our booking conditions.
 

Flight Code Departing Arriving
RJ 112 London Heathrow (LHR) 17:05 Queen Alia Intl (AMM) 00:10
RJ 111 Queen Alia Intl (AMM) 12:00 London Heathrow (LHR) 15:25

Visas

VISAS

Visas are necessary for many of the destinations we travel to and while we aim to provide you with the most up-to-date information, requirements frequently change and as such for the latest advice we advise that you check with the relevant embassies or contact a reputable visa agency. More details can be found here - https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/visa

For this tour UK passport holders currently require a visa for Jordan, and this can be obtained on arrival in Amman.

Currently the cost for single entry visa is 40JOD, but if you submit the below information to us, we can obtain the necessary documents that waiver this fee.  To obtain the free visa, please send us a copy of the following as soon as possible:-

- Scanned colour copy/photo of your passport photo/details page
- Arrival and departure flight details including flight numbers
- Details of any additional pre/post tour accomodation

Passports should ideally be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the end of your tour.

Non-UK passport holders or non-UK residents should contact the relevant embassies for individual requirements.

VACCINATIONS & ADDITIONAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements for travellers to Jordan.

For all destinations, please make sure you are up-to-date with any standard vaccinations (e.g. MMR, Hepatitis A, Tetanus) as recommended by your local health care provider. 

For the most up-to-date information on all vaccination requirements and the most suitable anti-malarial tablets, we strongly suggest that you seek advice from your local travel centre or consult an official travel health website such as www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.travelhealthpro.org.uk

Covid Testing: No mandatory testing is currently required for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers.

If necessary further details will be sent out to you upon booking, however ensuring that correct and valid visas & vaccinations are obtained remains the sole responsibility of the client.

Extensions

If you have more time available, why not arrive early to adjust to a new time zone or just to get a feel for the country before your tour starts? Alternatively, you might choose to allow a few extra days after the tour to relax or to undertake some further exploration.

The choice is completely yours and we can usually arrange anything from simply additional accommodation and transfers to full tailor-made itineraries*. Please contact the office for more details and to discuss your requirements.

*Please note bespoke, tailor-made itineraries need to be a minimum of 7 days and we can only offer them in countries where we have a tailor-made expert

Governmental Travel Advice

Many governments issue advice which highlights potential hazards their citizens might experience when travelling abroad. We strongly suggest you refer to your country’s particular advisory site before booking and contact us if you have any queries or concerns. Click to follow links to the advice of the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the US State Department.

Non-UK citizens should consult the travel advice of their respective governments.

Key Information

CLIMATE

Jordan's climate is characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool winters. January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 5C to 10C, and August is the hottest month at 30C to 35C.  About 70 percent of the average rainfall in the country falls between November and March with the summer months often being rainless. Winter nights (Nov - Feb) in the desert can be very cold so please take this into consideration when packing. 

IS THIS TRIP FOR ME?

It may sound obvious but Wild Frontiers tours are not always for everyone and it is important to us that the tour you choose is the most suitable. All our tours have a fitness rating as a guideline but you should check the day-by-day itinerary carefully. In certain instances we may ask you to complete a travel questionnaire before confirming your booking in order to ensure your suitability. Should you have any concerns about your ability to partake in any aspect of the tour then please contact the office.

KEY ASPECTS TO CONSIDER

Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be perfectly able to cope with this tour.

On this tour several walks have been included. While none are particularly challenging, they do require a certain level of fitness and completing them will allow you to get the most out of the trip. You should be comfortable walking in rough, open countryside as some parts of the walks are on rocky and uneven terrain and there will be some light scrambling in parts. However it goes without saying that the fitter you are the greater you will enjoy the trip.

This tour has a couple of medium driving days, these will be no longer than approx. 4.5 hours driving time (around 240km), regular breaks will be provided. 

Please note also that if travelling during the winter months (Nov - Feb) nights in the desert can get very cold so please be sure to pack accordingly.  Rain is also possible during this period.

THE NATURE OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

We feel that it’s worth pointing out that while we will always strive to stick as close to the stated itinerary as possible, it may be necessary from time to time to make changes to our itineraries or services (due to weather, political and religious influences etc.) and this can happen with little or no notice. This unpredictability can be one of the most exciting aspects of adventure travel and for many of our clients often leads to unexpected highlights as the tour-leader necessarily adapts the tour to the changing conditions. However we are aware that this lack of assuredness may not suit everyone. As such, with the greatest respect, if you are someone who needs to know that everything will happen exactly as planned, we would kindly suggest that perhaps our tours are not for you. Adventure travel can be infectious and once you’ve caught the bug, it is likely to never leave you, but especially if this is your first such tour we would strongly urge you to give us a call if you have any concerns whatsoever about your suitability for this trip.

TRAVELLING SOLO AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS

As a company approximately 70% of our clients are solo travellers, so it’s very unlikely you’ll be alone! Our prices are typically based on twin-share accommodation but single supplements are not compulsory for any Wild Frontiers tour. If you prefer not to pay a single supplement we’ll pair you with someone else of the same sex for you to share with throughout the trip.

On this trip, if you do opt to pay for a single supplement then please note that it will cover you for all nights of the tour except for the Ajloun village homestay on Day 2 and the night at the local guesthouse in As-Salt on Day 3.

Please note that paying a single supplement entitles you to lone occupancy of a single room. In many cases these rooms will be of the same size as a double/twin room, but in some cases they may be smaller.

INSURANCE

Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours. You should be aware that due to some of the geographical areas visited and some of the activities included on certain of our trips some standard insurance policies may not always provide adequate cover. As such we strongly recommend that you purchase a policy that adequately covers your trip. Please see the Insurance section for more details.

General Information

TOUR PRICE

All our tours are priced on a land-only basis, giving you maximum flexibility when deciding how to get to and from your tour.

DEPOSIT

A 10% deposit is required to confirm your booking.

PROTECTION FOR YOUR MONEY

For further details please see our travelling with peace of mind page

WILD MILES

This tour will earn you 4530 Wild Miles

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour.

Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatory
Tips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documents
International Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UK
Airport Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights
Beverages & any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs

WILD FRONTIERS COMMUNITY

If you’re still not sure if this trip is right or just want to see get some different perspectives, then why not have a look at the wide variety of resources we have on our website? Browse our community section to read our blogs, watch videos and find out about our events. 

WHY WILD FRONTIERS?

We are frequently asked what makes Wild Frontiers different from other tour operators. Visit our Why Wild Frontiers page to find out.