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DAY1 Arrive Amman airport, meet & assist transfer to hotel.
DAY2 Tour starts with a visit to one of the best-preserved examples of medieval Arab military architecture in the entire Middle East, the 12th-century Ajlun Castle. Continue to the most dramatically located ancient city in Jordan, Umm Quais, perched on a high plain overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee. At Pella you will see mud-brick houses and fortification walls dating from the Bronze and Iron age towns, and the later remains from the Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods.
DAY3 This day will uncover the treasures of Amman by climbing up to the Citadel, dominating the vibrant city of Amman. Here, you will visit the National Archaeological Museum for an overview of Jordan's past. The Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1952 are one of the most important exhibits here. Continue to the nearby 8th century Omayyad Palace, the Temple of Hercules dedicated to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd-century, and a small Byzantine church. Learn of the Roman city while viewing the amphitheater that seats 6,000 people and is still used for performances today, and the recently-restored odeon.
DAY4 Today’s all day tour takes you east of Amman along ancient desert tracks to explore several spectacular Omayyad palaces. The exquisite brickwork and colossal size of Qasr Mushatta make this one of the most extraordinary of all the castles. Twenty-three round towers nestle within the brick walls that encircled the huge complex. Oasr al-Hallabat began as a Roman fort and ended as a luxurious country estate under the Omayyads. Nearby is its bathhouse, Hammam al-Sarah, constructed of fine limestone. Crafted of the area’s black basalt, Azraq Castle is located in an oasis and takes advantage of the important strategic position of the region’s four springs. The fortress was probably begun in the second century AD by the Romans, and was still in use when T. E. Lawrence used it as a base in the winter of 1917-18. The audience hall at Qusayr Amra is covered by three barrel-vaults; the ceilings and walls are covered with charming, vividly painted frescoes. And the mighty fortress of Qasr al-Kharaneh is the most complete of the Omayyad castles. Even though the steep walls rising abruptly from the flat plain create a feeling of strength, archaeological excavations show that the building was probably used as an elegant palace.
DAY5 An all day tour takes you to two impressive sites. West of Amman is Wadi as-Seer, one of the most attractive valleys in Jordan and containing Qasr al-Abd, the Palace of the Slave. This important Hellenistic palace is one of the most interesting ancient monuments in the Middle East. Nestled in a green and fertile valley in the biblical land of Gilead, the remains of Jerash are impressive. Stroll along the city’s colonnaded streets and through ancient marketplaces, and visit imposing theaters sitting beside Roman, Christian and Muslim houses of worship.
DAY6 Today is filled with history. Madaba was inhabited for nearly 3,500 years, and contains the most impressive work of art to survive from the mid-6th century - a mosaic map of Palestine, located within St. George’s Church. Bible references speak of Mt. Nebo as the place where Moses died. Visit the ruins of the 6th-century basilica, the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, and the monastery. The Church of Saints Lot and Procopius, Martyrs contains a masterpiece of the Madaba School of mosaics. Nearby Maqdas is a recently discovered baptismal site on the Jordan River. Proceed to Petra. Overnight.
DAY7 Early morning walk takes you through the siq, the fissure that is the gateway to the splendid capital city that the Nabataean Arabs carved and built at Petra almost 2,500 years ago. Your first view of the Rose City is the dazzling Al-Khasneh Farun, or Treasury. From here walk along the Streets of Facades and view the magnificent tombs, theatre, markets, the Petra Church with its glorious mosaics, and the Great Temple, being excavated by Brown University.
DAY8 Early this morning you will continue exploring Petra by climbing into the more remote areas (medium to difficult). Begin in Qasr al-Bint Temple, the most impressive structure dating from the time of Christ. The small mountain overlooking the temple is al-Habees. Walk to the Habees High Place, one of the easiest of the climbs overlooking the city. Pass the Unfinished Tomb showing that the Nabataeans carved from the top down, and the Columbarium, a former tomb with hundreds of small niches. Continue to the 12th-century Crusader fortress on the summit of al-Habees. For those who want to continue climbing, visit the Lion Triclinium guarded by two feline reliefs, Qattar ad-Deir to see the Nabataeans’ water source.
DAY9 One of the marvels of the Classical World, Petra offers much more than stunning antiquities. Within a 25-mile radius, you will explore an exceptional array of monuments and entire settlements that span the last 9,000 years of human civilization. This morning’s drive takes us to Beidha, one of the most magical ancient sites in the entire Middle East. Walk among the standing walls, plastered floors and doorways of a village that was inhabited between 7000-6500 BC, at a time when humankind was first making the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherers to year-round settled villages. Nearby is “Little Petra”, or Siq al-Barid, where you will see several immense cisterns carved into the rocks, and after walking through a miniature siq, or fissure in the rock cliff, a splendid collection of tombs, temples, houses, and staircases will appear.
DAY10 Your full day drive will take you past the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, of T. E. Lawrence fame, to Wadi Rum. Known to the Arabs as The Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum’s combination of immensity, richness of color, and awesome shapes creates an atmosphere that is other worldly. After exploring the valley, the largest and grandest of a network of valleys used by trading caravans to the Arabian peninsula, return to Wadi Musa.
DAY 11 This morning’s climb takes you to Ed Deir to view a temple with the largest façade carved at Petra. Return to Amman. End the day with a stop at Bani Hamida House, home to a Bedouin women's craft project, to see beautiful flat weave rugs for sale.
DAY 12 Begin the day at Umm el Jimal, located at the edge of the eastern desert and inhabited for more than seven centuries. Encircled by formidable walls, the huge metropolis contains buildings constructed of black basalt blocks. After returning to Amman you will visit the Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions to view an exquisite collection of clothing and jewelry from the area.
DAY 13 An early morning transfer to the airport for departure.
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