Lost Cities & Bedouin Tents
The Definitive Jordan Tour
On this ultimate Jordan tour discover a land brimming with archaeological treasures and lost cities on this epic adventure through the sandy, barren and beautiful landscapes of Jordan. Marvel at the vastness of the site of Jerash in the country’s north and safari into the east to explore Jordan’s remote desert castles. Spend a day tending a flock of sheep with a local shepherd and another floating in the Dead Sea, the lowest place on Earth. Go on Safari for Oryx at Azraq, see the intriguing Madaba Map and view the expanse of Jordan from the top of Mt Nebo.
We feel no trip to Jordan would be complete without a trip to the ‘lost city of Petra’ and don’t worry we give you plenty of free time to explore the site on your own. So, don your Indiana Jones hat, jump on a horse and ride down through the Siq and explore for yourself – follow us! We know the way!
Accommodation on this trip is a real stand-out! Stay at some of Jordan’s best eco-lodges, a resort on the Dead Sea, cabins in Ajloun and traditional boutique family run establishments throughout.
ULTIMATE JORDAN TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- Explore the majestic archaeological wonders of Jordan including the epic site of Jerash and the lesser-known site of Umm Ar-Rasas, as well as Jordan’s remote desert castles Qasr Amra and Qasr al-Azraq
- Safari through the sands of the Wadi Rum in the style of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ on the back of a camel and see Petra the lost city of the Nabataeans.
- Take some time out to relax with a full day at the Dead Sea the lowest place on Earth and gain perspective on how local people live by spending a day with a local shepherd and their flock in Azraq
- Try your hand and cooking delicious Jordanian food and making a great Arabian coffee
- On this Jordan tour stay in responsible eco-lodges, cabins, traditional hotels, a Bedouin desert camp and a Dead Sea resort
The Basics
Start: Amman
Finish: Amman
Trip style: Unique
Max group size: 15
16 Days
AMMAN – AMMAN
$7810 AUD*
*** New Departures coming soon ***
OR CONTACT US for more information
Trip code: LTAA *from
ITINERARY
Arrive in Amman for your ultimate Jordan tour and make your own way to the trip hotel. Meet your trip leader and travel companions for a welcome meeting at 17.00. After the meeting, head out into cosmopolitan Amman to a local restaurant for a special dinner.
An early start this morning as we transfer to the foot of Mt Nebo. Admire the view of the surrounding countryside from the top, visit the Memorial Church of Moses, as well as the Church of SS Lot and Procopius where we will see some stunning mosaics.
Continue to Madaba to St George’s Greek Orthodox Church, home of the ‘Madaba Map.’ The map is part of a floor mosaic in the church and depicts part of the middle east in the 6th century CE, it is the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land and Jerusalem.
After we have seen the Madaba map we will stop for lunch in one of Madaba’s restaurants before visiting the King Hussain Mosque, Church of the Martyrs and Madaba archaeological park which contains ruins from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman eras.
Later in the afternoon we will check into our hotel for the evening.
We begin this morning with a short journey to the south to the archaeological site of Umm ar-Rasas. One of Jordan’s lesser visited archaeological sites, it was used by the Romans as a strategic garrison and was later converted and inhabited by Christian and Islamic communities. The site of Umm ar-Rasas has been also equated with the biblical settlement of Mephaat as mentioned in the Book of Jeramiah.
After we have explored the site, we will move on to the town of Kerak to visit its impressive crusader castle and have some free time to grab some lunch.
We will continue our Jordan tour in the afternoon with a visit to the small village of Dana where we will have a short walk, before transferring to Petra and checking in to our hotel for the evening.
We will arise early this morning to explore the famed ‘Lost City of Petra.’ We will have a short tour with our local guide, before some time to explore the site at our leisure.
Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom and dates to around 300 BCE. It is accessed via a narrow canyon called the ‘Siq’ (you may wish to ride your way down to the city on horseback!) at the end of which you will come across Petra’s most famous site the temple of Al Khazneh or as it is more popularly known ‘The Treasury’. Although widely recognised at Petra’s most famous site, it does give the impression that Petra is quite small, when in fact the opposite is true. Petra is a huge and takes up the length of the canyon in which it is found, with many, many more ancient buildings to explore.
Lunch today will be provided by the on-site restaurant at Petra so we don’t have to leave and can continue our own exploration of the site well into the afternoon.
In the late afternoon we will depart Petra for Wadi Rum, making a stop at the ‘Spring of Moses’ on the way.
On arrival at Wadi Rum, we will check in to our Bedouin Camp where we will spend the next two nights of our Ultimate Jordan tour.
Take off into the desert this morning for a full day on safari in Wadi Rum. Glide over the sands and admire majestic rock formations and explore the Wadi Rum in the footsteps of the likes of ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’
In the early afternoon we will return to our Bedouin camp for lunch and then the afternoon is yours to appreciate the beauty of this amazing place.
Optional experience: Wadi Rum Camel Safari
This morning we will travel to Jordan’s extreme south, the town of Aqaba on the Red Sea. Aqaba is unique because you can see four countries from this point, Jordan of course, Egypt across the Red Sea, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
From Aqaba we will head north to the area of Feynan National Park where we will check in to our Eco-Lodge for the next three nights.
On arrival we will meet the eco-lodges chef and assist in preparing a traditional Jordanian meal for lunch, followed by a lesson on how to prepare Arabic coffee and Kohl, a substance made from charcoal which has been used since the times of the ancient Egyptians as eye makeup and which is used in art in Jordan today.
Dinner will be served at the eco-lodge and will be followed by a guided star gazing session with a Bedouin guide.
Today we are in for a real local treat and a real experience! We will break up into smaller groups to spend the day with a local Bedouin shepherd and assist them in tending their flock.
Learn about your shepherd’s way of life, family and the art of tending a flock firsthand, as well as savour a traditional lunch cooked by your shepherd of delicious ‘Arbood’ bread and sweet Bedouin Tea.
This is an experience you will surely remember for the rest of your life and the money paid by Inverted Atlas for this activity goes directly to the shepherd and their family.
Today is a free day on your ultimate Jordan tour to relax in the national park or to participate in some of the other optional experiences our lodge has on offer.
OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES – FEYNAN
Our lodge at Feynan offers many optional experiences which compliment our stay in the national park and your Jordan tour. Depending on how energetic you are feeling you may want to arise early for a spectacular sunrise hike or a hike to see the archaeological treasures in the area. You could explore the nearby copper mines or spend some time hiking in the nearby Dana and Ghwayr wadi’s (dried riverbeds). If hiking isn’t your thing, you can hire a mountain bike and sail though spectacular Wadi Araba, or you may wish to discover the unique flora of Feynan national park with a guide to see its local plant life. All of these activities can be booked directly with the lodge on arrival and are at a supplemental cost.
We depart Feynan this morning and drive along the coast of the Dead Sea, along the way we will stop to visit the ‘Museum of the lowest place on Earth.’ The museum contains artefacts found around the Dead Sea area from pre-history to the present.
Our next stop will be at the remote desert castle at Dabah a remote outpost built by the Ottomans. Here in the desert, we will have a picnic lunch in the shadow of the castle, before continuing to another remote castle, Qasr al-Kharana.
In the late afternoon we will check in to our lodge for the next two nights where dinner will be served followed by a display of traditional ‘Druze’ folk dancing.
This morning, on our ultimate Jordan tour we will take to 4WD’s for a safari in the national park to try and spot some oryx. This area of Jordan is also home to Persian Onager, desert gazelles, stiped hyenas, jackals, wolves and foxes.
Return to the lodge for lunch and after take a trip out into Jordan’s far east to the remote desert castles of Qasr Amra and Qasr al-Azraq. Qasr Amra is one of Jordan’s best known desert castles and contains frescoes which depict hunting scenes, a group of rulers and the first known representation of heaven on a hemispherical surface above the bath chamber.
Dinner this evening will be with a local family.
We will leave Azraq today and journey to the east to Safawi to view to the blessed tree of Al Buqayawiyya. The tree has been dated at around 1400-years old and is thought to have once given shelter to the Prophet Muhammad.
Our next stop for today will be the desert castle of Qasr al-Hallabat, a castle dated to the Romans but most of the surviving structure is from Jordan’s Umayyad period. The castle sits on the ancient ‘Via Nova Traiana’ a route which once connected Damascus with Aila – modern day Aqaba.
We will continue to the city of Ajloun where we will have some free time for lunch before we visit the 12th century Ajloun castle.
This evening we will check in to cabins on the outskirts of town.
Today we will spend an entire day exploring the archaeological wonder of the site of Jerash. The sprawling site was inhabited from the Neolithic period and flourished during the Greek and Roman periods. The city was brought down in 749 CE when the Galilee Earthquake destroyed large parts of it. The site was inhabited sparsely afterwards and plagued by further Earthquakes until it was utterly destroyed by the King of Jerusalem in 1121 and abandoned by the crusaders.
After we have explored Jerash, we will return to the cabins. Tonight, we are in for a cultural treat as we cook our dinner with a local Jordanian family.
First up on our Jordan tour this morning we will journey to Es-Salt where we will walk the towns ‘Harmony Trail’. The sights on the trail combine the lifestyles of the towns Muslim and Christian history and inhabitants.
After some free time for lunch in Es-Salt we will transfer to the Dead Sea Region where we will explore the Fortress of Machaerus, a hilltop Hasmonean construction built around 90 BCE. According to the Roman historian Josephus, it was the location of the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist.
This evening we will check in to our resort on the Dead Sea for some relaxation.
Today is a full free day to enjoy the Dead Sea. Spend the day relaxing in your room, swimming in the inland sea where you can’t sink, or perhaps treat yourself to one of the resorts unique spa treatments. The choice is yours!
In the morning we will transfer back to Amman. Along the way we will stop at Lot’s Cave, where Lot and his daughters are supposed to have sheltered during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Our final stop will be for a dip in the Ma’in hot springs so make sure you have your swimmers handy.
On arrival in Amman the afternoon is free for you to explore, relax or pack for your onward journey.
This evening head out into Amman for dinner to say goodbye to your travel companions, trip leader and to reflect on your adventure through Jordan.
Your ultimate Jordan tour comes to an end this morning after breakfast.
If you wish to spend more time in Amman, why not book one of our Bolt-on experiences for Amman?
Details – Ultimate Jordan Tour
Duration: 16 Days
Trip style: Unique
Group size: Minimum 6 / Maximum 15
Trip code: LTAA
Cost: $7810.00 AUD twin share
Single supplement: $1393.00 AUD
Inclusions
- 15-nights accommodation in traditional family run hotels, cabins, Dead Sea resort and eco-lodges
- Meals as specified in itinerary (B = Breakfast / L = Lunch / D = Dinner)
- Transport as mentioned in itinerary
- Services of your Inverted Atlas trip leader and local guides
Trip price does not include
- International airfares or domestic airfares
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- Visa for Jordan
- Meals not included as per trip itinerary including drinks and mini bar
- Additional accommodation before or after the tour
- Items of a personal nature including but not limited to laundry, souvenirs, porterage etc.
- Travel insurance – please note comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of travel with Inverted Atlas
Optional experiences (not included):
- Wadi Rum: Camel Ride
- Feynan: Sunrise Hike
- Feynan: Archaeological treasure hike
- Feynan: Copper mines tour
- Feynan: Local plant life walk
- Feynan: Half-day hike in Wadi Dana
- Feynan: Half-day hike in Wadi Ghwayr
- Feynan: Full-day hike Wadi Dana
- Feynan: Full-day hike from Wadi Dana to Wadi Ghwayr
- Feynan: Mountain biking in Wadi Araba
- Feynan: Sunset Hike
* Please note some optional experiences must be booked prior to travel for this ultimate Jordan tour. You will be given the option to add these experiences at check out
Journey Rating – Journey
This trip travels through Jordan, a country well accustomed to tourism. Jordan is a Muslim country and women should consider dressing appropriately so as not to cause offense culturally and to avoid attracting unwanted attention, however there is no compulsory dress code. Toilets you encounter in public restrooms or in remote unscheduled stops along the way may be of the eastern ‘squat’ variety. There are some long travel days, but rest assured on arrival we will always be checking in to accommodation that is of a good standard. The weather in Jordan can change rapidly depending on the area we are traveling through; the desert can be very cold at night and very hot during the day – so be sure to check your packing list and pack accordingly. Facilities such as pharmacies, banks and ATM’s can be found in large cities and towns but will be absent from smaller villages and remote places.
Any dietary requirements should not be an issue while traveling on this Jordan tour, provided they are disclosed to Inverted Atlas at the time of booking.
A note about fitness
This Jordan tour requires a good level of physical fitness. You should be able to walk up to 4km at times and manage uneven surfaces during sightseeing, which will sometimes be at an incline. In addition, you should be able to climb up to 200 stairs unassisted and use an eastern style squat toilet (beware if you have knee issues).
You will need to be able to carry your own luggage to and from the coach and into the accommodation. (Due to OH&S regulations our trip leaders are not able to assist with luggage.)
In addition, you should be in good health, with no major chronic conditions requiring frequent medical attention. This trip often travels through remote locations where the availability of a hospital or even phone reception to call an ambulance is limited. While all our trip leaders are required to have a valid first aid certificate, they are far from doctors and any assistance they are able to provide will be limited to basic first aid. For more information please see our booking conditions.
Single supplement
Traveling by yourself? No problem, we love single travelers and don’t believe in penalising them by charging half the trip price again for our single supplement. With us you are only paying the actual cost to have a room all to yourself. If you’re up for making a new friend, you can elect to share with another single traveler of the same sex and only pay the twin-share price. The choice is yours!
Trip leader description
Accompanying you on your Jordan tour will be your Inverted Atlas trip leader. Your trip leader is a logistics extraordinaire, keeps the trip running smoothly and ensures you have the best time possible on your trip. It is important to know that while your trip leader has the best job in the world, they aren’t actually on holidays, but rather they are there to make sure you have the best time while you are on your holiday! Your trip leader may at times need some time out so that they can complete back of house tasks that ensure everyone continues to enjoy the trip. It is also your trip leaders’ job to handle any issues (heaven forbid!) that come up while you’re on your trip like:
- If you lose your passport or other travel documents
- If there is a problem with your room at the booked accommodation – seriously please tell your trip leader don’t wait until you leave
- If you become unwell and need to find a pharmacy
- Assisting with restaurant recommendations or additional sightseeing during free time
- Questions regarding the itinerary
Your trip leader will have some good local knowledge about the destination in which you are traveling, however they are not a ‘local guide’. You’re welcome to ask your trip leader anything about the trip and if they don’t know they will find out and get back to you. Other people you will meet along the way are ‘local guides’ who are generally available to the group in specific towns or at specific sites like national parks, temples or archaeological sites. These people are the local experts and will be able to answer any questions you may have about the history and culture of a specific site.
Itinerary disclaimer
The itinerary for this Jordan tour is correct at the time of upload to our website and we have composed it in good faith. From time to time we may elect to make changes before departure, if we are making a big change we will of course notify you, however if it is a small change this will be reflected in the final trip notes. So, make sure you download these prior to departure. Small changes prior to departure are usually made with the groups best interests in mind and come about due to liaising with our best resources – our past travelers and of course our trip leaders! The ability to change and evolve depending on what our travelers enjoy is what makes us such a great trip operator.
While we strive to operate our trips exactly to the letter of the itinerary, sometimes we may need to make changes on the ground while the group is on the road. This is all part of the adventure of traveling and we would ask that you come on your trip with an open mind and a good sense of humour because as much as we want it to, everything doesn’t always go to plan. In fact, these impromptu situations often make the best stories that you can have a laugh with your friends about later.
Age requirements
Minimum Age: 16 years
There is no shared accommodation on this Jordan tour, and we will be traveling through a relatively well travelled part of the world, in this instance we would welcome everyone above the age of 16 years. Should you wish to bring younger children, please give us a call.
There is no upper age limit for this trip but you should consider the above fitness requirements prior to booking. If you are 65 years or over you will be asked to complete our Health Check Form and have your medical practitioner sign it to confirm you are good health and able to participate safely on this trip.
Travel insurance
Please note that comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of travel with Inverted Atlas. Insurance must include provision for medical situations, emergency medical repatriation to your home country and personal liability at a minimum. Proof of valid travel insurance will be requested by your trip leader on arrival at the pre-departure meeting. Please have this paperwork available for them. If you are unable to provide proof of comprehensive travel insurance, you may not be allowed to join the trip and no refund will be payable.
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