JORDAN EXPLORER
Itinerary Overview Travel to Jordan exploring modern Amman to historic Petra and the sandy beaches of Aqaba. Following the ancient 'Kings Highway' in the footsteps of Ramses II, the Queen of Sheba, Marcus Anthonius and Cleopatra, the Prophet Mohamed, Jesus, and Lawrence of Arabia, our Jordan adventure traverses the spectrum of the modern and the ancient in a land of spectacular natural beauty and cultural heritage. We visit the nature reserves of Dana and Wadi Rum, Jerash, Madaba, and Mt. Nebo, where Moses first saw the Promised Land, and we float like a cork in the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Discover dramatic Crusader Castles, take a 4WD excursion and camel ride into Wadi Rum desert, then explore Petra for two full days with our expert guide. Designed for active travelers including families we are invited guests for dinner in local homes. We can design private custom itineraries for families, or honeymoon adventures, or luxury Jordan vacations with possible extensions to Israel, Syria and Egypt. DAY DATE OVERNIGHT HOTEL MEALS HIGHLIGHTS 1 AMMAN 2 AMMAN Ammon Qsar Metropole Hotel Ammon Qsar Metropole Hotel D BD 3 DEAD SEA Dead Sea Spa 4 DANA 5 DANA 6 PETRA 7 PETRA 8 PETRA 9 AQABA 10 AMMAN Dana Guest House Dana Guest House Crowne Plaza Petra Crowne Plaza Petra Crowne Plaza Petra Movenpick Aqaba Hotel Ammon Qsar Metropole Hotel BD 11 FLY B Meet on arrival and transfer to hotel Full day Excursion to Eastern Desert Castles: Karraneh, Amra, and Azraq Drive dead Sea via Jerash and Castle Ajloun. PM at Dead Sea spa Drive Dana nature reserve. Visit Mt Nebo and Madaba, Wadi Majib & Kerak Castle en route. Full day walking / hiking in Dana Nature Reserve AM in Dana Nature Reserve. PM drive Petra via Shobak Castle Four Hour Guided Tour of Petra. Lunch in valley. Day at leisure to explore Petra (entrance fees included). Various options Drive Aqaba via visit to Wadi Rum. 4x4 vehicle excursion into Wadi Rum. PM on Aqaba s beaches AM at leisure in Aqaba. PM drive Amman. Remainder of day at leisure Transfer to the airport OR extend your trip to Egypt, Israel or Syria -2-
Itinerary in Detail DAY 1 : AMMAN On arrival at Queen Alia International Airport, we are met and transferred to our hotel. Amman was the capital of the Ammonites in 1200 BCE, known in the Old Testament as Rabbath-Ammon. During the 3rd century BCE, Amman was renamed Philadelphia (Greek for "Brotherhood Love") after the Ptolemaic ruler Philadelphus (283-246 BCE). Following Seleucid and Nabataean rule, the Roman General Pompey made Philadelphia part of the Decapolis League - a loose alliance of ten city-states bound by powerful commercial, political and cultural interests under allegiance to Rome. During the Byzantine period, Philadelphia was the seat of a Christian Bishop but the city declined somewhat until 635 ACE when the region became part of the Islamic caliphate and its original Semitic name Ammon or Amman was restored. Dinner and overnight Amman Qasr Metropole Hotel (or similar) [D] DAY 2: AMMAN This morning we take an excursion out of town to the Eastern Desert Castles (1.5 hours each way) including Karraneh, Amra, and Azraq, which Lawrence of Arabia used as his winter HQ during the worst part of the Arab campaign against the Turks in W.W.I. On our return to Amman we have the privilege of dining with a Jordanian family at their home. Our guide will serve as interpreter. Overnight Ammon Qasr Metropole Hotel (or similar) [BD] DAY 3: DEAD SEA We begin our journey through Jordans fascinating history with a visit to Jerash, one of the world s most extensive restorations of a provincial Roman town. We explore its theaters, temples and colonnaded streets. We then visit the nearby Castle of Ajloun or Qalaat Errabadh (Arabic for "Hilltop Castle"), with a splendid view over the Jordan Valley. Built in 1184-85 ACE by Ezz Eddin Osama bin Munqethe, a nephew of the Ayyubid leader Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi (Saladin), to protect the region from invading Crusaders, it was one of a chain of forts which lit beacons at night to pass signals from the Euphrates as far as Cairo. We add the Wildland touch by taking our lunch with a local Jordanian family before descending to the Dead Sea. There is some time to take advantages of the facilities of the Spa at additional cost (to be paid direct). Overnight Marriott Dead Sea Spa (or similar) [] DAY 4: DANA Heading south on the 3000-year-old Kings' Highway, we first visit Mount Nebo, where Moses is supposed to have first viewed the 'Promised' Land just before his death. Next, we visit the 6th century Madaba Church with its Byzantine mosaic floor map - the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land in existence. En route to Kerak, the Kings' Highway plunges 600 meters into Jordan's miniature Grand Canyon; Wadi Mujib (Biblical Arnon). The massive Crusader fortress at Kerak was built in 1136 ACE by the Christian invaders, and fell to Salah ud Din Al-Ayyoubi in 1189 ACE. After our visit, we take lunch at the Kerak Resthouse before continuing to the Dana Nature Reserve (1 hr). Dana Nature Reserve is a system of wadis and mountains extending from the top of the Rift Valley to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba, an elevation drop of over 1600 meters. This vast, newly developed reserve serves as a refuge for endangered species, including ibex, mountain gazelle, badgers, red fox and wolf. There is some free time to explore the walking trails before dinner. Dana Village has been continually occupied for about 6000 years. Although this ancient stone village was almost abandoned, it is now coming back to life with color and vitality through assistance from local conservation groups and determination of the local population. Overnight Dana Guest House (or similar) [] DAY 5: DANA We spend today in Dana Nature Reserve exploring its diversity of landscapes which range from wooded highlands and rocky slopes to gravel plains and sand dunes. We have a four hour guided walking tour in the morning with a lunch box (included). The afternoon is free to choose our own walks and activities in the reserve. There are a variety of nature trails, from easy one hour hikes to more strenuous four hour hikes. Established in 1993 and covering 320 square kilometers, Dana is the "showpiece" of Jordan's -3-
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), embracing two major bio-geographical zones and four vegetation zones and supporting a wide variety of wildlife, including many rare species. Today's itinerary is flexible according to group interests. Overnight Dana Guest House (or similar) [] DAY 6: PETRA This morning is left free to explore Dana village and projects. At noon we depart for Petra (1.5 hrs), stopping en route for lunch and a short visit at Shobak Castle, a ruin more atmospheric than detailed. We arrive in Petra late afternoon, with the remainder of the day at leisure. Fulcrum of the ancient world's spice and incense trade for 400 years, Petra is a city hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, approachable only through the Siq, a kilometer long sheer-walled chasm that a force of twenty could hold against an entire army. Built by an industrious Arab people called the Nabataeans who more than 2000 years ago moved up the Red Sea coast from Saudi Arabia (Felix Arabia) to settle in southern Jordan and establish their capital at Petra. The Nabataeans dominated both the land and the Red Sea coastal trade, which included goods that arrived by ship from the Far East (China, India, etc.), and the goods of the Frankincense Route, which came overland from Sheba (Yemen) and from Africa (Somalia, Abyssinia). From Petra, these goods were distributed around the Mediterranean, to Syria, Turkey and Europe. Petra flourished for over 400 years and was the premier trading city of its age. Overnight Crowne Plaza Petra (or similar) [] DAY 7: PETRA Today we spend the entire day exploring Petra. We mount our horses and ride through the Siq then explore the valley on foot with our local guide for four hours. We visit the Treasury, the houses and tombs cut into the valley walls, and the remains of the city. Following lunch at a restaurant on site (included), the afternoon is free to wander the valley at our leisure. One of the most important archeological sites in the Middle East, Petra is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the contemporary Seven Wonders of the World. Inside the Petra valley, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways and colonnaded streets mostly carved from the kaleidoscopic-colored sandstone abound. Petra's wealth and grandeur have been immortalized by the remarkable facades carved from the sheer rock walls of the valley. Although militarily invulnerable, by 106 ACE as the city fell to the Romans - by cutting off the water supply, Petra had already fatally declined in wealth and importance, its place taken by Palmyra in Syria, whos ascendancy to the primary trade city of the Near East was rapid. Petra was rediscovered and introduced to the western world in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt (although local people always knew of its existence). Places of interest include the High Places, and the spectacular Monastery. Dinner and overnight Crowne Plaza Petra (or similar) [] DAY 8: PETRA Today is left entirely free to explore Petra on our own. Our entrance fees to Petra are included (but no guide). In addition to the valley sites there are the High Places, and the spectacular Monastery to visit. Close by is Mini-Petra and the Neolithic site Bayyida, accessible by taxi. This evening we have a second oportunity to meet a Jordanian family and to share their hospitality and food. Overnight Crowne Plaza Petra (or similar) [BD] DAY 9: AQABA After breakfast we drive to the truly spectacular Wadi Rum (1.5 hrs). On arrival we set off on an hour and a half exploration in 4x4 vehicles. On both sides the brilliant white-yellow sand is sandwiched by towering red sandstone cliffs which soar vertically three hundred feet or more into the air, almost touching the azure blue and generally cloudless sky. Wadi Rum was the setting for the film "Lawrence of Arabia" which gave birth to the mythology that T.E. Lawrence and the Arab irregulars rode through Wadi Rum en route attack the Turks at Aqaba. Unfortunately, this never happened. Although the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence depicted in the film did accompany the Arab irregular cavalry as it captured Aqaba from the Turks during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18 ACE, the Arab forces, quite logically, took the more direct, faster and easier route along which the highway to Aqaba now lies. But the legend has brought many to Rum, and when they arrive, it matters not who has been there before, for Rum is one of the earth's truly beautiful environments. After lunch at the Wadi Rum Rest House, we continue by road -4-
(1 hr) to Aqaba on the Red Sea. The crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea hide a varied and beautiful undersea world of coral, fish and marine life just meters from the beaches. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Movenpick Aqaba Hotel (or similar) [] DAY 10: AMMAN This morning is free to enjoy the beach with lunch at our hotel. After lunch we take the fast Desert Highway to Amman (4 hrs) for overnight Ammon Qasr Metropole (or similar) [] DAY 11: DEPART OR BEGIN TRIP EXTENSION Transfer to Queen Alia International Airport for departure or extension to Egypt, Israel or Syria [B] END OF SERVICES Actual routes and activities may vary. Local trip coordinators reserve the right to change accommodations to similar quality alternatives. -5-
PRICING SEASON 2-3 4-5 6-7 High season $3050 $2995 $2895 Low season $2795 $2595 $2495 *Prices above valid till Dec 30 2010. All prices include English speaking driver and local site guides. For English speaking guide to escort throughout, divide flat rate of $2000 equally between participants for all group sizes. INCLUDED SERVICES Airport transfers and land transportation as noted Accommodations as noted Private vehicles with English-speaking driver English-speaking local guides at the major tourist sites 800 meter horseback ride in Petra 4x4 vehicle ride in Wadi Rum All entrance fees to sites for touring as noted Meals as indicated [B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner] Pre-departure services of Wildland Adventures NOT INCLUDED SERVICES International flights between USA and Jordan Visa for Jordan Airport departure taxes Tips and gratuities Alcoholic beverages and bottled drinks Meals not indicated above Extra costs for optional excursions or services on own or to be paid direct Travel insurance Extra costs due to unanticipated changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance -6-
Accommodations AL QASR METROPOLE HOTEL, AMMAN Al Qasr Metropole Hotel is a charming four star boutique hotel with a breathtaking view of the capital Amman. Located in Shmeisani, one of the most prestigious areas in the capital, the Al Qasr Metropole is within walking distance to the shopping and business center. Hotel facilities include a rooftop restaurant, with panoramic view of Amman, the Garden Hangout, a fine dining Italian restaurant, central air conditioning and heating system. The 70 guest room amenities include direct dial phone with private voicemail, mini bar, hair dryer, internet access, in-room safe box, radio & satellite T.V etc. All rooms have en suite private bathrooms. MOEVENPICK RESORT AND SPA, DEAD SEA Located in a tranquil spot on the Jordanian shores of the Dead Sea, the Movenpick Resort and Spa approximately 40 minutes drive from Amman s International Airport. The hotel boasts an oriental flair, featuring a combination of natural traditional local stone, hand-crafted wood, luxurious fabrics, and an impressive collection of antiques and artwork. Hotel facilities include five restaurants, three bars, laundry and dry cleaning service, swimming pool, tennis, concierge, shops, a professional spa team, hydro-pools, and therapeutic treatments and massages. The 340 comfortable rooms are elegantly decorated and equipped with air conditioning, balconies, satellite TV, hairdryer, heating, in-room safe, mini bar, modem/data port, and private en suite bathrooms DANA GUEST HOUSE, DANA NATURAL RESERVE Dana Guest House is a delightful 9-bedroom property with stunning views over Wadi Dana. Located by a 2.5h drive from Amman and a 1.5h drive from Petra, the Guest House is situated close to the picturesque Dana village and right next door is a small handicraft workshop and nature reserve museum. The Guest House rooms are simply furnished, clean and comfortable, with shared bathroom facilities, although one room is equipped with an en suite bathroom. Each room has its own private terrace overlooking a 1000m drop down to Wadi Dana. The sun sets on the far side of the Wadi and the balconies offer guests an exceptionally beautiful place to loiter during the evenings. -7-
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL, PETRA Located just 100 meters from the gateway to Petra, the Crown Plaza is set in landscaped grounds with panoramic views over the mountains. Hotel facilities include an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi overlooking the mountains of Petra. The more active can enjoy tennis and mountain adventure courses or take a horse ride through the peaceful grounds. Relax with cocktails at the Cave Bar. This beautiful 1st century BCE Nabatean Rest House, once provided refreshments for passing merchants. Today, the honeycolored walls and columns create a uniquely authentic setting for good music and a long cool drink. The Basin Restaurant and Olive Tree Terrace are available for dinner 'al fresco' or delicious buffets combining traditional Arabic cuisine with continental favorites. MOVENPICK RESORT HOTEL, AQABA Located adjacent to the archaeological site of Ayla, the ancient Islamic city now known today as Aqaba on the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea)., the Moevenpick s main building is on the King Hussein (Cornish) Street, and a large bridge inspired by Ayla incorporating a lap pool and a pedestrian market links the hotel to the beach side. Facilities include three restaurants, three bars, a beach, lap pool, cafe, health club, shops, money exchange, banquet facilities for up to 250 people. Outside catering is available in Wadi Rum and surrounding beaches and mountains. All rooms are equipped with A/C, TV with remote control, cable/satellite, newspaper, mini-bar, air conditioning, iron and ironing board, hairdryer in-room safe, cribs available. All rooms have en suite private bathrooms. -8-
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