 Contact Us About Us Caribbean North America Central America & Mexico South America Europe & Mediterranean Asia Pacific |
The Best of JordanOne of the Middle East’s best kept secrets that rivals the historical, cultural and archaeological treasures of its neighbors. This itinerary is available for individuals and groups, with guaranteed departures.  Day 2 - Amman -
Welcome and Assistance at Amman Airport - Transfer to hotel in
Amman.
Amman has a very high percentage of tourists visiting the city
focused in the older downtown area, which is centered around the
old souk (a colorful traditional market) and the King Hussein
Mosque. The downtown area (known locally as the Balad)
has been completely dwarfed by the sprawling urban area that
surrounds it. Despite the changes, much remains of its old
character. For those seeking the atmosphere of the Old City, it
is best to venture to the district east of Jabal Amman. There,
in the bustle of daily life, you can explore the capital's
greatest souks, fine museums, ancient constructions, monuments,
and cultural sites. Day 2 - Jerash & Madaba -
Jerash is known for the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of
Gerasa. It is
sometimes misleadingly referred to as the "Pompeii of the Middle
East or Asia", referring to its size, extent of excavation and
excellent level of preservation (Jerash was never buried by a
volcano).
A large
number of striking monuments include the Corinthium column,
Hadrian's Arch, a circus/hippodrome, two immense temples (to
Zeus and Artemis), the Forum, surrounded by a fine colonnade, a
long colonnaded street or cardo, two theatres (the Large South
Theatre and smaller North Theatre), two baths, a scattering of
small temples and an almost complete circuit of city walls.
Between AD 400-600, more than thirteen churches were built, many
with superb mosaic floors. A cathedral was built in the fourth
century. An ancient synagogue with detailed mosaics, including
the story of Noah, was found beneath a church.  Day 3 - Tour
Desert Castles.  Day
5 - Petra – The ancient city of Petra, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, is one of Jordan's national treasures and by far
its best known tourist attraction. Petra is the legacy of the
Nabataens, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern
Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined
culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and
water channels, Much of Petra's appeal comes from its
spectacular setting deep inside a narrow desert gorge. The site
is accessed by walking through a long chasm (or siq), with walls
soaring 200 meters upwards. Petra's most famous monument, the
Treasury, appears dramatically at the end of the siq. Used in
the final sequence of the film "Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade", the towering facade of the Treasury is only one of
myriad archaeological wonders to be explored at Petra. Various
walks and climbs reveal literally hundreds of buildings, tombs,
baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways, colonnaded
streets and haunting rock drawings - as well as a 3000 seat open
air theatre , a gigantic first century Monastery and a modern
archeological museum, all of which can be explored at leisure. A
modest shrine commemorating the death of Aaron, brother of
Moses, was built in the 13th century by the Mamluke Sultan, high
atop mount Aaron in the Sharah range. In the afternoon we go to Wadi Rum for a
sunset Jeep Tour.
Wadi Rum is a
unique desert valley
cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southwest Jordan. The
name consists of Arabic word for valley ('wadi') and Rum is
assumed to come from an Aramaic root meaning 'high' or
'elevated'. It is the largest wadi in the country. Some of the
ridges are 1000 feet high and topped with domes worn smooth by
the desert winds. Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human
cultures since prehistoric times, all of them leaving their mark
in the form of rock
paintings, graffiti, and temples. In the pre-Islamic era
the area served as the gathering place for the tribes of Ad,
Thamud, Lihyan and Main. Fresh water springs made Rum a meeting
center for caravans heading towards Syria and Palestine from
Arabia. Throughout the valley there are scattered slabs of rocks
with inscriptions in early Thamudic writing, recording the names
of travelers who passed through centuries ago.
 Day 6 -
Free Day in Aqaba. Famed for its preserved coral reefs
and unique sea life, this Red Sea port city was, in ancient
times, the main port for shipments from the Red Sea to the Far
East. The 16th century Mameluk Fort is one of the main
historical land marks of Aqaba. Square in shape and flanked by
semicircular towers, the fort is marked with various
inscriptions marking the latter period of the Islamic dynasty.
The current excavations revealed a gate and city wall along with
towers, buildings and a mosque. The museum houses a collection
of artifacts collected in the region, including pottery and
coins. Aqaba also hosts the house of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, the
great grandfather of King Abdullah II. Other places of interest
include the mud brick building thought to be the earliest church
in the region. Day 7 -
St
Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai. The
monastery was built by order of Emperor Justinian I between 527
and 565, enclosing the Chapel of the Burning Bush ordered to be
built by Helena, the mother of Constantine I, at the site where
Moses is supposed to have seen the burning bush; the living bush
on the grounds is purportedly the original. It is also referred
to as "St. Helen's Chapel." The site is sacred to Judaism,
Christianity and Islam.International airfare Guide Tips Price per person, double occupancy: $1,065. This itinerary has guaranteed departures with a minimum of two people. Contact us for rates and availability |