Grand Tour of Jordan

Day 1 Fly from London Gatwick to Aqaba and transfer to your chosen hotel for two nights.

Day 2 An optional morning tour of Aqaba includes a glassbottom boat ride to the coral reefs, the Aquarium, Aqaba Fort, Museum and the archaeological site of Old Aqaba ‘Ayla’.

Day 3 Follow the Wadi Araba Road along the Rift Valley. Visit the fortress of Kerak and pass through the canyon of Wadi el Mujib before visiting the churches of Umm el Rassas. Three nights at your chosen hotel in Amman.

Day 4 Visit the Desert Castles of the Omayyad princes: Qasr el-Kharaneh, Amra and el-Azraq. Continue to the Azraq Wetland Reserve.

Day 5 A city tour of Amman, capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Visit the King Abdullah Mosque, Citadel, Temple of Hercules, Byzantine Church, Omayyad Palace, Archaeological Museum, Jordan River Design showroom and Royal Automobile Museum.

Day 6 Travel north to Jerash, the bestpreserved Roman city of the Decapolis. View the Oval Plaza, Temple of Zeus, South Theatre, Colonnaded Street, Market Place, St. Theodore’s Church, Nymphaeum and North Theatre. Continue to the Decapolis city of Umm Qais with a splendid view of Lake Tiberias and visit the Acropolis, theatre, Byzantine church, colonnaded streets and Greco-Roman tombs. Continue to the Dead Sea for two nights at your chosen hotel.

Day 7 Optional visit to Bethany, Madaba and Mount Nebo.

Day 8 Morning free for swimming in the Dead Sea. Continue to Petra for four nights at your chosen hotel.

Day 9 A full-day visit to Petra. On foot through the ‘Siq’ to the Treasury, then to the Street of Façades, the Theatre, Royal Tombs, Colonnaded Street, Byzantine church, the Temple, Monumental Arch, Qasr el-Bint Faroun and perhaps the climb up to the Monastery el-Deir.

Day 10 Return to Petra for a morning walk up to the High Place of Sacrifice. Afternoon free. A drink at the Nabataean Cave Bar has been arranged. Optional ‘Petra by Night’ excursion.

Day 11 An optional morning excursion to Little Petra. Optional afternoon excursion to Shobak Castle and to view the Dana Nature Reserve at sunset.

Day 12 Return to Aqaba for three nights at your chosen hotel.

Day 13 An optional Red Sea cruise to Pharaoh’s Island includes a tour of the fort, barbecue lunch and option to snorkel.

Day 14 Morning free. An optional excursion to Wadi Rum includes a 90-minute 4-wheel drive and dinner in a Bedouin tent with local musicians.

Day 15 An optional morning excursion on the ‘Yellow Submarine’, a ‘see-through’ semisubmersible viewing the marine splendours of the Red Sea and Coral Reserve. Return flight.

The Petra site entrance fee is payable locally with a choice of 1-day(£15 approx), 2-day (£20 approx) or 3-day ticket (£25 approx).