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This circuit will take you to discover the contrasts of Jordan, since it encompasses very different destinations: it consists of a trip to Petra, the Red Sea, Wadi Rum and the north of the country, among other places. Therefore, cities carved into the rock, beaches with crystal clear waters, inhospitable deserts and green Mediterranean landscapes will pass before your eyes, to name some of the postcards that will be engraved in your mind and on the memory card of your camera. And if in addition to all this, you want to have free time in the capital, without a doubt this is the circuit that will best meet your expectations.
Aqaba is the only city bathed by the sea in Jordan, and also the southernmost one, so many circuits do not reach it. However, if for you it is a non-negotiable destination, this route is ideal: in addition to the essential trip to Petra, the Red Sea is another place that is part of the roadmap.
Among the biggest attractions of the Red Sea in Aqaba are its beaches with crystal clear waters, ideal for a refreshing swim and also for activities such as snorkeling. From its port, private or regular line boats set sail to enter the Gulf of Aqaba, in many cases with the possibility of diving dives for all levels.
That will be on the fifth day of this circuit, but in the first days culture and history are the protagonists. Of course, with Petra at the head: an unmistakable destination that can boast of being a World Heritage Site by Unesco and one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Northern Jordan surprises with its rich past, especially the Roman (Jerash) and the Crusader (Ajloun Castle). And in Madaba and Mount Nebo, the traveler will discover sacred places of enormous symbolism for the three monotheistic religions.
All this without forgetting Wadi Rum, a desert whose beauty has also earned it the title of World Heritage by Unesco. We will meet him in the middle of the Travel between Petra and the Red Sea, but it will not be a simple step procedure: we will have a 4×4 SUV to enter corners where the hand of man is barely noticeable.
If the first days of this circuit are designed to squeeze the most out of every moment, the last ones leave the margin of freedom you need to enjoy Jordan at your own pace. Specifically, there are three destinations where you can move according to your preferences or, simply, rest.
The first is Aqaba, on the Red Sea, where you will arrive well into the fifth day. Already on the sixth day, you will have time to enjoy the Dead Sea as you like: wellness treatments, bath in its salty waters, relaxation in the resort included in the package, etc. And finally, the seventh day is planned as a totally free day in Amman to do everything that has not given time in the previous six days: shopping, gastronomic tastings, deeper cultural visits … or any other suggestion, since the end of this circuit is written by you.
This trip to Petra, the Red Sea and many other interesting destinations have a total duration of 8 days and 7 nights. It is a circular circuit, that is, it begins in Amman and ends in that same city, because there is the great airport of the country.
As soon as you arrive at the Amman Queen Alia International Airport, the staff of our agency will be waiting for you to welcome you and offer you a first assistance in the terminal. After that, you will go to the private vehicle with driver that we will provide you to make the transfer to the hotel in Amman where you will not only spend the night, but also have dinner on this first day.
Long before the trip reaches Petra and the Red Sea, cultural visits of the circuit begin. Specifically, on this second day, bound for the north of the country after having breakfast at the hotel.
The first of the visits will be a guided tour of Amman, the capital of Jordan, since this city has interesting corners full of history. Many of them will be seen in the Citadel or in its vicinity, including the Roman Theater and the Archaeological Museum.
After discovering the secrets of the historic center of Amman, we will travel by road to Jerash, one of the most interesting surprises of the circuit. It is an ancient Roman city that was part of the Decapolis, on the eastern limits of that great empire. Its flourishing life can be easily imagined today, as a spectacular archaeological park is preserved in what was that city, with amazing monuments still standing: the temple of Zeus, the circus, the theaters, the Oval Square (ancient forum) and even the Arch of Hadrian, built to welcome the ‘traveling emperor’ who visited it in the second century AD.
The next and last stop of the day is the castle of Ajloun, a fortress built in the twelfth century and rebuilt in the thirteenth. Erected on earlier Byzantine buildings, it served as a military stronghold for Saladin’s troops and the Mamluk army, who fought against the Crusaders and the Mongols, respectively. Not only its defensive architecture impresses, but also the views of its green surroundings: the nature reserve of Ajloun, an orchard of Mediterranean bioclimate, which we will have from a bird’s eye view, since this castle is more than 1,200 years above sea level.
After these excursions, we will return to Amman to have dinner at the hotel and rest to face the intense route of the next day.
On this third day of circuit and after having breakfast at the hotel, we leave Amman (city to which we will return on the penultimate day) and head south, although on the way we will stop at destinations of maximum interest.
The first of these is Madaba: it is a city with an obvious mix of cultures and religions. In fact, it played a fundamental role in the early years of Christianity and that is still noticeable in its churches, some of them of Byzantine origins. This is the case of the Orthodox Church of St. George, where a truly historic mosaic map awaits us, as it is the oldest cartographic representation preserved of the Holy Land. It extends along the pavement and astonishes by its level of detail, not exempt from artistic licenses on this sacred territory.
The second great destination of this day is Mount Nebo, known for being the hill from which Moses saw the Promised Land, although he could not access it and ended up dying precisely here. This is how the Torah and the Old Testament tell us, and this is how we will understand it with the visit of the enclosure, where there is a church of Byzantine origin, a space for interpretation of the place and a viewpoint that allows the visitor to put himself in the skin and eyes of the prophet: from here you can see the Dead Sea, the Golan Heights, Jericho… and even Jerusalem if the day is clear.
With those images still in the retina, we will hit the road again, this time to travel a greater distance: the one that will take us to the castle of Shobak. Here we will know externally another castle of the Crusader period, this time built by the Christians of King Baldwin I of Jerusalem in the twelfth century. Conquered decades later by Saladin’s military, it is a magnificent vestige of that time, so important for the history of Jordan.
After that, we face the last stretch of the route until we reach Wadi Musa: it is a small town where the hotels and services for visitors to Petra are located, as it is right next to it. There will also be our hotel, where you will have dinner before the night’s rest.
If you chose this circuit to enjoy a trip to Petra and the Red Sea, on this day comes the first of the highlights: the Nabataean city of Petra, carved into the rock and famous (among other reasons) thanks to the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
. After breakfast at the hotel of Wadi Musa, we will go to the Visitor Center for our particular
Adventure
in such an iconic place.
In any case, it will be a safe, comfortable and guided adventure, since we will use a horse service to speed up the displacements. Among the corners of greatest impact are the Street of the Façades, the Columned Street, the Siq and, of course, the Treasury. The tour and explanations will allow us to understand the ins and outs of this ‘pink city’ that was the capital of the Nabataean Empire some centuries before Christ, as well as an important city under Roman rule since the second century AD.
After the detailed visit to Petra, we will get back in our vehicle to arrive on time for dinner at our next destination: Wadi Rum. Its discovery will be for the day after, but only accessing this nature reserve by road will already give us clues to its beauty. Especially, for its impossible rock formations and for the evocative lights that dye the atmosphere at sunset. We will sleep in a traditional Bedouin camp, and that will allow us in turn to enjoy the starry sky that will cover our heads.
Waking up and waking up in a comfortable Bedouin tent has a great advantage: an incomparable sunrise will say good morning, thanks to the colors that cover the sky and the rocky hills in the early hours of the day.
After breakfast in the nomadic style, we will get on a much more modern means of transport: a 4×4 SUV that will take us into the most inaccessible of the desert, by stony tracks and red dunes, leaving in our path arches and rocky bridges, as well as canyons with petroglyphs and oases of vegetation in the shade.
Back at the camp, we will change the 4×4 for our usual vehicle to leave this nature reserve and head south: Aqaba is the only city bathed by the sea in Jordan and awaits us to enjoy the afternoon freely. The plans to be made are varied and our staff will help you choose: a swim on the beach, a diving activity, a boat trip by the sea, a cultural visit … And to conclude the day, dinner will be taken at the hotel.
As breakfast at the hotel, the first hours of the morning will also be free in Aqaba, perhaps for some activity or walk that did not give time the day before. And at the agreed time, we will pick you up to travel by road to the ‘other sea’ of Jordan: the Dead Sea.
Actually, it is a lake that fascinates all those who come to know it, for several reasons. Of course, for its extremely salty waters, which allow the bather to float effortlessly. And on the other hand, because it is the lowest point on the planet: around -400 meters above sea level. Therefore, the afternoon you will spend freely in this place will be one of the most special moments of this travel through Petra, the Red Sea and other important destinations in the country.
In the late afternoon, at the agreed time, we will make the transfer by road to Amman. Dinner on this sixth night will be at the city hotel.
The seventh day of this circuit is totally free in the Jordanian capital, with only two moments to take into account: breakfast and dinner, which are included in the hotel’s half board regime. So you can have the rest of the time as you want.
It is no coincidence that it is in Amman and that it is the penultimate day: the capital is the liveliest and most dynamic city in Jordan, where you will find numerous leisure and free time plans, whether cultural, gastronomic, traditional craft shopping, modern shopping and much more.
In any case, our agency can help you plan this day, also proposing excursions or additional tourist services to this package.
On the last day, after breakfast at the hotel, our staff will pick you up at the agreed time to make the transfer by private vehicle to the Amman Queen Alia International Airport. Once in the terminal, we will offer the last assistance that may be necessary, and we will say goodbye full of gratitude for trusting us for this travel through Petra, the Red Sea, Wadi Rum and other Jordanian charms.
To take you on a trip to Petra, the Red Sea and many other destinations, this circuit uses services and suppliers of the highest quality and confidence. These are the services that are included in the package to be contracted:
On the contrary, these services are not included and the client will decide on them in each case:
Fill out the form below to receive a free non-binding quote tailor-made by a specialized agency in Jordan.
DMC travel agency specializing in tailor-made trips to Jordan
Mandala Tours, S.L, NIF: B51037471
License: C.I.AN-187782-3
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