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Despite its relatively small size, Jordan boasts a rich list of tourist attractions, both monumental and natural. And this circuit integrates them all, in such a way that it can be considered one of the most complete in our catalog in terms of places to go. For example, include both seas of Jordan (the Dead and the Red) but also its great icons World Heritage (Petra and Wadi Rum), as well as other surprises spread over the 8 days of the trip.
What differentiates this circuit from the rest of our agency’s proposals is that it includes the two seas of Jordan: the Dead and the Red. And it does it in such a way that you can discover both at your own pace and according to your preferences, since you will have free time to do activities in them or simply rest in the facilities of the hotel-resort in which you stay.
In reality, although it is considered a Jordanian sea, the Dead Sea is an endorheic lake that marks the border with Israel. It is salty because it was formed by the movement of the Arabian and Jordanian tectonic plates (Rift Valley) and does not drain because it has no outlet to the ocean. Its water inputs come from the Jordan River and, because evaporation is greater than that supply of fresh water, the salinity level is increasing (about ten times more than seawater, according to some sources). That favors the buoyancy of bodies, including the human being, which can rest here effortlessly. In addition, its rich mineral composition makes it a favorite thermal destination for tourists from all over the world. And if we add to this that it is the lowest point in the world (-400 masl), the result is a magical and unique place.
Very different is the Red Sea in Aqaba, and that makes this circuit more interesting with the two seas of Jordan. If the extreme salinity of the Dead Sea makes marine life impossible (hence its name), the Red Sea offers the opposite: a fascinating explosion of colorful fish and coral reefs in its crystal clear waters. Therefore, it is one of the favorite destinations for diving and snorkeling. That is one of the proposals for those who make this route, but you can also choose other quieter plans such as a dip in its beaches or a boat trip.
In addition to the two seas of Jordan, this circuit includes the rest of essential destinations. Those that come to anyone’s head when they think of the country. Of course, Petra, to which we will dedicate a full day of visit to discover its Treasure… and others Treasures that hide their rocky canyons and archaeological remains. No less important is Wadi Rum, a natural desert where mountains and rock formations look like something out of a fairy tale.
And in the meantime, there is no shortage of other tourist destinations that surprise travelers interested in history, art and religion. We are talking about the sacred Mount Nebo, the Byzantine mosaics of Madaba, the extraordinary Roman city of Jerash and the medieval castles of Ajloun and Shobak, where Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mongols and Mamluks measured their strength centuries ago. And of course, Amman, the frenetic Jordanian capital where you will also find imposing monuments and genuine local traditions. All this configures a circuit of the most complete, which does not forget any important place.
Starting and ending in Amman, this circuit takes 8 days and 7 nights to reach the two seas of Jordan, its most impenetrable deserts and its most famous tourist destinations. This is the detailed description of the program.
The first day of this circuit aims to make contact with the country and with the staff of our agency, upon arrival at the Amman Queen Alia International Airport. We will be waiting for you at the foot of the terminal, where you also have to carry out the border procedures. Upon departure, our driver will transfer you to the hotel in one of our private vehicles to check-in and dine at their facilities (if the flight schedules allow you to arrive before 21.00).
The first of the two seas of Jordan will meet us on this second day of circuit: after breakfast, our driver will pick us up at the hotel and we will travel by road to the Dead Sea, about 50 km from Amman.
The route itself is already striking, since it will force us to descend hundreds of meters to reach a height of -400 meters above sea level: this is the lowest point on the planet, and this is remembered by different spaces of the Dead Sea, such as The Lowest Place on Earth Museum. That is precisely one of the proposals to spend your free time in the afternoon, as well as the Dead Sea Museum or excursions through the environment.
But first, during the morning, an aquatic experience never before lives awaits you: a swim in the waters of the Dead Sea, specifically on the beach of Amman Beach 2, whose tickets are included in this travel package. You will notice that you can float effortlessly thanks to the extreme salinity of this lake, which also has a very special mineral composition and recommended to treat different health conditions. In fact, in the area and perhaps in the hotel (depending on the package chosen) you will find thermal facilities and spas where the waters of the Dead Sea itself are protagonists, so this is another option to consider for the afternoon.
Whichever option you choose, you will spend the night in your hotel-resort on the shores of the Dead Sea, and in its lounges you will also have dinner.
After knowing and enjoying one of the two seas of Jordan, on the third day we will head south, where the other is located (Red Sea). However, on the way we will find many fascinating places, as will soon become apparent.
As soon as breakfast is over and we leave the hotel-resort, we will visit the nearby Mount Nebo: its importance lies in the fact that Moses, accompanied by his followers from Egypt, stopped here to contemplate the Promised Land. He could not access it and decided to spend the rest of his life here. Today, more than 3,000 years later, the space is a memorial that recalls that event, with a Christian church, a space for interpretation and, above all, a spectacular viewpoint that allows visitors to see the same thing that the prophet contemplated: the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley and, if the day permits, the Golan Heights and Jerusalem.
From this mountain you have, therefore, an unbeatable panoramic view of the Holy Land. And that is what we can also see, although in a different way, at the next stop on the route: the interior of the church of San Jorge de Madaba. Here, on the ground, lies a mosaic-map of the sixth century, which is considered the first representation of this sacred territory for the three monotheistic religions.
After visiting these places so loaded with religious symbolism, we will return to our vehicle to travel kilometers and kilometers south, through roads that centuries ago were caravan routes, only suitable for dromedaries. In our case, we will only stop to see the castle of Shobak outside, and not by chance: this fortress dates back to the twelfth century and was the work of the Christian crusaders under the command of Baldwin I, king of Jerusalem, in his strategy of fortifying what was then the eastern border of that kingdom. But decades later, Saladin’s Ayyubid troops took it, and since then it remained an Islamic military enclave.
From the castle of Shobak you can visually dominate the route, today King’s Road, which a little later will leave us at the final destination of this day: Wadi Musa, a small town located next to Petra. There will be your hotel, where you will also have dinner.
Halfway between the two seas of Jordan, at the foot of the important caravan route that today is the King’s Road, is located Petra, one of the most fascinating places in the world. Therefore, it is worth dedicating a full day to your visit, after recharging your batteries with breakfast at the hotel.
Upon arrival at the Visitor Center, a horse service will be at our disposal to expedite travel. In particular, to comfortably travel the nearly 2 km that separate the Tomb of the Obelisks of the Treasury, through the Siq, a rocky canyon that serves as a gateway to the ancient Nabataean city. As Harrison Ford did in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
, we will admire this famous mortuary temple carved into the rock, but we will not settle for it alone: behind it awaits us the rest of this place, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Among those places to discover is the Street of the Façades, the Nabataean theater, religious temples and an archaeological site where you can appreciate the Roman urbanism, applied by that civilization that dominated Petra since the second century AD. Finally, and if the forces allow it, we will climb the more than 800 steps to the Al Deir monastery, a construction that has nothing to envy in beauty to the Treasury.
Undoubtedly, an exhaustive and intense visit, with which you will discover all the secrets of Petra and enjoy its beauty from all points of view. In the evening, you will have dinner at the same hotel as Wadi Musa.
On the fifth day of this circuit, the contrasts are very marked: you will start the day with breakfast at the hotel of Wadi Musa, but you will finish it in the other sea of Jordan: the Red Sea. And between both places, a space that will leave you speechless: the desert of Wadi Rum.
To this desert we will move in the vehicle of our circuit, but once we enter the enclosure of this nature reserve, we will change it for a 4×4 SUV: in it we will make a two-hour route to reach places that are only possible in this way. Reddish dunes, canyons with millenary petroglyphs, rock formations in the form of bridges and arches, panoramic views of the surroundings and stories in which, with all certainty, the figure of T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), British soldier and writer who participated in the Arab Rebellion, will come up.
The time we spend in this desert will be enough to understand why it was named a World Heritage Site by Unesco. However, our tour does not end here, but further south if possible: in Aqaba, the only city bathed by the sea in Jordan. Until dinner time, which is included in the hotel, your time will be free to admire the coastal landscapes of the Red Sea, take a walk or any other plan.
The sixth day of this circuit is a semi-free day: we will transfer you from Aqaba to Amman, but the time in each city will be used according to your preferences. The morning will begin with breakfast at the hotel and, after that, you can continue discovering Aqaba, the only city with sea in Jordan. It may be a good time to get to know its cultural attractions, such as its fort facing the sea or the archaeological remains of ancient Ayla, or to do some aquatic activity in the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea.
At the agreed time, we will start the return trip by road to Amman (consult the possibility of making this journey by domestic flight, whose tickets would not be included in the package). Upon arrival, the afternoon will be free, which is an ideal time to shop or live leisure experiences that only the capital can offer. And to conclude the day, you will have dinner at the hotel where you will spend the night.
After enjoying the two seas of Jordan in this circuit, there will still be a very interesting and intense day: this seventh day will be dedicated to three cultural visits, very different from each other.
After breakfast at the hotel, we will start an urban tour of Amman, the capital and largest city of the country, which can boast of having a rich past. That past is visible today in many parts of the city, such as the Citadel and the Roman Theater, perhaps its great monumental icon. In addition, the Archaeological Museum will be a place that will give better context to the visit.
Knowing the most important places in Amman, we will travel by road to Jerash, one of the great surprises of this circuit: it was a Roman city (named Gerasa) that has survived very well over time, to the point of being known as the ‘Pompeii of Jordan’. The archaeological park houses jewels such as Hadrian’s Arch, erected in the second century AD on the occasion of the visit of that emperor. The Roman circus or hippodrome still evokes ancient chariot races. In its two theaters still resonate the performances and mass meetings held there. Its Cardus and its Decumanus are a reflection of the innovative urbanism of the time, while the columns of the Oval Square denote that here was the forum. And in its temples you can still feel the solemn religious feeling, both pagan and Christian.
After knowing Jerash, we will travel to Ajloun in what is a jump in time of ten centuries: here we will know a medieval fortress built in the twelfth century and rebuilt in the thirteenth. Its initial objective was to consolidate the advance of Saladin’s troops against the crusaders of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. But the Mongol invasion destroyed it and forced the Mamluks to rebuild it soon after. The panoramic views from the castle are one of its great attractions: from here, at 1,250 meters above sea level, the gaze is lost in the green nature reserve of Ajloun.
In the final stretch of the day, we will return to Amman, where the last night of this circuit awaits you, with dinner at the hotel.
The eighth day will be the last of this intense and varied circuit through the seas of Jordan and the rest of tourist destinations. By then, all you have to do is have breakfast at the hotel and, at the established time, meet our driver to make the transfer to the Amman Queen Alia International Airport. In the terminal, the latest assistance services will be offered, if necessary, and we will say goodbye with great gratitude on our part.
This rich circuit, with the seas of Jordan and the essential destinations, it is also accompanied by a wide range of services. They are as follows:
The following services are not included in this tour of the Jordanian Seas and the rest of the country. The choice between the different options depends on the traveler, although our agency can provide advice:
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Travel agency and DMC specialists in private and tailor-made travel to Jordan
Mandala Tours, S.L, NIF: B51037471
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