Jordan Active

Day 1: Arrive in Amman

Rendezvous at the group hotel in Amman. A single timed group transfer from Amman Airport is provided. This transfer is normally in the late evening and a representative of our local agent will accompany the group on the 30 minute journey to the hotel. In the evening, we have a briefing from our local guide. KE Land Only package services begin with the overnight at the group hotel. Meals included : None

Day 2: Hike the 'Al Oyoun Trail'

After breakfast, we will drive north for an hour and a half to the Ajloun Nature Reserve, located in the Ajloun Highlands. Here, above a long valley known as Wadi Ain Zubia, there is a region of Mediterranean-like hill country, with a forest of oak and pistachio trees. This reserve was established in 1988 as a home for the reintroduced roe deer and has a couple of excellent trails. We start our walk at the Soap House in Rasun, where the local people make traditional soap, and ends in Tel Mar Elyas which has one of the finest Byzantine mosaics in Jordan. The Al Ayoun Trail meanders through the mountainous agricultural communities of Rasun, Orjan and Baoun and takes us through a relatively rich vegetation of fig, carob, pomegranate and cherry trees. We will have lunch at the house of a local family in Ajloun and spend the night in a homestay. This will give us the opportunity to interact with the local people and to learn a little about their way of life and culture. We will enjoy home-cooked Jordanian meals in an authentic setting. Using a homestay fits well with our ethic of supporting the local community at the places we visit. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Jerash, Mount Nebo and Madaba

We will have a final meal with our hosts in Ajloun, before setting off on the short drive to Jerash. Dating back to the 3rd century BC, this largely Roman city is one of the biggest and best-preserved outside of Italy. Its colonnaded streets, baths, theatres, plazas and arches remain in exceptional condition and we will have plenty of time to look around the site with our guide. After our visit, we will head south through the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea, which at 400 metres below sea-level, is the lowest spot on earth. Those who wish can take the opportunity to experience the unique floating experience that this very salty, 75 kilometre-long sea offers. From here, we drive up and out of the valley to our next overnight stop at a hotel in Madaba. En route, we stop at Mount Nebo (known as Pisgah in the Bible) which is the place from which the Bible says Moses viewed the Promised Land. There is indeed a fantastic view towards the west, with a vista that includes the Dead Sea, the West Bank, the Jordan River and (on a clear day) Bethlehem and Jerusalem. After checking in at our Madaba hotel, we go out to one of the town’s restaurants for dinner. (B)

Day 4: Canyoning in Wadi Mukheries

We make an early start and drive down to the top of Wadi Mukheries, which is one of a number of rugged, steep-sided valleys that drop down to the Dead Sea. This one holds water year-round and our route follows a stream throughout. This is classic gorge exploration, involving a series of small waterfalls (3 to 7 meters high), with boulders to negotiate and pools through which we have to wade. The depths of the wadi hide secret pockets of vegetation and there is also a magical cave with stalactites of amazing shapes. The route is 12 kilometres long and will take us 6 to 7 hours to complete, including our stop for a picnic lunch. At the lower end of the gorge is a spectacular 20 metre waterfall, which we will pass by abseiling. A stop beside the plunge pool here gives us the chance for a swim and for a natural full-body massage. We finally reach the trail head on the Dead Sea road, where we meet our vehicles and drive back to spend a second night at the hotel in Madaba. (B, L)

Day 5: Bike from Madaba to Mukawir

A 10 minute transfer takes us the start of our cycling route. After being kitted out with our bikes, we ride south between little villages and farms to reach Ma’in village then turn east to connect with the King’s Highway. The King’s Highway twists and winds its way through the heart of Jordan, connecting Madaba, Karak, Tafileh, Shobak and Petra. It is the world’s oldest continuously used communication route and is mentioned in the Bible. Although it is called a highway, it is just a local road with low to medium traffic and we ride only a few kilometers on it, heading south, before turning off onto even smaller and quieter roads and tracks. Leaving the King’s Highway behind, we ride west for 20 kilometres on a hilly road through the village of Bani Hamida. We reach the low hill on which stands the remains of King Herod’s ancient fortress of Machaerus, where John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded. Hiking to the top of the hill, there is a wonderful panorama out across the Dead Sea. Returning to our bikes, we ride to the nearby village of Mukawir, where our lunch is provided by a local family. Another chance for some local interaction and part of our responsible tourism effort to support the local communities at the places we visit. After lunch, we drive to Wadi Musa, the gateway to Petra and check in at a hotel. (B, L).

Day 6: Petra ‘back trail’ hike

We will start the day early with a short visit to Little Petra, then start hiking the ‘back trail’ towards Petra, passing by the Monastery and taking the stone-carved stairway (around 800 steps) down into the heart of Petra. The back trail takes us across a mountain ridge that provides spectacular views of Wadi Araba. After a lunch break at one of the cafes in Petra, we will continue our exploration of the rest of Petra’s most important sites, with a guided tour to the Theatre, the Court and the Treasury. Finally, we will walk out through the kilometre-long cleft of the ‘siq’ to the Visitor Center in Wadi Musa. We spend a second night in our Wadi Musa hotel. (B)

Day 7: To Wadi Rum

After an easy morning, a 90-minute drive takes us across the desert and towards the collection of sandstone mountains or ‘jebels’ that define the marvelous Wadi Rum region. The scenery becomes more majestic as we turn into the ‘valley’ of Rum Village. Passing the ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ formation on our left, we arrive at the village, where we meet our Bedouin hosts. As a slow-paced introduction to the desert experience, we will have a camel ride via ‘Lawrence’s Well’ and into the Al Khazaali Canyon. Walking into this magnificent canyon will reveal some ancient rock inscriptions. We then continue by 4WD vehicles to our traditional Bedouin campsite, leaving us plenty of time to settle down, relax and enjoy the sunset. Dinner tonight is a feast known as a 'zarb' - a traditional Bedouin dish of meat and vegetables cooked underneath the desert's sand. We spend the rest of the night around the camp fire, exchanging banter with our Bedouin hosts and learning something about their culture. Overnight at a Bedouin camp. (B, L, D)

Day 8: Burdah Bridge and back to Amman

Breakfast will usually be under way by 7 a.m. and this consists of bread, sometimes heated on the fire, a choice of jams, cheese and halva, as well as eggs, either served as an omelette or hard boiled. Tea is supplied in quantity and Nescafe is also available. Anybody who wishes can pocket a snack for later. Usually fruit is available also for this. After breakfast, we will board our vehicles for the short drive to Jebel Burdah, which leads through Khor Al Ajram, a wide valley with magnificent cliffs and high sand dunes. On the way to Jebel Burdah, we pass a particularly fine and very old rock inscription which shows a camel caravan. This morning's objective is the Burdah Bridge, a well-known landmark which is reached by way of relatively easy scrambling across open rock slabs. Our guide will show us the best route through a maze of blind alleys and dead ends. There are some steeper sections and you will need to use your hands at times. A jumble of rocks leads to a small plateau, through a valley and then over a steep slab. From here, we turn a corner into a hidden gulley that provides us with a wonderful view of the bridge above. Obligatory photo stop. We then climb a short, steeper wall and here the guide will use a climbing rope to safeguard our passage. Above, we will cross the dramatic Burdah Bridge - another fantastic photo opportunity. There are magnificent views from here, extending over the whole area of Wadi Rum. Back on the desert floor after a 3-hour round-trip, we meet our vehicles and have lunch in the shade. Fruit juice and tea/coffee will be waiting for us. Lunch is usually a lighter meal than supper, very often heavier on vegetables than meat. After a siesta, we will drive across to the biggest sand dune in the area, for an opportunity to take-off our shoes and run up and down its soft sand. Sounds childish, but lots of fun! Returning to Rum village, we say goodbye to our Bedouin hosts and set off on the 3-hour drive north to Amman, where we check in at our hotel. (B, L)

Day 9: Depart from Amman Airport

KE Land Only package services end with the early morning transfer to Amman Airport for the homeward flight. (B)