Jordan - Petra and the Desert Fortresses

Itinerary

Day One
Arrive Amman and transfer to our hotel.

Day Two
The remains of a Hellenistic palace at Qasr al- Abd; then on to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, with a salt content of 33%.

Day Three
Two Decapolis cities: Umm Qais (Gadara) on the edge of the Jordan River valley, from where there are views over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. As everywhere you turn in Jordan, this is the setting for one of the biblical stories - that of the Gadarene swine. Jerash is set in the pine valleys of the Gilead, and is one of the best-preserved Romans cities in the East. The architecture is particularly fine, and a unique feature is the Oval Plaza - framed by a magnificent curved colonnade.

Day Four
Citadel and museum of Amman; south down the King's Highway to Mount Nebo and the 6th century Madaba mosaic map. This schematic depiction of the Holy Land, with Jerusalem at the centre, has all sorts of lively detail depicting life beside the River Jordan.

Day Five
The dramatic basalt city at Umm al-Jimal. There area is almost waterless, so aqueducts, storage and management were crucial to the inhabitants’ survival. One of the beauties of the site is the surviving domestic architecture - stables, manger, and ablution areas. Azraq has far-reaching views over the surrounding empty landscape, and is situated in an oasis area of dried-up marshland on the southern tip of the Hauran. In the middle of town is a Roman basalt fort with stone doors which still work. The hunting lodge at Amra is unique and one of the most lovely monuments in Jordan. Behind a rather plain exterior are baths decorated with colourful and unique murals and frescoes. Qasr Kharaneh appears as a military installation but seems to have led a purely civilian life, possibly as a trade stopover point.

Day Six
Visit the church at Umm al-Rasas, with remarkable 6th - 8th century mosaics inspired by the Madaba map, with vignettes of the Holy Land and Nile cities. Dramatic drive through the Wadi Mujib, with spectacular scenery. The mighty ruins of the Kerak crusader castle, originally the site of an Iron Age Moabite town.

Day Seven
All day in Petra.

“The remains of an ancient city, a place which, as far as I know, no European traveller has ever visited. In the red sand stone of which the valley is composed, are upwards of two hundred and fifty sepulchres entirely cut out of the rock…There is a mausoleum in the shape of a temple, of colossal dimensions, a most beautiful specimen of Grecian architecture, and in perfect preservation.” So said Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt, who re-discovered Petra in 1812.

We recommend walking into the site (2 km), as Burckhardt did, both for the sense of discovery and because there are so many interesting monuments in the Siq. This is a city of the Nabateans, who settled in this wide hidden valley, and it grew into one of the most famous cities in the world. Its tombs cover a huge area, all cut into the richly coloured rock - it is called the ‘rose red city’ for good reason. There are two (optional) steepish climbs to the Nabatean ‘High Places’, which afford incredible views.

Day Eight
Another full day in Petra.

Day Nine
The Neolithic site of Beidha, where prehistoric houses can still be seen. Drive to Wadi Rum, 50 miles south of Petra, where we take 4x4s through spectacular desert scenery. There are also several very fine rock art sites to be explored here, with carvings from very early times to the fairly recent past - this was how nomadic peoples left messages for each other.

Day Ten
Return to Amman for flight home.

NB Petra is a huge site and lots of walking is required, even before you enter through the Siq. There are some steep climbs on well-trodden but uneven paths sometimes with rock-cut steps