Best of the Jordan Trail

After breakfast, spend a full day exploring Amman. Start in the old city of Amman, visiting the Citadel and the Roman Theatre, two of the most popular archaeological sites in the city, and the Jordan Folklore Museum. We then drive Jebel Webdeh, the arts and cultural district, passing art galleries and local antiquities and handicraft shops. We will also stop at local restaurants to sample Falafel, Hummus and the Arab delicacy, Kenafah, eaten at times of celebration. Continue wandering through the streets and markets, until eventually returning to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight in Amman.

Depart from Amman and head north to walk through history in Jerash, regarded as one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Middle East. From there, continue to Ajloun and visit the castle, dominating the Ajloun skyline and built to ward off the Crusader armies at the key trade and pilgrimage intersection between Jerusalem, Cairo, Damascus and Mecca. The day will also include a hike from Ajloun Castle along the fertile wadi with its lush vegetation & gardens to Mar Elias (Elijah) Church. Will provide light lunch boxes to keep you going on the hike. Afterwards, you will be treated to a relaxing and gratifying dinner of traditional Jordanian food at a local family’s house to experience the Jordanian hospitality and support the local community in Ajloun.

Hiking distance: 7km

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight in a local homestay in Ajloun.

On this day you will leave the home stay in Ajloun and head east down the forested Wadi Zubia passing a cave spring and more ruins. We continue to the Qabla ruins where we can see remains of houses, caves and quarries. We then head to the village of Rasoun on dirt tracks past olive groves and up steeply to the top of the ridge, where we can see caves in the cliff sides and have nice views over the Ayoun villages. At the end of the hike you will drive south to Dana Village for the overnight.

Distance: 11 km

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight in Dana Village.

From Dana Village, the trail drops steeply at first and then levels into a more gradual descent through the Dana Biosphere Reserve towards the famous Feynan Eco-lodge. The reserve, Jordan’s largest, includes four distinct bio-geographical zones, which means that Dana supports an astonishing diversity of birds, plants, and animals. On your way down the valley you may see Griffin Vultures overhead as well as hyrax and copper-blue lizards on the rocks; if you’re lucky you might even catch a glimpse of an ibex or a desert fox, or see the footprint of a wolf in the dust.

Once your arrived at Feynan Eco-Lodge, the day is not over yet. Every day, a guided sunset walk leads from the lodge on a short trail (around 20-30 min) up to a nearby hilltop, for freshly Bedouin tea and stunning views westwards as the sun sets over the vast Wadi Araba deserts. You might be tired already from the hike, but it’s still well worth the effort!

Hiking Distance: 14Km
Ascend: 230m
Descent: -1140m
Hiking Level: Moderate

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight in Feynan Ecolodge.

Transfer from Feynan Ecologe to Ras Al Feid. There you will start your hike towards Ghbour Whedat. Contouring the Sharah Mountains and following mostly clear Bedouin shepherd trails, you can experience some astonishing views into the remotest and wildest corners of Jordan. On the remotest sections of the trail you are on less taken and hence harder to identify hunters’ paths. The sheer peeks of black mountains overlooking our trail and steep precipitous drops of the canyons below make this day absolutely spectacular.

Hiking Distance: 16km

Overnight in a wilderness camp.

We leave Ghbour Whedat along rocky sandstone terrain. There are often spectacular varying views of the barren desert landscape with surprise encounters of desert vegetation and animal life. Approaching Little Petra, there are signs of increasing human habitation of Bedouin camps, sheep pens, small agricultural plots and every now and then some fellow hikers. We enter a small sandstone canyon and wind our way through to Beihdah (Little Petra). After taking some time to explore the site, a warm welcome awaits at our destination nearby.

Hiking Distance: 14 km
Ascent: 610 m
Descent: -560 m
Hiking Level: Moderate

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight in Bedouin Camp.

Petra via ‘The Back Door’! Good tracks go pleasantly down Wadi Ghurab amidst sandstone mountains guarding the approaches to Petra. This way follows a Nabataean route out of the valley and skirting round the final mountain on a natural rock terrace which has been ‘improved’ for the safety of walkers. Even so, it still narrows slightly before reaching a hidden plateau high above the impressive chasm of Wadi Siyyagh. Just beyond, carved into the cliff face, ‘The Monastery’ suddenly comes into view, where there is a Bedouin café for refreshments. Nabataean steps then lead down into ancient Petra; our route then takes us through Wadi Muthlim (weather dependent) to our hotel hotel accommodation in Wadi Musa, the modern village adjacent Petra. If the weather is very poor, there is an alternative route via Wadi Al-Khayl.

Hiking Distance: 14Km

Overnight in Hotel in Petra (Wadi Musa).

From our hotel, we pass through the Petra visitors centre and continue on the narrow and famous entrance way to the Treasury. We then enter the Siq, exploring the ancient rock carved ruins of Facades Street before following a steep climb up ancient Nabataean steps to near the summit of Al Khubtha to enjoy the magnificent panorama overlooking the Treasury, then descending back to the hotel. Alternatively, we can continue on and hike up to the High Place of Sacrifice before returning. Whichever route is taken, you will be well satisfied since the impressive site never fails to amaze its visitors.

Overnight in your hotel in Petra/Wadi Musa.

The day starts with a 2 hour transfer, partly along a spectacular mountain road, from our hotel to Wadi Gsieb, followed by a day of variety – several gradual ascents and descents taking you to colored canyons and rock formations, beautiful vistas and fun sand dunes. A special day ending at a memorable campsite!

Distance: 14km

Overnight at a campsite in Wadi Raqiah.

From our campsite, we have a gradual ascent throughout the day from 380m to 1000m – a long Wadi combined with several narrow gorges with their varied rock formations and scattered vegetation. Views open up once more as we journey towards a mountain plateau at 1000m and Abassiyah village. From there we take our transfer to Wadi Rum and arrive, in the late evening, at our Bedouin tent traditionally furnished and the famous welcome of our Bedouin friends, their delicious cooking, singing, oude playing and poetry.

Distance: 25km

Overnight in a Bedouin Camp.

We wake up in the beautiful desert with its awe inspiring cliff sided mountains – the Wadi Rum UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today’s trek will be tailor made for the group, as there is much trekking to choose from, all awe inspiring. Please note, that we don’t necessarily follow the Jordan Trail on this day.

Overnight in a Bedouin Camp.

If you’re an early bird, you can enjoy a beautiful sunrise in Wadi Rum. Either way, you will be transferred from Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea after breakfast.

Spend the day floating and relaxing at a beautiful hotel resort at the Dead Sea. Enjoy the sunshine at the lowest point on earth, whilst trying out the invigorating mud bath to cleanse the skin. Watch the sunset over the hills of the West Bank with Jerusalem in the distance.

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight at the Dead Sea.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Depending on when your flight is, you will also have some more time to float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea, relax by the pool, and experience the various treatments in the spa. Eventually you’ll depart and proceed to Queen Alia International Airport.

End of Services.

Meals included: Breakfast