Jordan Passage to Petra Trekking

Start today at Amman Citadel, where in the Old Testament King David arranged to have his lover's husband murdered. Drive to Jebel Webdeh, the arts and cultural district, passing art galleries, antiquities, and handicraft shops. Then take a walking tour of the old city, stopping at local restaurants to sample falafel, hummus, and kenafah, an Arab delicacy eaten at times of celebration. Continue through the streets and markets, visiting the Al-Husseini mosque and, time permitting, the Roman amphitheater. Tonight experience another side of Jordan with a wine tasting and dinner.

Head north to stroll through history in Jerash, regarded as one of the most important and best-preserved Roman cities in the Middle East. After absorbing the wonders of Jerash, drive to Ajloun and visit the castle, which dominates the skyline and was built to ward off the Crusader armies at the key trade and pilgrimage intersection between Jerusalem, Cairo, Damascus and Mecca. Before heading back to Amman, visit a local home and savor a delicious home-cooked Jordanian meal.

After breakfast, drive south to Mount Nebo and wonder at the view where Moses looked across to the Promised Land and later died and was buried. Continue to Madaba, where you discover the town's amazing Byzantine mosaics and the Madaba Map - the oldest preserved mosaic map of the Holy Land. After lunch head to the ancient Crusader castle in Karak, exploring the maze of stone- vaulted halls and passageways. Arrive at the Dana Nature Reserve overlooking Wadi Dana, and explore the old village before settling in for dinner.

Begin your hike at Dana Guesthouse (4,000') and head west into Dana Valley. The trail drops steeply and then descends gradually through the Dana Biosphere Reserve. Jordan's largest reserve includes four distinct bio-geographical zones supporting an astonishing diversity of flora and fauna. Look for Griffon vultures, hyrax, copper-blue lizards, and, if you're lucky, ibex or desert fox. Finish at the Feynan Ecolodge, from where a guided sunset walk takes you to a nearby hilltop for fresh Bedouin tea and stunning views of the sunset over the vast Wadi Araba desert.

Start early on a challenging hike to Furon. Walk through the historic landscape around Feynan, where copper has been mined for 3,000 years. As you leave Feynan, see the slag mountains that are the waste product of this ancient industry, plus ruins from the Nabataean and Roman periods. Pass through the entrance to Wadi Ghweir and ascend with great views. This is a steep and challenging section of the route, but extremely rewarding. In the afternoon, reach your camp on a beautiful, open plateau in Furon.

After breakfast, start your hike past Ras Al-Feid towards Ghbour Whedat. Enjoy amazing views into the remotest and wildest corners of Jordan! Contouring the Sharah Mountains, follow a trail of Bedouin shepherd trails. On the remotest sections of the trail, you are walking on less traveled and harder-to-identify hunters' paths. The sheer peaks of black mountains overlooking the trail and steep precipitous drops of the canyons below make this day absolutely spectacular, with one view outdone by the next.

Hiking between Ghbour Whedat and Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) today, pass many sights including Ba'ajah ruins, Nabataean wine and olive presses, water tanks, wells, and Nabataean rock-carved facades. Arrive in Little Petra - a mini, magical version of Petra - and then continue following the timeline markers through history to the remains of a Neolithic village. Tonight have an unforgettable desert experience as you sleep under the stars in an authentic Bedouin camp.

Hike along good tracks that go pleasantly down Wadi Ghurab amidst sandstone mountains guarding the approaches to Petra. This route follows a Nabataean path out of the valley and skirts around the final mountain on a natural rock terrace that narrows slightly before reaching a hidden plateau high above the impressive chasm of Wadi Siyyagh. Just beyond, carved into the cliff face, the monumental Monastery (aka Ad Deir) comes into view. Nabataean steps lead down into ancient Petra; our back-door, a route that avoids tourists and goes through Wadi Muthlim to Wadi Musa and to your hotel.

Today, visit other trails and sights inside Petra including the Siq. Feeling bold? Visit less-touristic spots such as the Canyon of the Sig, Al-Khubtha Mountain or the High Place of Sacrifice, exploring ancient rock-carved ruins and climbing steep ancient Nabataean steps along the way to magnificent panoramic views. After lunch, drive to Wadi Rum and have a thrilling 4WD sunset adventure, following in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, climbing sand dunes and rock bridges. Back at camp, enjoy a delicious Bedouin dinner and a starry night in the desert.

After having breakfast in Wadi Rum, drive to the lowest point on earth to float and relax in the Dead Sea. Enjoy the sunshine and views while trying out an invigorating mud bath to cleanse the skin. Come evening, enjoy a festive farewell dinner!

Today bid the group and Jordan farewell, and transfer to Queen Alia International Airport for your homeward-bound flight.