The Kings Path (3 nights - 4 days)

Day 1 -  Meeting and assistance by our staff at Queen Alia International Airport. Transport to hotel in Amman. Overnight at hotel in Amman.

Day 2 - The Kings Highway - Karak - Dana Village - O/N Petra

After breakfast, via the king's highway which without doubt one of the most ancient routes in mankind history, the King's Highway winds its way through the different ecological zones of the country, including forested highlands, open farmland plateaus, deep ravines, as you progress to the south is the massive Crusader fortress at Kerak, built in 1136 and retaken by the Arab forces of Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi.

Drive to Dana the Dana Village area, overlooking the scenic Wadi Dana, has been occupied since about 4000 BC. Dana is Jordan’s largest nature reserve, covering some 320 square kilometers of spectacular mountains and wadis along the face of the Great Rift Valley. From scorching sand dunes in the west to cool mountain tops in the east, the Dana Biosphere Reserve is home to a great variety of wildlife. Drive to Petra for overnight.

Day 3 – Petra - Full Day

Petra no visit of Jordan will be complete without having seen the capital of the ancient Nabatean kingdom, Petra. The long-lost city of Petra, carved entirely by man into the rose-red sandstone rocks, puts your imagination to the test. It's a mystic and glorious place, an eternal tribute to a lost civilization. Petra was the central meeting point of the Nabatean spice routes which originated from the Persian Gulf, Western Arabia and the Red Sea. About two thousand years ago Petra became the capital of the Nabatean Empire.

The city was so renowned that one of its kings, Aretas IV, is even mentioned in the Bible. The natural richness of the mountainous area combines in a superb way with the refined culture and massive architecture of the Nabateans, who carved their theatre, temples, façades, tombs, monasteries, houses and roads entirely into the rose-red sandstone rocks. No wonder UNESCO placed Petra on its World Heritage List.

One enters Petra by passing the Siq, a deep and narrow gorge, at the end of which all of a sudden dramatically appears the most famous monument in Petra: al-Khazneh or the Treasury. Maybe you will recognize it as the stage of the final sequence of the movie 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'. But the Treasury is just the start. Walking and climbing in Petra hundreds of buildings carved in stone and eroded through the centuries into fabulous multi-coloured walls will be revealed to you.

Optional:

Petra By Night

A glorious way to spend the evening is to head back to Petra after sunset and take it all in under the night time desert stars. Actually most of the site is closed, but you can buy a ticket that permits you to walk back through the ‘Siq’ (the scenic canyon corridor that leads down to the site) and re-visit the treasury by night.

The entire route is lined with candles, and participants are strictly told to remain silent throughout the experience. On arrival at the treasury, you’ll greeted by Bedouin music and tea, and be invited hang out until you feel motivated enough to leave. It’s very atmospheric but can seem a little gimmicky on those busier nights during peak season.

‘Petra By Night’ runs three times a week,  Ticket: 12 JDs

Tours start at 8.30pm and finish at 10.00pm every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Turkish Bath

A favourite way to unwind after a tough day trekking around the ruins is to head to one of the town’s Turkish Ottoman baths. Similar to those found in other parts of the Middle East, the Jordanians offer a slightly more gentle version of the often quite brutal massages famously dished out in Turkey. On arrival you’ll be asked to strip off (to whatever level you’re most comfortable. Usually a swim suite/trunks) and head to the steam room. After you’re feeling suitably warm and relaxed you’ll be summoned to another cooler room for a wash and scrub. Finally, and most rewardingly of all you’ll find yourself laid out on a stone slab while expert masseurs get to work on those tired muscles.

Price: 20 JDs for the full works.

Day 4 - Departure

Breakfast. Transfer to Queen Alia International Airport, and assistance with departure formalities.

Optional: Amman City Tour *

Visit Amman's downtown market and city center, its traditional souks, coffee shops, restaurants selling local food and sweets, churches and mosques amongst other popular places.

Amman is also the ancient city of Philadelphia with its Roman theater and many other monuments that can be visited like the Citadel. Then drive to the other side of the city where you can see the beautiful houses made of white stones of the higher class in Abdoun.

You will see the pubs, international restaurants, and discotheques as you become familiar with the contrast in infrastructure and life style from the old and traditional, to the new and modern.

*. Depends on Departure time