Premium Jordan - 8 Days

Ahlan wa sahlan! Welcome to Jordan. You’ll be met by an Intrepid representative at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm at your hotel with your group and local leader. If you arrive early, maybe visit a local cafe and pick up a coffee and ara’yes (pita filled with spiced meats). Or, head to the Old Town’s Roman Amphitheatre or the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. After your meeting, head for dinner in what feel more like a sophisticated private home than a typical restaurant. Within this charming 1950s villa in Jabal Al-Weibdeh, you’ll dine surrounded by local artwork, enjoying beloved Jordanian dishes like mansaf (lamb and rice with yoghurt sauce) and kunafa (a dessert made with filo pastry and cheese).

This morning, leave Amman for a short drive north to Jerash, where you’ll find some of the world’s best Greco-Roman ruins. Featuring an 11 m (36 ft) arched gateway built for a visit from the Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 129, Jerash is home to a collection of theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets. Your leader will share the history of the ruins and help you imagine what life once looked like in this Roman city. After, return to Amman and head to a cooking school for a look behind the scenes of Jordanian cuisine. During this hands-on activity, you will learn how to make some classic dishes like maqlubeh, mutabbal and baba ghanouj before sitting down as a group to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Finish the day with a walking tour of Amman with a local guide. Set off from Jabal Amman, learning the story of the city, through waves of migration and the global events that influenced it, to longstanding cultural and culinary traditions.

Today, journey from Amman to the Dead Sea. Named for the lack of life in its waters, this lake is so intensely salty that the water density makes swimming very difficult – but bobbing on the water’s surface is great fun! On the way, stop off at Mount Nebo and hear the story of how Moses is said to have seen the ‘promised land’ before he died from what is believed to be this very spot. At St Georges Church, see a Byzantine mosaic depicting a map of the Holy Land. When you arrive, enjoy some time to float in the waters of the Dead Sea, relax on your hotel’s beachfront or take a dip in the infinity pool.

Depart the Dead Sea and drive to the ancient Crusader castle at Shobak – your leader will explain how this fortress was originally built to protect the eastern flank of the Latin Kingdom and its trade routes to the sea before it fell to Saladin in 1189. Enjoy the scenery then continue to your Petra accommodation. Petra dates to the 6th century BC and is considered the crown jewel of Jordan, featuring an impressive series of tombs and dwellings carved directly into the rock. When you arrive, you’ll have some free time to start uncovering the secrets of Petra at your own pace. The iconic view of the Treasury’s glorious facade, glimpsed from a narrow cleft known as the Siq, is perhaps the most striking sight of the entire region.

Today, you’ll explore Petra on a guided walking tour. Walk through the Siq that leads through the rock and is at some points only a few metres wide, with walls soaring up to 180 m (590.5 ft) on either side. If you wish, you’ll also have time to climb to the Monastery, providing a magnificent view of the entire site. Dinner this evening is a special one – you’ll visit the home of a local Bedouin family for a homemade dinner and the chance to learn more about life in Petra. Tonight, maybe take the chance to witness Petra’s transformation at nightfall – seeing the Treasury Plaza lit up by candlelight while Bedouin music plays is a truly memorable experience.

This morning, drive to Wadi Rum – a protected area of desert that impresses with sandstone mountains, canyons and arches. Enjoy some lunch in the small village of Rum, then jump into a local jeep and journey into Wadi Rum with your Bedouin hosts. Visit several of the area’s distinctive rock formations and appreciate the silent desert landscapes, home to hardy Bedouin communities that live in scattered camps. Gain a deeper understanding of their way of life as you join them for a zarb (underground oven) dinner at one of their camps, set deep in the desert. Tonight’s Feature Stay accommodation is a camp that offers a base among remote and wild surroundings. Spacious tents are fitted out with comforts like king-sized beds, air conditioning and ensuite bathrooms. Join your group to watch the sunset with a trained astronomer, who will explain how Bedouins used the stars as navigation. Enjoy fresh dates, nuts and local wine or champagne in Bedouin-style seating as the sun dips behind the sandstone mountains. Later, fall asleep in your tent before awaking up to an equally dramatic sunrise over the red-hued landscape.

After waking up in the sweeping surroundings of your Bedouin camp this morning, take a walk around the area before scaling one of the large dunes for panoramic views. After, return to Amman for the evening. Tonight’s exclusive farewell dinner is at one of Amman’s most celebrated farm-to-table restaurants. Indulge in traditional, seasonal Jordanian dishes within a beautifully restored, century-old villa with a garden terrace, an artisan boutique and even a soulful vinyl collection. It’s an atmospheric way to reminiscence with your group and say goodbye to Jordan.

Your trip will come to an end today after breakfast. If you have arranged a private airport transfer, you will be advised of the pick-up time. If you would like to spend more time in Amman, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.