Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Jordan Passage to Petra Trekking
Day 1 Arrive in Amman
Welcome to Jordan! Meet your MT Sobek representative at Queen Alia International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Amman. Explore the city on your own today, depending upon your flight arrival time. Later in the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: InterContinental Amman
(D)
Day 2 Discover Amman
Start today at Amman Citadel, an archaeological site situated on one of the seven hills that Amman was built on. Continue your walking tour to Jebel Webdeh, the arts and cultural district, passing art galleries, antiquities, and handicraft shops. On foot, explore 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. Later, experience another side of Jordan with a wine tasting and snacks. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Accommodation: InterContinental Amman
(B, L)
Day 3 Journey to Jerash & Ajloun
3-hour private van transfer
Head north to Jerash, regarded as one of the best-preserved and most important Roman cities in the Middle East. Stroll through ancient arches and colonnades, then stop at a nearby village to take lunch at Beit Khayrat Souf, a woman-owned and operated cafe. Afterwards, drive to Ajloun and visit its medieval castle, which commands a breathtaking view of the Jordan Valley. The castle was originally built to ward off Crusader armies from a vital trade crossroads between Jerusalem, Cairo, Damascus, and Mecca.
(B, L)
Day 4 Head South to Mount Nebo & Madaba
3-hour private van transfer
After breakfast, drive south to Mount Nebo and marvel at the view where Moses is said to have looked across to the Promised Land. Continue to Madaba, where you'll 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 Kerak, and explore the maze of stone-vaulted halls and passageways. Arrive at the Dana Nature Reserve overlooking Wadi Dana, and stroll through the old village before settling in for dinner.
Accommodation: Dana Guesthouse
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Hike from Dana to Feynan Ecolodge
4-5 hours/8.5 miles hiking with 750' elevation gain & 3,750' elevation loss
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.
Accommodation: Feynan Ecolodge
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Hike from Wadi Feynan to Furon
8-9 hours/11.5 miles hiking with 4,460' elevation gain & 1,575' elevation loss
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.
Accommodation: MT Sobek Camp—Furon
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Hike from Furon to Ghbour Whedat
7-8 hours/11 miles hiking with 2,450' elevation gain & 3,020' elevation loss
After breakfast, start your hike past Ras Al-Feid towards Ghbour Whedat. Enjoy amazing views into the wildest and most remote corners of Jordan. Contouring the Sharah Mountains is a succession of Bedouin shepherd trails; on the most secluded 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.
Accommodation: MT Sobek Camp—Ghbour Whedat
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Hike from Ghbour Whedat to Little Petra
5-6 hours/8.5 miles hiking with 2,000' elevation gain & 1,850' elevation loss
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.
Accommodation: Little Petra Bedouin Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Hike from Little Petra to Petra
8 hours/11.5 miles hiking with 1,630' elevation gain & 1,700’ elevation loss
Today you'll take an off-the-beaten-track route into Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hike along good trails that go pleasantly down through Wadi Ghurab, amidst sandstone mountains that guard 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. A series of Nabataean steps leads down into ancient Petra.
Accommodation: Petra Marriott Hotel
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Explore Ancient Petra & Travel to Wadi Rum
2-hour private van transfer
2-4 hours hiking & 2-hour jeep tour
After an early breakfast, return to the "Rose City" of Petra, this time entering the ancient city via the Siq—a long, narrow gorge that's flanked on either side by 260-foot-high cliffs. Notice the dazzling colors and otherworldly rock formations. The site is massive, and contains hundreds of elaborate rock-cut tombs, theatres, temples, sacrificial altars, colonnaded streets and, most famously, a magnificent treasury. After lunch, drive to Wadi Rum, a stunning protected desert wilderness. Enjoy 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.
Accommodation: Sun City Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 11 Journey from Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea
4-hour private van transfer
Float in the Dead Sea
After breakfast in Wadi Rum, drive to the lowest point on earth to float and relax in the Dead Sea. Enjoy the sunshine and views, and perhaps indulge in an invigorating mud bath to cleanse the skin. Savor a festive farewell lunch and say goodbye to your guide. Come evening, gather for a final dinner!
Accommodation: Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa
(B, L, D)
Day 12 Depart from Jordan
1-hour private van transfer
Today bid the group and Jordan farewell, and transfer to Queen Alia International Airport for your homeward-bound flight.
Accommodation: Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa
(B)
