Jordan: Wadi to Sea

Arrive at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan before 4pm. Airport greeting upon arrival and private transfer to your overnight lodging. If you arrive early, we can provide recommendations for your time, unless you’d rather take it easy and acclimate to the time zone. Dinner is at 6pm with your local guide at the hotel.

Visit Jerash, exploring the best Roman ruins in all the Middle East, after which you will spend the next few hours in Souf. The collective goal of Beit Khairat Souf is “to create a platform for local women to financially support themselves through opportunities for economic development in the heart of Souf”. Lunch will be at the house, where you can learn about their natural and handmade products, including jams, olive oil, molasses and more. Enjoy some free time in the afternoon before your cooking class at Beit Sitti Restaurant, “my grandmother’s restaurant.” Your host will teach you how to prepare a traditional Arabic meal through local foods and customs. To round out the day, a wine tasting will accompany dinner, including the award-winning Saint George wines from the Zumot, and Jordan River wines from “Haddad”.

In the morning you will stop at St. George’s Church, where you can view the oldest mosaic map of the Holy Land, and stand atop Mt. Nebo, where Moses looked out over the Promised Land before he died. A short drive will deposit you in the village of Fayha, where your 31-kilometer cycling tour begins. Along the Madaba plateau, you will ride the paved road, dirt tracks, rocky paths, and gravel roads. Lunch is served at a panorama view point by a local family from Mukawir village. As you descend to the Dead Sea Highway, you can choose to continue cycling to the hotel or ride in the support vehicle. The remainder of the day is yours to soak in the salty Dead Sea, rest by the pool, or indulge in a spa treatment. Dinner is at the hotel.

Take advantage of a leisurely morning and breakfast, after which you will hike along the Siq Trail in the Wadi Mujib. The hike will last 2-3 hours following the river through the gorge to the base of a waterfall. Seasonal rainfall will determine if there are pools deep enough for swimming, so come prepared. Lunch will be taken at the visitor center at Wadi Mujib, run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). Continuing South, the remains of Karak Castle provide light afternoon exploration. The city of Karak was once the capital of Moab, and this castle monopolizes the skyline. Rest along the drive to Dana, where you will overnight at an RSCN guest house before another day of hiking. Dinner is at the guest house.

Today’s 14-kilometer trek through the Dana Biosphere Reserve will last around 6 hours and while it descends sharply at first, the trail does level out into a steady decline. A packed lunch will be enjoyed along the trail. Keep your eyes alert and your senses aware as this large valley boasts an assortment of birds, animals, and plants, including hyrax, copper-blue lizards, and maybe even an ibex. The Bedouin tradition of coffee-marking permeates every event – weddings, funerals, and evenings together as a family. This afternoon you will learn how to roast, grind, and boil the beans, along with serving and drinking etiquette. Pending arrival time, we highly recommended you join the 30-minute guided sunset walk up a nearby hilltop; Bedouin tea and westward views of the sun setting over the Wadi Araba are well worth it before returning to the lodge for dinner.

In the morning, if you wish to catch the sunrise, join your local guide for an optional 1-hour hike in the surrounding area before breakfast at the lodge. Your main trek of the day is the more secluded trail beginning in Little Petra – otherwise known as ‘The Back Door’ to Petra. This 14-kilometer hike through the Wadi Ghurab takes you along an ancient Nabataean route, leading to the Monastery and a Bedouin cafe where refreshments can be found. From there, steps lead down into ancient Petra where you will see the Treasury, and continue along the Petra Siq which deposits you into the Wadi Musa with all the shops, cafes, and hotels. Lunch will be at a local restaurant today, while dinner will be taken at your hotel.

Your last day of cycling begins after a short drive to the starting point near Rajif, just past Petra. The 49.7-kilometer cycling tour is a long off-road descent through the Wadi Rum. A lunch break will be taken, served by another local Bedouin family along the route. Once you reach your destination in the Wadi Rum, pile in for a 2-hour sunset jeep tour through the desert. Dinner upon return to camp will continue to showcase the hospitality of the Bedouin people. Tonight you will quite literally sleep under the stars in the unique Luxotel bubble suites. Don’t stay awake too late stargazing, however, as you have an early morning.

You will witness the sunrise today from the back of a camel; the 1-hour ride takes you out into the desert and back as the sun lights up the Wadi Rum. Travel by jeep through the beautiful mountainous terrain until you reach the Umm Ad Dami trail. The tallest peak in Jordan, this hike should take approximately 3 hours and views from the 1,800-meter summit include the border of Saudia Arabia and Jebel Rum. Lunch will be packed along the road today. A refreshing change in scenery, this afternoon you transfer to Aqaba, Jordan’s window to the Red Sea, leaving the desert behind and relaxing by the sea. Dinner is at the hotel.

Today, enjoy an easier pace, as you return to Amman and explore the city. Starting at the Citadel, where King David arranged to murder his lover’s husband, you can see the ampitheatre and old downtown. You are then dropped off at 1st Circle, where you begin a leisurely tour down Rainbow Street, lined with cafes. Sample falafel, hummus, and Kenafah – the Arab delicacy eaten during times of celebration. Lunch will be at a local restaurant today. Explore the markets and streets of Amman, ending with a visit to the King Abdullah Mosque (time permitting.) Your farewell dinner is at Fakhreldin Restaurant, in walking distance from the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Queen Alia International Airport for your flight home. You may find it difficult to bid farewell to your guides and new friends, but you are forever a part of the TRŪ tribe. As they say in Arabic, Ma’assalama!