Detailed Port Descriptions

Day 1—Sunday March 23                       Amman

You will be greeted at the Amman Queen Alia Airport by our Ya’lla Tours representative before the Immigrations desk to assist with the arrival procedure and pay for VISAS on your behalf. Then you will be transported by ground transfer to your hotel. Hotel: Fairmont, Amman  

Day 2 - Monday March 24 Amman

After breakfast we will explore Amman, the capital of Jordan. Known as the “White City” Amman architecture is made up of beautiful white sandstone buildings. The atmosphere of the city is both oriental and cosmopolitan. A brief stop for coffee at a café overlooking the Temple of Hercules and the Citadel. Visit the Roman Theater of Amman and the Citadel. Walk through downtown and the old markets and try a knafeh from the famous Habiba Sweets. We will drive to Jerash, one of the world’s best-preserved ancient Roman cities, located in the fertile heights of Gilead. Stroll the stately colonnaded streets past the theater, the baths, the hill-top temple, and the triumphal arch. Tonight we will have a welcome cocktail hour to meet your travel companions follows by dinner. (B,L&D)  

Day 3— Tuesday March 25 Amman

This morning you will be in CME session, then visit to one of the most interesting humanitarian projects managed by the Caritas organization. Caritas provides services and aid to many thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees.  We will end the day visiting a top Jordanian medical facility and meet with Jordanian physicians to share medical information, challenges and opportunities. (B&D) For travelling companions not in CME sessions: there is a morning option to visit Iraq Al Amir Women Cooperative to learn more about community tourism efforts in the area and how tourism can help!  At the end of the day there is an option to meet a Jordanian matchmaker in her house. Jordanians still turn to old customs when it comes to finding a spouse. Indeed, finding love is a top priority, as family remains a pillar of stability in the country.  

Day 4– Wednesday March 26 Petra

After breakfast drive to nearby Mt. Nebo, the traditional burial site of Moses overlooking the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley. The church is operated by Franciscan monks living in the area and houses magnificent mosaics dating back to the 6th century.  We will then continue to the holy city of Madaba, well known for its outstanding Byzantine mosaics. Visit St. George’s Cathedral and see the 6^th-century mosaic floor depicting the earliest surviving map of the Holy Land. Then, visit some mosaic schools, Arabella Workshop for mosaics and the Handicraft Center Mosaic Workshop.  After the visit, head to Hikayet Sitti Restaurant, have lunch made by Ferial (the owner of the restaurant), sit with Ferial and learn how she cook local Jordanian food. After the lunch, guests will learn art of henna. We will then drive through the magnificent scenery of Wadi Mujib to Kerak to visit the Crusader Castle. We will make our way to Petra for dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B,L&D) Hotel: Old Village Resort, Petra  

Day 5 - Thursday March 27 Petra

Today, we will tour the city of Petra. Lost to the world for centuries, Petra the “Rose-Red City half as old as time,” lay hidden in the mountains of southern Jordan. Originally, it was a stronghold and capital of the Nabateans but fell to Rome in 106AD. Travel a short distance on horseback and then on foot through the deep and narrow canyon or siq. (As a great deal of walking is included in the visit, we suggest good walking shoes and a lightweight jacket). As you approach the end of the siq, the Treasury appears magnificently and immediately in front of you, an awesome start to an unforgettable experience. Now we begin our exploration of what both the Nabateans and Romans left for us to witness. The most adventurous will be invited to hike up to the spiritual “High Place,” site of the sacrificial alter and offering a spectacular view of the ancient city and surroundings. Tonight for dinner we will drive to Petra Kitchen, where you will learn how to cook some Jordanian dishes and then dine on your own creations. (B&D)

Day 6 -     Thursday March 28                  Petra

This morning you will be in CME session. In the afternoon drive 15-minutes north of Petra to visit Little Petra an archaeological site of monuments and temples on a smaller scale than Petra. You enter the site through a narrow gorge called Siq al-Barid, the "cold Siq". The name refers to the circumstance that the high walls prevent sunlight from entering the canyon and warming it. It is believed that Little Petra was an important suburb of Petra during the Negations era, the entry and exit point for the trade routes to the north and north-west. Here the caravans from the Negev, Gaza, Jerusalem, Egypt and the Mediterranean coast arrived, had a rest and engaged in trade. Like in Petra buildings had been carved into the sandstone, used as residences, storages and tombs, with water channels and cisterns. In one of the buildings, you can find the remains of painted frescoes with birds, grapes and flowers, dating from the 1st century AD. Continue your visit to the Neolithic village of Al Beidha, meaning the "white one". The village is one of the first settled villages in human history, the remains of Pre-Pottery Neolithic period from 7200BC to 6500BC. An example of the first transition from nomadic life to settled villages, the village was destroyed by fire, rebuilt again but was abandoned in 6500 B.C. (B&D)  

Day 7– Friday March 29 Wadi Rum

After a relaxed breakfast drive to  Wadi Rum. Take a short 4X4 vehicle ride into the oasis, with its awesome lunar landscape. Many films have been shot here, including Dune, Martian, and Lawrence of Arabia.  Enjoy lunch at Wadi Rum then visit,

• Petroglyphs and etchings
• Anfashieh, Alameleh,
• Khazali Canyon
• Sandboarding in Wadi Rum

Then, drive to your camp for a once of a lifetime experience, dinner and overnight. (B,L&D) Hotel: Memories Aicha Camp  

Day 8- Sunday March 30 Dead Sea

Enjoy breakfast at camp, then drive to Aqaba on the shores of the Red Sea. Spend the day at the beach and pool of the Movenpick Hotel Aqaba. After a great afternoon on the water, drive to the lowest part of the world, the Dead Sea. Check into your hotel to enjoy the beach, pool and SPA, dinner and overnight. (B&D) Hotel: Kempinski Ishtar Early morning optional: Take a hot Air Balloon over Wadi Rum for a breathtaking view of the Wadi. Subject to weather conditions due to high winds. If they are operating the flight, you will pay for it on the spot.  

Day 9—Monday March 31 Dead Sea

After spending the morning in CME session, you have the late afternoon free to enjoy the facilities of this hotel. (B,L&D)  

Day 10 - Tuesday April 01 Dead Sea

Free day to enjoy the hotel and the Dead Sea. Join us for a farewell BBQ dinner party with music and a belly dancer show. (B&D)  

Day 11—Wednesday April 02 Amman

Today your Ultimate Jordan tour comes to an end and you will depart for home with many incredible memories. (B)