Perseids Meteor Shower

08 August. Welcome to Jordan and the start of an amazing adventure. Arrive in Amman and enjoy an included transfer to our hotel for an overnight stay.

Amman - Jerash - Umm Qais - Amman. Heading north we visit Jerash, the Graeco-Roman city known as the ‘Pompeii of the East’. Built over 2,000 years ago, Jerash is widely regarded as the best-preserved city of the Decapolis, a confederation of 10 Roman cities dating from the 1st century! We’ll explore the site taking in a colonnaded street, amphitheatre, nymphaeum, forum and more before continuing to Umm Qais (Gadara), a dramatic black-basalt Roman city of the Decapolis with panoramic views over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. Tonight, we head out for a meal and a stroll along Rainbow Street - Amman's hippest location.

Amman - Mt Nebo - Umm ar Rasas - Petra. This morning we tour the citadel of Amman, Archaeological Museum and enjoy free time shopping in the local souq, before visiting the Christian market town of Madaba and Jordan’s finest Byzantine mosaics. Next is Mt Nebo - the single most important biblical site in Jordan. Having led the Israelites for 40 years through the wilderness, Moses finally saw from this breathtaking vantage point, the Promised Land, that God forbid him to set foot in. We too can enjoy the excellent views offered of the Jordan River Valley, the northern shore of the Dead Sea, Jericho on the opposite bank and (on clear days) the towers on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Later, we explore Umm ar Rasas, a haunted deserted city on the ancient caravan routes. The village is the site of the now ruinous Roman garrison town of Kastron Mefaa, which was developed during the Byzantine and Umayyad periods into a relatively important city. Large mosaic floors from two of its dozen or more churches have been painstakingly cleaned and protected. The mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen dates to 785, over 150 years after Muslim rule was established in Jordan, and depicts the cities of the day including Jerusalem, with Palestinian cities below such as Nablus and Gaza and seven Trans-Jordanian cities including Philadelphia (modern-day Amman), Madaba and Karak. Drive to Petra, our final stop for today.

If you'd like to learn how to cook Middle Eastern food and enjoy the fruits of your labour, book our Petra Kitchen Add-on .

Chief among Jordan’s many archaeological riches is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Rose City of Petra. The city was first settled around the 6th century BC by the Nabataean tribe from Western Arabia and was rediscovered in 1812. We access the hidden archaeological treasures of the Rose City on our walk through a narrow, deep siq, where the rocks finally give way to reveal the famous facade of Al-Khazneh (the Treasury). Continuing our walk, we then go on to explore parts of this fantastic once-lost city which is full of tombs, temples, an impressive amphitheatre and a Roman colonnaded street. The intrepid can ascend the hundreds of rock-cut steps to Ad-Deir, better known as the Monastery. Ad-Deir has a similar facade to that of the Treasury, but is far bigger and the views from the nearby cliff-tops are splendid.

Consider doing the Petra by Night excursion this evening (approx. USD$25 payable locally), for a tantalizing candlelight stroll through Petra’s Siq…..

Petra - Wadi Rum. There is a chance to revisit Petra this morning before leaving at noon to drive to Wadi Rum. Upon arrival in Wadi Rum, we enjoy a jeep safari through the area once favoured by the legendary Lawrence of Arabia and his Arab uprising. Wadi Rum is a vast, silent landscape of ancient riverbeds, pastel coloured stretches of sandy desert and amazing rock formations known as jebels that rise from the desert floor. The desert scape of Wadi Rum represents some of the most stunning countryside on the planet.

Tonight, we tuck into our Jordanian dinner before the stargazing begins. The Perseids Meteor Shower occurs once a year and has been observed for the last 2000 years. At its peak the meteors rain down at a rate of about 60 meteors per hour! The clear night sky of the Jordanian desert is the ideal place from which to view these celestial wonders. The Perseids were traditionally known as the “tears of St Lawrence” because they often appeared around the saint’s feast day.

In previous years our groups have enjoyed a spectacular show staying up well into the night and counting well over 150 meteors shooting across the sky and we hope to have the same experience this year.

Wadi Rum - Wadi Mujib - Dead Sea. Today we get the chance to experience Wadi Rum as the Bedouins do - by camel. Until recently, the Bedouins were a nomadic people who made their living through looking after their herds of goats. Although most of the Bedouins have now become villagers, they still rely on the goats for the milk, yoghurt and cheese, and some families do return for a part of the year to a wandering existence, minding their flocks. As we ride through Wadi Rum on camel back we have the opportunity to see some of the desert wildlife including many small birds and various Geckos and Agamas, including the striking bright blue Agama.

Departing Wadi Rum, we head up the King’s Highway to Wadi Mujib. We embark on a moderate–paced two hour trek along the Siq Trail. Measuring 500 metres in depth and spanning 4 kilometres across, the impressive Wadi Mujib is one of Jordan’s most remarkable natural features. This dramatic canyon features sheer rocky walls and sparkling waterways that range from puddle height to depths that are perfect for swimming (chest height or deeper) depending on the rainfall. When the water level is high you should be prepared for having to climb up ladders, clamber across boulders and be happy to wade through water. The canyon is just one feature of the Mujib Biosphere Reserve, the lowest nature reserve in the world, home to a surprising diversity of wildlife and plant species. For those not interested in taking the full hike, you can walk part of it or wait by the Visitor Centre until the group returns. After our trek we make our way to the Dead Sea.

The lowest point on the earth's surface at more than 400m below sea level, the Dead Sea is a natural phenomenon and high on most travellers' bucket lists. Lucky for us we have a whole day to spend here, whiling away the time bobbing in its mineral-rich buoyant waters and lathering up with a detoxifying mud bath. Later today, there will be an optional visit to the Ma'in Hot Springs - a series of waterfalls and hot springs, and a sacred baptism site where Jesus Christ is thought to have been baptised (payable locally).

15 August. Dead Sea - Amman Airport. Hotel check out and included onward transfer to the airport in Amman. Departure transfers are offered on day 8 at 23:00 (evening of day 7), 04:00, 07:00, 09:00 12:00 and 16:00. If you would like a departure transfer at any other time or a transfer with post tour accommodation this can be arranged at an additional cost, please enquire.

If you have extra time and wish to head back to Amman, why not book our 2 day end in Amman add on? Perfect for those who wish to spend more time in Jordan's ancient capital, Amman.