2012 Tour of Jordan - 7 days (6 nights)

Jordan is a fascinating country and we only scratch the surface in this tour, which takes in the ancient countries of Ammon, Moab and Edom, tracing the foodsteps of the Children of Israel under Moses, exploring the grim fortresses of mediaeval Crusaders, and walking along the busy streets of Roman cities. Link this tour with the tours of Egypt and Israel to make the journey of a lifetime!

al-Ajlun 32 20 38.85N
35 44 06.77E 		An excellent picture of the castle on its commanding hilltop.
Callirhoe 31 35 51.75N
35 33 43.19E 		The picture is not clear enough to be sure that I have the right place, but the present hot springs are just to the north where the wadi comes down to the sea.
Petra 30 19 24.99N
35 28 03.03E 		The coordinates are of the ticket office. You can follow the line of photographs west into the heart of Petra. Our hotel is just to the north.
Jerash 32 16 38.98N
35 53 26.93E 		The Oval Forum is the most distinctive feature of Jerash. The pillars that surround it can be clearly seen.

Day 1/10: Wednesday April 26

Aqaba
The port and resort of Aqaba on the Red Sea.
Arrive at Amman International Airport where you will be met and taken down the Desert Highway to Aqaba. Book into a luxury hotel and relax by the pool or swim in the warm waters of the Gulf of Aqaba.

Day 2/11: Thursday April 27
Enjoy a relaxing morning in Aqaba where you can snorkel or scuba dive (not included in the tour) in its clear waters or arrange a boat trip across the gulf to Jezirat Farun (also not included). Late morning you will be taken to join the group which has been touring Egypt as they cross the border into Jordan. From there we travel north to Wadi Rumm along the route taken by Lawrence of Arabia and his beduin raiders. View the wonders of Wadi Rumm with a short 4x4 excursion and then continue to Wadi Musa and the luxury of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Day 3/12: Friday April 28
Spend the whole day exploring Petra - the amazing Siq, the awesome Khazneh, climb up to the High Place, visit the Greek theatre and the Royal Tombs. Depending on your energy level, climb up to ed-Deir as well, otherwise you can relax at the rest house or explore the mosaics in the Christian Church and the exotic pillars in the "Elephant Temple".

Rock colours
Amazing rock colours in the "rose-red city" of Petra.

Day 4/13: Saturday April 29
Free day in Wadi Musa. You will have a two day pass into Petra, so those who wish can return to the city and visit those parts they did not see on Friday. Those with a taste for adventure may wish to make private arrangements to visit Jebel Harun and the traditional tomb of Aaron, brother of Moses. Otherwise you can relax by the hotel swimming pool, explore the thriving bazaars of Wadi Musa or enjoy a Turkish steam bath.

Day 5/14: Sunday April 30
We start the day with a visit to Little Petra and then continue on the Crusader castle at Kerak. We continue north to the amazing mosaic map at Madeba and look out over the Jordan Valley from the heights of Mt Nebo. In the evening we book into the Grand Hyat hotel in Amman. 31 57 20.56N 35 54 35.25E

Day 6/15: Monday April 31

Al-Ajlun castle
Saladin's great fortress of al-Ajlun protected a vital natural resource - iron ore.
Travel north to Jerash, the Pompeii of the Middle East, and then to al-Ajlun castle, built by Saladin to protect his newly captured iron mines. We return via the Jordan Valley and Pella, where the Christians fled to escape the Roman siege of Jerusalem in AD 70. We book into our hotel beside the Dead Sea where we enjoy a swim in the amazing salt-laden water in which it is impossible to sink. Nearby are the hot springs of Callirhoe, where Herod the Great went to relax in between massacring the Innocents

Day 7/16: Tuesday May 01

Callirhoe
The hot springs of Callirhoe provided relief to Herod the Great.
We head north and stop briefly at the site of Jesus' baptism. Although this is an archaeological tour, not a religious pilgrimage, there will be opportunity for anyone who wishes to renew their baptismal vows (or to be baptised for the first time) to take part in a short religious service at the beautiful facility by the Jordan. (It is not possible to be baptised in the Jordan itself, as the river is an international border where tensions run high and the water is so highly polluted that it is a serious health risk.)

Note: This is where the group splits. Those continuing into Israel will be dropped at the Allenby Bridge border crossing while those on the Jordan only tour (or Egypt and Jordan only) will return with the bus to Amman for transfer to the airport for their flight home. Alternatively they may wish to make private arrangements for further travel in Jordan, which has much more to see, from the fascinating nature reserves to the romantic desert castles.

Total cost of this tour (excluding flights to and from Jordan): $2434

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