Jordan - Petra and the Desert Fortresses

Departing: March 2027 - October 2027

Throughout the recorded past, Jordan shook to the often heavy footfalls of conquerors and felt the sweeping movements of peoples and customs, of prophets and kings. Its Iron Age history, home to the Israelites, Ammonites, Edomites and Moabites, is documented in the Old Testament. And the upheavals caused by the mighty Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and the Roman Empire’s purple centuries in Jordan as a part of Provincia Arabia, are recorded in the New Testament. Here the East first met the revolution of Hellenism, bringing its world philosophy and technological expertise.

Jordan’s position geologically is as important as it is culturally. The dramatic gorges of the wadi beds, the deserts of black basalt and golden sand and the end of the Great Rift Valley containing the salty waters of the Dead Sea – the lowest place on earth.

Petra’s tombs and temples are only a fraction of Jordan’s story. We explore traces of biblical tribes, Roman legions, Christian crusaders, and Islamic caliphates in this promised land of archaeology and fascinating history.

Included

Explore Oval Plaza & Petra, with entrance fees included
All other visits as outlined in the itinerary
Expert Guide Lecturer & professional Tour Manager
6 nights at the AlQasr Metropole Hotel, Amman & 3 nights at the Petra Moon Hotel, Petra
7 breakfasts, 7 lunches & 7 dinners
Tea or coffee with dinner
Private air-conditioned coach travel
Field notes, taxes & gratuities for local staff

Please note: the order of site visits may change when you are based in Amman. Your tour staff will keep you fully informed.

Highlights

Visit Jerash, the best-preserved (and Jordan’s largest) Roman town in the east, a site that is home to the Oval Plaza and the Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis
Spend two days in the evocative rock-cut city of Petra, an iconic and instantly recognisable site that needs no introduction
Admire the almost lunar-like desert scenery of Wadi Rum, which was immortalised on screen in Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars: Rogue One, aboard a fleet of off-road vehicles
Discover the mighty crusader castle at Kerak, built in the 12th century and one of the largest in the Levant region

Nick Jackson

Nick is an archaeologist and historian with over 20 years’ excavation and guiding experience. A UCL archaeology graduate and former Cambridge researcher, he specialises in the Late Bronze Age and prehistoric Near East, and has excavated extensively across the Middle East.

Tour Itinerary

Arrive into Amman and meet your expert Guide Lecturer and fellow travellers at your hotel.

Meals: Late arrival snack

After a leisurely start, we head to the valley of Wadi Seer. Here we find the remains of Qasr-al-Abd, a well-preserved Hasmonean and rare Hellenistic period Palace. Hyrcanus of Jerusalem built the palace around 200BCE as part of a much larger estate, which is now covered by the village of Iraq al-Emir. We then spend time both at and in the Dead Sea. The lowest place on earth is also the deepest hypersaline lake in the world, over nine times saltier than the ocean. This salinity has created a harsh environment so it is unsuitable for any plants of wildlife, hence its name. It is however, a unique experience to be able to ‘float’ on the Dead Sea, so we make the most of this opportunity. After our time spent here, we return to Amman.