13 Day Hiking Tour

13 Day Hiking Tour

Amman – Al Balad - Jabal Al Qala'a – Madaba - Greek Orthodox Church of St. George – Mount Nebo – Dead Sea – Dana Nature Reserve – Wadi Feinan – Siq Al Barid (Little Petra) – Al Beidha – Petra – Wadi Musa - Wadi Rum – Aqaba

Day 1
Queen Alia International Airport – Amman – Al Balad - Jabal Al Qala'a

You will be met on arrival at Queen Alia International Airport and we will take a short city tour then you will be transferred to a hotel in Amman in time for your evening meal. Welcome to Jordan!

Day 2
Amman - Madaba - Greek Orthodox Church of St. George – Mount Nebo – Dead Sea – Dana Nature Reserve

After breakfast at our hotel we make the short drive, via the scenic King's Way, to Madaba and then Mount Nebo . Madaba is a Christian city, home to a number of beautiful old mosaics the most spectacular of which is a 6th Century map of the Holy Land residing in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George and comprising two million pieces of stone.

Mount Nebo is the place from which Prophet Moses viewed the Holy Land, having led his people from Sinai .

It is said that he also died and was buried here. The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit of Mount Nebo , as is Jerusalem on a very clear day.



We will hike from Mount Nebo all the way down to the Dead Sea , the lowest spot on earth at 400 meters below sea level. We will enjoy the afternoon floating in the sea (well you can't sink!), sunbathing or enjoying one of the very popular and relaxing sticky black mud treatments.

Late afternoon we will travel, in air-conditioned comfort, to the Dana Nature Reserve where we will enjoy a traditional Arabian dinner and spend the night in a pastoral environment.

Day 3 - 6
Dana Nature Reserve – Wadi Feinan - Petra

Our four-day hiking tour will lead from the Dana Nature Reserve to the fabled rock-hewn rose-red city of Petra.

The Dana Nature Reserve is a system of mountains and wadi's, dry riverbeds. The height within the reserve drops over 1600 meters from the tops of the Rift Valley to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba . It embraces two major bio-geographical zones and four distinct vegetation zones.

This condensed variety of landforms and habitats, combined with dramatic changes in elevation, results in a vast biological diversity: from white sands covered with fanciful acacia trees to small streams flanked by man-size oleander bushes; from sky-high sand dunes to barren basalt and granite rocks.

The Dana area is also pleasingly rich in archaeology and culture: near Wadi Feinan you will visit the remains of the ancient capital of the Edomite Kingdom ; two early Christian churches and the ruins of the Roman water system.

From Feinan to Siq Al Barid (Little Petra) is simply one of the most beautiful walking experiences in Jordan. A suburb of the main city of Petra , Little Petra provides an atmospheric introduction to Nabataeans tomb architecture.

The area was once a major caravanserai stop for the Nabataean capital and comes complete with its own mini-Siq, 350 meters in length crammed with tombs, triclinums, water channels, and cisterns.

On our last night, we will camp near Little Petra at Al Beidha . This area contains the remains of a Neolithic Age site, dating back to 7,500 BC, making it one of the earliest known co-operative villages on earth. This is a wonderful experience which, with a little imagination, can feel like living back in prehistoric times!

Day 7 & 8
Siq Al Barid (Little Petra) – Al Beidha – Petra – Wadi Musa

Our hiking tour is a real journey off the beaten track in Jordan, until we reach our final destination being the world-famous Nabataean City of Petra . Petra , the rose-red city ‘half as old as time,’ is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

The city was carved into the Sharah Mountains by the Nabataeans in the 4th century B.C. Petra fell into obscurity about a thousand years ago; its location and very existence, kept a closely guarded secret by the local Bedouin, until 1812 when the Swiss explorer John Louis Burckhardt tricked his way into the site.



Our half-day guided tour of this unique and unforgettable site commences with by walking, or riding on horseback, to the entrance of a narrow canyon (Siq). The Siq is a dramatic 1.2 kilometer narrow and winding fissure between towering cliffs, the colors of which change through the day according to the shadow play of the sun. Leaving the Siq through a tiny cleft, we will be confronted by the magnificence of Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh (The Treasury) hewn into the sandstone cliff.

Local legend has it that the Treasury once stored the gifts of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon. We proceed to the Royal section of Petra which includes houses and shops, a colonnaded street and a Theatre as well as spectacular tombs all set into the rose-red rock face. Petra is like a wonderful dream from which you never wish to wake! We will also walk up the 800 steps to view the vast and impressive Monastery (Al Deir), which enjoys fabulous views over the whole area and a mountain atmosphere.

The following day, you are free to do whatever you wish. Maybe to explore Petra in more detail, perhaps walking up to experience the views around the High Place of Sacrifice (Al Madbah) on the Attuf Ridge once the venue for sacrificial offerings, which gives wonderful views over the Petra Basin and out towards Wadi Sabra.

If we have enough energy we can embark on a full day trek up Jebel Haroun to see the tomb of Aaron, brother of Prophet Moses. Alternatively, you could simply kickback and enjoy a well-earned relaxing Turkish bath in the local hammam.

Both nights will be spent in a hotel in Wadi Musa, the village next to the Petra site.

Day 9 & 10
Wadi Musa – Wadi Rum

From Wadi Musa we transfer by jeep to Wadi Rum . For the next two days we will be hiking in one of the most beautiful desertscapes in the world. Travel in Wadi Rum is a journey to another world, where one can escape the worries of everyday life and return to nature and the simple life. Vast, silent and timeless, in this immense space man is dwarfed into a landscape that is famous for its beautiful sunsets and sun rises.

Rock carvings mark the passage of ancient tribes in pre-history. Thamudic inscriptions, burial mounds, ancient megaliths and ruined buildings abound and Nabataean rock carved stairways, dams and temples can still be found throughout the area.

Wadi Rum is perhaps best known because of its connection with Lawrence of Arabia and we follow in the enigmatic British officer's footsteps as we walk through this surreal moonscape.

In the evening we will stay in a luxury campsite with clean beds and hot water. Our Bedouin hosts will cook traditional, freshly prepared, local food and there will be a campfire round which we can gather with our cardamom coffee or mint tea and contemplate the clear star-studded desert sky.


Day 11&12
Wadi Rum – Aqaba – Amman

This morning we break camp, bid farewell to our Bedouin hosts and drive to Aqaba in South Western Jordan . Lying on the northern tip of the Red Sea , Aqaba is Jordan's only real beach resort. You will be free to spend the day however, you wish.

Aqaba is world-renowned for its beautiful clear sea, coral reefs and multitudes of colorful fish so you may wish to dive or snorkel. Alternatively, you may prefer to relax, sunbathe and stroll round the traditional markets?

Late afternoon, we will transfer back to Amman where there will be ample opportunity to explore Jordan's capital, to dine in one of the city's many fine restaurants and visit some of its urban highlights before staying the night in a convenient local hotel.

Day 13
Amman - Queen Alia International Airport

We will transfer you to the airport in time for check-in for your flight home. It has been a great trip!

If you are interested in our blog, tours, and/or wish to contact us with suggestions or questions, please email us at:

info@jordanartisttours.com

We look forward to hearing from anyone interested in visiting the Middle East.

Thanks & Best Regards,


Jordan Artist Tours

P.O.Box 170 Petra

71810 Jordan

Tel: 00962 (0) 3 215 7561

Fax: 00962 (0) 3 215 4561

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