Nabataean Kingdom Tour

Set out on your journey ! Flight to Amman, the Jordanian capital and dinner on board. You are welcomed by our representative at the airport. Look for the sign with your name and let our team handle the visa formalities for you. Set up and night at the hotel.

For your first morning in Jordan, take your breakfast at the hotel. Then departure for Umm Qais. Built on the site of the ancient city of Gadara, this city of the Decapolis (grouping the ten largest cities of the region during the Roman period) is located on a spectacular site. From the promontory, enjoy a breathtaking view on the Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights, the Lake Tiberias and the Yarmouk Valley. Composed of two parts, the ancient city and the Ottoman village, you can admire its 3000-seats black basalt theatre, remarkably preserved and restored. Going further into the Jordan Valley, you then leave for the city of Jerash for lunch. Explore Jordan’s second largest site after Petra! Today, considered one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Near East, it was hidden under the sand for several centuries before being discovered and restored for 70 years. The city was built entirely in an orange pink limestone, magnified by the rays of the sun at dawn and sunset. You can admire the treasures of this Roman city with its streets paved with colonnades, huge temples and theatres, its baths, and fountains as well as its pierced walls. Return to Amman for the dinner and night at the hotel.

After the breakfast, departure for the Desert Castles. The first castle visited is Qasr Al-Kharaneh, located 55 km away from Amman. It is probably the only one among the Desert Castles that had a military function, as the architecture suggests it. However, for some scientists, the size of the stables suggests, in reality, a caravanserai. Qasr Amra is located 26km away from Azraq, on an island formed in the bed of a Wadi almost always dry. This small, well-preserved castle has clear lines and rounded outlines with blonde stones that perfectly blends in the desert. Qasr Amra was built in the early 8th century by Caliph Walid I, a great lover of hunting, poetry, and various pleasures. The castle was badly affected by an earthquake in 1927 but is still beautiful. It is the inscription above the main entrance that allowed to date the renovation in the 13th century, the potential date of the construction of the mosque in the centre of the courtyard. Back to Amman in the afternoon. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for the Route of the Kings to visit Madaba. Also called the city of mosaics, this Byzantine bishopship has 14 churches of major artistic value as well as extraordinary schools of mosaics. Enter St. George’s Church in Madaba and contemplate its map of Palestine exhumed in 1898 during the construction of the church. This mosaic from the 6th century, barely altered, traces the geography of the Byzantine Near East. Thereafter departure for Mount Nebo, 10 km northwest of Madaba. It is at its summit that Moses would have seen the Promised Land right before his death. Culminating at 840 m above the sea level, the mountain became a universal pilgrimage site for Christians. Before leaving this city, you will have the opportunity to visit one of the mosaic workshops. Continuation for the city of Kerak right before Lunch. Explore this fortress from the crusader era, built around 1140 under the direction of Pagan the Butler. The crusaders called it back then: the “Krak of the Mohabites”. The fortress is located on a rocky plateau and is a fine example of crusader architecture mixing with European, Byzantine, and Arab style. You then take the road to Petra via the desert road. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for an expedition entirely devoted to Petra, the pink city. Geology explains the red city, which is entirely carved from soft sandstone. However, what you can see today is the result of men’s work through the ages. Nearly 800 monuments can be observed in Petra over 100 square kilometres. It is the Eighth Wonder of the World and has been registered World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is today, the most famous site in Jordan and in the Middle East. You will cross the Siq, narrow and long fault due to a prehistoric earthquake. At the end of the Siq, suddenly appears Petra’s most majestic monument, “Al Khazneh” or the “Treasure” with a Greco-Roman decoration. Be ready to be astonished by the beauty of the city! Beyond the Treasure, there are hundreds of carved buildings, temples, royal tombs, baths, arch-shaped doors, cobbled streets and above all, The Roman Theatre with about 3000 seats. You will cross the Romain Cardo and visit the Qasr El Bint, the only temple still standing and in a remarkable state of conservation. Lunch at the site restaurant. The afternoon is free. If your physical condition allows it, you can attempt the ascent to the monastery of El Deir to admire the masterpiece of the site, “The Monastery”. Back to the hotel at the end of the day. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for “little Petra” for a final tour in this majestic site! Less famous than Petra, this site is worth a visit. This troglodyte village, from the Nabatean’s era, is a marvel on its own. Explore the little city and admire the tombs and temples carved in the rock. You will then take the road to the Wadi Rum desert. If Petra is the result of men’s work, the cliffs, and valleys of the Wadi Rum owe their peaceful beauty and overwhelming grandeur to themselves. This desolate site was, in fact, one of the highlights of the Great Arab Revolt, magnified by director David Lean in one of the most impressive scenes of his movie: Lawrence of Arabia. Lunch in a Bedouin camp to enjoy the hospitality and the gastronomy of the nomads. In the afternoon, you will go on a 2-hours-tour in a 4X4 pick-up to admire the splendour of this thousand-year-old desert. Dinner and night at the camp.

Get up early to enjoy the sunrise in this peaceful desert! Take your breakfast with Bedouin and be ready to leave for your last spot. Departure for the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth with its 417 meters below the sea level! This place is recognized around the world to have the most various and high-quality natural salts. Rich in minerals, this water is known to treat certain diseases and to literally makes people float due to its salt content. The Dead Sea is not only a sightseeing tour but also an exceptional relaxing place. Lunch at the hotel’s restaurant. In the afternoon, you can enjoy the hotel’s various activities including the Spa (with extra charge). Dinner and night at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport to take your flight back home.