JORDAN INSIDER

Your personal driver will meet you at the airport and escort you to a local Bed and Breakfast owned and operated by an Italian-Jordanian couple and located in the artistic center of Amman. (Meals: none)

This morning you will tour Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities outside of Rome. After visiting Jerash, your driver will take you to the village of Orjan for a locally prepared lunch in a home. After relaxing over tea, tour the nearby Ajloun castle built by the nephew of Saladin. Return to Orjan village and meet your host Mohammad and his wife. You will be staying in their home and learning to cook a traditional meal. (Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

After a traditional homemade breakfast, Mohammad will take you on a hike through the village and the surrounding area. Stop for lunch in another local home. This evening Mohammad and his wife will teach you how to cook another Jordanian meal. (Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

After breakfast you’ll head south to Wadi Rum and take in the Mars-like landscape on a desert jeep tour. Your Bedouin host, Mosalem, will take you to visit his uncle and family who still live a traditional Bedouin life style in a goat hair tent. (Meals: breakfast, dinner)

Set out to scale Wadi Rum’s namesake; Rum Mountain. Mosalem has been climbing Rum Mountain since he was young and will take you on the traditional Bedouin routes that lead all the way to the top. Tonight you’ll camp atop the mountain. (To descend Mt Rum, guests must have previous abseiling/rappelling experience. If your group does not, we will switch this activity to Mt Khazali instead). (Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

After breakfast you’ll begin your descent. You’ll reach the bottom in time for lunch and a relaxing afteroon. Then overnight in a Bedouin camp. (Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Set out toward Petra, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. This is a huge site, so be ready to walk. After your visit, your driver will take you to the Ammarin Bedouin camp, located within the Petra archeological reserve. Spend the rest of the afternoon with your hosts, or escape to “Little Petra”, a 10 minute walk from your camp. Tonight, your dinner will be in a Bedouin home in the nearby town of Beidah. Come prepared to exchange riddles with your hosts. You’ll return to the Bedouin camp for your overnight. (Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

This morning your camels await you. Mount up and aim your caravan towards the ancient city of Petra. After an hour ride, your camels will reach the foot of a mountain. There, you’ll begin your hike with a Bedouin escort to Petra’s Monastery which is on the far side of the city. Entering the site away from any other tourists, you’ll feel like you’ve discovered Petra for yourself. Spend the rest of the day exploring this world wonder. Then return to the Bedouin camp for your overnight. (Meals: breakfast, dinner)

Today you will learn traditional skills from locals in Ghor al Mazra’a, a village on the southern shore of the Dead Sea. In one of Jordan’s most impoverished areas, locals will teach you how to make traditional eye-liner, bread over a fire, and lunch in a home. All proceeds for this portion of your tour go directly to the village. After lunch, head to the Kempinski resort hotel on the Dead Sea for some much needed rest and relaxation. (Meals: breakfast, lunch)