Jordan Express

Guide

As one of our Small-Group tours, maximum group sizes are restricted to 18 people, while the tour is guaranteed to depart with a minimum of just 2. A professional licensed guide accompanies all groups of 5 or more throughout the whole tour. For groups of 2-4, one of our experienced English speaking drivers will escort the group with specialist local site guides used for the tours in Jerash, Amman (Citadel), and Petra. At Encounters Travel we aim to only use local Jordanian guides and reps. We feel this gives you the best experience of the country and the sites you are seeing as well as supporting the local population and economy.

Meals

5 Breakfasts. 1 Dinner.

Others

Guided visits to the following sites and attractions are included. However, this does not include entrance fees into the sites. You should purchase a Jordan Pass before travel which will cover these as well as providing a free Jordan visa. Bustling Amman Roman ruins at Jerash Roman mosaics at Madaba Views over Israel from Mt. Nebo Scenic Kings Highway drive Kerak crusader castle Full day in Petra Wadi Rum jeep safari & Bedouin camp Dead Sea swim, Entrance to Dead Sea beach (with towel & showers). Charging facilities. Desert safari in Wadi Rum.

Transport

24-hour airport arrival & departure transfer service Private air-conditioned vehicle throughout tour. 4x4 Bedouin jeep safari in Wadi Rum - The jeeps used in Wadi Rum are provided by the local Bedouins we work with, and while suitable for your desert safari, they may fall below the normal safety and quality standards for vehicles we use during the rest of our tours.

Accommodation

3 nights in twin/double rooms at a 3 or 4-star hotel in Amman. 1 nights in twin/double rooms at a 3 star hotel in Petra 1 night in a comfortable twin-share Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum. Accommodation upgrades are available on request.

Others

Entrance fees to sites visited (included in the Jordan Pass, to be purchased in advance - 70JD) Visa fees (a free visa is included in the Jordan Pass) Tipping. Other meals, snacks and drinks. Pre and post tour accommodation. Single supplement (Optional) - Please contact our Travel Experts for a quote.

Flights

International flights are not included but may be available on request.

Optional

Optional experiences are available on this tour for an additional cost and will be provided to you with your finalised travel documents. Single room supplement - This tour is based on twin-share accommodation, with single bookers paired up with another traveller of the same sex in the group. If the final group make-up means that no room share is available, you do not need to pay this supplement. However, if you would like to guarantee yourself a single room throughout the tour, then please add this option to your booking. Superior hotel upgrade - This option upgrades all your hotels on the tour from the local Jordan 3-star level to 5-star. At the Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum you stay in en-suite tents instead of those with shared facilities. The specific hotels used may vary on different dates but include the Landmark and Le Grand in Amman, and the Old Village or Hyatt Zaman Resort in Petra. The Petra hotels can be considered a good 4-star level despite their official 5-star rating. As-Salt and Bethany tour - Our first visit today is to the hilltop town of As-Salt, around 40 minutes drive from Amman. As-Salt was an important trading link between the Jordan Valley and Eastern Desert, and once the capital of Amman. The town developed its old Islamic architecture using yellow limestone, which was the finest at the time and many impressive buildings can still be seen today, as well as tiny narrow streets packed with shops and stalls. Today the town provides an example of religious and cultural friendship between the local Muslim and Christian population and we take a walking tour on its self-designed 'Harmony Trail' to learn more about the town and local life in Jordan. We'll also take lunch with a local family for a first taste of Jordan's delicious cuisine (if groups are over 10 people or no families have availability that day we will eat in a local restaurant instead). After lunch we descend out of the hills to the Baptism Site at Bethany. This is a relatively recently excavated site believed to be the biblical 'Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan' where John baptised Jesus Christ. Several churches, caves and pools dating from Roman and Byzantine periods have been discovered here. Both Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI have visited. An electric minibus takes you from the visitor centre to the three sites: Tell Mar Elias, the Baptism Pools and John the Baptist's Church. After a busy day, we'll return to our hotel in Amman where we'll spend the night. Desert Castles and Nature Reserves tour - After breakfast we leave Amman and head east to visit several of Jordan's Desert Castles - a fantastic reminder of its early Islamic art and architecture. These 'castles' were located on the old trade routes created during the Umayyad era and are more a combination of forts, bath houses and palaces than true castles. You can still see some mosaics, frescoes, carvings and illustrations on show, moulded by Persian and Graeco-Roman traditions, giving an insight into life during the 8th century. We'll explore the desert castles of Qasr al-Kharrana, Qal'at al-Azraq and Qseirr Amra and also visit two important nature reserves run by the Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). The Aqraq Wetland Reserve is a uniquely precious oasis located in the heart of Jordan’s eastern desert, between a limestone desert in the west and a basalt desert in the east. The reserve features lush marshland, and glittering pools and streams that are a haven for migratory birds on the African-Eurasian flyway. The Shaumari Wildlife Reserve was initially created as a breeding and reintroduction centre for globally threatened and locally extinct wildlife, particularly the Arabian Oryx. These efforts continue and now a wide variety of rare animals make their home in the reserve, including Ostriches Struthio camelus, Goitered Gazelles, and Persian Onagers. Also found in the area are red foxes, wolves, striped hyenas, Caracals and wild cats, while bird sightings can include Imperial Eagles, Pallid Harriers and Egyptian vultures. There is a good visitor centre on site and guided safaris may be available into the reserve before we return to Amman depending on the time we have available and the reserve's current arrangements. For your last evening, why not head into Downtown Amman for a final taste of Jordanian food, perhaps giving Jordan's national dish of Mansaf a go, or the classic falafel and hummus, with a taste of Knafeh, a popular sweet desert to finish.

Insurance

Travel insurance is mandatory but not included.