Jordan - The Land of T.E. Lawrence

The sight of the Great Treasury of Petra is one of the most thrilling travel experiences you will encounter, giving the visitor a great sense of discovery and something very special to savour. There is so much more to Jordan than just Petra though, as this tour will demonstrate. It is a country with a rich and colourful history which has embraced many civilisations. The remarkable site at Jerash reminds us that Jordan was once a prosperous Roman province, and the architecture of numerous churches and castles hints at the country’s Byzantine and Umayyad periods.

ITINERARY

• DAY 1 - AMMAN
  We fly from London Heathrow to Amman where we stay for the first three nights of the tour at the centrally located 5 star Grand Millennnium Hotel (for our March tour we stay at the Marriott).

• DAY 2 - AZRAQ CASTLE
  A visit to the city’s Archaeological Museum and the new Jordan Museum will be followed by a drive into the surrounding countryside to see a selection of the beautiful desert castles that dot the landscape, including Azraq Castle which was used by Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab revolt.

• DAY 3 - JERASH
  We will explore Jerash, one of the finest and best-preserved Roman sites to be found anywhere. Its altitude of 500metres makes for wonderful views over the surrounding fertile countryside which we shall see as we drive through the Jordan Valley to the excavations at Pella.

• DAY 4 - SHOBEK
  We leave the capital and drive to Petra, stopping at the Crusader Castle at Shobek. Built in 1115, it is part of a string of imposing castles that stretches from Aqaba to Turkey. We will stay in the 4 star The Old Village hotel for four nights (for our March tour we stay at the Marriott Petra).

• DAY 5 - PETRA
  The day is spent at Petra. Situated at the end of the siq, a narrow passage through a cliff, is the magnificent Treasury of Petra. There will be plenty of time for you to explore the other sites of interest, including The Royal Tombs, Qsar El Bint and the Temple of the Winged Lion.

• DAY 6 - LITTLE PETRA AND WADI RUM
  We will visit Little Petra and Wadi Rum, an area closely associated with T. E. Lawrence.

• DAY 7 - THE DESERT
  Today we will discover the route of the grand Hijaz railway project and see abandoned stations, track and rolling-stock left exactly as they were by Lawrence and his Arab guerrillas.

• DAY 8 - MACHAERUS
  We leave Petra and travel along the Escarpment to the fortified hilltop palace, Machaerus. The tour moves on to the Dead Sea arriving mid-afternoon where we spend the final night of the tour at the 5 star Kempinski Hotel Ishtar.

• DAY 9 - FLIGHT BACK TO LONDON
  We drive to Amman airport for the flight back to London.