Ancient site of Petra

The expedition offers you the challenge of trekking through the ‘Wadi Rum’ desert on the ‘Jordan Trail’, named by National Geographic as one of the best treks on the planet! The trail gives you the challenge of reaching the highest mountain in Jordan and the final destination of the route is at the ancient monastery of Petra - a world heritage site and one of the modern natural wonders of the world. Petra dates to around 300 BC and was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. Accessed via a narrow canyon, it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs, earning its nickname, the "Rose City." Perhaps its most famous structure is the 45m-high Al Khazneh temple with its ornate Greek-style façade. 

Flights depart from Heathrow Airport and arrive in Jordan at the Amman Queen Alia Airport where a private transfer will take you direct to our 4* luxury hotel in Amman for a night's accommodation. You then begin the trail of the Wadi Rum with its stunning landscape and incredible natural sandstone sculptures, wild camping on the way and trekking to the peak of the highest mountain in Jordan - Jabel Umm Admai - at 1,840m above sea level. Your trail then continues south to the ancient World Heritage Site of Petra for a day's guided tour of the canyons and monastery. The final element of the trip is time to relax by the beautiful Dead Sea, staying for 2 nights at one of its best 5* resorts before flying back to the UK.

The trekking route is a ‘challenge’ but you do not need to be extremely fit to undertake the trip as you will be walking at a steady pace, carrying only a day bag with personal items and water. This is an assisted trek, therefore the porters will transport the group equipment like tents and sleeping bags etc. making your rucksack manageable and lighter in weight.

The group is led by a fully qualified and experienced English speaking guide, assisted by porters and cooks. Throughout the entire trip, you will be very well looked after from the moment that you land in Jordan to your final day and departure.

Fly from London Heathrow Airport to Amman Queen Alia Airport, Jordan. Arrive in the evening for a private transfer to the hotel for check-in. We use a luxury 4* hotel in Amman called the Al Qasr Metropole Hotel. Night in the hotel included in the trip cost.

The name ‘Wadi Rum’ comes from one of the oldest languages in the World - Aramaic. In Aramaic, ‘Rum’ means elevated and the ‘Wadi’ means Valley, so the direct translation is Elevated Valley. The ‘Wadi Rum’ is between 800-900 meters above sea level, making for a completely unique desert climate. The ‘Wadi Rum’ is also home to Jordan's Highest Mountain - Jabel Umm Admai - which peaks at 1,840m.

Today's trail is a moderate 20km trek through the Wadi Rum and on to our wild camp at Siq Barrah for a traditional dinner and overnight wild camping. We will provide all the tents, sleeping bags and mattresses for your comfort and Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are all included.

After a hearty breakfast we will continue to hike through the beautiful and varied desert landscapes of the Wadi Rum, passing through high towering canyons of sandstone. Throughout the trail, there are amazing natural rock formations all cut out by the desert winds over millions of years.

Our route heads south towards the highest mountain in Jordan ‘Jabel Um Adami’ and our next wild camp is at the base of the mountain. Our hike today is around 18km of moderate hiking and in camp you will enjoy another traditional dinner and overnight camping in Wadi Rum. Breakfast - Lunch – Dinner included.

After breakfast we will hike to the peak of Jabel Umm Adami in the morning. Here at the peak you will thoroughly enjoy the beautiful views of the desert across Jordan and through to Saudi Arabia. This is the highest mountain in Jordan and on our descent we will have a home cooked lunch with the guide before continuing our trek through the desert to our evening camp site. Today's trek is 18km and is a little tougher than the previous day's due to the steepness of the mountain route.

After breakfast we will hike to the peak of Janel Burdha (1450m) which takes around 3-4 hours. The route is a great fun and involves a scramble in places to the peak. This is a marvellous and exciting hike and the views from the top are among the best in the whole Wadi Rum area. We will have a picnic style lunch today and then head out of the desert and drive to Petra. Tonight’s accommodation is in Petra at the luxury 5* Movenpick Resort Hotel and we include breakfast and lunch.

Today we have a whole day visiting Little Petra and Petra itself with a 2 hour trail through the canyons finishing at the monastery in Petra and a guided tour. The ancient city of Petra is one of Jordan’s national treasures and by far its best known tourist attraction. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the afternoon, we will depart Petra bound for the Dead Sea (which is a 4hr drive), arriving at the 5* Kempinski Ishtar Resort and Hotel. Today we include breakfast and lunch.  

Today is a full day to relax and enjoy the Dead Sea. We include breakfast and another night at the Kempinski Ishtar Resort and Hotel.

The morning is free so you have time to relax. We then have a private transfer to Amman Queen Alia Airport and a return flight back to London Heathrow. Breakfast is included.