Camping under the stars in Jordan

Camping under the stars in Jordan 10 Days -9 Nights
Theme: Hiking & Trekking

This program is designed for people who love to discover Jordan in a different way, hiking and trekking.
This tour will take you through Dana mountain ranges, Neolithic sites and mythical landscapes of Petra and Wadi Rum “the Valley of the Moon”. You will discover Jordan’s largest and most majestic desert landscape with its red sandstone hills and needles and ridges, at your own pace being closer to the Jordanian Bedouins and their legendary hospitality.

Itinerary Day by Day

Day 01: Queen Alia Airport - Amman

Upon arrive Queen Alia international airport, you will be met and assist by our representative who will be waiting for you with a sign under your names to complete all airport procedures, then guide you to your driver / guide to pick you up from the Airport to your hotel in Amman.

You will be transferred from Queen Alia Airport to Amman
Distance	Estimated time duration
35 KM	45 Minutes

No excursions on this day

Hotel Name: Al Waleed (4*)
Room Type : Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan : HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website: http://www.rumhotels.com/

Day 02: Amman – Madaba – Mount Nebo – Kings Highway – Kerak – Dana Village

Meet your driver / guide at the hotel in the morning, transfer to Dana via King's Highway Road, it is the world’s oldest continuously used commutation route. It used to link ancient Bashan, Giliad, and Ammon in the north with Moab, Edom, Paran, and Midian in the south. The Kings’ Highway is first mentioned in the bible by name in Genesis 20:17, when Moses led the Exodus through southern Jordan, also King’s Highway connected Syria with the Gulf of Aqaba by way of what is now Jordan.

On the way to Petra you will visit Madaba, Mount Nebo and explore Kerak Castle.

You will be transferred from Amman to Mount Nebo
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
40 KM	1 Hour	45 Minutes

You will be transferred from Mount Nebo to Madaba
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
10 KM	15 Minutes	30 Minutes

You will be transferred from Madaba to Kerak
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
90 KM	2 Hours & 30 Minutes	1 Hour

You will be transferred from Kerak to Dana
Distancespan>	Estimated Time Duration	TiTime for visit
120 KM	2 Hours	-----

Mount Nebo:

It's located about 47 km from Amman and 10km from Madaba. It is believed to be the place where Moses lived out his remaining days and viewed as the Promised Land.

The first church in Mount Nebo was built at the end of the 4th century AD and marks its historical importance in the area.
From a platform in front of the church, you can see a bronze memorial of a snake on a cross that symbolizes the serpent raised by Moses in the desert, as well as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Mount Nebo offers a fantastic view of the Dead Sea, the West Bank, Jericho, the Jordan River, and on a clear day Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
According to Christian and Islamic beliefs, Moses was buried somewhere in the mountain, although the exact place of burial is not specified.

Madaba:

Madaba is a small town in central Jordan located 33 km south of the capital Amman. It was an important early Christian station on the pilgrim’s route from Jerusalem to Mount Nebo via the Jordan River. This city is a gift among of many churches which are decorated with mosaics, hence its name came from "City of the Mosaic".

It is now inhabited by Christians and Muslims a like, an example for religious tolerance between Christians & Muslims in Jordan.
In addition to this it is also known as the location of the "Madaba Map" at St. George Churches, which were built in the 6th century showing depiction of Jerusalem and parts of the Holy Land.

Kerak:

Whether you approach Karak from the ancient Kings Highway to the east or from the Dead Sea to the west, the striking silhouette of this fortified town and castle will instantly make you understand why the fates of kings and nations were decided here for millennia.

The town is built on a triangular plateau, with the castle at its narrow southern tip. The castle is some 220m long, 125m wide at the north end, and 40m wide at the southern end where a narrow valley deepened by a ditch separates it from the adjoining and much higher hill – once Saladin's favourite artillery position. Throughout the castle, dark and roughly-shaped crusader masonry is easy to discern from the finely-crafted blocks of lighter and softer limestone used in later Arab work.

Hotel Name: Dana Camp - Comfortble
Room Type : Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan : HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website:

Day 03: Dana (Trail with a local guide) – Shawbak – Little Petra – Petra

Meet your guide at the hotel/ camp in the morning to begin a trail in Dana Village, then transfer to Petra via Shawbak Castle & Little Petra.

You will be transferred from Dana to Shawbak
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
25 KM	30 Minutes	1 Hour

You will be transferred from Shawbak to Little Petra
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
25 KM	40 Minutes	1 Hour

You will be transferred from Little Petra to Petra
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
10 KM	20 Minutes	-----

Dana – Nawatef Trail (guided only)

- Grade: Easy to moderate / - Distance: 2 km / - Time: 2 hours

- Requirements: reasonable level of fitness; no fear of heights.

Description:

This circular trail begins from the Al-Barrah area and takes you to beautiful mountains, springs and ancient ruins in the Nawatef Area.

Dana zone offers a vast diversity of landscapes; there are wooded highlands, rocky slopes, sand dunes and stony deserts. During the accompanied trail with a tour guide you will see amazing places.

Shawbak Castle:
It's located in a town called Shawbak, It is located less than an hour drive from Petra.

It was built during the age of the crusaders 894 years ago. Shobak castle appears as a natural extension of the hill it is built on. The castle was strategically important due to the fact that it also dominated the main passage from Egypt to Syria. It successfully resisted a number of sieges until it fell to Saladin's troops in 1189.

Little remains of the original crusader fortifications. It has never been fully excavated and is currently being investigated by an Italian archaeological team from the University of Florence.

You can also go through the secret tunnel leading from the castle itself to a nearby hill.

Little Petra:

Close to Petra, after a 10 minute drive you find Al Beidha better known as Little Petra. You enter the site through a narrow gorge called Siq Al-Barid, the "cold Siq". The name refers to the circumstance that the high walls prevent sunlight from entering the canyon and warming it. The Siq is 350 meters long with three wider areas inside.

It is believed that Little Petra was an important suburb of Petra, the entry and exit point for the trade routes to the north and north-west. Here the caravans from the Negev, Gaza, Jerusalem, Egypt and the Mediterranean coast arrived, had a rest and engaged in trade. Like in Petra buildings had been carved into the sandstone, used as residences, storages and tombs along with water channels and cisterns. In one of the buildings you can find the remains of painted frescoes with birds, grapes and flowers, dating from the 1st century AD.

Hotel Name: Amra Palace
Room Type : Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan : HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website: http://www.amrapalace.com/

Day 04: Petra visit with a local guide – Walking up to 10 KM

You will meet your local guide to escort you during the Petra visit, he will stay with around 2 hours.

start point: visitor center

Endpoint: the Petra treasury

Your driver will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to Petra visitor center.

Petra – The Hidden Rock City:
The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have nothing in common with modern civilization, and ask nothing of it except to be appreciated at their true value - as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by Nature and Man.
Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. It has to be seen to be believed.

Petra the world wonder, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is without a doubt Jordan's most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago. Their presence turned it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

you will visit the unique "Rose-Red" city of Petra, built by the Arab Nabatean’s who hewed their monumental tombs, palaces, temples and treasury from the desert rock’s sandstone in its’ natural hues of rose and gold.
You will begin the trip on horseback for 700m till the entrance of the impressive narrow gorge (Siq) that leads marvelously to the magical moment. There you can glimpse the Treasury, continue to the street of facades, the Royal Tombs, the Cardo, Temples, Churches and Museums.

Hotel Name: Amra Palace
Room Type : Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan : HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website: http://www.amrapalace.com/

Day 05: Petra second visit (Explore the site by yourself)

Second visit to Petra - by yourself

Your driver will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to Petra visitor center.

Free time to discover Petra by yourself and take photos. Although some activities are not permitted within the site itself, there are plenty of really great locations in the area. If you’ve explored all there is to see in Petra itself and you still have energy for more, head down the Wadi to Little Petra. It may not be as quite as monumental as the main site but it was an important suburb of Petra and there is still much to see here.

Hotel Name: Amra Palace
Room Type : Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan : HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website: http://www.amrapalace.com/

Day 06: Petra – Wadi Rum – Full Day Hiking

Meet your driver / guide at the hotel in the morning, transfer south to Wadi Rum (Valley of the Moon), hiking and trekking for 3 days and overnight in the desert under the stars (bivouac).

You will be transferred from Petra to Wadi Rum
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
150 KM	2 Hours & 30 Minutes	5/6 Hours

Wadi Rum is the largest and most magnificent of Jordan’s desert landscapes, it's also known as the "Valley of the moon". You will prepare yourself for unusual treks to discover the desert on foot.

Our team will take you down virtually to unexplored canyons where ancient Thamudic inscriptions and drawings can be seen carved into the rocks, and Nabataean steps can be found leading to higher places. Also to be discovered are Lawrence’s Well, a Nabataean temple, desert oasis, and amazing rock bridges. Everywhere you look, breathtaking panoramic views and a sense of deep tranquillity.

Our Bedouin staff in Wadi Rum will take you immediately for 2 hours hike tour in the desert, after that stop for a picnic lunch break near Burda, then continue for another 3 hours hiking in the afternoon.

Your dinner and overnight will be in a temporary camp at Um Frouth.

Hotel Name: Bivouac
Room Type: Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan: HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website:

Day 07: Wadi Rum – Second Day Hiking

Second day hiking - continue where you left off.

No Transportion

Second full day of trekking in the desert, we trace through pink sand dunes, we will explore the massive `s Um Frouth, Um Ngour, the Siq Nugra, picnic during the trip. Installation of a temporary camp at Um Sabatah, dinner and overnight stay.

Hotel Name: Bivouac
Room Type: Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan: HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website:

Day 08: Wadi Rum – Third Day Hiking

Third day hiking - continue where you left off.

No transportation

third full day of walking in the desert, of 500 to 600 steps, picnic during the excursion. Installing the temporary camp on the side of Lawrence Arabia house. Dinner and overnight stay.

Hotel Name: Bivouac
Room Type: Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan: HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website:

Day 09: Wadi Rum – Dead Sea – Amman

Meet your driver / guide at the camp in the morning and transfer to the lowest spot on the earth - The Dead Sea, and then continue to Amman.

You will be transferred from Wadi Rum to Dead Sea
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
330 KM	4 Hours & 30 Minutes	2 Hours

You will be transferred from Dead Sea to Amman
Distance	Estimated Time Duration	Time for visit
45 KM	1 Hour	-----

The Dead Sea:
It has an extensive historical and spiritual legacy. Its surface and shores are 430.5 meters below sea level the Earth's lowest elevation on land.
It is the lowest point on earth located 60 km from Amman. It is believed to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar (Bela).
Dead Sea waters have been known by many for centuries to be the only place in the world where this particular combination of spa benefits exists. Peculiar sun radiation and climatic conditions, enriched oxygen atmosphere, mineral-rich sea salt, thermo-mineral springs, and mineral-rich mud all offer effective medical treatment and therapeutic benefits that attract visitors from all over the world.
You will spend an amazing time with sunbathing, swimming and dining, as well as enjoy a strange but delightful experience: "float on the surface of the waters", the high buoyancy is due to the salt content being nine times higher than that of ordinary seawater.

Hotel Name: Al Waleed (4*)
Room Type : Single/ Double/ Twin/ Triple – upon request
Meal Plan : HB (Breakfast & Dinner)
Website: http://www.rumhotels.com/