Walking Jordan's Spice Trails

Our tour of Jordan starts in Amman, one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Home to almost half of Jordan's entire population, Amman is a fascinating city of contrasts, where the ancient and the modern collide. Get lost in the bustling souks of downtown, where you'll be tempted by falafel and baklawa stalls, or visit the hillside Roman Theatre for a taster of the city's varied history. There are no activities planned for today, so you're free to arrive in Amman at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive at Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), a 30-minute drive from our hotel. For those arriving in time, our Explore Leader will give a welcome meeting at 7pm with an optional dinner afterwards. If you arrive later, you'll find the meeting information on the notice board in the hotel reception.

Today, we'll head south along the Desert Highway to Wadi Rum - approx. driving time 4 hours. On arrival, our bags will be taken onwards to our camp for the night, while we stretch our legs. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch before setting off on a walk through one of the most evocative landscapes in the Middle East. Home to the legend of Lawrence of Arabia (and the backdrop for the famous movie), Wadi Rum is an unreal landscape to uncover. We'll walk south, where Lawrence of Arabia once lived, and marvel at the yellow mountains towering out of the dunes, eventually reaching the highest point in the desert with a view on the 7 Pillars. We'll continue our walk to our campsite, just as the sun begins to set. Our comfortable camp is exclusive to the Explore group and we'll share a large communal tent (with gendered compartments). There's a shared washroom with toilets and showers. You can upgrade to a private tent at no extra cost, subject to availability. Please speak to your leader about arranging one. Today's walk covers 6.5 kilometres/4 miles and is expected to take around 2 hours. Note, we'll be walking some of the way on soft sand, so supportive walking shoes are a must.

This morning, we'll set off to explore more of the desert dunes. Walking in the footsteps of the early Nabatean traders, we'll follow the route that caravans of spices, silks and perfumes used to take. We'll explore the northern side of Wadi Rum, visiting the natural stone bridge, following camel footprints and spotting ancient inscriptions in the weathered pink granite mountains. After an unforgettable day trekking through stunning desert scenery, we'll return to our camp for a relaxing evening of stargazing. Today's walk covers 17 kilometres/10.6 miles and is expected to take around 7 hours. Note, we'll be walking on soft sand and in direct sunlight, so supportive walking shoes and appropriate clothing are a must.

After breakfast, this morning there's the option of a camel ride through the canyons back to meet our bus. Those who choose not to ride will be transported by 4WD across the dunes. Once we've all met the bus, we'll drove onwards to the rose red city, Petra. Here, we'll enter the UNESCO World Heritage Site via the twisting Siq gorge before arriving at the beating heart of the ancient city, the treasury. From there, we'll explore the royal tombs and Roman theatre before heading up to our campsite in Wadi Shamassat. Our camp tonight is completely unique - we've been given special permission by the Petra authorities to wild camp within walking distance of the archaeological site. We'll sleep like the local Bedouins in a goat hair tent, laid out with rugs and mattresses. The camp brings us back to basics, so facilities are simple - there's a portable toilet and bowls for washing. In the evening, there's the option to return to Petra after dinner for a candlelit tour of the city. Today's walk covers 13 kilometres/8.1 miles and is expected to take around five hours with an ascent of 270 metres/885 feet.

Today, we'll head back into Petra and up to one of the site's greatest monuments, Ad-Deir (The Monastery). We'll set off from our camp across the windswept Alzantour plateau. Once we reach the rim of Jabel Almatalah, we'll take in the views of Petra's mountains before following a trail along the cliffs to the Monastery. High above the city, it's almost hidden in the mountains and provides a panorama across the ancient site. From here, we'll begin the walk down the steps and visit the church, Alhabes Castle, before carrying on to the main tombs and the Nabatean Temple. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore at your own pace before we make the trek back to our campsite along the Wadi Alturkmanyah paths. Today's walk covers 18 kilometres/11.2 miles and is expected to take around 7 hours. The walk to the Monastery should take around 2 hours.

This morning, we'll set off from our campsite to Little Petra via the narrow Siq Barid canyon. Once a thriving Nabatean community, Little Petra is now a canyon of carved houses, temples, and tombs. Once we've finished up at Little Petra, we'll drive along the Desert Highway to join the King's Highway - one of the oldest trading routes in the world. Journeying onward, we'll make a stop at the crusader castle of Kerak. Built in 1896 by crusader king, Baldwin of Jerusalem, Kerak was one of a chain of fortresses used in the Holy War against Islam. In the afternoon, we'll continue to Madaba, our base for the night. Famous for its mosaics, the town is home to the Great Map of Palestine, dating back to the 6\super th\nosupersub century. Today's walk covers 3 kilometres/1.9 miles and is expected to take around 45 minutes along a flat route.

Today, we'll visit Jebel Neba, better known as Mount Nebo - the point from which Moses saw the Promised Land. We'll spend time taking in the site and the views before journeying on to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea. Surrounded by barren hills, this unique body of water has a salt content of 33%, making it almost impossible to sink. Experience the mysterious feeling of floating on the calm waters before indulging with Dead Sea mud. There are shower facilities at the resort to freshen up afterwards. After our dip in the Dead Sea, we'll continue to the ancient Roman site of Jerash. One of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world, only 10% of the city has been uncovered since excavation began more than 100 years ago but you can still get a feel for how life in the city once was. Walk the colonnaded streets, visit the hilltop temples, explore the chariot-racing stadium, and hear your voice amplified in the ancient theatre. This afternoon, we'll return to Amman, where we might have time to visit a Hammam.

Our tour of Jordan ends at our hotel in Amman. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to depart from Queen Alia International Airport (AMM).