8 dream days in Jordan

Upon arrival, welcome and assistance at the airport by our representative. Then transfer to your hotel to spend the night there

5 star hotel: Rotana or equivalent

After breakfast at the hotel, departure to visit Madaba. It is one of the most memorable sites in the Holy Land. Called "the city of the mosaic", Madaba offers many sites to explore. The most remarkable find is a map of Jerusalem and the other holy cities of Palestine, in Byzantine mosaic dating from the 6th century, inside the Saint George Orthodox Church. The Church of the Apostles also offers superb mosaics.

You will continue with a visit to the city's archaeological park which contains interesting remains. The excavations have made it possible, and still allow today, to discover the archaeological riches of Madaba, long covered by modern constructions.

At the entrance to the park, you can see an exhibition of mosaics from several sites in the region. The oldest in the country, dating from the 1st century BC. J.-C., comes from the fortress of Herod in Machéronte.

Then transfer to Mount Nebo from which Moses saw the Holy Land of Canaan, and presumed burial place of Moses. You will be able to admire the spectacular panorama which encompasses the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and even on a very clear day Jerusalem.

You can visit the remains of the 4th century church built by the first Byzantine Christians in memory of Moses.

Last step with the visit of the fortress of Saladin in Kerak, a former Crusader fortress still surrounded by the fortifications of the old city.

Kerak rises 900 meters above sea level. Today, this city of a population of around 170,000 people still has various restored Ottoman buildings from the 19th century.

The fortress was built by King Baudoin in 1142, controlled by Renaud de Chatillon in 1176 and conquered by Saladin in 1189.

The castle is a labyrinth of rooms with vaulted ceilings, endless corridors and cellars in perfect condition.

You will finally arrive in Petra to spend the night at Pétra Bubble

Meals included: Breakfast - Dinner

After breakfast, let's go exploring Petra (with a French speaking guide for 2-3 hours).

Petra means "rock" in Greek

You will devote a whole day to the "Pink City", to explore this fabulous UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the afternoon, you can then stroll freely in the ancient city.

Petra is a legacy of the Nabataeans, a hard-working Arab nation that settled in the southern tip of Jordan over 2,000 years ago. Renowned for its refined culture, majestic cave architecture and ingenious irrigation system, this lost city enchants visitors from all over the world.

On the program of your visit: the Tomb of the Obelisks, the Siq, the Khazneh, the Amphitheater). Forgotten by the West, Petra has been living again since 1812 after its discovery by a Swiss traveler, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who managed to enter this jealously protected site by claiming to be an Arab from India, to make a sacrifice at the tomb of prophet Aaron. A discovery that will leave you speechless.

Night at Pétra Bubble

Meals included: Breakfast - Dinner

After breakfast, let's go to Wadi Rum

It is the largest and most majestic desert in Jordan, also called "Valley of the Moon".

Lawrence of Arabia crossed it to conquer Aqaba.

It was immortalized in the film of the same name, by David Lean, and it was used many times much later (Indiana Jones- Star Wars - Alone on Mars)

The beauty of Wadi Rum is breathtaking. Hills of red sandstone, sandy plains, strange rock formations with ocher hues. A labyrinth of monolithic rocks stretches from the ground up to more than 1,750 m in height for its highest peak.

In addition to its natural beauty, near the Resthouse you can discover the ruins of a Nabathean temple of which only the foundations remain.

At 800m from the temple is the "source of Lawrence". But an even more beautiful spring is at the bottom of Jebel Rum at about 500m

There you will also see a pre-Islamic cemetery (3rd and 4th BC) and prehistoric designs on 4000-year-old rocks.

Wadi Rum is also home to rare plants and wildlife including the gray wolf, Blandford fox, sand cat, Oryx, ibex and some 120 species of birds.

A night in the desert will offer you sunset and sunrise, as well as the contemplation of the Milky Way.

You will discover this magnificent desert through a 2 hour jeep tour

Night at the 5-star UFO Luxehotel

Meals included: Breakfast - Dinner

Aqaba is Jordan's window to the sea. Its fine sandy beaches and coral reefs are the most beautiful in the Red Sea.

The city is mentioned in the Old Testament under the name of Ezion-Jeber. It is a trading port from the time of King Solomon. It was occupied successively by the Edomites, the Nabateans and the Romans. In the 8th century it became a crossroads for pilgrims going to Mecca, was taken over by the Crusaders and then by the Mamelukes. Finally came the Ottomans who were driven out by King Faisal during the First World War.

You can enjoy the beach, snorkelling and diving, visit the city with its archaeological museum, aquarium and Mamluk fort, take a boat trip or go shopping, as Aqaba is a free zone.

The night life is very pleasant.

Overnight in 5 star hotel: Kempinski or equivalent

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast, transfer to the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, the lowest place in the world, about 420 meters below sea level. It would be the site of the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in particular.

With a landscape partially unaltered since ancient times, this is the perfect place for an excursion.

You can choose to sunbathe, swim in water so salty, that you can only float.

You can also enjoy the benefits of a relaxing massage or try the mud full of mineral salts drawn from the seabed and known for their therapeutic virtues.

Night in a 5-star hotel: Kempinski or equivalent

Meals included: Breakfast-Dinner

A short drive through olive groves and a pine forest will bring you to the town of Ajloun. There on a hill stands the castle of Qualat ar Rabad, at an altitude of 1250m. This castle is considered to be the finest example of Arab architecture in the region. It was built by a nephew of Saladin in 1184, to fight against the Crusaders. The fortress dominated a vast expanse north of the Jordan Valley as well as the passageways. Due to its strategic position, the castle controlled and protected the roads between southern Jordan and Syria. It was part of a chain of forts, the fires of which were lit at night to transmit signals from the Euphrates to Cairo.

In 1260 it was conquered and partially destroyed by the Mongols. In the 18th century it became the seat of an Ottoman garrison.

Well-preserved, the castle offers a labyrinth of towers, rooms, galleries and staircases to explore

Then direction Jerash, nicknamed the "Pompeii of the Middle East" because of its exceptional conservation.

In the heart of the Gilead Mountains, Jerash, ancient Gerasa, is inhabited from the Neolithic period, but it will not know its apogee until Roman times. It is part of the decapolis, a commercial and artistic league of 10 Greco-Roman cities.

You can walk through the city and discover its theaters, its temples, its nymphaeum, its churches, its markets, its colonnades, its oval square, its hippodrome, its magnificent gates and its 600m Roman road where the ruts left by the tank wheels are still visible.

Every summer, the Jerash theater hosts an art and culture festival which welcomes local and international artists presenting various shows (theater - ballet - singing - music-poetry-opera ... etc ...)

Then back to Amman for the night

Accompaniment of a French-speaking guide for the visit of Jerash (2h)

Night in a 5-star hotel: W or equivalent

Meals included: Breakfast

According to your flight schedule, transfer to the airport

Meals included: Breakfast