Jordan 5 Days Tour
Signature Brand
All Egypt Tours
Overview
This version of Jordan works differently from most. You base yourself in Amman for all four nights and run day trips out from it, which means no packing and repacking, no checking in and out, and one hotel that knows you by the second morning. The trade is road time — Petra in particular is a long drive each way — but for anyone who would rather not live out of a suitcase, it is the better arrangement.
The first day out heads west and down. Madaba comes first, where the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St George holds a sixth-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, laid in more than two million tesserae and still legible enough to identify Jerusalem's colonnaded street. Mount Nebo is a few minutes further on: the ridge where Moses is said to have looked across to the land he would not enter, with the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and, on a clear morning, the hills beyond it all visible from the terrace. The road then drops to the Dead Sea itself, four hundred metres below sea level, where the water is salt-saturated enough that floating takes no effort at all and the mineral mud along the shore is what the resorts were built for.
The second day out goes north instead. Jerash is a Roman provincial city that was never built over, so the oval forum, the colonnaded cardo with chariot ruts worn into the paving, the Nymphaeum and the Temple of Artemis stand as they were left; a local guide walks you through it. Ajloun Castle follows, an Ayyubid fortress raised in 1184 by one of Saladin's commanders to watch the iron mines and the routes below. Umm Qais, ancient Gadara, closes the day from a terrace looking out over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights — one of the widest views in the country.
Petra takes the whole of the fourth day. You ride a horse the first stretch from the visitor centre, then walk into the Siq, a sandstone fissure over a kilometre long and narrow enough in places that the sky is a line overhead, until the Treasury opens at the far end. Beyond it the Nabataean city keeps going: the Street of Facades, the theatre cut into the rock, and the Royal Tombs ranged along the eastern cliff. Your guide covers two to three hours and the rest of the site stays open to you.
Everything runs privately, with an English-speaking assistant travelling with you throughout and specialist local guides at Petra and Jerash.
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Daily Itinerary
Your tour manager meets you at Queen Alia International Airport, helps with the entry formalities and drives you into the city, about forty minutes by private air-conditioned vehicle. They see you through check-in, go through the days ahead and agree the morning pickup with you rather than assigning it. A welcome drink is waiting at the hotel. The rest of the evening is free.
Overnight: Amman
Included visits: None
Meals: Welcome drink
Optional experiences: An evening walk through downtown Amman, the Citadel hill and the Roman theatre
Important notes: Airport pickup is included whatever time you arrive. Confirm your visa arrangements with us before travel — the Jordan Pass, bought online in advance, waives the visa fee for most visitors and covers Petra, Jerash, Ajloun and Umm Qais entry.
After breakfast you drive southwest to Madaba, about forty minutes, for the mosaic map on the floor of St George's Church. Mount Nebo is ten minutes further, with the Franciscan memorial church on the summit and the valley laid out below it. The road then descends to the Dead Sea, dropping several hundred metres in a short distance. You have time at a resort beach to float and use the mud before driving back up to Amman for the night.
Overnight: Amman
Included visits: Madaba and the Church of St George, Mount Nebo, Dead Sea
Meals: Breakfast
Optional experiences: Spa treatments at the Dead Sea resort; the mosaic workshops in Madaba
Important notes: Bring a swimsuit and flip-flops — the shoreline is sharp underfoot. Do not shave that morning, keep the water out of your eyes, and twenty minutes in is plenty. Modest dress is expected at both churches.
A north-bound day. Jerash comes first, an hour from Amman, with a local guide for the site itself. Ajloun Castle follows on a hilltop half an hour further, with a long view over the Jordan Valley from the ramparts. Umm Qais is the last stop, out on the northern border, where the black basalt of the Greco-Roman city sits above the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. You return to Amman in the evening.
Overnight: Amman
Included visits: Jerash, Ajloun Castle, Umm Qais
Meals: Breakfast
Important notes: A long day with three sites and a good deal of driving. Umm Qais is exposed and the wind comes up in the afternoon — take a layer. Lunch is not included; there are restaurants at Jerash and Umm Qais.
An early start for the drive south, roughly two and a half hours each way on the Desert Highway. A short horse ride covers the first stretch from the visitor centre, and you continue on foot into the Siq. The Treasury sits at the far end. Your local guide takes you through the main sites over two to three hours — the Street of Facades, the theatre, the Royal Tombs — after which you are free to keep walking. You drive back to Amman in the evening.
Overnight: Amman
Included visits: Petra
Meals: Breakfast
Optional experiences: The Al Khubtha trail up to the viewpoint above the Treasury; the climb to the Monastery, around 800 steps; golf-cart assistance along the approach
Important notes: The longest day of the trip — five hours in the vehicle plus a full day on your feet. Proper shoes, a hat and more water than you expect to need. Lunch is not included; there are restaurants inside the site. Horse numbers are limited and the ride covers only the approach, not the Siq or the city.
Breakfast at the hotel, with checkout at noon. Your driver collects you in time for your flight, allowing for the drive to Queen Alia and the airport queues. If your departure is late in the day, reception will hold your luggage and a half-day of Amman sightseeing can be arranged.
Included visits: None
Meals: Breakfast
Important notes: Allow three hours before an international departure. Ask us in advance about a late checkout or a day-use room if you fly in the evening.
What's Included
- Meet-and-assist by our representative at Amman airport on arrival and departure
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking assistant throughout
- Four nights in Amman with breakfast
- Local English-speaking guide at Petra, two to three hours
- Local English-speaking guide at Jerash, about one hour
- English-speaking driver for the Madaba, Mount Nebo and Dead Sea day
- Entrance tickets to every site named in the itinerary
- Short horse ride on the approach to the Siq, covered by your Petra ticket
- Meals as set out day by day below
- All service charges and applicable taxes
Not Included
- International airfare
- Entry visa to Jordan
- Personal spendings
- Tipping
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