Dana to Petra

1. 1

   Day 1

   Arrive Amman

   You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in Madaba for settling in. If flights allow, we will have a traditional Jordanian Shawarma experience in Madaba.

2. 2

   Day 2

   Madaba—Mt. Nebo—Dana Nature reserve

   Today we visit the oldest map of the Holy Land on the floor of Saint George’s Church. Madaba features many famous mosaics that exist in public and private buildings. A short drive takes us to Mt. Nebo, the alleged burial site of Moses, overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. We then drive to the Feynan end of the Dana Nature reserve located in the area of the old Roman Copper mines Lodge. This marks our start of the Bedouin Trail to Petra—exciting!

3. 3

   Day 3

   Wadi Feynan to Wadi Barwas

   Today is a 6 hour walking day. The route is flat but stony with absolutely spectacular views over the Wade Araba desert and high mountains. There are a series of small valleys (Wadis) that we cross throughout the day. We will see a Roman pool, Watermill and Aqua ducts as well as many desert birds as we travel.

4. 4

   Day 4

   Wadi Barws to Ras El Fed

   Today is a 6-8 hour trekking day. We head off towards Abu Sakakin which is where we start our ascent. Climbing gently on the initial part, we will follow a twisty goat herders track. This will be more challenging, but extremely rewarding in terms of beautiful views. The top of the high saddle is 720m above sea level. We then begin a well-defined descent which ends on a dry river bed. Camping overnight near the Sakakin Canyon—amazing!

5. 5

   Day 5

   Ras El Fed to Shkart Msei’d

   Today is an 8-10 hour trekking day. We walk back along the dry riverbed of the Sakakin canyon for approximately 1km until we reach the goat herding trail, still used today as the Bedouin migrate their animals to avoid extreme temperatures. Some of the paths today may be particularly challenging, requiring hand and foot holds! However, the scenery is so superb it is all worth the effort. We follow as the trail snakes along the Wadi floor, through the light sandstone mountains to Shkart Msei’d.

6. 6

   Day 6

   Shkart Msei’d to Little Petra

   Today is a 6 hour trekking day. This morning our scenery changes dramatically from a well-defined wadi and mountain to wide open sandstone hills with a moonscape feel! The terrain is easy to go through with wide tracks and walkways. The start of the Nabatean influence is apparent here and the first cut steps can be seen. The trail passes through Bedouin encampments and enters a maze like track, with some light scrambling required. We reach a plateau and descend into Little Petra (Beidha).

7. 7

   Day 7

   Little Petra—Petra

   We have a 3 hour trek and then a 4-6 hour trek in Petra today. Walking through the mountain range of Petra, the first settlement we encounter is the Neolithic village of Beidha, situated in a well-defined Wadi. Our initial walk is across wide farmland. We then see fantastic views from across the mountains down towards the Araba desert 100km away. The walk into Petra is magnificent and is the culmination of 5 days hard walking, what a reward! The initial glimpse of the top of the Monastery, as it comes into view through the mountains, is utterly beautiful. A full tour of Petra follows, including a short horse ride opportunity between the visitor centre and the Siq (included). This City, which is surrounded by hundreds of carved structures including Roman theatres, burial chambers, large and small houses, is one of the worlds most famous archaeological sites in the world. This UNESCO World Heritage landmark is a great reward at the end of our fulfilling trek.

8. 8

   Day 8

   Wadi Rum

   Leaving Petra we drive south to the magical desert of Wadi Rum, home of “Lawrence of Arabia”. We take a local jeep tour and head into the desert to visit the sites of Rum. We visit Lawrence’s spring and the Khazali Canyon, where we can see many Nabatean inscriptions and drawings. We visit a traditional Bedouin family who live nomadically, learn how to make Aboud bread in the ashes of the fire and drink Bedouin tea. Heading to Salem Metluz we can appreciate the changes in temperature and rock colour as the desert night draws in. The stars will provide the entertainment this evening as they light up the night sky better than you ever thought possible!

9. 9

   Day 9

   Dead Sea

   Lots of fun today in the warm and minerally rich, salty waters of the Dead Sea. We can experience the famous healthy black mud in the same way King Herod and Cleopatra did. Having soaked up our sun and minerals we head back into Amman for a spot of shopping from traditional Jordanian stall holders. We have an evening walking tour of downtown Amman, sampling local street foods with dinner at the locals’ choice; Hashems, to fully complete our Jordanian experience.

10. 10

    Day 10

    Amman, fly home

    We head back to the airport for our return flight back to the UK, full of great memories to take home.

Itineraries can change with the seasons, local conditions and your group's needs. Ask us and we'll tailor it.