Petra and Rainbow Valley

Itinerary

• Day 1

  Arrive in Amman

  A member of our team will be waiting for you at the international airport in Amman. We transfer to our hotel in the city and depending on your arrival time, there me be an opportunity to go and do some exploring.

  • Accomodation: Hotel
• Day 2

  Amman to Wadi Rum

  After an early breakfast we join the rest of the group at 8am in the hotel reception for our pre-trek briefing. We then hit the road and head south to Wadi Rum in southern Jordan (4 hours), one of the most beautiful and colourful deserts in the country, also called "Valley of the Moon" in the local language. After meeting our local Bedouin support team, our trek starts towards Um Fruth and its amazingly shaped arch, a superb rock formation shaped over time by natural elements. We continue our hike amongst impressive djebels (mountains) with unreal profiles, huge red dunes at the bend of a canyon, gigantic sandstone stairs soaring towards the sky.

  • Hiking time: 3 - 4 hours
  • Ascent: 100 m
  • Descent: 100 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day 3

  Hiking in Wadi Rum

  We journey further into the desert of Wadi Rum in the footsteps of Laurence of Arabia who said: "Rum, the marvel... vast and resonant..., a processional way beyond imagination" to reach the region of Um Sabatha with its red canyons and its splendid panoramas.

  • Hiking time: 5 - 6 hours
  • Ascent: 100 m
  • Descent: 100 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day 4

  Wadi Araba and the dunes of Regana

  Early in the morning today, our vehicle will pick us up in the desert and we head towards the region of Wadi Araba. One of the most amazing valleys in Jordan with magnesium content in the rock producing an incredible multicolored appearance. We start our hike in this area at the village of Al Alabassiya where a series of narrow canyons provide access to the valley. Toward the end of the day we will reach the beautiful dunes of Regana where we make camp for the night.

  • Hiking time: 6 - 7 hours
  • Ascent: 200 m
  • Descent: 200 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day 5

  Wadi Araba to Rainbow Valley

  Today we enter the astonishing Rainbow Valley where thousands of years of wind erosion have exposed colorful layers of sedimentary rock that are awesome to behold. These are caves dug by nature without any human intervention, each erosion revealing magnificent colors and patterns.
  
  We spend the day exploring the rock formations and canyons of the valley before settling down for our next wild camp in this very special and remote part of Jordan.

  • Hiking time: 5 - 6 hours
  • Ascent: 450 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day 6

  Rainbow Valley to Petra

  After a short walk, we leave the Rainbow Valley and reach Wadi Musa (The Valley of Moses), the new city of Petra which is near the remains of the Nabataean city of Petra. We have lunch in a small local restaurant before leaving to discover Siq Al-Barid, otherwise known as "Little Petra". Siq Al-Barid is similar to the main site of Petra with narrow gorges and phenomenal ancient carvings, but much smaller and less visited. We spend the afternoon exploring and soaking up the views before returning to our tented camp nearby.

  • Hiking time: 4 - 5 hours
  • Ascent: 200 m
  • Descent: 200 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day 7

  Petra

  We leave camp early in the morning for a complete discovery of the ancient Nabataean city of Petra. This UNESCO World Heritage site can become busy at peak periods so we are careful to take the paths less travelled and provide a more peaceful experience. Rather than using the well known and photographed main entrance, a short hike takes us to the rear entrance of the city and the little visited Deir or Monastery, an ancient place of pilgrimage for the Nabataeans.
  
  From the Monastery we descend 800 steps to reach the Fountain of the Lion where the waters of the Ain Braq spring would once have rushed from the mouth of a huge lion carved into the cliff face. From here we we ascend again to the high place of sacrifice for superb views. Finally, we descend through the Triclinium and the first royal tombs, before exiting at the top of the site.

  • Hiking time: 6 - 7 hours
  • Ascent: 800 m
  • Descent: 800 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Day 8

  Petra and the Dead Sea

  This morning we return to ancient Petra again, this time taking the iconic route through the narrow gorge of the Siq to reach the Treasury. We then discover more in depth the Royal Tombs, the Roman amphitheater, the Byzantine church and the colonnaded avenue.
  
  After lunch, we take the road to the Dead Sea for a dip in its hot and salty water. The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest land on Earth with an altitude of 430m below sea level! The high salt content of the water means it is impossible to sink, a bizarre sensation. At the end of the afternoon we return to our hotel in Amman.

  • Hiking time: 3 - 4 hours
  • Accomodation: Hotel
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch
• Day 9

  Departure

  Transfer to the airport for your return flight.

  • Meals included: Breakfast
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See the map