Highlights of Jordan

Fly direct from London to Amman and drive to the Dead Sea, 423m below sea level. Three nights at the 5-star Mövenpick Dead Sea resort, with shoreline access and a superb spa. (B)

Day at leisure to float the salt-dense water of the Dead Sea and enjoy the hotel.

An optional tour visits UNESCO protected Bethany, the site of Christ’s baptism in the River Jordan; continue to the splendid ancient remains of Jerash, with a huge colonnaded forum, 2nd-century Hadrian’s Arch, and Temple of Artemis, considered to be the best-preserved Roman city of the Decapolis (£95, pre-bookable).
(B)

Tour to Mount Nebo’s Moses Memorial; and continue to Madaba, famed for fabulous Byzantine mosaics, and visit the Archaeological Park, and St. George’s Church, where the Mosaic Map of ancient Palestine’s biblical sites is the oldest known floor map in existence. Drive (3 hrs) to Petra and visit the Siq al-Barid, known as ‘Little Petra’, followed by a special dinner at a camp in Little Petra area. Check-in at the 4-star Grand Mercure Petral for a two-night stay.
(B, D)

A full day of discovery in Petra, the legendary City of Stone, carved entirely out of sandstone rock, over 2,000 years ago. Camouflaged in desert canyons, the gargantuan scale of Petra is not revealed without some effort on the part of the pilgrim. A guided visit takes you through The Siq approach, a tight gorge with soaring red-pink walls, and leads to tombs and temples, the Street of Façades, and the magnificent Treasury. Optional Petra by Candlelight tour at the slot-canyon Siq and the Treasury, when flickering candles add a touch of magic to the rose-red city (bookable locally).
(B)

Travel to the desert wilds of Wadi Rum; view the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, leaning on each other in the frontage of a towering rock, and enjoy lunch at a Bedouin camp and transfer to the 5-star Mövenpick Aqaba for a two-night stay. The resort-style hotel is centrally placed and has a private beach.
(B, L)

Relax on a day at leisure in the easy ‘gone fishing’ tempo of Aqaba, Jordan’s only port, with sandy beaches, seafront cafés and fabulous fish restaurants or take an optional excursion on the ‘Glass Bottom boat cruise’ (bookable locally) which lets you view the marine life and coral reserve through its glass bottom or snorkelling. Enjoy a sunset cruise.
(B)

Transfer to Aqaba airport for your flight to London via Amman.
(B)