Experience Leisure and Wellness in Jordan

DAY 1: Amman

Overnight in Amman

Amman is a fascinating city of contrasts, a unique blend of old and new. Visit the Citadel and the Archeology Museum, the Roman Theatre in downtown, enjoy a walk through the colorful Souq, enjoy local culinary delights at Hashem & Habiba, and mingle with the people, the heart and soul of the country.

Head to Rainbow Street, a vibrant strip that comes to life with coffee shops / cafés, shawarma stands, bookstores, art galleries, bars/lounges and much more. If you happen to be in Amman on a Friday, make sure to check out Souk Jara (Jara Market), a seasonal flea market opened annually in the springtime through October, where locals set up stalls on one of Amman’s oldest streets lined with historic homes. With over 100 booths, here you can find everything from handmade traditional items to items made from recycled materials to knickknacks to antiques, local street foods, local artists, entertainment, etc. This is another great place to mingle with the locals and buy gifts for friends and family back home.

Freshen up for an evening of wine-tasting at the Zumot Winery headquarters in Amman where you will sample and learn how some of Jordan’s finest organic wine is made. Check out some of Amman’s nightlife hot spots!

DAY 1: Amman

Overnight in Amman

DAY 2: Ma'in Hot Springs

Overnight in Ma’in

Drive south towards the Ma’in hot springs and along the way make a quick stop for lunch in Madaba and peek into the Church of St. George to get a glimpse of the most ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land. Then continue east to the Evason Ma’In Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa Resort, lying 260-meters below sea level and set like an oasis in the dramatic terrain, defining the resort and spa experience in the Middle East. It is the perfect retreat to relax and be pampered whilst enjoying the therapeutic benefits of the Ma’In hot spring waterfalls.

Enjoy a sunset dinner at the Dead Sea Panoramic Complex that sports an indoor dining area and an outdoor dining terrace where you will enjoy the dazzling views of the Dead Sea and the surrounding mountains at every turn.

DAY 2: Ma'in Hot Springs

Overnight in Ma’in

DAY 3&4: Petra

Overnight in Petra

Spend the morning with Indiana Jones in “The Last Crusade” as he charges through the desert gorge to the Treasury in search of the Holy Grail! Jordan abounds in archaeological riches, but few sites in the world can rival the Nabataean city of Petra, carved out of the rose-red rock cliffs!

This jewel of the Middle East, surrounded by imposing mountains and approached through a deep, narrow cleft in the rocks known as the Siq, Petra is a unique and unforgettable place, an altogether overwhelming experience that you will forget. Approaching the Siq you will follow its towering sandstone walls towards the site of the captivating and iconic splendor of the beautiful Khazneh (the famous Treasury), one of the city’s most iconic structures. A guided orientation tour will then take you to some of the key parts of this remarkable and ancient site, one of the most impressive and exciting anywhere in the world. You will explore the Royal Tombs and the Roman theatre, with its 8,000 seats carved from the solid rock that surrounds it.

Enjoy lunch at the Basin Restaurant and go off the beaten path on one of the many trails and continue to explore this vast, ancient city. If you happen to be in Petra on a night that it is available, the Petra by night tour is a must! Tours start at 8.30pm and finish at 10.00pm every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

n the evening, head to the Petra Kitchen for a relaxed, informal atmosphere where you will gather to prepare an evening meal. Working alongside local women and men under the supervision of a local chef offers an evening of learning, fun and a very special dining experience, with each dish bearing the special flavor of a reward well-earned.

Little Petra

Upon leaving Petra, drive for 10 minutes down the Wadi “Valley” to Little Petra historically known as “Al Beidha”. It may not be quite as monumental as the main site but it was an important suburb of Petra and there is still much to see here.

DAY 3&4: Petra

Overnight in Petra

Little Petra

DAY 5: Wadi Rum

Camp & Overnight in Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum

No trip to Jordan is complete without a visit to the infamous UNESCO world heritage site, Wadi Rum. This extraordinary desert landscape is where Lawrence of Arabia operated throughout 1917 and launched the strike on Aqaba. It provided David Lean with his most memorable movie locations.

“Vast, echoing and God-Like” is the way Lawrence described Wadi Rum, where you will enjoy this largest and most magnificent of Jordan’s desert landscapes. Your experience in Wadi Rum can begin with a visit to the museum, craft shops and a sumptuous lunch at the Visitor’s Center. The Visitor’s center is also where all vehicle tours operate from and where you must register and pay the entrance fees to enter the protected area.

After lunch, venture off the beaten path in a four-wheel-drive vehicle to explore the desert and see up close the “Seven Pillars of Wisdom” about which Lawrence wrote, Lawrence’s spring and what’s left of the house in which he resided. Wadi Rum is indeed a foreign world, so make sure to take in the stars at night as you lay by a camp fire outside your Bedouin tent, but only after tasting the best cuisine of Wadi Rum, Zarb, which is cooked in the ground! Oooh and tea at sunset in the middle of the desert is really a MUST!

DAY 5: Wadi Rum

Camp & Overnight in Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum

DAY 6&7: Aqaba

Overnight in Aqaba

After exploring Lawrence's path in the desert, head to Aqaba, a year-round resort on the Red Sea. The Red Sea and its surrounding pink mountains is truly one of nature’s most breathtaking sites. Enjoy a lunch cruise, snorkeling and sunbathing at your leisure while the boat is anchored, or just chill out on the beach of your hotel. The water is warm, the weather is perfect and the high standard accommodations are second to none.

Spend the evening walking and exploring the downtown of Aqaba, go shopping in the souq, stop for tea/coffee and chat with locals at a coffee shop. Make sure to try Jordan’s famous fish dish, Sayadeyeh.

DAY 6&7: Aqaba

Overnight in Aqaba

DAY 8: Dead Sea

Overnight at the Dead Sea

Depart Aqaba and head to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth at 400m (1,312 ft.) below sea level, a place to rejuvenate and restore your mind, body and soul. The curative properties of the Dead Sea have been recognized since the days of Herod the Great and Queen Cleopatra. A series of good roads, excellent hotels with spa and fitness facilities, as well as archaeological and spiritual discoveries make this region as enticing to today’s international visitors as it was to kings, emperors, traders, prophets and pilgrims in antiquity. Float in the buoyant warm super-salty water, treat yourself to a soothing massage, or try the renowned healing powers of the minerals right from the sea’s muddy floor.

DAY 8: Dead Sea

Overnight at the Dead Sea

AdventureNEXT Near East is a specialized regional conference that builds upon more than a decade of Adventure Travel World Summit events around the globe and also the milestone AdventureNEXT event in Southeastern Europe, where tourism representatives from across the Balkans region gained momentum to promote responsible tourism and expose the region to high value global travelers.

Tourism professionals from within Jordan and surrounding countries, along with international tour operators and media with an interest in the region, are invited to access hallmark educational keynotes and breakout sessions, a business-to-business tour operator marketplace and connection to travel media.

The Jordan Trail Thru-Hike is a long distance hiking trail in Jordan connecting the length of Jordan from Um Qais in the north to Aqaba in the south. Offering 40 days of hiking over more than 650 kilometers of trail, and travelling through 52 villages and towns on its way. The trail traverses the diverse landscapes and vistas of the country, from the rolling wooded hills of the north, the rugged wadis and cliffs overlooking the Jordan Rift Valley, the rose rock of Petra, the dramatic sands and towering mountains in Wadi Rum, to the crystal waters of the Red Sea. For more information about planning a trip to the Jordan Trail, check out the Jordan Trail Association.