Women-Only: Journey Through Jordan

Arrive in Amman today, the capital city of Jordan, and continue to our hotel for check-in.

Wake up with breakfast at your hotel and then venture out for a city tour of Amman. You’ll start to immerse yourself in the culture and learn of the area’s history with a stop at the Citadel, Roman Theater, and Jordan Museum. Visit an art gallery and meet with a featured Jordanian woman artist. Then, visit the Iraq Al-Amir Women Cooperative Society, a program just outside Amman that trains local women on traditional craft and product making. This initiative helps them find jobs and contribute to the community. Later on, head back into the heart of the city for a special dinner where you'll be joined by a Jordanian local leader to hear more about women in Jordanian society today. Then, enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure.  

After breakfast, we’ll head out to explore Jerash, the "Pompeii of the East" which houses some of the best preserved Roman ruins, rivaling the ones in Rome. Spend most of the day wandering the cardo—its spectacular colonnaded street—and admiring the South Theatre, Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, the Artemis Temple, and the Nymphaeum. The city's 14 churches date back to the Byzantine era and are filled with fine mosaics. In the evening, head back to Amman for a specially arranged visit to the Turkish baths and enjoy a traditional Jordanian experience with women wellness specialists. Dinner this evening is at your leisure. 

Today, we’ll start making our way toward Wadi Rum, driving along the 5,000-year-old King's Highway. Along the way, stop in Madaba, "the City of Mosaics", and see St. George's Greek Orthodox Church, which houses a well-preserved sixth-century Byzantine mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Heading about ten minutes west, we’ll also visit the most revered site in Jordan—Mount Nebo, the presumed site of Moses’ death and burial place. Then, proceed onward to our Wadi Rum Bedouin camp where you’ll have a tent with a private bath for your overnight stay. The featured dinner will be zaarb, a dish of marinated meat mixed with vegetables, slowly baked in a pit of hot coals covered by sand.

This morning, enjoy breakfast while taking in the beauty of Wadi Rum, a moonscape terrain of ancient river beds, rugged mountains, and golden desert sands. You will meet locals offering cardamom-spiced coffee at the "Beau Geste" outpost, and then take off on an exciting 2-hour jeep tour around this diverse landscape in which "Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed. After a truly “out of this world” experience, we’ll depart and head north, finally arriving in Petra this evening. There will be an optional cooking class and dinner at a culinary school in the city.

Note: While the tour activity level is the explorer level, this day may be more taxing as this is a full day of walking on uneven surfaces.

Following breakfast at the hotel, you’ll head out on a city tour of Petra’s most fascinating sights—the Roman Theater, Qasr Bint Pharaoun, Temple of the Winged Lion, and more. As a new Seven Wonders of the World, steeped in history from Arab empires and Western and Eastern dynasties, Petra features an abundance of ancient discoveries. Plus, as you wander the area, you’ll surely be mesmerized by the winding sandstone terrain. We’ll also bring you to the famous Al-Khazneh (the Treasury), a beautifully elaborate structure where camels hang about, posing for photos. Finish the day with a delicious dinner at the Al Qantarah restaurant.

After breakfast, we’ll start our journey to the last stop on the trip, the Dead Sea. First, you’ll visit Beida (Little Petra) to discover temples, tombs, and more. Many religious festivities occurred here, and the city was nicknamed “Little Petra” because of its similarities to the main city. Following this, we’ll bring you to the site of John the Baptist's settlement at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where Jesus was baptized along the east bank of the Jordan River. Here you’ll also be right near the Israeli border, affording you a glimpse of the country from across the river. Lastly, continue on to your hotel at the Dead Sea.

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a relaxing day at the Dead Sea, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. At your leisure, you can float in the clear blue, mineral-rich water, soak up some sun, and even try the invigorating full-body mud mask that cleanses the skin. Plus, your hotel has a tranquil spa, well-equipped fitness center, and sparkling pools to lounge by. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel.

Enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel before our tour comes to an end. Travelers who purchased our air-inclusive program will transfer to the Queen Alia International Airport for our return flight to the U.S.