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Day 1: Queen Alia Airport – Amman

Upon arrival at any time, meeting and assistance (visa, formalities) at the airport. Then, you will be transferred to your hotel in Amman for dinner and to stay overnight.

Day 2: Amman / Ajlun Castle / Jerash / Amman

After breakfast, transfer to Ajlun castle (Qala'at ar-Rabad) : you will visit the Islamic military castle of the end of the 12th century, used by the Islamic armies of the sultan Saladin to protect the region against the Crusaders and watch the comercial roads to Syria. Your next destination will be Jerash, the « Pompei of the East ». Jerash has been covered by sand for centuries, the main reason why it is still so well-preserved. You will enter Jerash through the monumental South Gate and find yourself wandering around in a Roman city. You will walk on the Oval Plaza surrounded by colonnades, visit the Roman theatre. You may experience the marvellous acoustics of the theatre, stage for the Jerash festival which takes place every year (festival of arts and culture, in July). Enjoy a stroll along Jerash’ main road, the Cardo, and pass by the Nymphaeum. You will see for yourself how the Romans built the earthquake-proof columns of the colonnaded streets. Jerash also used to be a Byzantine site, and nestles several churches with mosaic-covered floors. In the evening, back to Amman: enjoy the night highlights of the capital of Jordan. Dinner at your hotel or at nice restaurant. Overnight.

Day  3: Amman / Desert Castle / Amman

This morning, we travel east from Amman into the Jordanian Desert where we see some of the Desert Palaces built by the Omayyed Caliphs in the 8th century AD. When you get out of the city, you will enjoy bicycling to the desert castles. Of particular interest is Qasar Amra with its unique frescoes of hunting scenes and dancing girls. Qasar Azraq, built entirely of black basalt, was used as a base by Lawrence of Arabia in his later campaigns against the Turks. In the evening, back to Amman. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 4: Amman / Madaba / Mount Nebo / Kerak

After breakfast, we will move ahead to Madaba to visit Saint George Church paved with a stunning mosaic representing Palestine and the Holy Land. Then, you will visit Mount Nebo. There, our cycling tour starts, to join the city of Kerak where we will visit Kerak Castle, find the best place for lunch time, and stay for the night in a hotel or camp after a good dinner.  

Day 5: Kerak / Dana Naural Reserve / Shawbak / Little Petra

After breakfast, we will go cycling for some time around Kerak in a very good place for such sport, and will go cycling to Dana Nature Reserve through the city of Tafileh. In Dana valley, we will, on our bicycles, pass by Dana village and Shawbak until we reach Little Petra, which is very near to the ancient city of Petra. We will visit Little Petra and then drive for 15 minutes to our hotel in Petra.

Day 6: Petra

In the morning, a local guide will escort you into Petra and show you the highlights of the Nabatean city. You will enter the city through the Siq and be rewarded with the most astonishing and dramatic monument in Jordan: the Treasury. You will also visit the theatre, the royal tombs and façades, and the colonnaded street. You will have lunch inside Petra and climb the stairs to the Monastery to admire the splendid view over the Wadi Araba. In the evening, back to your hotel, dinner and overnight.

Please note: the local guide in Petra is not included ; a private tour guide is 50JOD.

Day 7: Petra / Wadi Rum

After breakfast, we will drive a little to join the starting point for our two hour cycling sport. Then, we will drive to Wadi Rum. In the great Valley of Wadi Rum, we will enjoy a six-hour 4x4 jeep tour into the marvelous Jordanian desert with its fascinating sand dunes. We will find the best place for lunch time. Camel ride is also possible as an option. At the end of the day, we will have dinner and stay in a Bedouin camp.

Day 8: Wadi Rum / Aqaba

After breakfast, we will take our bikes again and cycle in direction to Aqaba, for around 1 hour, before going by car again to enter the city. Free afternoon in Aqaba (water activities or tour in the city).

Day 9: Aqaba / Wadi Araba / Wadi Al-Hasa / Dead Sea

​In the morning, we will travel via Wadi Araba, along the coastal landscapes between Jordan an Israel, where peace was signed in 1995. Near Wadi Al-Hasa, we will do a short cycling ride from the main street of the nearest city to the Wadi Al-Hasa canyon (20 minutes cycling). There, you can enjoy swimming in fresh water, and driving on water by jeep ! We will have our lunch inside the wadi, then drive to Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. We will have free time for swimming float, mud masks and relaxing. Overnight in Amman or Madaba.

Day 10:  Departure from Amman or Madaba

​After breakfast, transfer to Queen Alia International Airport for departure.

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            Mountain biking tour

                     (10 days / 9 nights)

Jordan Desert Hikes offers a mountain biking and cycling tour, combining cultural discoveries, challenging explorations and relaxing stopovers. 

The program below is an example for a 10 day tour. It can be tailored to your wishes. Do not hesitate to contact me for any question or suggestion.

All equipment is included, yet you can bring your own helmet if you prefer.​​​​

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Belal Helalat
info@jordandeserthikes.com
+962 (0)777 560 186

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jordan Desert Hikes​

Adventure Travel & Ecotourism - Tours and Trips