Why tour Jordan? The Royal Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a charming land that has preserved a remarkable character unlike any other in the Middle East. Ruled by King Abdullah, the people have an unparalleled reputation for hospitality, from the office worker in the city to the Bedouin in his desert camp.
The country’s archaeological richness transports you back thousands of years. Marvel at the wonders of Petra, the ancient Roman city of Jerash, and the elegant Umayyad fortresses in the eastern desert. Jordan’s landscapes present breathtaking vistas beyond historical sites, ancient cities, castles, Christian churches, and mosaic masterpieces.
Our 14-day Jordan history tour is meticulously crafted to appreciate Jordan’s compelling past. Highlights include two full days in Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site showcasing the sophisticated Nabataean culture; explorations in the eastern desert; uncovering Bronze Age shrines in Wadi Rum; and a unique private tour of Petra’s Temple of the Winged Lions.
Enhance your experience with a cooking class, dining on your creations, and an exclusive evening at ACOR (the American Center of Research), featuring cocktails with the director and a private viewing of their collections, including the intriguing Petra Scrolls.
Our retired scholar, Gary Rollefson, and his team discovered the ‘Ain Ghazal statues in 1974; the figurines date back 8500 to 9200 years, predating pottery.
The most astonishing discovery was two caches of large plaster and reed statues, some dual-headed, buried beneath ancient homes. Among the earliest large-scale human representations, these statues stand nearly three feet tall, with oversized heads and pronounced eyes, possibly symbolizing community ancestors.
These artifacts are celebrated as extraordinary examples of prehistoric art from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, adding a unique dimension to our Jordan and Petra tour package.
Want to explore other epic historical adventures? Browse our full Calendar of International Archaeology Tours.
Depart on an overnight flight bound for Amman, Jordan.
Arrive in Amman. Overnight for two nights at the Al Qasr Metropole Hotel. Dinner is on our own.
Nestled in a green and fertile valley in the biblical land of Gilead, the remains of Jerash are impressive. Stroll along the city’s colonnaded streets and through ancient marketplaces, and visit imposing theaters sitting beside Roman, Christian, and Muslim houses of worship. Return to Amman after lunch and enjoy a driving tour of the city landscape.
In the late afternoon, go to the American Center of Research (ACOR), where the director (if available) will host us with cocktails and a private tour including a viewing of the Petra Scrolls. Our welcome dinner is in one of Amman’s excellent restaurants. (B/L/D)
Today travel east of Amman along ancient desert tracks to explore several dazzling Umayyad palaces.
Qasr al-Hallabat began as a Roman fort and ended as a luxurious country estate under the Umayyads. Nearby is its bathhouse, Hammam al-Sarah, constructed of fine limestone. Crafted out of the area’s black basalt, Azraq Castle is located at an oasis and takes advantage of the important strategic position of the region’s four springs. The fortress was probably begun in the second century AD by the Romans and was still in use when T. E. Lawrence used it as a base in the winter of 1917-18.
The UNESCO World Heritage site of Qasr Amra is a well-preserved desert castle that was both a fortress and a residence of the Umayyad caliphs. The hammam (bath house) and audience hall of this small pleasure palace are richly decorated with charming, vividly painted frescoes.
Overnight in the Azraq Lodge in Azraq. (B/L/D)
Our excursion in four-wheel drive vehicles will take us further into the eastern desert to the Ghura al-Qattafi mesas. Here, Professor Rowan (in collaboration with Professor Gary Rollefson) has found hundreds of tombs and monumental structures dedicated to powerful personalities among the prehistoric people who exploited the region between 6,500 and 2,500 BC. While here, we will gain insights into the development of the ritual and economic aspects of a lifestyle that eventually developed into the historic cultural patterns of the desert herders of the Bedouin today.
On our afternoon return to Amman, we visit the lonely desert caravansary of Qasr al-Kharaneh, the most complete of the Umayyad castles, along the way. The steep walls rising abruptly from the flat plain create a feeling of strength, and archaeological excavations show that the building was used as an elegant overnight stop by camel caravans coming from the Arabian Gulf.
Overnight back at the Al Qasr Metropole Hotel for three nights. (B/L/D)
Amman’s Citadel sits on the highest hill and dominates today’s city of Amman. Occupied in the early Neolithic, and fortified during the Bronze Age, the remains visible today are from Roman and early Islamic times. The 8th century Umayyad Palace was probably used as an administrative center and governor’s residence. The great Temple of Hercules was built between 162-166 AD and was larger than any temple in Rome. Learn of the Roman city while viewing the theater that seats 6,000 people and the restored odeon.
At the recently opened Jordan Museum, the Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1952 are one of the most important exhibits, as are the unique figures found at ‘Ain Ghazal by Dr. Rollefson.
Gather this evening for dinner in one of Amman’s finest restaurants. (B/L/D)
One of the best-preserved examples of medieval Arab military architecture in the Middle East is the 12th-century Ajlun Castle. Built between 1184 and 1188 by one of Saladin’s generals, it was an important strategic link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders. Explore the fortress before driving to the dramatically located ancient city of Umm Qais, perched on a high plain overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee.
The site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Gadara, it was a member of the Decapolis. Pella was also one of ten Decapolis cities that were founded during the Hellenistic period and became powerful under Roman jurisdiction. Excavations have revealed evidence of 6000 years of continuous settlement from the Stone Age to medieval Islamic times. We will see mud-brick houses and defensive walls dating from the Bronze and Iron age, and later remains from the Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods. (B/L/D)
Madaba was inhabited for nearly 3,500 years and contains a unique work of art from the mid-6th century AD – a mosaic map of Palestine. One of Jordan’s most significant and impressive historical sites, Shobak Castle is an early 12th-century fortification that was one in the great chain of forts that stretched from today’s Turkey to Israel.
Um er-Rasas, another UNESCO World Heritage site, contains ruins from the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim civilizations. The most important discovery is the perfectly preserved mosaic floor of the Church of St. George, the largest one in Jordan.
Continue to Petra, with a stop at Mt. Nebo. Overnight for five nights at the Petra Luxury Hotel, conveniently located at the entrance to the site.
Gather for dinner together in one of Petra’s excellent restaurants. (B/L/D)
One of the marvels of the Classical World, Petra offers much more than stunning antiquities. Within a 25-mile radius are an exceptional array of monuments and entire settlements that span the last 9,000 years of human civilization.
We begin at Beidha, a village that was inhabited between 7,000 and 6,500 BC, and is included in Petra’s UNESCO World Heritage status. The community constructed round houses of stone masonry and fortified the settlement with an encircling wall. Occupants cultivated barley and emmer wheat, herded goats, hunted for wild animals, and gathered wild plants.
Nearby is “Little Petra”, or Siq al-Barid, where high sandstone walls within the narrow gorge keep the multi-story houses and temples cool. After walking through a miniature siq, a splendid collection of tombs, temples, houses, and staircases will appear.
The afternoon is on our own to explore the village of Wadi Musa, where Petra is located, or unwind in the hotel swimming pool. This evening, enjoy a cooking lesson and then dine on our creations. (B/L/D)
Our full day takes us past the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, of T. E. Lawrence fame, to Wadi Rum, with UNESCO World status. This valley’s combination of immensity, richness of color, and awesome shapes creates an atmosphere that is other worldly. While here we will view a Nabatean temple, ancient rock art, and Bronze Age shrines discovered by Dr. Gary Rollefson.
Our lunch will be served to us under a Bedouin tent.
Return to Petra.
Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
Early this morning, walk through the siq, the fissure that is the gateway to the splendid UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra. Inhabited since prehistoric times, the prosperity of this Nabataean city was due to the trade routes that passed through the region. An important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt, and the eastern Mediterranean, it is renowned for iconic rock-cut façades that front the city’s dramatic and elaborate tombs and temples. The visible remains of water channels, with tunnels and diversion dams that controlled and conserved seasonal rains, along with magnificent temples and churches, demonstrate the importance of this ancient town.
Our first view of the rose-red City is the dazzling Al-Khazneh Farun, or Pharaoh’s Treasury, carved out of the sandstone cliff facing the entrance to the city. Believed to have been the mausoleum of a Nabatean king, the tomb’s Hellenistic style reflects the influence of Alexandria. Walk along the Street of the Façades and view the magnificent tombs, theater, and markets. Marvel at the Petra Church with its glorious mosaics, and the still-being excavated Great Temple that was probably dedicated to the main Nabataean Goddess Al-Uzza, the consort of the Chief God, Dushara. If on site, enjoy a private tour with ACOR archaeologists at the Temple of the Winged Lions.
Dinner is on our own to enjoy one of Wadi Musa’s local restaurants. (B/L)
Today is for the hardy as we ascend into the more remote areas of Petra. The hike is worthwhile for the breathtaking views over Petra along with seeing the riches of Nabatean architecture.
Begin at the Qasr al-Bint Temple, dating from the time of Christ and surrounded by a peribolos, or enclosure wall. The sacrificial altar in front, once covered with marble, suggests that this was the main place of worship in the Nabataean city. Walk past the Unfinished Tomb and the Columbarium, a former tomb, and contemplate the Lion Triclinium guarded by two feline reliefs. Our goal is the High Place, with views overlooking the city. In the afternoon, another stairway takes us to Ed Deir, the Monastery. Although the exact function of the building is not yet known, it has the largest façade carved at Petra.
This evening we will drive into the desert to feast on zarb, a traditional Bedouin meal of delicious roasted lamb cooked in a hand-built mud oven. (B/L/D)
This morning we drive north to Ghor es-Safi, along the southern border of the Dead Sea, home to a Bedouin women’s artisan project for handmade, eco-friendly textiles and accessories. This cooperative has revived the use of “Indigofera tinctoria” – a natural blue dye that was cultivated in Jordan during ancient times – for their crafts.
After lunch, we venture to northern shores of the Dead Sea to our hotel for one night, the Mövenpick Resort and Spa. Here we have the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing final afternoon and dinner on our own, absorbing the breathtaking views and experiencing the rejuvenating spa options of the hotel… a perfect end to a spectacular trip! (B/L)
Transfer to the airport for our return flights home. (B)
