Ahlan wa sahlan! Welcome to Jordan’s capital, Amman – cosmopolitan and contemporary, yet steeped in biblical history. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm this evening. If you arrive early, be sure to head to the citadel, taking in its sweeping views of Amman. The Jordan Museum – home to the Dead Sea Scrolls – and the Roman Theatre are also both well worth visiting. After your meeting, perhaps head out with your new-found travel pals and pick up a coffee from one of the cafes and partner it with an arayes (a local style toastie filled with spiced meat). It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

This morning, leave Amman and head to Aqaba – the only coastal city offering a pocket of beach in this otherwise landlocked country. When you arrive, explore the market and walk along the beach on a leader-led walking tour. Visit the Aqaba Marine Reserve and learn about their conservation effort from Jordan's first female ranger at the reserve! Hear about her personal journey to become the first female marine ranger, an unusual journey to talke on this non-traditional role and the important work at the reserve to protect the diverse eco-system. Enjoy a couple of hours exploring this city at your own leisure, maybe by snorkelling in the Red Sea, navigating the local markets or simply relaxing by the water. After, continue on the road to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wadi Rum, arriving in time for dinner. You’ll get a chance to sit down with the sheik of the local Bedouin tribe and get a glimpse into what life is like living in this desert environment. Enjoy dinner cooked in an earthen oven by your Bedouin hosts. Meaning ‘desert dwellers’ in Arabic, the Bedouins are a semi-nomadic people, and in Jordan up to 40 per cent of the general population is thought to have Bedouin ancestry. This evening, catch your shuteye in a simple Bedouin desert camp, either in a camel hair tent or out under the stars. Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours. A mattress and blankets are provided at tonight’s camp. Please be aware that while the desert may be very hot during the day, it will still be cool at night. So, warm clothes and a sleeping bag are highly recommended when travelling outside of the summer months. Western-style toilet facilities are available, as well as solar panel showers. Conditions are basic at the desert camp, but the hospitality of your hosts as well as the chance to sleep beneath the twinkling desert night sky will surely make up for it.

Wake up at camp and head out on a desert hike, with a break for tea and lunch. You might scale one of the large sand dunes for views of the vast valley – the perfect chance to snap some pictures. Wadi Rum is probably best known for its connection with the British officer T.E. Lawrence – or Lawrence of Arabia – who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917–18 and helped coordinate Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire. This afternoon, gear up for a half-day jeep safari through Wadi Rum. The valley is full of weird and wonderful lunar-like rock formations and traces of ancient civilisations can be seen in the many carved inscriptions found throughout the area – from pictographs to Thamudic, Nabataean and Arabic texts. The most enduring monuments in Wadi Rum are those carved by nature – the natural rock bridges, towering rose-coloured sand dunes and scattered rocky peaks. After an action-packed afternoon, tonight is yours to enjoy the traditional Bedouin hospitality and the clear night skies of the desert. Your hiking time today will be approximately 3 to 4 hours or 12 to 15 km. The duration and length of today’s hike will vary depending on the weather and the group’s ability. Please make sure you have appropriate, sturdy and comfortable footwear for this trek. If you don’t want to participate in the hike, you can always spend some more time around the Bedouin Camp.

This morning, leave your desert camp in 4WDs and make your way to the main entrance of Petra, which is opposite the Seven Pillars of Wisdom – the mountain named after Lawrence of Arabia’s book. The visitor's centre here is a great spot to buy some jewellery and handicrafts, mostly made by a women's co-operative aimed at supporting local industries. Then, continue your journey to the fabled city of Petra by private vehicle. The site remained unknown to the wider world until 1812, when it was visited by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer. In 1985, Petra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site – spend the afternoon getting to know it on a guided tour. Squeeze through a mile-long narrow path – known as the Siq – and through huge towers of rock and get your first glimpse of the iconic Treasury complex. It’s amazing to think that this enormous, intricate building entrance was hand-carved out of the rock. Your total travel time today will be approximately 2 hours. A two-day entrance pass to Petra is included. Please note that when entering Petra as a group, a complimentary horse ride is included in the ticket price from the entrance point down to the Siq. Tuuur doesn't recommend that you take this option due to the safety and insurance liability involved. Please note a lot of walking is required to see all the sites and viewpoints of Petra. A basic level of fitness will enhance your enjoyment of your visit.

Enjoy a day of self-discovery as you explore Petra on your own today – free to wander as you wish. The site is surprisingly big, so it is up to you to choose your own route around the complex. You could explore the old Roman road, other smaller temples and several old tombs, as well as the rock-hewn amphitheatre. For those who are feeling a bit more active, there's the challenging but highly rewarding one hour walk up the steps to the secluded monastery. Please note that the optional Petra by Night tour runs Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, departing from the Petra visitor centre at 8.30 pm.

Today, traverse the King's Highway to the historic crusader castle of Kerak, which stands on a cliff overlooking Wadi Karak and the Dead Sea in the distance. You’ll have time to explore the ruins and discover the legends of centuries-old battles. Pack your swim gear as you can wash off the dust in the Dead Sea – the lowest point on land with its shoreline at around 430 m below sea level. This super-salty lake is a perfect place to spend some time relaxing and float your worries away. You can also cover yourself from head to toe in a nutrient-rich natural mineral mud bath. Continue to Mt Nebo – the spot where the prophet Moses is said to have seen the ‘promised land’ and where he’s supposedly buried. Explore this sanctuary and view the remarkable mosaics of the 4th-century church. Afterwards, continue to Madaba, famous for its Ottoman-style houses and beautiful Byzantine-era mosaics, including the acclaimed 6th-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land at St George's Church. Your total travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.

Leave Madaba and make your way to Jerash – once one of the grandest ancient Roman cities in the world. These are some of the best-preserved Greco-Roman ruins around. The ancient walled town that survives today is a remarkable evocation of life 2000 years ago, with its collection of archways and theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets. Discover Hadrian’s arch, the partially restored hippodrome, ornate public fountains, the south amphitheater, and see the collection of daily artefacts uncovered during excavations. Grand columns encircle the city's centrepiece, the Oval Plaza. After a full day of exploring, return to Madaba. Maybe gather your travel buddies together and share a celebratory shisha as you reminisce on your memories of Jordan. Your total travel time will be approximately 3 hours.

Your trip comes to an end this morning after breakfast. If you'd like to extend your stay, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.