PERFUMES, FLAVORS AND MELODIES OF JORDAN

Day 1, Jerash – Umm Qais

 

Today, we leave for the North of Jordan to discover its Greco-Roman cities. We start our day with the site of Jerash. The city experienced its golden age in Roman times when it was known as Gerasa. Today, this site is considered one of the best preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Hidden under sand for centuries before being uncovered and restored for 70 years, Jerash is the epitome of extensive and formal Roman municipal planning throughout the Middle East. It is adorned with cobbled streets with colonnades, immense temples on the crest of the hills, delightful theatres, spacious public squares, baths, fountains and walls pierced by towers and railings.

 

After 2 hours of visit, we leave for lunch in one of the restaurants of Jerash.

 

Then we take the road to Umm Qais, formerly Gadara. Site of the famous “miracle of the pig”, Gadara was famous at the time as a cultural center. Several poets and philosophers have resided there, notably Theodore, founder of the School of Rhetoric in Rome. A poet even nicknamed this city “the new Athens”. Perched on the crest of a splendid hill overlooking the Jordan Valley and Lake Tiberias, Gadara is known today as Umm Qais. It is renowned for its immense vaulted terrace and its colonnaded streets as well as for the ruins of two theatres.

 

Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Amman.

 

Day 2, Amman - desert castles

Magnificent examples of early Islamic architecture and art, Jordan's Desert Castles bear witness to a fascinating era inscribed in the country's rich history. The refinement of their mosaics, their frescoes, their illustrations and their engravings on stone and stucco, in the pure Persian and Greco-Roman tradition, give us a glimpse of the way of life of the Caliphs and of the Arab high society of the 8th century.

 

Lunch at Al-Azraq.

Return to Amman to enjoy the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom. From the top of the citadel, we can't miss the superb view of the lower town. We visit the Temple of Hercules, the Umayyad Palace and the Archaeological Museum. Then, we take a short tour of the Lower Town, which has preserved a beautiful Greco-Roman amphitheater.

 

In the evening, we go out for dinner on one of the terraces of Jabel Amman. In the first half of the 20th century, this district housed the residences of the royal family and Jordanian notables. Today, most of these houses have become restaurants frequented by Jordanians. Dining in this area offers the opportunity, on the one hand, to admire the architecture of these beautiful buildings and enjoy a superb panorama of the city and its hills, and on the other hand, to mingle with the locals.

 

Overnight at hotel in Amman.

​

Day 3, Iraq Al Amir, Salt

Iraq al Amir – Salt – Amman After breakfast we leave for Iraq Al-Amir. This small village is 15 km southwest of the town of Wadi Al-Seer. Built on hills covered with olive trees, the village has many springs. Less than a kilometer south of the city is the historic site of Iraq-al-Amir, built by a Greek prince in the 3rd century BC. The hills are home to numerous caves, which date back to the Copper Age. After a traditional lunch prepared by Bedouin women from the Association of Craftswomen of Iraq-Al-Amir, we leave for the city of Salt. The Romans, Byzantines and Mamluks all contributed to the growth of the city but it was at the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century, during the reign of the Ottomans, that the city experienced its golden age. . Located in the heart of three hills, AsSalt is attractive with its Roman tombs, its citadel and its 13th century Ayyubid fortress. Return to the hotel. Dinner and

 

Overnight in Amman

​

​

Day 4, Petra

Depart for Petra via part of the Kings Highway linking Aqaba to Amman.

 

We stop at Madaba, a biblical site grouping 14 Byzantine churches. Visit of St. George's Church, famous for its 6th century mosaic depicting the oldest map of Palestine and Jerusalem

Continuation to Mount Nebo to appreciate the panorama of the Jordan Valley and the memorial of Moses, with its Byzantine frescoes.

 

Road to Kerak. We have lunch in Kerak. Then visit the great fortress built by the Crusaders in the 12th century.

 

After taking the Route des Rois, we stop at Dana. Tonight we spend the night in one of the most magical sites in Jordan "the ecolodge of Feynan". In this place out of time we do not need electricity to have light. During the evening, the moon and the stars accompany us. After sunset, we share a moment on the terrace to admire a starry sky, free from light pollution. Then comes dinner time, in a romantic setting reminiscent of the "One Thousand and One Nights". The tables are decorated with candles, the place rests us with its calm and tranquility.

 

Overnight in Dana.

​

Day 5, Dana - Petra

After a breakfast based on local products, we leave for a walk of meditation and discovery within the reserve. This natural area is home to more than 500 different plants, thanks to the layering of four topoclimates that coexist there. The walk will last 3 hours during which you will be able to admire the landscape and smell the scents of desert plants. Moments of silence of 15 minutes will be proposed by the guide to be able to admire the place and soak it up.

 

Then, we take the road to Little Petra

​

Lunch at Wadi Musa. The city where the site of  Petra is located

 

Near Petit Petra, we arrive at the camp where we will spend the night. 2000 years ago, the Nabataeans had chosen this site to make it a natural caravanserai and to lodge the rich caravanners coming from the four corners of the world. Today, Ammarin Camp (named after a local Bedouin tribe) welcomes these visitors in a setting similar to that of Little Petra. Hidden in the mountains, this accommodation is an exceptional place. In the evening, a Bedouin musician will liven up the evening by the fireside with his Rabab, a stringed musical instrument to the sound of which poetic songs can be improvised: advice to amateurs...

 

Warm and friendly atmosphere guaranteed!

​

Day 6 – Petra

After breakfast, we go to Petra, the Pink City. You enter the city through 1 km of narrow gorge lined with 80 m high cliffs! You observe the dazzling colors and formations of the rocks, then continue to the magnificent Treasury (Al Khazneh) carved into the sandstone rock. You continue to explore this incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is huge and contains hundreds of rock-cut tombs, a Roman amphitheater, temples, a sacrificial altar and a colonnaded street. Lunch will be served at the local restaurant inside the site. We spend the afternoon on the site then at the end of the day we return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Petra.

Jour 7, Petit Petra - Wadi Rum

Petit déjeuner et départ vers Petit Petra puis route vers le désert du Wadi Rum. Si Petra est le résultat du travail de l'homme conjugué à celui de la nature, les falaises, les pics et les vallées du Wadi Rum ne doivent qu'à eux-mêmes leur «sereine beauté » et leur « écrasante grandeur », selon les mots de T. E. Lawrence, plus connu sous le nom de Lawrence d'Arabie. 

 

Déjeuner dans un camp bédouin. 

 

En fin de journée, nous faisons un Tour en pick-up 4x4 « local » dans le désert pendant environ 3 heures. Puis, nous admirons le soleil couchant sur les montagnes rouges et ocres du Wadi Rum. Le soir, nous dînons au coin du feu, bercés par les mélodies orientales d'un chanteur local ; au menu : du zarb, plat à base de viande de mouton cuit dans le sable. 

 

Nuit dans le désert du Wadi Rum.

Day 8, Aqaba

 This morning we leave for Aqaba. Lunch in town. A free afternoon to enjoy the swimming pool and the beach. Overnight in Aqaba.

 

Day 9, Aqaba Dead Sea Amman

Departure to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the globe located 392 meters below sea level. After 4 hours on the road, we have lunch by the beach and then enjoy the afternoon relaxing, floating in the salty waters of the Dead Sea or relaxing by the pool. If you wish, you can also benefit from care

“spa”.

 

Then, we leave for Amman for dinner in one of the best Jordanian restaurants with a Middle Eastern atmosphere, Tawahin Al Hawa.

Overnight in Amman.

​

Day 10, Amman - France

Breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport and assistance with departure formalities to France.