Itinerary
Difficulty/effort level: ModerateFriday, December 27 - Madrid / Amman:
Presentation at Madrid Barajas airport at least 3 hours before the departure of flight A3703 to Amman and stopover in Athens. Flight departure at 16.35:21.20 p.m. and arrival at Athens airport at 23.50:3940 p.m. Departure to Amman at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. on flight AXNUMX.Saturday, December 28 - Amman / Madaba / Mount Nebo / Dead Sea / Dana (PC):
Arrival at Amman International Airport at 2:05 AM. Assistance and transfer to the Saraya Hotel or similar, where we will rest until breakfast. After breakfast, we begin our adventure by traveling by bus to Madaba, known as the "City of Mosaics." We will visit the Church of St. George, home to the famous 6th-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Composed of two million brightly colored local stone tiles, it depicts hills, valleys, villages, and cities all the way to the Nile Delta. Hundreds of different mosaics from the 5th to 7th centuries are scattered throughout the churches and buildings of Madaba. Later, we will visit Mount Nebo, where Moses finally sighted the Promised Land and the Jordan Valley after 40 years of exile—a highly symbolic place for the three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will continue along the ancient road known as the "King's Highway" to reach the Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley. We'll stop to experience the strange sensation of effortlessly floating in its saline waters and be aware of being in the deepest depression on the planet—435 meters below sea level! After lunch by the Dead Sea, we continue to Dana, home to the Dana Nature Reserve and the starting point of our trek. Dinner and overnight stay at the Tower Hotel or similar.Sunday December 29 - Dana / Wadi Malaga (PC) 23.5km:
Our trek begins with a day's descent through the Feynan Valley. We'll traverse diverse ecosystems, from high mountains to valleys, from lush greenery to the ochre of the desert, encountering numerous species of flora and fauna along the way, including mountain goats and birds, some of which are endemic to the area. Feynan is known for its ancient Roman copper mines, which we'll pass on our way to Wadi Barwas. We'll end the day enjoying a traditional dinner. Overnight in a camp.Monday December 30 - Wadi Malaga / Ras Al Fied (PC) 14km:
We will begin our day today walking through the desert towards the mountains, which we will reach by ascending to the Ras Naqb pass along a mountain path used by the transhumant Bedouins that offers us an interesting panoramic view of the desert and the Wadi Araba as the area is known. Jordan Valley in this part of its route. Continuation to the Ras Al Fied camp, where we will enjoy a traditional Bedouin dinner.Tuesday December 31 - Ras Al Fied / Little Petra (PC) 20km:
The landscape changes dramatically as we venture into the sandstone hills, an open, almost lunar landscape, easy to walk through, where we can enjoy the first signs of Nabatean influence carved into the surrounding mountains. The path passes by Bedouin camps, inhabited by nomadic people who settled in these lands over a thousand years ago. When they were discovered by the local Arabs, they followed no religion and were considered pagans until they converted to Islam, giving them their current name, "Bedouin," which in Arabic means "Change," even though they remain a people deeply attached to their ancient traditions. Dinner and overnight stay at Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp or similar.* Note: To spend the night in Little Petra you need a permit that must be obtained and may be rejected, therefore, tonight may be in another camp.Wednesday, January 1 - From Little Petra to Petra via the Back Trail (PC):
Today is the big day to visit one of the wonders of the world, the Nabataean city of Petra, but we are not going to enter the way everyone else does, but rather along a spectacular path known as the back Trail that runs along a strip of the mountain and ascends to the monastery of Ad-Deir, built by the Nabataeans in the SI in honor of Obodas I, after his death and which is located in the upper part of the city. We visit from the monastery, descending to Petra to see the Nabataean temples and tombs and arriving at the fantastic Temple of the Treasury to leave the city through the canyon made so famous by the Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark movie. We return to our camp, small Petra, for dinner and overnight.Thursday, January 2 – Petra / Wadi Rum (PC):
Breakfast and early departure for the Wadi Rum desert, whose beauty lies in the landscape from which enormous jebels, or vertical basalt mountains, rise. For many, it is one of the most beautiful desert landscapes in the world. Wadi Rum, or Valley of the Moon, is located 1600 meters above sea level and is the most important desert in Jordan. The word "Rum" means high or elevated in Aramaic, referring to its altitude, which gives it a unique climate. Wadi Rum has been inhabited since prehistoric times by various cultures, including the Nabataeans, who left their mark in petroglyphs. Today, several Bedouin tribes live there. The highest point is Mount Jebel Umm Adma at 1840 meters. Our route takes us in a 4x4 through enormous wadis, or valleys, to Jebel Burdha, which we will ascend to its summit. It is a climb, not difficult, but impressive nonetheless. It's a very special adventure because of the stunning scenery we'll be passing through. (If anyone doesn't want to do this part, no problem, they can wait in a beautiful spot and then continue our exploration of Wadi Rum.) The upper part of this Jbel reveals a natural wonder sculpted by water and wind, including an incredible rock bridge right at the summit that's a photographer's dream. Later, we'll continue in a 4x4 to discover the most iconic spots in this magnificent area, passing by Lawrence of Arabia's house, the Neolithic rock carvings, the spectacular Khazali Canyon—a narrow gorge we'll enter beneath the imposing Jbel Khazali—the natural rock bridge, and of course, we'll watch the sunset over the desert. Overnight stay and dinner at a Bedouin camp.Friday, January 3 - Wadi Rum / Aqaba:
Sunrise in the desert and breakfast, after which we depart for another legendary geographical location, the Gulf of Aqaba. Reaching the sea after days in the desert is a striking contrast. We'll go snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of Aqaba, and today we'll relax peacefully at our hotel, enjoying free time for strolling or shopping. Free afternoon. Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.Saturday January 4 - Aqaba / Kerak / Amman:
Free time in Aqaba. Mid-morning, we begin our return journey to northern Jordan, visiting the 5th-century Crusader castle of Kerak en route to Amman. This is one of the five Crusader castles in the Holy Land, perched atop a hill and commanding a majestic view of the surrounding landscape. We will learn about the secrets and the difficult historical events that unfolded in this place steeped in history and legend. After the visit, we continue to Amman. Overnight at Hotel Saraya or similar.Sunday, January 5 - Amman / Roman City of Jerasa / Amman Airport (MP):
Early breakfast to head north to visit one of the most interesting Roman cities in the area of the old Roman empire, the ancient city of Jerasa. The beauty of the architecture and the great organization of this settlement show us the importance of this city surrounded by fertile fields. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it fell under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities, the Decapolis. The city experienced its golden age during Roman rule, during which it was known as Gerasa and today it is considered one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world. After the visit to Jerasa we will propose a place to have dinner and later go directly to the airport to take the return flight.Monday, January 6 - Amman / Madrid (AD):
Departure of the return flight to Madrid with a stopover in Athens, A3941 at 03.15:06.00h and arrival in Athens at 3700:09.05h. Connection with flight A12.15 departing at XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. and arriving at Madrid Barajas airport at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. The end of the trip.FLIGHTS:27 DEC MAD ATH A3703 1635 212027 DEC ATH AMM A3940 2350 020506 JAN AMM ATH A3941 0315 060006 JAN ATH MAD A3700 0905 1215
