Day 1 London - Amman Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your journey to London Heathrow Airport and a direct, scheduled Royal Jordanian flight to Amman. On arrival, we board our coach for a transfer to the AlQasr Metropole Hotel (4T). Amman, the capital of Jordan since 1921, is built on seven hills. Remains from the Roman, Greek and Ottoman empires are dotted around the city, the most impressive being the Roman Theatre in the city centre. Day 2 Amman - Jerash - Amman We visit the 12th century medieval castle at Ajloun before continuing our journey along the King’s Highway to the ancient city of Jerash. Likened to Pompeii, Jerash is one of the best preserved classical sites, with its forum of colonnaded shops, temples and theatres. This beautiful Greco-Roman city is also famous for its ‘Triumphal Arch’, the Hippodrome and the wide street of columns, which leads to the Temple of Artemis. We return to Amman for dinner and stay overnight. Day 3 Amman - Desert Castles - Amman After enjoying breakfast, we journey to the historic desert castles of Qasr Kharaneh, Qasr Amra and Qasr Azraq, before returning to Amman for a tour that includes a visit to the Citadel and the Archaeological Museum. Return for dinner and overnight. Day 4 Amman - Mt Nebo - Madaba - Shobak - Petra Today we visit Mount Nebo to stand on the spot from which Moses is believed to have surveyed the Promised Land. We continue to Madaba, once a flourishing Byzantine town, and the Greek Orthodox Church with its fascinating 6th century mosaic map. We conclude our day at the impressive Shobak Crusader Castle, before arriving in Petra for dinner and overnight at the Movenpick Resort (4T) or Petra Guest House (4T). Day 5 Petra Early departure for a tour of the ‘Rose-Red City’ of Petra, entering the city on foot. This ancient city lay beneath the desert sands for centuries, and was only rediscovered in 1812. The highlights are the spectacular temple, the Treasury and the Monastery which have been hewn out of solid rock. Most of this unique city was built by the Nabataean Arabs in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. As an important link in the caravan routes, it was added to by the Romans, who carved out a huge theatre and possibly the spectacular classical façade of the Treasury. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay. Day 6 Petra - Wadi Rum - Dead Sea This morning we depart for the desert of Wadi Rum, stunning in its beauty and inhabited by the Bedouin tribes, it epitomises the romance of the desert. Much of David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and we take a jeep safari into the heart of the desert, giving us the opportunity to capture the romance for ourselves. We continue, travelling down to the Dead Sea, 400 metres below sea level, where the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are thought to be buried beneath its waters. The Dead Sea is rich in salt and even non-swimmers can float freely in the water. We stay two nights at the Movenpick Dead Sea Resort & Spa (4T). Day 7 Dead Sea Today is free to indulge yourself at the hotel; the area is well known for relaxation and healing properties and there are many possibilities to choose from. Alternatively, take an optional excursion to Bethany, described in the New Testament as the site where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. Day 8 Dead Sea - Amman - London We depart for Amman Airport and a direct, scheduled Royal Jordanian flight to London Heathrow Airport. On arrival you will be met and guided to your Titan vehicle, for the journey home.
