Departing by Royal Jordanian this afternoon, you will arrive in Amman late this evening, where you will be met and transferred to the Le Meridien Hotel for a 2 night stay. Tracing its remarkable ancestry back some 9,000 years, Amman began its rise to prominence with the arrival of the Ammonites in the 13th century BC, the following centuries seeing it invested with an eclectic fusion of cultural influences, from the Assyrians and Babylonians, to the Seleucids and Romans, under whose rule it prospered as one of the 10 cities of the Decapolis. The city today is an engaging blend of modern enterprise and ancient splendours that include Roman theatres, ornate mosques and Ummayad Palaces, presenting a fascinating insight into the development of the Hashemite Kingdom.

Our odyssey into the cultural heart of this most captivating of countries begins today with a journey to the nearby town of Salt, a former regional capital of the Ottoman administration, whose engaging streets are filled with some beautifully preserved examples of 19th century Ottoman architecture, including the grandiose Archaeological Museum which is housed in the former home of Ibrahim Tokham, the grandfather of Jordan’s Queen Alia. Above the town, on a hillside dominating the old city, stands the remains of a 13th century citadel that was built by the Mamelukes following the original’s destruction by marauding Mongols in 1260. Returning to the capital you will next pay a visit to the engagingly titled ‘Rainbow Street’, one of the oldest streets in the city, whose historic architecture and inviting galleries makes it one of the most interesting areas of the city to stroll around. This afternoon you then head north, towards the Gilead Hills and the superbly preserved remains of Jerash, widely believed to be the finest example of a provincial Roman city anywhere on earth. Originally one of the Decapolis, a series of ten Middle Eastern cities that served the provinces under Emperor Pompey, it is a superb collection of marble colonnaded streets that lead the visitor up to the majestic remains of the Temple of Artemis and the Triumphal Arch of the Emperor Hadrian. Astonishingly it is believed that these extensive remains represent only around 10% of the original city, the rest still awaiting discovery.

Depart Amman today and head east, towards the endless expanse of the Arabian Desert and the historic castles and hunting lodges of the Umayyad Caliphs. These regions have a long history of trade and, in spite of their apparent isolation and inhospitable terrain, they have for centuries witnessed the passage of caravans and nomadic tribes. Stop for lunch (not included) at the oasis of Azraq in the Wadi Sirhan, a once vital resting place for the caravans traversing the trading routes between Syria and the Hejaz region. The imposing walls of Azraq’s fortress were once used by Lawrence of Arabia as his headquarters before his assault on Aqaba, the black basalt bastions of the Mameluke built fort providing ideal shelter during the winter campaign of 1917. After lunch continue by road towards the saline waters of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, whose mineral rich expanse provides a unique opportunity to swim in waters that have a salt content of over 30%. Overnight at the Mövenpick Resort and Spa Dead Sea.

Today you will drive along the famed King’s Highway to Petra, travelling along one of the oldest trade routes in the world. This historic highway takes us through some of Jordan’s most impressive scenery, following the eastern edge of the Rift Valley and the Dead Sea and passing the remarkable mosaics of Madaba en route. Originally a Byzantine settlement, Madaba was once one of the most important Christian communities east of the Jordan River and in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George there is what is believed to be the oldest surviving map of Palestine still in existence. Discovered at the end of the 19th century, the map provided a rare insight into Christian influence and doctrine in the region, its depiction of the main religious sites, including Jerusalem, providing archaeologists with one of the most important mosaic discoveries in the entire Middle East. From here you continue to the imposing 12th century Crusader fortress of Kerak, built in 1132 by King Baldwin of Jerusalem and dramatically located to protect the ancient highway between the Gulf of Aqaba and Turkey. Serving as the capital of the Crusader administrative district of Oultre Jourdain, its towering walls withstood the endless assault of Saracen armies for years, until it finally fell to the forces of the great Saladin himself in 1188. On arrival in Petra you’ll check into the Mövenpick Resort Petra’ for 3 nights.

Lost for centuries, before its dramatic ‘discovery’ by Johann Burckhardt in 1812, Petra, the fabulous ‘Rose Red City’, was the ancient stronghold of the Nabateans, who dominated the caravan routes between Egypt and Mesopotamia for some four centuries. Approaching the city through the Siq, its famous narrow gorge of towering multi-coloured sandstone walls, Petra and its majestic Treasury open up before us in all its glory. There is little that can prepare one for the first glimpse of this unique city, surely one of the most remarkable and inspiring of all ancient sites and its famous Treasury alone, towering some 40 metres above the valley floor, is enough to leave one breathless. A guided tour of the city this morning takes in its colonnaded streets and royal tombs and visits its spectacular theatre, where 8,000 seats are carved from the very rock that surrounds it. After taking in something of the city’s expansive magnificence with a local guide, the rest of the day has been left free to enjoy at your own leisure. You may return to the hotel, or continue exploring independently, perhaps taking a walk up to the spectacular Monastery in the hills above the city, where the sacrificial ‘High Places’ afford some breathtaking views across the surrounding desert landscape.

Today has been left free to continue discovering Petra’s dazzling treasures at your own pace. A special entrance ticket valid for two days is included in the cost of your tour, so those wishing to return to the city may do so, but please be aware that today’s visit will be unguided.

Departing Petra this morning you turn north once more, towards the hauntingly beautiful landscapes of Wadi Rum, another world of sandstone mountains and endless glowing dunes that is steeped in the legend of Lawrence and his Arab army. When he first set eyes on this remarkable desert vista in September 1917, Lawrence was moved to write: ‘…Our little caravan grew self-conscious, and fell dead quiet, afraid and ashamed to flaunt its smallness in the presence of the stupendous hills”. Words can hardly convey the true majesty of this unique setting, its towering sandstone walls and twisted pillars of rock creating a beauty all of their own, where the sight of a wandering camel or a solitary nomad can conjure up the timeless image of an age long past. Later this afternoon return to Amman, for a final evening back in the Jordanian capital and an overnight stay at the Le Meridien Hotel.

Depart Amman this morning on a Royal Jordanian flight to Heathrow, arriving back in London mid afternoon.