Rufus Reade Tours

The itinerary for the historical highlights of Jordan.

1 October Morning flight BD913 with bmi from London Heathrow due to arrive in Amman at 1720.Transfer to the Misk Hotel in Amman for dinner & overnight.
2 October We plan to see something of the capital of Jordan before driving eastwards to see the desert retreat of the Umayyad Califs at Qusayr Amra with its lovely frescoes. 25km further on brings us to Azraq in whose castle T.E.Lawrence chose to make his headquarters in the old castle which has served successive invaders and rulers. Continue to Jerash for our overnight in the Olive Branch Hotel (swimming pool).
3 OctoberWe’ll begin the day by visiting the Roman city of Jerash: this is a huge and impressive classical site with its colonnaded streets, theatre and public buildings. Later we’ll drive the 27km to Ajlounorder to see the fine castle (originally built to defend the area from the invading Crusaders in the 12 century) and the 14 century mosque. Return to dinner & our second night in Jerash.
4 OctoberWe’ll drive to Umm Qais where the Decapolis city of Gadara lies mixed with the black basalt and white limestone houses of an abandoned Ottoman village. We’ll continue to Pella, an important archaeological site in a beautiful location, with evidence of occupation at least for the last six thousand years. Our next stop will be at Irbid where a well laid out museum may help us master the chronology of this fascinating country! We’ll drive to Amman for dinner and one night.
5 October We’ll drive to the Wadi Mujeb for a 2 hour walk along the dramatic canyon: this nature reserve holds an extraordinary number of animals and plants, though the shortage of water continues to be a problem (as elsewhere in Jordan). We’ll continue to Madaba where we can see the Byzantine floor mosaic map of the Middle East. There may be time to wander the town’s narrow streets before supper. We’ll stay for the first of two nights in the Madaba Inn.
6 October Our first stop will be at the small gem-like Um Rassas with its lovely mosaics set amidst the ruins of the Byzantine city. We’ll drive on to Bethany where John the Baptist probably lived. Tradition has it that Jesus was baptised in the River here. The site only became accessible after the peace treaty of 2000 between the Israelis and the Jordanians. Return to Madaba for our second night.
7 OctoberThe account in Deuteronomy tells us that Moses was led to the summit of Mount Nebo to look down on the Promised Land. He then died and was buried on the mountain top. We will drive to the point where a church marks this important event. Our next visit is also described in the story of Salome and the beheading of John the Baptist, when we visit the remains of the palace of Machaerus. We’ll continue to the Dana Nature Reserve where we’ll stay at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature’s Lodge at Faynan. This ambitious accommodation is run without electricity and provides a stunning and peaceful setting.
8 October There will be an optional full day of walking in the Dana Reserve. There may be shorter walks for those who will rejoice in the tranquillity that this place affords. Overnight in the Lodge.
9 OctoberWe’ll transfer back to our bus (which cannot get very close to the Lodge) and drive to the place known as little Petra, Siq al-Berid (‘the cold siq’). Like Petra, Siq al-Berid was built by the Nabatean culture which first appeared around the 7 century BC (as one of the enemies of the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal). We’ll continue to the Amra Palace Hotel in Petra for three nights.
10 OctoberWe can walk along the canyon that gives access to Petra in the predawn light in order tosee the wonderful building cut in the rock come alive as the sun rises. Our full day can be spent enjoying the site, which changes as the light alters. It being a Wednesday we can also see Petra candle-lit in the evening. Our second night in Petra.
11 OctoberWe are devoting a second day to seeing Petra, which provides an opportunity to explore a little further or higher on the site. Our third night in the Amra Palace Hotel.
12 October We’ll drive south from Petra to the Wadi Rum where we’ll enjoy a drive in this most atmospheric of desert environments. The colours of the rocks and the sand shift imperceptibly through the day. But if a dust storm does occur it will become a very different experience! Later we’ll drive to Aqaba for two nights in the Captain’s Hotel.
13 October This could be a day of leisure but you may want to join our planned half day on a boat (weather permitting) so as to enjoy the Gulf of Aqaba. During the First World War, the Turks defending Aqaba famously expected any attack to come from the sea, and not from the landward side which is where Lawrence had gathered his forces.
14 OctoberLeaving the sea behind us we’ll drive north and transfer to the Wadi Khudeira where we can enjoy a 3 hour walk in the dramatic rock forms in the canyon. We’ll continue to Amman for two nights.
15 OctoberThe Dead Sea, at 400m below sea level is the lowest place on earth, so we’ll drive down to it from Amman. You may be interested to swim in its very salty waters, and enjoy the strange sensation of being so buoyant. We’ll return to Amman so that there’ll be time to wander or look for crafts. Our last night in the Misk Hotel.
16 October A predawn check-out from the hotel in order to catch our 0620 flight from Amman to London Heathrow on bmi flight914to land at 1000.


The photographs on this page were all taken in Jordan. To see the 5 images click on the middle arrow beneath the pictures and the short slide show should run automatically.