Family Holiday to Jordan

In the morning, you will travel north of Amman to the Roman city of Jerash. You’ll be greeted by the imposing triple-arched gateway built to honor the Emperor Hadrian’s arrival at Jerash in 129 AD. Next, you will visit the Temples of Zeus, the mile-long Street of Columns, Cardo Maximus, and the colonnaded streets. You will then return to Amman in the afternoon and enjoy a walking tour. You will delve into the souqs, as well as seeing the Citadel and the Roman Amphitheatre.

Travel to Petra via Madaba, Mt. Nebo, and Kerak. Some of the world’s most exquisite Byzantine mosaics are found in Madaba, as is the oldest known map of the Holy Land. Mt. Nebo, thought to be the burial site of Moses, boasts a splendid view of the Dead Sea. Visit Kerak’s massive Crusader Castle, built on a plateau 3,400 feet above sea level. This famous castle lies in the biblical land of Moab and was a Moabite stronghold long before the Crusaders built the fortification. If your family likes to cook, why not spend the evening at Petra Kitchen where you will learn the secrets of Arabic cooking.

You will have the day to explore the legendary “Rose Red City” of Petra. Petra is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago. Enter through the Siq (made famous in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) before seeing the spectacular Treasury, the 8,000-seat amphitheater, and the Temple of the Winged Lions. A tour of Petra usually takes about three hours. It will depend on how your children are faring whether you walk up to the Monastery – remember it’s 800 steps. Otherwise, return to the hotel for some pool time.

Travel to Wadi Rum, where you will have the chance to explore the desert in an open 4WD vehicle with a Bedouin guide. Lawrence of Arabia spent time on this awesome moonscape of sand and wind-sculpted stone. You take a family camel ride for sunset before returning to the camp for a barbecue dinner and a spot of stargazing.

This morning, you have the option of rising high above the desert on a balloon flight before driving to the Dead Sea.

Spend your day at leisure, or for more active families with teenagers; we know they will love the Wadi Mujib Siq Trail, where you walk into a water-filled canyon until it gets up to your waist!

You will have a final day of R&R beside the pool. The sun rays down at the Dead Sea are naturally filtered from UV, so it makes for the perfect place for some winter sun.

It’s only 45 minutes to the airport for your flight home.