Hiking in Jordan: Petra and Wadi Rum

Ahlan Wa Sahlan! Welcome to Jordan, cosmopolitan and contemporary, yet steeped in biblical history. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm this evening. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place. As there's not much time spent in Amman on this itinerary, it's worth arriving a day or two early to explore the sights. Highlights include the citadel, the Jordan Museum and the Roman Theatre. At any rate, perhaps try an ara’yes while you're here – a toastie filled with spicy mincemeat.

After breakfast, head out for the first trek of your adventure. Journey to the Dana Biosphere Reserve, the largest nature reserve in Jordan. Covering 320 square kilometres, the reserve is made up of mountains, Wadis and sand dunes, and is home to an incredibly diverse display of flora and fauna. The reserve was created to protect the natural environment while generating jobs for the local community. Your trek today takes you in and around this protected area, exploring with the expertise of a local guide. Keep an eye out for the varied wildlife you’ll find here, including falcons, chameleons, foxes, porcupines and more than 700 species of plants. After your trek, transfer to Little Petra. Believed by archaeologists to have housed visiting traders on the Silk Road, Little Petra is every bit as fascinating as its larger counterpart (just a lot quieter!). Take some time to explore the site with your local leader this afternoon, then settle in at your camp for dinner and stargazing.

This morning after breakfast, start your hike directly from the camp, following a back-trail and leading to Petra. The landscape today is ever changing – sandy plateaus, bedouin campsites, goat herds and stone staircases. Your guided tour culminates at The Monastery, a seriously impressive seven-storey structure with a doorway that's eight metres high. Though less ornate than the Treasury, the sheer scale of this building makes it an amazing sight. Reportedly it was used as a temple by Christians in the Byzantine period. Trace your way back to the camp in early afternoon and enjoy the rest of the day as you please.

Today is sure to be one remember as you spend it discovering the ancient site of Petra. This jewel of Jordan is justifiably on the 'must see' list for many travellers. The lost city of the biblical Nabateans comprises an impressive series of tombs and dwellings hidden behind ornate facades carved directly into rock. Shake off the crowds and spend the day taking on some of the sites secret hiking trails, where if you’re lucky, you won’t see another soul. What you will see, however, is the Tomb of the Obelisks, the High Place of Sacrifice, Lion Monument, Wadi Farasa and lots more. You will be more familiar with the amazing site of Petra, so enjoy some free time to explore around in your own pace this afternoon. Return to your accommodation this evening and put your feet up after a long but oh so rewarding day.

After a leisurely morning, journey to Wadi Rum, your base for the next two nights. On arrival, start with a guided tour by 4x4 vehicle with your camp host. You'll see the amazing sights and landscapes of Wadi Rum, such as the famous Seven Pillars of Wisdom, sand dunes and rock bridges. As the sun begins to set, you’ll explore the beautiful lunar-like landscape on foot, taking in several canyons and the Um Fruth Rock Arch before finishing up at your camp for the night. Tonight you’ll stay in a simple desert camp, with the choice of sleeping in a tent or out under the stars. Enjoy a delicious dinner cooked in an earthen oven by your Bedouin hosts. Conditions are basic at the desert camp, but the hospitality of these people is legendary, and the experience of sleeping beneath this desert sky is a memorable one.

After waking up in the unique surrounds of the Bedouin camp, enjoy a trek around the area, taking in ancient water collection systems, Thamudic inscriptions and many unique rock formations. You’ll be joined by a local guide and a support vehicle, and there will be stops for tea and lunch. Along the way, you might like to scale one of the large sand dunes for sensational views of the surrounding area. Erosion over the ages has created fantastic gnarled shapes in the landscape. Explore the distinctive rock formations and soak in the vast silence of the desert. Later, return to camp for another night in the desert camp with your new Bedouin friends.

Rise early to catch the first sunrays over Wadi Rum. After breakfast, travel to the small town of Madaba. This town is famous for its Ottoman-style houses and beautiful Byzantine-era mosaics, including the famous 6th-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land at St George's Church. Hundreds of other mosaics from the 5th to the 7th century are scattered throughout Madaba’s churches and homes.  This afternoon, take a short drive to the shores of the Dead Sea for a weightless dip in its famously salty waters, and a chance to watch the sunset in one of the world’s most spectacular locations. Back in Madaba this evening, you may like to gather your travel buddies for a celebratory shisha as this adventure comes to an end.

This trekking adventure in Jordan comes to an end today. There are no activities planned and you are free to depart the accommodation at any time.