International airfare or required visas

Jordan Explorer Pass, required for site entry and visa waiver

Additional meals, excursions and activities not listed

Tips to your local guide, Traverse guide, drivers, etc.

Alcohol, unless specified

Required travel insurance

Welcome to Jordan! Upon arrival at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), your driver will transfer you about an hour to your boutique hotel in the heart of the city. Settle in & rest up or explore the neighborhood, filled with cafés and art boutiques and very safe for walking around to explore!

In the evening, we enjoy our Welcome Dinner experience - but first, we will cook it! We’ll head to a local restaurant run by three sisters who were inspired by their grandma’s cooking. You’ll have local “sitti’s” or grandmas directing you how to make the most delicious Jordanian regional and local specialties. Get to know your fellow travelers and your local guide, who will brief you on our next week together.

Meals: D

We’ll start our explorations in the Old City of Amman, tasting some street food specialties along the way then visiting one of its most iconic archeological sites, the Citadel. We’ll then hop in our private van and descend to the Dead Sea where we’ll make a stop to float in the salty water and cleanse your skin with a detoxifying mud bath.

We’ll then follow the Jordan Valley Highway all the way south the magical UNESCO Heritage site of Little Petra, also known as Beidha, where the ancient Nabataeans carved the sandstone canyon walls. We’ll stay in the hospitality of a locally-run Bedouin camp, where we’ll have full-structured tents with beds and shared bathroom facilities. Dinner will be a home-cooked feast followed by music and festivities under the stars.

Meals: B, D

After breakfast, it’s time to lace up the hiking boots for our 12-mile hike to Petra. We’ll enter through the “back door” using the Wadi Muthlim trail, which takes us through the sandstone mountains of Wadi Ghurab. This way follows a Nabataean route out of the valley and skirts around the final mountain on a natural rock terrace before reaching a hidden plateau with impressive views of the Wadi Siyyaqh chasm. Just beyond, we’ll reach The Monastery, one of Petra’s many famous carved sites. We’ll stop for tea, lunch and mint lemonade at a Bedouin café before descending all the way down to the town of Wadi Musa where we’ll stay for the night.

You’ll have the evening free to explore, relax and enjoy fabulous Middle Eastern cuisine at one of the many local restaurants in walking distance. Also, be sure to try out the hammam, or Turkish bath, for a soak & scrub!

Meals: B, L

Hiking Notes: The hike is lower intermediate, with some lightly technical portions over rocky terrain. If you do not wish to hike, you can transfer from Little Petra to Wadi Musa in the morning with the luggage and meet up with the group in the evening.

We’ll hit the trail early this morning to avoid the crowds, starting with the walk through the long, narrow gorge that leads to the famous Treasury site of Petra. The grounds are massive, and we’ll spend the next few hours exploring their elaborate rock-cut tombs, the Roman-style theaters and temples, sacrificial altars and colonnaded streets.

After a late lunch, we’ll drive to the ochre desert of Wadi Rum, meaning “high” and “low” for its flat sandscapes and towering buttes. Our van will take us to a small village where we’ll hop into trucks and our expert drivers will navigate through the sand to our second Bedouin tent experience.

We’ll have a chance to explore the dunes and see petroglyphs dating back more than 4,000 years plus inscriptions more than 400 years old.

Get ready for another homemade feast, this time cooked slowly under ground in a local style known as za’arb. You’ll also have ample amounts of desert-style herbal tea and brilliant views of the stars.

Meals: B, D

After a nourishing Bedouin breakfast, we’ll then make our way back to Amman, stopping along the way for another adventure - canyoning!

We’ll hike, wade, and swim through the breathtaking sandstone canyons of Wadi Mujib.* This hike requires good upper body strength as ropes and ladders are used to climb throughout the water. A challenge for sure, but a unique and rewarding one!

We’ll then continue on to a well-earned meal at one of Jordan’s best farm-to-table restaurants and cultural spaces in the country. The establishment uses permaculture design, rainwater harvesting, and the knowledge of small farmers to preserve and inspire Jordan’s culinary landscape.

We’ll arrive back in Amman for a free evening.

Meals: B, L, D

*Note on Wadi Mujib: Participants should know how to swim and have a reasonable level of fitness. In some parts of the trail you may need to scramble and descend by rope, assisted by your experienced guide. Helmets and gear are provided. If you prefer to opt out of the excursion, there is a park entry building that you may wait at.

Today we’ll start out with some history as we visit the Jerash, the best example of a Roman provincial city in the whole Middle East. We’ll visit the spectacular Forum, Roman colonnaded street, the Nymphaeum and the Artemis Temple and have ample time to explore the ruins on your own and soak in its history.

For lunch, enjoy a hyper local, home-style meal based on sustainable agriculture and foraging.

We’ll then visit the Greek and Roman ruins of Umm Qais with views overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee. The ruins boast a history as one of the Decapolis cities and Umm Qais is famous as the home of many classical poets and philosophers, who once called it the “New Athens.”

We’ll spend the night at a beautifully preserved agrotourism B&B, supporting the local environment and community through sustainable tourism development initiatives. The home has multiple private and shared rooms with bathrooms for every 2 to 4 people. Get ready for some local experiences tomorrow!

Dinner will be enjoyed together at our B&B.

Meals: B, L, D

Side notes about the northern area! Much of the northern area, in particular the Ajloun Forest, was established by Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and serves as a captive breeding ground for the extinct Roe Deer as well as a protected habitat for many bird species. Jordan’s national flower, the Black Iris, can be found here as well as evergreen oak, carob and wild pistachio, all of which have been important to locals for their food and medicinal value.

Today will be spent experiencing life as the community does near our B&B. Our activities may range from olive picking, to beekeeping & honey harvesting, to textile work or basket weaving. The choices will depend on the season and availability of your local wisdom keepers!

During your meals, you’ll enjoy many key traditional Jordanian dishes using local ingredients like eggplant, tomato, sumac, pomegranate molasses, za’tar and tahini.

Meals: B, L, D

This morning you’ll enjoy a sweet, slow morning at our B&B with a chance to explore the grounds or walk to nearby ruins.

Then we’ll have our Farewell Feast together over lunch as we bid farewell to our new friends and dream about more adventures to come!

We’ll arrive back in Amman in the late afternoon, where you can explore the city on your own or pack up for your departure. Consider a progressive meal of street-style falafel or schwarma, shop for mementos along Rainbow Street in Jabal Amman, or chill with a drink on one of the city’s many terraces.

Meals: B, L

Depart any time today from Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport (AMM). Check out is at 11:00 and if you depart late you can leave your bags at the hotel before your transfer according to your flight schedule.

Meals: B

Saudi Arabia Add-On: Immerse yourself in nature and culture in the breathtaking beauty of Saudi Arabia’s ochre deserts and lush oasis. This itinerary is designed to be an easy add-on to our Taste & Trails of Jordan, to provide a contrast between the two cultures that are both linked through their Nabatean history and distinctly different in their culture, food, history and architecture.

You'll be paired with a roommate of your same gender unless you request your own room.

STARTING at $4495 per person - double occupancy

+$495 'My own room' option

STARTING at $125/$135 Extra night (single/double pricing per room)

Saudi Arabia Add-On:

Minimum 2 people required to confirm departure.

$2695 per person, double occupancy

$2995 per person, single occupancy

See all trip details and inclusions here.

STARTING at $4995 per person - double occupancy, minimum 2 people

+$495 'My own room' option or odd bookings (3, 5, etc.)

STARTING at +$50 Amman Food Tour, Day 1. A 3-hour guided food tour to taste the best Jordanian food, experience the markets, sample fresh juices, meet some locals and explore downtown Amman with an expert local tour guide. Price depends on availability and number of participants.

Extra nights, pricing on request

Saudi Arabia 5-day add on, details here

This Jordan trip has one long hike and several shorter ones. The trail is not super technical, though there are inclines and declines throughout the trail. While your fitness level doesn't have to be like an athlete, you should be able to hike for multiple hours at a time through diverse terrain.

Not at all! We're quite adept at tailoring to your needs. Whether gluten free (including Celiac), vegetarian or vegan, dairy or lactose free, or if you have a specific allergy or intolerance we can work around your needs and provide fresh, locally sourced meals that will keep you nourished and satisfied.

Yes, for this itinerary you’ll have a guide and driver with you throughout the trip when you book self-guided. You’ll have lots of opportunities for flexibility throughout your day for explorations on your own if you’d like too.