Jordan, 8 days - Clean Monday

Gather at the airport and fly to the capital of Jordan, Amman. Arrival, transfer and check-in at our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

After our breakfast, we start our wandering in this ancient and at the same time modern city called Amman. There are clear testimonies and proofs that it has been inhabited for at least 9000 years. With the name of Rabat Amun we find it as the capital of the Ammonites, as mentioned in the Bible, later it becomes Philadelphia, in honor of the Ptolemies and is part of the Greco-Roman Decapolis and finally it gets its current name at the time of the first Islamic dynasty, that of the Ummayads. Our tour will start from the Acropolis, an ideal spot, since from its top we can admire the historical center of Amman. In the acropolis we will admire the remains of the Temple of Herakles, Byzantine churches and the Ommayad Palace. We will then descend to the bustling center, where we will visit the Roman Theater and Odeon and admire (external visit) the magnificent mosque of King Abdullah, who built it in honor of his father Hussein. Free time to walk around the city's historical center and bazaar. After completing our visit to Amman, we depart for Gerasa, also referred to as the "Pompeii of the East". It is the most well-preserved Greco-Roman city of the Decapolis and its foundation is attributed to Alexander the Great or to his general Perdikas, to settle the aging Macedonian soldiers there. During our visit we will admire the hippodrome, the unique oval square, the street with the colonnade, the south and north theaters, the nymphaeum, the temple of Artemis, but also three of its Byzantine churches, one of which has display rare mosaics. We will finish our today's tours with the Castle of Azlun, which was built in the 12th century by the Ayyubids of the Saladin dynasty, so that they could control the movements of the crusaders in the Jordan Valley. It is one of the best examples of military architecture. Return to Amman. Dinner and overnight stay.

After our breakfast, we depart for Petra. Our first stop will be in Mataba, famous to this day for its artisans, who are engaged in the manufacture of mosaics. The first map of the Holy Land dating from 560 AD is preserved in the Greek Orthodox church of Saint George. In this map that has Jerusalem as its center, we recognize all the holy pilgrimages, located in the territory of Jordan and Egypt. We continue to Mount Nebo, from where we will have the opportunity to admire the wonderful view towards the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, i.e. towards the Promised Land of Moses. After our tour of Mount Nebo, we head to Bethany, across the Jordan, which is directly connected to the life of Jesus and John the Baptist, since it is the place where, it has been proven, Jesus was baptized. Arrival in Petra and check-in at our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast and transfer to the archaeological site of the unique Petra, where the hand of God and the mind of man have joined forces to create something unique. Rekem (the colorful one), Sela (rock) and Petra are the names that this city has had throughout history. Capital of the Nabataeans, that nomadic people from Saudi Arabia, a people who grew rich by trading goods from the East to the ports of the Mediterranean and Egypt, as well as supplying water and food to the caravans. Although their glory lasted only two centuries, during this time they managed to leave behind monuments that remain to this day, witnesses of their wealth and elegance. We will walk through the gorge (Sik) that passes through high rocks that reach a height of 100 m, to reach its end in front of the impressive Treasury (Hazne), the most famous and photographed monument of Petra. We continue our walk through the chic interior and the street of facades, the theater, the Royal Tombs, the Basilica and the relatively recently discovered Byzantine Cathedral. We end with the Roman side of the city, where the street with the colonnade, the mosque, the temple of the winged lion and the temple of the Pharaoh's daughter are located. We continue to Al Beidha or, as it is better known, "Little Petra". We will enter the area through a narrow gorge called Siq Al-Barid. Its name means "cold" and refers to the cool conditions there, as the high walls prevent sunlight from entering the canyon and heating it. "Little Petra" is considered an important suburb of Petra, for the trade routes of the North. As in Petra the buildings are equally impressive where we will see warehouses and tombs, water channels and reservoirs. Our final destination is the magnificent desert of Lawrence of Arabia, the unique landscape of Wadi Rum where we will live a unique experience! Our stay will be in a traditional Bedouin camp in specially designed tents where we will enjoy a traditional dinner and you will have the opportunity to enjoy the starry sky as well as the most beautiful sunrise! Overnight.

Breakfast and ready for another unique experience! With specially designed 4X4 vehicles we will be driven into the interior of the Wadi, whose first inhabitants arrived there during the Paleolithic era. In its rocks we will see dozens of coded messages, written in Navataic or Thamudene script, dating from the 5th century to the 7th century AD. Then departure for Aqaba, Jordan's only port on the Red Sea. Aqaba, even if it appears today as a modern city, it has a long history as well, since it has been inhabited since the 5th millennium BC, while it is mentioned in the Old Testament and as a naval base of King Solomon. Aqaba's biggest attraction, apart from being a duty free city, is the coral reefs that lie off its shores. Check in at the hotel. Free time. Dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast and immediate departure for the Dead Sea with Kerak castle as an intermediate stop. The name of the Dead Sea is due to the extremely high salt content that results in the complete lack of life and the "heavy waves" that are difficult to create. This is of course due to the fact that it contains large amounts of dissolved inorganic solids (chlorine, sodium, magnesium, potassium, sulfuric acid), as a result of which no microscopic organism can survive. It contains 24% salt, that is up to ten times more than sea water. There you will be able to swim and experience the healing properties that give the skin a beautiful sensation. Arrival at the hotel and check-in. Dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast and free day where you will have the opportunity to swim and have the experience of the healing properties that give the skin a beautiful feeling. Relax by taking a hammam or treat yourself to a unique spa! Dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, transfer to Amman airport for the return flight to Athens.