DAY 1: Thessaloniki - Amman
Meet at Macedonia Airport and depart on a direct Royal Jordanian flight to Amman, the historic capital with its lively, modern face and colorful contrasts. Arrival and transfer to our hotel. Check-in. Dinner. Overnight stay.
DAY 2: Amman - Jerash - Azloun Castle - Amman
Breakfast and a day to explore the Jordanian capital, formerly the Ammonite capital of Rabbat-Ammon and later the Greco-Roman city known as Philadelphia. The ancient and at the same time modern city that today goes by the name of Amman. At the top of the Acropolis, the historic center of the city with the remains of the Temple of Hercules, the Byzantine churches, and the Umayyad Palace remind us of its glorious origins. On the other hand, the Roman Theater and the Odeon, as well as the magnificent mosque of King Abdullah, are among the city's newer attractions. We will then depart for Jerash, Antioch on the Chrysorrois, the best-preserved Greco-Roman city of the Decapolis, which was discovered in 1806. Hidden for centuries under the sand, the "city of 1,000 columns," as it is called, is a magnificent provincial urban center of the Middle East. During our tour of this extensive archaeological site, we will see the oval square, the colonnaded street, the theaters, the nymphaeum, the temple of Artemis, and more. Continuing our journey through pine forests and olive groves, we will arrive at the elaborate Azloun Castle, built in 1184 to control the iron mines and the three main roads leading to the Jordan Valley. Return to Amman. Dinner. Overnight stay.
DAY 3: Amman - Madaba - Mount Nebo - Kerak Castle - Petra
Departure for Madaba, Jordan's most important Christian center with the Orthodox Church of St. George and its unique mosaic floor. Here, the first map of the Holy Land, crafted with countless mosaic tiles and artistic care in the mid-6th century AD, has been preserved. Visitors can see the first map of the Holy Land! The holy shrines of the Christian world located in Jordan and Egypt are decorated with elaborate mosaics for which the city's exceptional craftsmen are renowned. We then head to Mount Nebo, where, according to tradition, Moses stood to gaze upon the Promised Land with its magnificent view of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. We continue through the magnificent Wadi el Mujib gorge to the imposing Crusader castle of Kerak, built in 1142, which dominates the surrounding area. After our visit, we will depart for Petra, one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the Middle East. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Dinner. Overnight stay.
DAY 4: Petra – Little Petra – Wadi Rum
Breakfast and guided tour of Petra, where the Nabataeans achieved the impossible: they transformed a deserted place into a rich metropolis of 30,000 inhabitants. Impressive buildings and temples, a theater, and magnificent burial monuments adorn this natural fortress, which is nestled in a well-protected basin surrounded by mountains, with a gorge as its only access point. Occupying an important position on the spice route, it was a caravan station on the route from Damascus to Aqaba. Our visit to this surreal place will literally blow us away!!! Walking through the narrow gorge (Siq), we will reach the impressive Treasury (Khazneh), the mostphotographed monument in Petra. We will also see the Street of Facades, the royal tombs, the Byzantine church, and the Roman side of the city. We continue with "Little Petra," also known as Siq Al-Barid, an archaeological site located north of Petra. Like its "Big Sister," it was also a city of the Nabataeans and an important caravan stop, with impressive buildings carved into the high walls of the gorge. During our tour, we will see tombs, warehouses, cisterns, and water channels, as well as other buildings, some of which even feature remnants of frescoes from the 1st century AD. After visiting the ruins of this ancient city, we will depart for Wadi Rum, the "Valley of the Moon," the desert of Lawrence of Arabia. We will spend the night in the desert in Bedouin or dome tents. Arrival at the camp. Bedouin dinner. Overnight stay.
DAY 5: Wadi Rum - Aqaba
Breakfast. Today, a unique experience awaits us: a visit in specially designed 4x4 vehicles with flatbeds to the Wadi Rum Desert, with its colorful sand and granite mountains carved by the hot sun and freezing air, and its pink hues. The first inhabitants may have arrived in Wadi Rum during the Paleolithic era on foot or in caravans, but for the purposes of this journey, we will be driven there in modern 4x4 Jeeps (with flatbeds). In the Kazali Gorge, we will see ancient petroglyphs with dozens of encrypted messages (most of them written in Nabataean) that have preserved their mystery over time. Filled with colorful sand and mountains of sandstone and granite, carved by the elements of nature, Wadi Rum was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011. After our desert safari, we continue to our next destination, Aqaba, located at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea. The city is a resort center in Jordan and its only outlet to the sea. Short tour of the city and free time for a stroll in the market. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner. Overnight stay.
DAY 6: Aqaba – Bethany – Dead Sea
Breakfast and departure for Bethany, the place where, according to the Scriptures, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Then we will depart for the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the Earth's surface! It is a large lake, located 423 meters below sea level, the lowest point on earth. As the salt content reaches 34.2% (9.6 times greater concentration of salt than the ocean), no form of life can survive in the water and no object can sink into its mysterious depths, hence the name Dead Sea. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Dinner. Overnight stay.
DAY 7: Dead Sea
Free day to "swim" and experience the therapeutic properties of clay and mud, which leave your skin feeling beautiful and benefit the body in many ways! Dinner. Overnight stay.
DAY 8: Dead Sea – Amman – Thessaloniki
Morning departure for Amman airport and boarding of direct flight to Thessaloniki.
