Hiking
Visiting Jordan by foot is a different touring experience. Hiking gets you to areas where the coach tourist does not reach, away from the crowds and to the authentic Jordan. In Petra you will leave the tourists behind with the hawkers and sellers and hike into a quiet area which is untouched from the times of the Nabateans. In the mountains you will come across the Bedouin who will invite you to a cup of tea nd a chat. In the hills of Ajloun you will see the peasants ploughing the land with his horse.
The hikes are day hikes using either hotels or camps as a base. It is a wonderful way to discover a wondrous country. Join us for your Jordan hiking holiday.
Below are a couple of sample programs. We have many more programs or we can customise an itinerary to your specific requirements. Contact us for details.
Jordan Desert Hiking Explorer
Sample Program:
An eight day program of Jordan that includes five days of hiking. The accommodation is a mix of hotels and camping with the Bedouin. The focus is on the south of Jordan – with plenty of hikes in the areas of Petra and Wadi Rum.
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive in Amman and transfer to the hotel.
Day 2: Hiking in Wadi Rum
Depart Amman heading south. Arrive at Wadi Rum and board your jeeps with the local Bedouin and head out to the desert. Hike for half a day through the sandstone cliffs rising straight up from the multicoloured desert sands. Overnight in a Bedouin camp for three nights.
Day 3 and 4: More hikes in Wadi Rum
More walking every day to different parts of the desert viewing mountainous landscapes, enjoying the cool, shaded canyons, stumbling upon the precious desert springs and viewing the Nabatean carvings.
Day 5: Petra
Today is spent in the Red Rock City of Petra. Walk through the “siq” a windy rock corridor leading to the Nabatean city carved into the sheer rock face. Enjoy the many ornate classical facade carvings and the timeless beauty of the hidden treasure. The city is rick in rock coloured tombs, temple facades, and rock reliefs. Also there are many Roman remains such as the amphitheatre carved in the rock and the paved colonnaded street. Time allowing, you will climb to the monastery. Overnight in Petra.
Day 6: Shobak Castle, Wadi Ibn Hammad
Leave Petra for the Castle of Shobak perched on a hilltop. Explore the site and walk down a secret tunnel from the castle to the spring hundreds of feet below. Then enter the canyon of Ibn Hammad a stately oases full of hanging gardens and cool delightful pools of fresh water. Continue on to the Christian city of Madeba for 2 nights.
Day 7: Madeba, Mt. Nebo
We spend the day in Madeba - known as the City of Mosaics - to see the ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land. We also see the remains of Byzantine church with their mosaic floors. Then on to Mount Nebo where Moses viewed the Promised Land. You can see the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Judean hills beyond; also, the remains of Byzantine church with their mosaic floors.
Day 8: Depart
Jordan North to South by Foot
Sample Program:
This program of 14 days covers the length of Jordan in all its diversity from the forests of the hills of Ajloun in the north, to the deserts of Rum and the Red Sea in the south. In between we cover all the major sites of Jerash, Kerak, Madeba, the Dead Sea, Amman and others.
We spend four nights in Petra giving this magnificent site justice. A great program. We operate this program for Ramblers Holiday in the UK
Day 1: Arrival
On arrival transfer by road to our hotel for 2 nights’ accommodation in Amman.
Day 2: Amman
Start the day with a relaxed pace and a briefing of your itinerary, followed by a tour of Amman including the Citadel, Roman Amphitheatre and downtown Amman, including the colourful souks. Overnight in Amman
Day 3: Jerash, Ajloun
We travel to the Roman city of Jerash. Our visit includes the Castle, Elliptical Forum, the street of columns, the Temple of Artemis and Roman theatres. We overnight for 1 night’s accommodation in the Ajloun Nature Reserve.
Day 4: Hike in Wadi Zubia
After breakfast, we take a morning hike on the trails in the area of the Nature Reserve (approx 4-6 hours). Travelling south, we transfer along the Kings Highway crossing the Wadi Mujib, the Grand Canyon of Jordan, and finish our day in Kerak for 2 nights’ accommodation.
Day 5: Hike Wadi Ibn Hammad, Kerak
A beautiful and dramatic walk (approx. 3-4 hours over rocky ground) starting at the hot springs of Ibn Hammad and entering a sandstone gorge of abundant vegetation and hanging gardens. We also visit the magnificent Crusader Castle at Kerak.
Note: You should expect to get your shoes wet while in Ibn Hammad, as much of the walking is in a perennial stream
Day 6: Dana, Shobak
Today we travel to the village of Dana on the edge of the Dana Nature Reserve. We hike the Dana Nature Reserve (approx 3-5 hours) before continuing by road to the Crusader Castle of Shobak. The final section of our journey today takes us to the Ancient City of Petra and 4 nights’ accommodation.
Day 7: Petra
A full day exploring the magnificent Red Rose city of Petra. We’ll see the Treasury carved in pink stone, the Roman Theatre, the Corinthian Tomb and Palace Tomb. We walk to the Monastery, Petra’s most awe-inspiring monument, but at the mountaintop the reward will be astonishing.
Day 8: Petra, Biehda
Starting at Beihda, we head towards the main site of Petra. We pass the remains of a Neolithic village, then to a dramatic walk on an old Nabatean trail along the mountain escarpment with views overlooking the Araba Valley. Towards the end we see the top of the monastery peaking round the final corner. From here we continue to the paved street before taking Wadi Muthlim as a back way out of the site.
Day 9: Petra, Jebel Haroun
Our walk takes us from Petra to Jebel Haroun (Aaron’s Mountain) and the round trip will take approximately seven hours with an ascent of about 500m. At the top of Jebel Haroun, at 1350m the highest peak on the mountain surrounding the bowl of Petra, there is the very modest shrine commemorating the death of Aaron, Moses’ brother. We can enjoy the panoramic views before heading back to our hotel.
Day 10: Wadi Rum
Leaving Petra we now head to the desert landscape of the Wadi Rum. We’ll spend a day of exploration as we walk along the valleys that cut between giant granite, basalt and sandstone mountains. The rocky landscape has been weathered over the millennia into domes, ridges and textures that look like molten candle wax and the sheer bulk of the mountains are truly awe-inspiring. We spend one night at a desert camp in Wadi Rum.
Day 11: Wadi Rum, Aqaba
After watching the sunrise and breakfast, we’ll take a short morning hike in Wadi Rum before making the journey to nearby Aqaba for one night’s accommodation. The afternoon is at leisure to rest and enjoy this Red Sea resort. You may wish to take an optional excursion. Overnight in Aqaba.
Day 12: Wadi Numierah, Dead Sea, Mt. Nebo
Making our way northwards we drive along the Rift Valley and hike in one of the Wadis, (approx 2-3 hours with more wet shoes!) En route, we’ll stop for a swim (or float!) at the Dead Sea, before watching the sun set over the Holy Land at Mt. Nebo. Our final destination is Madeba where we stay for 2 nights.
Day 13: Madeba
Visit Madeba on foot, site of the ancient mosaic map of the Holyland.
Day 14: Depart