Petra carved from rose-red rock, Wadi Rum's Martian deserts, and the lowest point on earth — all in a country smaller than Free State.
The rose-red Nabataean city — one of the New 7 Wonders. The Siq walk to the Treasury, then up to the Monastery. Petra by Night (Mon, Wed, Thu) is candlelit and otherworldly.
Where Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian and Dune were filmed. Sleep in a Bedouin tent, ride a camel at dawn, climb a rope ladder up a sandstone wall.
The lowest point on earth (–430m) and 10× saltier than the ocean. You cannot sink. Pair it with a mineral mud spa.
One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities — Hadrian’s Arch, the Oval Plaza, two theatres still in use today.
‘Welcome to Jordan’ is repeated everywhere you go. Bedouin tea, mansaf (the national dish), and a culture of guests-as-honoured-strangers.
Pairs naturally with Egypt or Israel. SA passport holders get a visa on arrival or Jordan Pass online (which also covers Petra entry).
Comfortable temperatures for walking Petra all day and exploring Wadi Rum. Wildflowers in spring. Festival of Lights at Jerash in autumn.
Winter is cool in the highlands, mild near the Dead Sea. Some snow is possible in Petra. June still pleasant before the summer heat kicks in.
Petra and Wadi Rum become genuinely punishing — 36°+ with no shade. We don’t run trips in midsummer.
Nabataean rose-red city. The Siq, the Treasury, the Monastery, Petra by Night.
Martian desert. Bedouin camps, camel rides, rock climbing.
Lowest point on earth. Float, mud-bathe, watch the sun set.
Roman provincial city, one of the world’s best preserved.
6th-century Byzantine map of the Holy Land in mosaic floor.
Capital with the Citadel, Roman Theatre, and a fierce coffee scene.
Crusader fortress on the King’s Highway. Dramatic ramparts.
Diving, snorkelling, easy beach extension on the Red Sea coast.
8-10 days: Amman → Jerash → Madaba → Petra (2 days) → Wadi Rum (Bedouin camp) → Dead Sea. The complete Jordan experience, designed around your dates.
Cairo and the Nile, then a few days in Petra and Wadi Rum. The two great ancient civilisations of the region in one trip.
After the Crusades, Petra was unknown to the Western world until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered it in 1812. The local Bedouin had always known it.
Diverted water from the Jordan River means the sea level drops continually. Hotels built on the shore in 1990 now stand 2 km inland.
NASA, ESA and JAXA have all used it as a training analogue for Mars missions. Several films (The Martian, Star Wars) filmed here did not need to fake the landscape.
Jordan is one of the most rewarding short trips you can take. Tell us your dates and we'll design it.