6 Days Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum and The Dead Sea Tour

Your trip begins the moment you land in Amman. Whatever day and hour your flight arrives, our representative will be waiting in the arrivals area holding a signboard with your name on it. Look for your name, say hello, and the hard part of the day is over.

From there you'll be driven to your Amman hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle. Your booking is at the Sulaf Luxury or Downtown Hotel Apartments, or a similar standard-quality hotel.

The rest of the day is yours, with no scheduled activities and no meals included today. If your flight lands early, downtown Amman and its street markets are an easy taxi ride from most hotels. If you arrive late, there's no pressure at all, since tomorrow's sightseeing starts fresh.

Pack comfortable walking shoes near the top of your bag. Amman is built over a series of steep hills, and even a short stroll means stairs and slopes. Dinner tonight is on your own, and you're free to pick a local restaurant near your hotel at your own expense.

You'll spend the night in Amman. Your guided days in Jordan begin tomorrow, so get some rest.

• Overnight in Amman.
• Included Meal(s): None

After breakfast at your Amman hotel, you'll set out with your private driver for the hour-long drive north to Jerash. It was one of the Decapolis cities, though its best years came under Roman rule. Many people consider it the best-preserved Roman provincial city in the Middle East. An English-speaking local guide meets you at the site to walk you through it.

You'll see the oval Forum, the Roman colonnaded street, the Nymphaeum fountain, the theatres, and the Temple of Artemis. There's a lot of walking here on uneven paving stones, so wear closed shoes you trust. Shade is limited, so bring a hat and sunscreen, and use the bottle of water we provide.

Back in the capital, you'll visit the Amman Citadel on its hilltop, with views across the city's ridges and valleys. The ruins run from Roman through early Islamic times, including the Hercules Temple and the Umayyad Palace, plus a small Archaeological Museum. Nearby, visit the Roman Theatre, which can accommodate up to 6,000 visitors.

Downtown, you'll stroll the Souq, where stalls sell fruit, vegetables, spices and herbs alongside clothes and household goods. Lunch isn't included, so you can pick something along the way at your own expense. Afterward you'll be driven back to your hotel in Amman for the night. Dinner is also on your own tonight, and there are plenty of places to eat within a short walk or ride of the hotel.

• Overnight in Amman.
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast

After breakfast, you'll check out of your Amman hotel and set out with your private driver for Mt. Nebo. This is the ridge where Moses is said to have been buried, and on a clear day you can see across to the Promised Land. Haze is common, so treat the long view as a bonus. Inside the remains of the 4th-century Moses Memorial Church, the floor mosaics are the reason to linger.

It's a short ride down to Madaba, a town known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. In the Greek Orthodox St. George's Church you'll see the 6th-century mosaic map of Palestine, set right into the floor. If St. John the Baptist Church is open, you can climb the bell tower for a look over the rooftops. The stairs are narrow and steep, so it's your call.

From there you'll follow the King's Way, the old caravan route that runs south along the highlands. There's a short stop at Wadi Al-Mujib, a wide canyon with layered rock walls dropping away on both sides. Bring a jacket in cooler months; the wind at the overlook has some bite to it.

Next, visit Kerak Castle, a Crusader stronghold. You'll walk vaulted passages and dark stone corridors, some of them uneven underfoot, so closed shoes help. Lunch today is on your own, and there are simple places near the castle.

After Kerak it's about a two-hour drive to Petra, where you'll spend the night at the Petra Moon Hotel or Sella Hotel, or similar. Dinner isn't included tonight, so you're free to pick a local restaurant at your own expense. Get some rest, since tomorrow's Petra day can start as early as 6:00 AM.

• Overnight in Petra.
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast

An early start in Petra is possible from 6:00 AM. Ask your hotel the previous day for a breakfast box if you plan an early start. Your private guide meets you at the site, and your Petra ticket covers the short horse ride near the entrance.

You'll walk into Petra through the Siq, a narrow canyon with colored bands running through the sandstone. It opens right onto the Treasury, which is the view most people come for. From there you'll continue along the Street of Facades to the Royal Tombs and Pharaoh's Castle.

Your guide stays with you for about 2.5 hours, then says goodbye at the restaurant area. After that the rest of your time in Petra is yours to explore on your own. If your legs are willing, you can climb the roughly 800 steps up to the Monastery (El Deir), about 45 meters tall and carved straight into the cliff. Wear broken-in shoes, bring a hat and water, and expect sun, dust and crowds near the Treasury.

When you're ready, walk back to the main gate for the afternoon drive to Wadi Rum, about an hour and a half. Lunch in Petra is on your own, so plan a stop before you head out.

You'll spend the night at a desert camp in Wadi Rum — Rum Stars or Sun City Camp, or something similar depending on availability. Dinner at the camp is included, and so is breakfast the next morning. Nights in the desert get cool even after a hot day, so keep a jacket handy in your bag.

• Overnight in Wadi Rum.
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

After breakfast at the camp, you'll set out into Wadi Rum in a 4x4 with a Bedouin driver. The drive runs about three hours, and it covers a good deal of ground the camp area doesn't. Sand and rock shift color through the morning, from pale gold to deep rust.

Along the way you'll see canyons, red sand dunes, Nabataean rock inscriptions and a natural rock bridge worn out of the stone over centuries. This desert has stood in for other worlds in a number of Hollywood films, and it's easy to see why. Expect open sun and blowing sand, so bring a hat, sunglasses and a scarf you can pull over your face. Shoes you don't mind filling with sand are the right call.

From Wadi Rum it's roughly a four-hour drive north to your hotel on the Dead Sea shore, with your private driver. Lunch along the way is on your own. You'll stay at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel or Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea, or a similar standard property.

The rest of the day is yours at the resort. This is your chance to float in the Dead Sea, and try the shoreline mud. A word of warning: don't shave that morning, and keep the water out of your eyes. Dinner tonight isn't included, so you're free to pick a spot at your own expense.

• Overnight in Dead Sea.
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy free time at the Dead Sea until your airport transfer.

The Dead Sea shore is right there, so you can float one more time before you go. Rinse off well afterward; the salt dries stiff on skin and swimsuits. Bring flip-flops, since the shoreline is rough underfoot.

Your resort's facilities are open to you as well, and a range of spa treatments is available on site. Lunch isn't included today either, so a meal at the resort or nearby would be at your own expense.

When your departure time comes, your private driver will collect you and take you to Queen Alia Airport in an air-conditioned vehicle. Check the hotel's checkout time in the morning so you know how long you can stay by the water. That transfer is the last service of your six days in Jordan.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast