Ancient World tours

Sites Jordan Ajlun Castle, Jerash, Amman Citadel & Museum, Dead Sea, Mount Nebo, Madaba, Wadi Mujib, Kerak, Petra (2 day extended visit), Little Petra, Beidha & Wadi Rum.   Egypt Colour Canyon, St Catherine’s Monastery, Gebel Moussa, Wadi Feran, Wadi Mukattqb, Serabit el Khadim, Wadi Maghara, Gebel Fuga, Faiyum, Valley of the Whales, Wadi el Ryan, Qasr el Sagha, Dimai & Karanis (Kom Ushim).   Day 1 – Sat 14th April 2012 - London/Amman Today we fly from London Heathrow Airport to Jordan with British Midland. On arrival we take our private transfer to the first-class Intercontinental Hotel in the heart of Amman. We check in for two nights on room and breakfast basis.

Day 2 – Sun 15th April - Jerash After breakfast we visit the medieval town of Ajlun with its 12th Century hilltop fortress with beautifully preserved towers, galleries, staircases and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. We have a lunch at the Green Valley restaurant before entering the nearby city of Jerash, one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Near East.   Standing on one of the ancient world’s greatest trade routes, the city has been inhabited for nearly five thousand years. Jerash is immense and we will take in all the major features including the spectacular theatre, cardo and major temples as well as some of the quieter corners without which no AWT tour is complete. (BL)

Day 3 – Mon 16th April - Dead Sea A morning tour of the city including the Citadel with its temples and courts, the Roman Theatre and the National Archaeology Museum where some particularly fine pieces are exhibited. Then we take the short journey to The Dead Sea which, at 400 metres below sea level, is the lowest point on earth.   We check in to the Marriott Hotel for one night on room and breakfast basis. This afternoon there is free time to relax and enjoy the amazing natural elements of this sea,  so entirely devoid of life. A mud bath is recommended followed by a swim in the Dead Sea - no mean feat as the buoyancy makes swimming complicated! The day ends with a spectacular sunset over the western hills.  (B)

Day 4 – Tue 17th April – To Petra

Our day begins with the ride to Mt Nebo where there are magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. Here Moses looked over the Jordan River towards Palestine, across the Sinai towards the Promised Land. We stop in the city of Madaba where we see the mosaic map of the Holy Land. Our journey continues through the Wadi Mujib, Jordan’s Grand Canyon, where we will stop to study the geology and take photographs. Lunch today will be at Kerak where we will explore the ruins of the castle with its seemingly insurmountable defences. Late afternoon we arrive at Petra and check in to the Marriott Petra Hotel for three nights on room and breakfast basis. (BL)

Day 5 – Weds 18th April - Petra - Central Today we experience one of the most exciting of all travel experiences; 'The Siq'. A long narrow chasm leads to Petra passing strange carvings and dark turns. Suddently, the magnificent Treasury bursts into view through a giant fissure in the rock. Unforgettable!   Our walk today will begin at the Treasury, Royal Tombs, the Theatre and the major temples and streets. After taking lunch at the Basin Restaurant, those who wish to can join us and ascend the long staircase up to the Monastery, el Deir.   Five minutes further and you reach ‘the view at the end of the world’. Alternatively, take more time to gently wander the city itself. (BL)

Day 6 – Thu 19th April – Petra – The Wadi Farasa

Few vistors take two whole days in Petra so most miss this second, and perhaps even more spectacular visit. We return via the Siq to The Rose Red City and climb the long staircase leading to the High Place of Sacrifice. In the distance, we can see Aaron’s tomb and the mountains beyond. We then descend into the Wadi Farasa and the most beautiful colour sandstone formations to be found in Petra. Here, too, we find the Garden Tomb and the Roman Soldier Tomb. We return to the hotel for a lunch time rest before a late afternoon visit to view isolated Shobak Castle as the sun sets over the mountains. (B)

Day 7 – Fri 20th April – To Wadi Rum

Our day begins at Little Petra, with its myriad of rock chambers and cisterns to explore, and Beidha a Neolithic village. A picnic lunch before heading to the famous Wadi Rum. We transfer to local vehicles and head in to the Wadi itself, stopping at Lawrence’s Well, the Seven Pillars and much more. We spend the night in the desert in a comfortable private camp and our dinner will be in a Bedouin tent under the desert stars. (BLD)

DEPARTURE DATE - 14th April 2012 TOUR CODE -  AWJS140412    FLIGHTS: 14 APR - BD913 LHR / AMM - 1010 / 1720  28 APR - BD772 CAI / LHR - 1700 / 2115   Standard Tour Price: £2,895 Single Supplement: £510      Book tour

Day 8 – Sat 21st April – To Egypt

This morning, we drive to Aqaba where we will have lunch in a local restaurant. Then we board the ferry to cross the Red Sea for Nuweiba and Egypt, for the second week of our tour. On arrival we check in to the Nuweiba Hotel for one night on half board basis. (BLD)

Day 9 - Sun 22nd April – Colour Canyon

After breakfast we set out to explore some of the most magnificent rock formations in the world, starting with Coloured Canyon. Next we take the track to Ain Hudra, an oasis with gardens of date palms surrounded by steep mountains and cliffs. A picnic lunch today before continuing towards St Catherine’s. We see some of the tombs known as Nawamis, dating back five thousand years. We spend the night at St Catherine’s Monastery Guest House close to the walls of the monastery itself. (BLD)

Day 10 – Mon 23rd April – Gebel Moussa

A very early start this morning, to climb to the summit of Mount Sinai in time for the sunrise. After breakfast back at the guest house we visit the historic monastery. Then we drive through Wadi Feran and have a picnic lunch in the lush oasis. On to Wadi Mukattab, where the steep rocky walls are home to ancient writing and graffiti mostly dating to the time of the Nabateans. This evening we return to St Catherine’s Monastery Guest House for the night. (BLD)

Day 11 – Tue 24th April – Serabit el Khadim

To Serabit where we climb the rocky outcrop to view the famous Temple of Hathor and ancient turquoise mines. On returning to the cars we visit Wadi Maghara, where we find the main seam of turquoise-bearing rock. The inscriptions bear testament to the importance of the turquoise and copper found in this area. After a picnic lunch we drive to Gebel Fuga with one of the most interesting geological oddities of Sinai, the Forest of Pillars. We then head to the coast for the night at the Green House Hotel Suez. (BLD)

Day 12 – Wed 25th April – To Faiyum

This morning we continue our journey and take the road to Cairo but bypass the city and head for the Faiyum and Lake Qarun. We have a picnic lunch and explore the lake before arriving at our hotel The Auberge, where we check in for two nights. (BLD

Day 13 – Thur 26th April – Valley of the Whales

A day in the Western Desert looking at the power of wind and water on the landscape while visiting the Wadi el Hitan Protected Area and the Valley of the Whales. We view the fossil remains of mammals and vegetation left in the sediment as the Tethys Sea receded. We have a picnic lunch while exploring the lakes and a Saharan waterfall in the Wadi el Ryan. (BLD)

Day 14 – Fri 27th April – On Northern Shores

This morning to the north shore of the lake and the temple at Qasr el Sagha before heading to Dimai with its processional way known as the Avenue of Lions. We have lunch and then continue to Karanis, Kom Ushim, an ancient city founded by the Ptolemies in the 3rd Century BC where we see Roman baths and temples dedicated to Sobek. This afternoon to Cairo where we check in to the Iberotel for one night on room and breakfast basis. (BL)

Day 15 – Sat 28th April – Homward Bound

This morning the short drive to Cairo Airport where we board our EgyptAir flight to London. (B)

Expert: Colin Reader is a Chartered Geologist whose studies have focused on subjects as diverse as the age of the Great Sphinx, the geological evolution of the Egyptian landmass, pyramid building, ancient quarrying methods and the rich mineral wealth of Egypt’s Eastern Desert.  Colin's fascinating and lively insights develop our understanding of how cultures emerge from the landscapes they inhabit.