Jordan. Two seas, desert, ancient forts and Petra

In the morning we head to the settlement near Petra. We will drive along the legendary King’s Highway, an important trade route in the Middle East that stretches from Syria to Egypt. On the way, we will stop at the biblical Nebo mountain. Christians believe that it was from here that God showed Moses the Promised Land. Indeed, a view of Israel opens up from the top.

We continue our group tour to Jordan and stop at the Wadi Mujib nature reserve. This river, known in the Bible as the Arnan, originates in the mountains of Gilead and further, meandering between strange rocks, flows into the Dead Sea. A very beautiful spot!

The next stop is at the grandiose Crusader fortress Al Kerak. It was built in the 12th century at a strategic height and did not succumb to conquerors until the 19th century! We walk around the fortress, enjoy a beautiful view of the Dead Sea. In the evening we check into a hotel near Petra.

In the morning, before the arrival of crowds of tourists, we set off to explore one of the new wonders of the world - Petra, or the Pink City. We walk through the narrow canyon Siq between steep cliffs - and suddenly we find ourselves in front of the Treasury - a huge building with a facade carved of pink rock. This amazing city, which later became the capital of the Nabatean kingdom, was founded around the 4th century BC at the intersection of two trade routes. Caravans loaded with spices stopped here to rest and contributed to the heyday of the Bedouin city.

But everything changed when the Romans opened the sea trade routes to the east - Petra gradually fell into decay. Just think - for many centuries this amazing city was completely abandoned, only a few hundred simple Bedouins lived here! We will spend two days in Petra discovering all hidden treasures and admiring the most famous places and the best viewing platforms.

We continue our group tour to Jordan and in the morning head to the Wadi Rum desert (about 2 hours on the way). We drive along a picturesque road, enjoying the views of endless sands. The local beauty has impressed many directors - dozens of films have been filmed here, from Lawrence of Arabia to Star Wars and Transformers.

We change to SUVs and set off to explore the Martian landscapes. In the evening we arrive at a traditional Bedouin tent city. Here we will find a traditional zarb - a Bedouin dinner of meat cooked over a fire. We admire the endless starry sky, the crackle of a fire and enjoy the silence. What a magical night!..

In the morning we leave for Aqaba on the Red Sea coast (about 1 hour on the way) where we will continue our guided tour to Jordan and check into the hotel. We will spend three days enjoying the sea and exploring the unique underwater world. Discover corals of various colors and shapes, flocks of amazing fish, as well as dolphins and sea turtles. Those who wish can take diving lessons.

We will also visit the Aqaba fortress, built by the crusaders in the 12th century. In 1916 the fort was the headquarters of Thomas Edward Lawrence, the famous British spy who became the prototype of James Bond. He led the uprising of the Arabs against the Ottoman Empire and in July 1916 triumphantly left the fortress of Aqaba to Cairo to report on the success of the operation.

The next day we go to the airport and fly home. Our group trip to Jordan has come to an end. Thank you for traveling with us!