Jordan Family Adventure - Wadi Rum, Petra, Dead Sea

Follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia - Walk the streets of ancient Petra - Take a glass bottomed boat trip to see the reef fish at Aqaba - Swim in the Dead Sea - Optional desert camel ride

This peaceful desert country, with its contrasting landscapes, provides a simply wonderful destination for a family adventure holiday. Located at the heart of the Middle East, the Kingdom of Jordan has enjoyed a long and fascinating history and relics of several of the world's great civilizations are clearly visible to the present day. Our family-specific itinerary begins with a flight to the Jordanian capital of Amman and a short transfer to the historic town of Madaba. From here, we travel south through the Moab Mountains, with a stop off at the dramatic canyon of Wadi ibn Hammad and the Crusader fort at Kerak. We then pay a visit to the awe-inspiring 2300 year old, rock-hewn city at Petra which, with its trinket stalls, camel rides and amazing red-rock architecture is just as much fun for kids as it is for grown-ups. From here, it is just a short drive to Wadi Rum, where we will spend 3 days in the desert as guests of the hospitable Bedouin people. We will stay at a comfortable fixed camp centred on a traditional goat-hair tent and make forays into the desert to find the best locations for easy day-hikes. Using 4-wheel-drive vehicles to access the best areas, we will climb to viewpoints amongst the high dunes, explore sheer-sided canyons, visit spectacular rock arches and also have the option to ride a camel. With luck, we will also be able to visit a Bedouin family at their tented camp and learn about their a semi-nomadic existence, grazing their flocks of sheep and goats in one place for weeks or months at a time and then packing away their goat-hair tents and moving to greener pastures. After our time in the desert, we will transfer to the nearby port of Aqaba on the Red Sea and have the chance to do some swimming and snorkelling and to take a trip out over the reef in a glass-bottomed boat. Finishing off with a visit to the ever-so-salty Dead Sea, this is a timeless adventure in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia.

Trip Guide
Is it for you? This an accessible Family Adventure, with relatively short flights from the UK and 3 days of easy walking (all of which are optional). Suitable for 6 year olds and above. Too hot during the summer, Jordan is just right at Easter and at May and October half terms.

Trip Guide
This holiday has been designed for families and includes a range of activities which are suitable for children of 6 years and over. Potentially, the most challenging part of the trip is the time we spend in Wadi Rum, where there will be the opportunity to undertake several hikes of up to 2 hours duration. These will usually cover just a few kilometres and include only short ascents. However, hiking across desert sand can be tiring and the temperatures at the time of any of our scheduled departures will be quite warm - up to 25°C / 77°F and possibly a few degrees hotter than this at midday, when we will usually be taking lunch and a siesta in the shade. Thanks to our 4-wheel-drive vehicles we do have a great degree of flexibility, however, and youngsters and anyone feeling tired can easily opt out of any of the Wadi Rum walks. To get the most out of the trip, all family members should be accustomed to easy weekend walking.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Madaba. There will be a single group transfer in the evening from Amman Airport. KE Land Only package services begin with overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: Full day transfer by bus to Petra, including visits to the Crusader castle at Kerak and to Wadi Bin Hammad. We overnight in the group hotel in Petra.

Day 3: A full day to visit the extraordinary Petra site. In the evening we transfer to Wadi Rum where we stay in a fixed Bedouin camp beneath Jebel Khazali.

Day 4: We climb to Lawrence's Well for views over the desert and continue to Abu Aina, where we transfer by jeep to sand dunes. A final walk through canyons brings us back to camp.

Day 5: Exploration by jeep and on foot. Sights include the incredible 'Burdah Bridge' and there are smaller arches which can be easily climbed. Afternoon option of a camel ride and a visit to a Bedouin family at their tented camp. Return to camp.

Day 6: Transfer to Aqaba on the coast. We take a trip by glass-bottom boat to view the coral reef and there is time for snorkelling and sightseeing. We stay at a hotel in Aqaba.

Day 7: We drive to the Dead Sea, and on to Madaba. Mentioned in the Old Testament, this historic town is famous for its Byzantine mosaics, particularly a large map of Palestine.

Day 8: There is an early morning group transfer to Amman Airport, where KE Land Only package services end.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

During this trip the group will spend 2 nights in Madaba at the excellent Mariam Hotel (or similar). We will also have 1 night in a tourist-class hotel in Aqaba and a single night at a similar establishment in Wadi Musa (Petra). Accommodation is generally allocated on a twin sharing basis although arrangements for families can also be made. Whilst in the desert there are 3 nights camping and we provide 2-person tents at our fixed camp. There is also the option here to sleep in the large communal Bedouin tent or to find a secluded spot in the dunes (or by the campfire if preferred) and sleep out under the stars.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

Adult Flight inclusive price from: £1315
Child Flight inclusive price from: £1185 (Age 6 to 11yrs)

017687 73966