Please note there is a minimum number of two participants required in order to guarantee each departure. Please wait until you've received confirmation from Encounters Travel before making any travel arrangements.

Yes, we have private departures available on this trip! Private departures offer more flexibility to travel when it suits your group. Additional costs may apply and dates are subject to availability. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and check on availability.

Fly into Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan. A tour representative will meet you at the airport for transfer to your hotel.

This trip includes good quality hotels rated at the Jordanian three-star level. Accommodation is based on twin or double en-suite rooms with air conditioning. All couples will stay in a private double room.

An upgrade is also available to local five-star hotels in Amman and Petra if you would like a more luxurious stay. These are considered basic international five-star level in Amman, and decent four-star level in Petra. Typical hotels used are the Landmark or Le Grand in Amman, and the Old Village Resort or Hyatt Zaman in Petra. Prices are $345 per person in a twin/double room, or $655 in a single room (this includes the single room supplement).

In Wadi Rum you'll be staying in a comfortable Bedouin camp located on the desert sands, against the cliffs. Accommodation is in permanent traditional goat hair tents with proper beds and all bedding provided. Bathrooms are separate, though en-suite tents are also available and upgrades are available if required. En-suite tents are included if you select the hotel upgrade option. You can also bring a sleeping bag if you wish, and find a sheltered spot on the rocks on the edge of the camp and sleep under the stars.

Single travelers may choose to pay a single room supplement of $135 to guarantee themselves a single room throughout the tour. Alternatively, you may choose to share a room with another travelers of the same sex. If there are no other single travelers available for you to pair up with at the time of your booking the supplement will be due for payment but will be refunded if a share becomes available later.

The maximum group size is 32 (minimum 2, average size is 10-15).

Meals are as indicated in the itinerary (5 breakfasts and 1 dinner included). Included meals will be served in the various accommodations and will generally be served buffet-style with a mix of different local Jordanian cuisines. You'll also find a good selection of vegetarian options. Lunches may also be arranged in buffet-style restaurants where time is tight and things need to stay on schedule. Snack lunches and street food options can be tried on other days and in the evenings if you don't want to eat in your hotel.

The local currency in Jordan is the Jordanian Dinar (JD). You do not need to arrange to bring any Jordanian Dinar with you to Jordan as exchange facilities are available in the international airports and in most hotels, banks and bureau de changes in major towns. You should try to obtain and keep hold of small denomination notes or coins on you during the tour as these are useful for toilets, tips and small purchases. ATMs are readily available in major towns and many local shops will accept VISA/Mastercard or Amex, but may charge fees of up to 10% - check before you pay. Travelers checks are not recommended as they can not be changed in many places now, and can incur high fees.

While in Jordan you'll need sufficient funds to cover meals not included in the itinerary, drinks, snacks, souvenirs and personal expenses such as laundry. These should generally all be paid for in Jordanian Dinar, though tips for guides and drivers may be paid in hard currency (GBP, USD, EUR). It is difficult to recommend a level of personal spending money which will suit everyone as this can differ greatly, but as a guideline, Encounters Travel suggests allowing $15-25 USD per person per day as a minimum. Allow more if you plan on doing lots of shopping, or buying many alcoholic drinks.

Luggage: Suitcases, rucksacks or fabric duffel bags are all fine to bring with you to Jordan. You should also bring a small daypack/bag to take out during the day. Your main luggage will normally be left in the hotel during your sightseeing trips - you will not need to carry it far, and there are nearly always hotel porters to assist.

Clothing: The climate in Jordan varies widely from hot days in the summer to cool and sometimes wet days in the winter months. At night, especially in the deserts, the temperatures can drop quite dramatically. So you must pack for cool conditions. Formal dress (eg. suits & ties) is not required. Modesty rates highly in Jordan, especially for women, so to respect the local culture and people, please ensure all clothes are loose fitting and not revealing. Shorts (not hot-pants) are okay in tourist sites, as are t-shirts, but these should not show too much bare flesh (we suggest that your shoulders should remain covered). When visiting any mosques, legs and arms should be covered.

Bedouin camp: Bedding is provided but it is recommended that you bring a light sleeping sheet or sleeping bag liner for comfort all year round (even with the best efforts, sand does find its way pretty much everywhere). In the winter months, or if you think you would like to sleep under the stars instead of in your tent, then Encounters Travel recommends you bring a sleeping bag with you as it can get very cold at night. Remember to bring a sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, a basic first aid kit, toiletries, money belt, small flashlight, camera and charger.

Passports should be valid for at least six months after your departure from the country. Please do not bring an almost full or almost expired passport. Visa arrangements are the responsibility of the traveler, and requirements are subject to change by local authorities.

To promote tourism to the country, the Jordanian government has designed the Jordan Pass. This provides adults of most nationalities (including USA) with a free single entry Jordan visa (40JD, around $56 if you obtain it on arrival in Amman), plus a discounted package of entrance fees, and free digital brochures for the various sites in Jordan. This provides excellent value and it is strongly recommended that you purchase a Jordan Pass prior to your travel to Jordan. The cost for the Jordan Wanderer Pass suitable for this tour is JD70 (approx. $99). Passes are available by completing a simple online form before you travel. Make sure your passport details are entered correctly, as this doubles as your visa application. Your Jordan Pass will then be emailed to you as a pdf document, which you should print out and bring with you. Or you can save it and display it on your phone, as long as you keep it charged and download the Pass so it is viewable without an internet connection. You'll then need to show the Pass at the immigration desk on arrival in Jordan to obtain your free entry visa, and also at each attraction where it will be scanned to confirm your entry. You can obtain your Jordan Pass here.

A variety of optional activities are available to enhance your experience on this tour, including:

Petra by night - $28
This magical experience takes you in through the narrow and winding Siq to the Treasury at the entrance to Petra. The whole route and the sand in front of the Treasury is lit up by numerous candles creating a beautiful and atmospheric sight. While at the Treasury you'll also enjoy some traditional Bedouin music and tea.

As-Salt and Bethany tour - $95
The first visit today is to the hilltop town of As-Salt, around 40 minutes drive from Amman. As-Salt was an important trading link between the Jordan Valley and Eastern Desert, and once the capital of Amman. The town developed its old Islamic architecture using yellow limestone, which was the finest at the time and many impressive buildings can still be seen today, as well as tiny narrow streets packed with shops and stalls. Today the town provides an example of religious and cultural friendship between the local Muslim and Christian population and you'll take a walking tour on its self-designed 'Harmony Trail' to learn more about the town and local life in Jordan. You'll also take lunch with a local family for a first taste of Jordan's delicious cuisine (if groups are over 10 people or no families have availability that day you will eat in a local restaurant instead).

After lunch you'll descend out of the hills to the Baptism Site at Bethany. This is a relatively recently excavated site believed to be the biblical 'Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan' where John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ. Several churches, caves and pools dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods have been discovered here. Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have visited. An electric minibus takes you from the visitor center to the three sites: Tell Mar Elias, the Baptism Pools and John the Baptist's Church. After a busy day, you'll return to your hotel in Amman where you'll spend the night.This tour runs on Day 1 of the tour, so an extra night needs to be added in the hotel in Amman before the tour starts. A supplement will apply if there is only one person on the tour.

Desert Castles and Nature Reserves tour - $95
After breakfast you'll leave Amman and head east to visit several of Jordan's Desert Castles - a fantastic reminder of its early Islamic art and architecture. These 'castles' were located on the old trade routes created during the Umayyad era and are more a combination of forts, bath houses and palaces than true castles. You can still see some mosaics, frescoes, carvings and illustrations on show, molded by Persian and Graeco-Roman traditions, giving an insight into life during the 8th century. You'll explore the desert castles of Qasr al-Kharrana, Qal'at al-Azraq and Qseirr Amra and also visit two important nature reserves run by the Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). The Aqraq Wetland Reserve is a uniquely precious oasis located in the heart of Jordan’s eastern desert, between a limestone desert in the west and a basalt desert in the east. The reserve features lush marshland, and glittering pools and streams that are a haven for migratory birds on the African-Eurasian flyway. The Shaumari Wildlife Reserve was initially created as a breeding and reintroduction center for globally threatened and locally extinct wildlife, particularly the Arabian Oryx. These efforts continue and now a wide variety of rare animals make their home in the reserve, including Ostriches, Goitered Gazelles, and Persian Onagers. Also found in the area are red foxes, wolves, striped hyenas, Caracals and wild cats, while bird sightings can include Imperial Eagles, Pallid Harriers and Egyptian vultures. There is a good visitor center on site and guided safaris may be available into the reserve before you return to Amman depending on the time you have available and the reserve's current arrangements. For your last evening, why not head into Downtown Amman for a final taste of Jordanian food, perhaps giving Jordan's national dish of Mansaf a go, or the classic falafel and hummus, with a taste of Knafeh, a popular sweet desert to finish.

This optional tour runs on the last day of the main tour and will normally require an extra night in the hotel in Amman to be added to the tour, unless you have a late evening/night departure. A supplement will apply if there is only one person on the tour.

Travel insurance is required for this tour and needs to cover personal accident & liability, medical expenses and repatriation, travel delay & abandonment. It is strongly advised that you take out coverage against cancellation and lost/stolen baggage. Personal medical insurance does not normally provide sufficient coverage and is generally not suitable for travel on this tours. You will not be able to join your tour if you have not provided Encounters Travel with details of your insurance or if you arrive without cover in place (no refunds will be due in this event). You should take a paper copy of your insurance policy with you as you may be asked to show this at the start of the tour. We recommend VisitorsCoverage as a travel insurance provider.

If you are taking expensive camera gear or other electronic equipment with you then please check the coverage and the fine print of your policy to ensure that you have sufficient coverage.

We recommend you visit the local government websites where you plan to travel and review the required documentation for entry, current restrictions, and general recommendations for travel within the area. We encourage you to also visit your home country's embassy website if you are traveling to a foreign country. Requirements can change rapidly. Please be sure you stay abreast of the requirements and restrictions for anywhere you plan to visit. You can also enroll in the U.S. government’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and you will be sent updates if the situation in your destination changes. You can find the program link at https://step.state.gov/.

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