Jordan is a land steeped in history. It has been home to some of mankind's earliest settlements and villages, and relics of many of the world's great civilizations can still be seen today. As the intersection of the Middle East, the lands of Jordan and Palestine have served as a strategic link connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. Thus, since the dawn of civilization, Jordan's geography has given it an imperative role to play as a conduit for trade and communications, connecting east and west, north and south. 10 days / 9 nights Day 1: Arrival Amman Airport, meet and assist – Overnight Amman The first written records of Amman refer to the city as Rabbath-Ammon, the capital of the Ammonites, around 1200 BC. When the city was conquered by King Herod in 30 BC, it became part of the Roman Empire. Philadelphia was then a member of the Decapolis. Most of Amman's noteworthy sites are clustered in the Downtown area, the oldest part of the city. The ancient Citadel is a good place from which to start. Day 2: Jerash - Ajloun - Mar Elias - Um Qais - Amman Um Qeis or Gadara - site of the famous Gadarene swine - was renowned in its time as a cultural centre. It was the home of several classical poets and philosophers, including Theodorus, founder of a school of Rhetorics in Rome: one poet called the city "a new Athens". Perched on a splendid hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee. Day 3: Desert Castles - Shaumari Reserve - Amman Scattered throughout the black basalt desert east of Amman, "the desert castles " stand as a memorial to the early days of Islamic-Arab civilization. That which currently seems as isolated pavilions, caravan stations, secluded baths or hunting lodges, were in reality integrated agricultural or trade complexes built mostly in the early Islamic period under the Umayyads (661-750A.D.), when Muslim Arabs had succeeded in transforming the fringes of the desert into well-watered settlements. Day 4: Al-Kahfi - Um Rasas - Madaba - Mt. Nebo - Nabi Shuaib - Salt - Amman Salt was once the capital of Jordan. A half-hour drive northwest from Amman send you back in time to a town of picturesque streets and dazing houses from the late Ottoman period, with their characteristic long-arched windows. Picture on the left: Al-Kahfi. Day 5: Qasr El Abd - Mutah - Karak - Overnight Dana Whether you approach Karak from the ancient Kings Highway to the east, or from the Dead Sea to the west, the striking silhouette of this fortified town and castle will instantly make you understand why the fates of kings and nations were decided here for millennia. The best preserved halls and passageways are located underground and can only be reached through a massive door. Day 6: Full Day Dana Nature Reserve - Overnight Petra Dana is located in the southern district of Tafila, about 200 kilometers south of Amman. Due to its wide variety of climate zones (it has mountain heights of 1500 meters and descends to the deserts of Wadi Araba), it is rich in wildlife. The total number of species recorded so far consists of 697 plants, 3 of which are new to science, and 282 animals. Many of these are now very rare and some threatened with extinction: animals like the Grey Wolf, Nubian Ibex, the Lesser Kestrel, Eagle Owl and the Desert Monitor Lizard. Day 7: Full Day Petra  Jordan abounds in archaeological riches, from Neolithic ruins to the desert castles of Omayyad princes. Chief among these national treasures is the soul-stirring, rose-red city of Petra, now an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans, an industrious Arab nation who settled in south Jordan more than 2,000 years ago. Petra's most famous monument, the Treasury, appears dramatically at the end of a deep and narrow gorge. Day 8: Petra - Tour Wadi Rum - Overnight Desert Camp Wadi Rum The desert of Wadi Rum. known as the "Valley of the Moon" lies in the southern part of the Kingdom of Jordan. Of very ancient origins, it owes the description which has given it its fame to the constant action of atmospheric agents, which in the course of thousands of years have shaped the landscape, giving it a lunar character, creating the amazing scenery of sandstone rocks. nd these are the principal elements which make up the desert of midst of stretches of sand, magnificent lobster-coloured dunes. Walls of rock scourged by the wind, pinnacles of stone. Day 9: Wadi Rum - Dead Sea - Overnight Amman The Dead Sea has a historical and spiritual legacy of it’s own. It is believed to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorra, Admah, Zeboin and Zoar. For thousands of years, the healing powers of the water and the climate are known and seek for. The Egyptians used to make cosmetic products of the minerals and the Romans treat their wounded soldiers there. The Dead Sea lies 392 meters below sea level in the Jordan Valley between Israel and Jordan. The temperatures in winter are around 20° C and 60° C in high summer. Day 10: Amman - Airport - Departure . Accomodation at 3 Star Hotel or similar depending on availibility. Prices per person: US$ 1550.- (10-12 person) US$ 1700.- (6-9 person) US$ 1840.- (4-5 person) US$ 2420.- (3 person) US$ 2740.- (2 person) Single supplement: US$ 320.- Price include: Transport and transfers to all mentioned area with a driver Accommodation at 3* hotel category on Half Board basis (Breakfast and Dinner) sharing a twin or triple All entrance fees to all mentioned sites English speaking permanent guide all the way 4x4 wheel drive for two hours in Wadi Rum Short horse ride in Petra ONLY . Price do not include: Visa and Departure tax Any tour not included in the program Any extras on rooms, laundry, mini bar, telephone calls, mineral water, etc …… Tips for hotel staff, guide, driver, etc …. Any lunch meal on route Any kind of insurance . Optional: One Day Israel Price: The above divided by 10 plus $150 additional transport. Optional: 3 Days Horse Riding in Wadi Rum incl. camp. Price: $500 p.p.