JORDAN FINE ARTS & HUMANITIES PROGRAM

8 Days / 7 Nights
DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT AMMAN AIRPORT / AMMAN (D)
Arrive Amman Airport where our airport Pan East staff will meet the group  at the gate just as they leave the airplane. Full assistance with the visa and customs formalities will be provided at Amman Airport.  Leave the Airport for the transfer to Tawaheen Al Hawa Restaurant translated to Windmill in English as the restaurants exterior shows. This very fresh and nice restaurant has a wonderful typical Bedouin decoration with oriental atmosphere. Many local people go there so the group can have the chance to see the local people of Jordan. The restaurant is famous with its Arabic Starters (Mezza). The clients will also have the opportunity to smoke the Hubbelly Bubbly (Water pipe) Overnight at Hotel in Amman
DAY 2: CITY TOUR OF AMMAN / IRAQ AL AMIR WOMEN’S COOP / AMMAN (B, L)
Buffet Breakfast at hotel. Visit Amman, the capital of Jordan, a fascinating city of contrasts.  Visit the Citadel, which is situated on one of the highest hills in Amman that offers a splendid view of the old city. Near the citadel pay a visit to the Archaeological Museum that houses an excellent collection of Jordan’s antiquities. Proceed downhill to the downtown of the old city to visit the Roman Theatre, which dates back to the 2nd century AD. It is also the home of Jordan’s Folklore Museum, which displays various artifacts of the traditional Jordanian life including, costumes, home furnishings, musical instruments and handicrafts dating back to the 19th century. Continue to visit Daret Al Funun the home for the Arts and the artists of Jordan and the Arab world overlooking the heart of Amman and housed in three traditional buildings of the 1920s. Drive 24 Km southwest of Amman through a secluded and lush valley to arrive at Iraq Al Amir. Visit Iraq Al Amir Women’s Cooperative founded by Noor Al-Hussein Foundation in 1994 with the support of Swiss Government. The project employed 41 women in the production of hand-made paper, hand-woven fabric, ceramics/clay, and food processing. Enjoy a traditional lunch prepared by the local women of Iraq Al Amir. Afterwards, drive to Qasr Al Abed (Palace of the Slave), which is an impressive and unique building dated back to the 2nd Century BC. Drive back to Hotel in Amman for overnight.   Enjoy the Malaqi Trail: 6 – 8 hrs. This is an exciting water trail. The trail begins at the visitor centre by the Mujib Bridge on the Dead Sea highway, from where a guide will escort you south for a short distance (3 Km) along the highway before turning onto a steeply ascending trail into the nature reserve. It leads quickly to a striking area of creamy-white hills made of soft rock deposits. After passing through these hills, you begin your descent to the river Mujib; crystal clear, fast flowing and teeming with life. Small fish are plentiful, as well as frogs. The hike continues upstream along the river to its confluence with the Hidan River (Malagi area). Here you can linger, eat a Picnic Lunch and just enjoy this wild paradise. You can also enjoy swimming in the natural pools. You then move on through the Mujib gorge to descend a waterfall, 20 meters in height, using ropes. From here you continue along the rest of the river, back to the visitor centre. Late afternoon, drive to hotel in Dead Sea for overnight. Buffet Dinner at Hotel.
DAY 3: AMMAN / AJLUN / JERASH / MADABA (B, L)
Buffet Breakfast at hotel. Drive north to Ajlun Woodland Reserve a Mediterranean hill country, dominated by open woodlands of Oak, Pistachio and Olive trees. The rich greenery of Ajlun has made it a popular spot for picnickers and hikers. The area has a long history of human settlements, due to its Mediterranean climate, dense forests, and fertile soil. Enjoy the Soap House Trail Grade: Moderate Distance: 6-7 km Time: 2-3 hours Description: This trail begins at the Reserve’s Visitor Center and takes you to the Soap House in the neighboring village of Orjan. On the way, you will hike through thick, healthy woodlands filled with oak, pistachio, and oriental strawberry trees. Take a short detour to view a ruined wine press before you pass one of the oldest strawberry trees in the Reserve on your way down into the valley. The trail climbs to 1100m above sea level at Eagle’s View Point, and then descends to the Soap House where local women follow the traditional process of making Orjan pure olive soap. Set Menu Lunch at Artemis Restaurant in Jerash Continue to visit Jerash, which remains today as one of the most beautiful and best-preserved Greco-roman cities outside Italy. Excavations made it possible to update two theatres, several temples, churches, a market, thermal baths, and the famous Cardo Maximus alley of 600 meters bordered columns. Drive to Madaba for overnight at hotel.
DAY 4: MADABA / KINGS WAY / DANA VILLAGE / SHOBAK / PETRA (B)
Buffet Breakfast at hotel. Madaba the City of Mosaics, visit the town’s main attraction, the Greek Orthodox church of St. George where the famous 6th Century Byzantine mosaic map of the holy sites in the biblical world is found. Continue to the Madaba Institute of Mosaic Art and Restoration for a mosaic class to make your own piece. Drive to Dana Nature Reserve is truly a world of natural treasures. Visitors to Dana will experience the beauty of Rummana Mountain, the timeless tranquility of Dana Village, and the grandeur of the red and white sandstone cliffs of Wadi Dana. Enjoy the Village Tour: 2-hour walk visiting some spectacular viewpoints above Dana Village, exploring the terraced gardens and local community craft workshops. Continue to Shobak Crusader Castle. Once called “Mont Real”, Shawbak dates back to the 12th century AD. The castle’s exterior is impressive with a forbidding gate and encircling wall three layers thick. The walls and projecting towers are still reasonably intact, but the castle’s interior consists mainly of tumbled stones with few walls and arches. Proceed to the greatest city of the Arab nation which existed 2000 years ago: Petra. Overnight at Hotel in Petra.
DAY 5: FULL DAY VISIT OF PETRA / COOKING CLASS (B,D)
Buffet Breakfast at hotel. The ancient Nabatean city of Petra was recently voted as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In 1985 Petra was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Begin your visit by enjoying a walk or a short horse ride from Petra’s main entrance to the entrance of the old city “Al Siq”, which is a 350 meters narrow canyon. As you reach the end of the Siq, the first and greatest monument of Petra slowly comes into view. This is the famous Treasury monument “Al Khazneh”. Petra “The Rose City” is an extraordinary and unique place, which was built by the Arab Nabateans more than 2000 years ago. The Nabateans carved their monumental tombs, palaces, temples and treasury from the desert’s natural rose-colored rocks and sandstones. Indulge yourself, and allow o ur professional PAN EAST guide to walk you through the architectural and spiritual wonders of this majestic place explaining every detail in sight.  After lunch, the clients who want to go back to the hotel will walk the same way. After lunch, the clients interested to visit the Monastery will climb 800 steps to visit the Monastery. The Monastery is similar to design to the Treasury, but it is much larger (50 m high x 45m wide) and much less decorated. The facade is flat on the lower level and deeply carved on the upper level, with engaged columns and two half-pediments flanking a central urn (10m high). Cooking Lesson and Dinner at Al-Qantarah Kitchen  Al Qantarah is a relaxed and informal atmosphere where you’ll gather to prepare an evening meal, working alongside local women under the supervision of a professional chef. Each evening meal includes typical Jordanian dishes. Overnight at Hotel in Petra.
DAY 6: PETRA / WADI RUM (B,L,D)
Buffet Breakfast at hotel. Depart to the Natural Resort of Wadi Rum “The Valley of the Moon” a unique place unlike anywhere else you have ever visited. Bedouin Traditional Clothing: start your visit by dressing up in traditional Bedouin clothing in order to fully experience the life of the nomads in Wadi Rum. The women will dress up in the traditional Bedouin “Thawb”, the national dress of the women in Jordan, and the men will wear a “Dishdasha”, which is white ankle length garment with long sleeves similar to a robe, with the Jordanian Bedouin red colored head cover “Hatta & Egal”. Meet the local Bedouins to explore this splendid desert where they will drive you with their 4×4 Bedouin Pick Ups (6 pax per pick Up) for approximately 6 hours. Visit  Seven Pillars, Yellow Sand Dunes, View Point, Inscriptions, Um Al Tawaqi, Siq Lawrence, Lawrence House, Siq Al Barrah (Includes Trekking for  2 hours), Rock Bridge Um Fruth, Mushroom, Burdah Rock Bridge, Um Ishrin, Red Sand Dunes, Um Rashid and Sun Set Area. Picnic Lunch in the desert. Watch the sunset as you sip on some traditional Bedouin sweet tea. Spend the night at a Bedouin Camp and enjoy a traditional Bedouin Dinner specially prepared for honored guests: Zarb. It is usually made in an iron barrel set into a hole in the ground. First, wood is burned to create charcoal. Then, spiced meat, chicken and vegetables are placed on an iron tray. The tray is placed in the barrel and the barrel is sealed and buried in the sand for three hours. The barrel’s contents bake in their juices and once the meal is uncovered, guests enjoy a truly delicious meal! Overnight at camp in Wadi Rum.
DAY 7: WADI RUM / DEAD SEA / KAN ZAMAN VILLAGE / AMMAN (B, D)
Buffet Breakfast at hotel  Drive to the Dead Sea the lowest spot on earth 400 meters below sea level. Spend the rest of the day bathing and relaxing in the gently lapping waters of the Dead Sea and be amazed that you can’t sink! Proceed to Kan Zaman Village located approximately 25km outside Amman.  Kan Zaman is an ancient caravansary renovated and rebuilt so that it resembles the center of a small village. There are workshops and artists’ studios where the craftsmen can be seen at their trades – making pottery, glass blowing, jewelry-smiting, and wood-carving. There are also shops selling all kinds of local handicrafts, such as carpets, weaving, embroidery, woodcarvings, traditional jewelry, etc. In addition there is a spice shop, a cafe and a large restaurant where you can enjoy a Folkloric Dinner. Drive to Amman for overnight at hotel.
DAY 8: TRANSFER TO AMMAN AIRPORT FOR DEPARTURE (B)
Buffet Breakfast at hotel  Transfer to Amman Airport for departure including meeting and assistance during formalities.

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