Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Amman

   Arrive in Amman at your own pace. The trip normally starts at the accommodation on the evening of Day 1.
   

   • 4-star Hotel in Amman
2. Day 2Visit Jerash: Ride/Drive through olive groves and villages to Madaba

   After an initial briefing, you will transfer by bus for approximately 45 minutes to the ancient city of Jerash. Known in Roman times as Gerasa, Jerash is one of the best preserved examples of a Roman provincial town in the Middle East. It is a vast site with incredible ruins that enable you to almost visualize Roman life there. From the dramatic chariot racing to imagining the trading and bartering that went on along the colonnaded streets. After a good couple of hours absorbing the atmosphere of this incredible site, get back on the bus for a short transfer to the beginning of your ride, having lunch en route. Upon arrival you will be introduced to the cycling team and your bikes.
   
   This afternoon you will cycle for approximately 3 and a half hours through the foothills of the Jordan Rift Valley. This is the most fertile region of Jordan and also the most populated. You will wind your way down quiet roads and through small villages taking in the landscapes of this region. The cycling is on good roads and much of the time you will be descending. In places there may be some loose gravel that you will need to watch out for and there is one fairly long ascent. You will be briefed about the ride before you set off and the support vehicles will always be on hand. At the end of the ride you will leave the bikes for the day and transfer to Madaba, the 'city of mosaics'. The bus journey will take approximately 2 hours. There are a number of nice restaurants in Madaba for you to choose from as well as coffee and sweet shops for those of you that want to try your first mouth-watering taste of baklava.

   • 26.1 miles
   • Standard Hotel in Madaba
   • Breakfast and Lunch
3. Day 3Ride to Mt. Nebo: Exhilarating descent to the Dead Sea for a float in saline water and a drive to Petra

   
   
   This morning you will wake up in Madaba, the 'City of the Mosaics'. Madaba is the most important Christian center in Jordan and is famous for its Byzantine era mosaics. The most important of these is the 6th Century mosaic of Jerusalem and the Holy Land that covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox church of St. George. This morning you will have the opportunity to observe the mosaic and marvel at its detail and natural colour. You will then have a very short transfer that will take you to the centre of town where you will be reunited with the bikes.
   
   Today's ride starts with a 7km (4.3mi) mild ascent up Mt Nebo. There will be a pit stop at the top of Mt Nebo, reputedly the burial place of Moses but certainly the site for a spectacular view over the valley below. From here it's a fantastic descent to the shores of the Dead Sea. Parts of this descent are quite steep but support will be at hand and you can take your time. You will follow the coast on a smooth tarmac surface to Suwaima where you can change and take a float in the famous waters.

   After a shower, it's back on the bus for the long drive south (approx. 3 hours) along the Kings Highway towards Petra. In many places the route is spectacular and there will be a couple of stops to admire the view on the way.
   
   

   • 28 miles
   • Standard Hotel in Petra
   • Breakfast and Lunch
4. Day 4Explore the fascinating UNESCO city of Petra

   You now have two full days to explore Petra. Petra the 'Rose-red city, half as old as time', was hidden for centuries until the Swiss explorer Burckhardt made his great discovery in 1812. The Nabateans, an Arab tribe that arrived here in the 6th Century BC, founded Petra. Building at Petra began in the 3rd Century BC and continued through the Roman period, financed by taxes levied on the desert caravans. Two features of Petra are unique: firstly, it is a city made defensible by being built down a series of chasms, rather than on a hilltop; and secondly, it is built directly into the rock - beautiful red and yellow sandstone carved into the most impressive facades which glow in the brilliant sunlight.
   
   During your time in Petra you will have the opportunity to explore the site from all angles. Walk down the narrow Siq with the sandstone chasm rising 80m (262ft) to either side and revealing El Khazneh, the Treasury as you reach its end. Set in stunning sandstone mountains there will also be an opportunity to explore the higher caves and the 'high place of sacrifice' giving a fantastic panorama of the whole site. At ground level you will pass the houses and tombs of the rich citizens, and the amphitheatre. A long walk beyond the centre is El Deir, the Monastery, with its superb facade topped by a huge urn. The Monastery is set in a more remote location of the site and you will have to climb around 800 steps to reach it, but it is well worth it.
   
   

   • Standard Hotel in Petra
   • Breakfast
5. Day 5Guided tour around Petra and cycle to Little Petra

   In the morning, cycle to the north of the main city to Little Petra and the Siq Al-Barid. A classical temple stands guard outside the miniature siq, which is believed to have been an important suburb to the city of Petra itself. The narrow file, only some 350m (1,148ft) long, is crammed with triclinia, water channels and cisterns. Of particular note are the remains of painted frescoes on plaster dating from the 1st Century AD, which are to be found in one of the biclinia.
   

   • 12.4 miles
   • Standard Hotel in Petra
   • Breakfast
6. Day 6Ride via Wadi Raba to Aqaba on the Red Sea

   It's an early start today to avoid the heat for your first real desert experience. After a short transfer to Tayba village, begin riding mostly on tarmac to Ar-Rajif. The road cuts through traditional Bedouin territory and is a seasonal stop for the nomadic shepherds of south Jordan so the chance of a local 'tea break' are high! The road is in a good state of repair, with some sections having been recently resurfaced. However, parts are quite heavily potholed and there is a chance that sand and stones have blown across the road and make for a loose surface on top of the tarmac, so care should be taken.

   You'll head into the desert and follow the road down to Gharandal via Dilagha to Wadi Araba. There are a few ascents and descents on today's ride and it is the longest and hardest day of riding. However, it is also the most spectacular and rewarding. The road takes you on an amazing journey through the desert and makes for a very satisfying day of riding. This day is all about the cycling allowing you to immerse yourself in the landscape. After the desert crossing, it's a short drive to Aqaba on the Red Sea.

   • 31.1 miles
   • 4-star Hotel in Aqaba
   • Breakfast
7. Day 7Beach visit, explore Aqabal, drive/ride to Wadi Rum and overnight camp

   This morning there is some free time to lounge on the beach to swim, or snorkel.   The transport and entrance to one of the private beaches is included in your trip.  The hire of snorkelling equipment is extra to be paid on the day. 

   In the early afternoon, transfer out of town for around 45 minutes and then get on the bikes for the last time. This ride will take you into Wadi Rum on a relatively flat desert road. The desert scenery today is quite different to that experienced yesterday and will evoke a sense of more recent history than what you have been experiencing until now. This is where Lawrence of Arabia and Prince Faisal assembled the Arab tribes for the attack on Aqaba in the First World War and also where sections of the film  'Lawrence' were shot.

   Tonight you will experience Bedouin hospitality with a traditional meal, sweet tea and camping out in goat-hair tents in the desert. You can also contemplate on your week of adventure as you gaze up at the star-lit sky, warmed by a fire. If you like you can pull your mattress outside and sleep under the stars.
   

   • 15.5 miles
   • Desert camp in Wadi Rum
   • Breakfast and Dinner

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     Camp under the stars

     Overnight in traditional tents and exchange stories with your fellow travelers over a bonfire

8. Day 8Morning desert drive into Wadi Rum and drive back to Amman

   After breakfast, take a 4x4 drive vehicle into the area for around 2 hours for a desert adventure.

   Following lunch and surrounded by the vastness of the desert and towering rocky outcrops, transfer back to Amman, a journey of approximately. 4 hours with a stop en route.
   

   • Standard Hotel in Amman
   • Breakfast
9. Day 9End in Amman

   After breakfast, the tour ends in Amman.
   

   • Breakfast