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Oman & Jordan Adventure


Discover two of the Middle East's smallest but most fascinating Arab nations




Contrast two very different countries on this adventure through the deserts of Arabia. Our trip starts in Oman, an ancient country easing itself into the 21st century. Wander the capital of Muscat, through its many museums, mosques, and souks, before heading out to the interior to explore amazing desert landscapes and ancient forts. Stay overnight in a Bedouin camp in the Wahiba Sands and experience unsurpassed silence and stars. Afterwards, fly over grand landscapes to the modern capital of Amman to delight in the Kingdom of Jordan. Wonders as ancient and arresting as Petra, imposing Crusader castles, stunning Wadi Rum and the mighty Roman city of Jerash await, some seen from camel-back or 4WD. Take a dip and a high buoyancy float in the Dead Sea too, on this action-packed trip that affords a great opportunity to witness firsthand two ancient nations emerging into modernity.



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Tour Highlights

  • Nizwa - former centre of trade, religion, education and art
  • 4WD safari, Bedouin desert camping, and traditional food and music in the Wahiba Sands
  • Oman's capital Muscat
  • Palm-filled oasis of Wadi Bani
  • Nakhal Fort - Oman's best-preserved fort
  • Wadi Rum's red earth desertscapes
  • UNESCO World Heritage-listed Petra
  • Desert camping with the Bedouin
  • Red Sea resort of Aqaba
  • The Dead Sea
  • 2000 year-old ruins of Jerash
  • Jordan's capital Amman

Inclusions

  • • The services of Peregrine’s expert English-speaking local leader in both countries, and professional local guides at some sites.

    • Local flight from Muscat to Amman (unescorted).

    • Sightseeing (including entrance fees where relevant): Muscat; Seeb fishing village; Nakhal fort; Al Hazm fort; Bahla fort; Jabrin fort; Shams mountain - Oman's highest peak; Misfah and Al Hamra villages; Jerash; Madaba; Mount Nebo; Dana ancient village; Shobak; and Amman.

    • 4WD safari to Wadi Bani Khaled, the Wahiba Sands, Lisq oasis, Mudaibi and Nizwa, with an overnight stay in a desert camp.

    • Full day exploring Petra’s old Roman road, amphitheatre, tombs and the ‘Monastery’.

    • Camel ride to a traditional Bedouin tented camp for an overnight stay (blankets and mattresses provided), and a full day exploring the Wadi Rum.

    • An afternoon relaxing at the Dead Sea and at the Red Sea town of Aqaba.

    • Free time to explore Muscat, Amman and Petra.

    • Arrival transfer.

  • 4WD vehicle
  • Camel
  • Plane
  • Private aircon bus
  • 14 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 5 dinners

Oman & Jordan Adventure

Day 1
Muscat
Meals Privided:
On arrival at Muscat International Airport (formerly Seeb Airport), you are met and transferred to your hotel. This is simply an arrival day so you may arrive in Muscat at any time. Note that hotel rooms are generally only available after 3 pm, so if you are arriving arriving substantially earlier we recommend you pre-book an additional night's accommodation. The balance of the day is free to explore your surroundings, but normally a Welcome Meeting is held in the evening where you meet your tour leader and fellow travellers.
Day 2
Muscat
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
After breakfast at the hotel we visit the beautiful Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. We then proceed to the Natural History Museum, which offers a brief introduction to Oman's colourful past. Driving down to the busy fishing harbour at Muttrah, with its quaint wooden dhows and fishing boats, we stop at the bazaar where we can mingle with the locals and browse around the silver and spice shops. We also visit the two 16th century Portuguese forts, Jalali and Mirani that guard the entrance to the city, before returning to our hotel.
Day 3
Seeb -Nakhal - Al Hazm - Muscat
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
Leaving Muscat, we head north along the coast to the fishing village of Seeb, where we witness the daily catch being hauled onto the sands from tiny fishing boats. We then continue on to the splendid fort at Nakhal, which sits atop a rocky spur with commanding views of the surrounding countryside. It is the best-preserved of all Oman's forts and the interior is still furnished, giving visitors an excellent feel for period life. A little further on is the fort of Al Hazm, situated on the northern slopes of the Jebel Akhdar, with its elaborate carved doors. Here we have time to explore the various rooms and chambers before returning to Muscat.
Day 4
Wadi Bani Khaled - Wahiba Sands
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Dinner
From Muscat we head southward and travel through rugged landscape before arriving at the palm-filled Wadi Bani Khaled, which is justly famed for its natural beauty. We follow a well-worn path into the heart of this rocky oasis and discover a large pool fed by a natural mountain spring. We continue our 4WD journey and arrive at the edge of the extensive Wahiba Sands. After deflating the tyres we follow an amazing route across the sand dunes to our desert camp. Tonight we enjoy an evening of traditional food and music around an open fire under the stars and get to sleep in simple tents.
Day 5
Lisq - Mudaibi - Nizwa
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
Driving north, we come to Lisq, an oasis with ancient buildings with the ruins of a castle forming a backdrop. Lisq is famous for the unique way of processing dates. Dates are cooked and the dry fruit is a local delicacy – well worth a try! Mudaibi, a village with an old quarter and an excellent souq nearby, makes an interesting stop on the way to Nizwa. Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman and was once a great centre of trade, religion, education and art. Its grand mosque was formerly a centre for Islamic learning. The central fort is surrounded by ancient traditional souqs where the locals trade in traditional as well as imported merchandise. You can browse here for some of Nizwa's famous silver jewellery or watch expert craftsmen in action as they fashion exquisite silverware or a range of other artefacts. Nizwa is an oasis enclosed by a series of mountains including the famous green mountain (Jabal Akhdar).
Day 6
Bahla - Jabrin - Jabal Shams - Misfah - Al Harma - Muscat
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
The ruins of the immense fort at Bahla, with its walls and towers of unbaked brick and its stone foundations, are a remarkable example of fortification. It's easy to find a metal worker toiling next to his red-hot furnace, or a weaver assembling a goat hair cloak. But the king of craft in Bahla is pottery. This exceptional art is famous throughout the Sultanate and beyond. Jabrin Fort is 240 kilometres from Muscat and is also called the palace of Imam Bil 'Arub Bin Sultan, who built it in 1675. It is considered one of the finest and most picturesque of Oman's forts. Besides the famous Nizwa Fort, the Jabrin Fort is one of the few forts designed as a residence; its wooden doors are elegantly carved and the lattice work windows are delicate and ornate. Jabal Shams, which literally means 'Mountain of the Sun', is Oman's highest peak at 3075 metres. Even on the hottest days, it's cool up here. Misfah and Al Hamra are beautiful and historical villages that we'll explore before heading back to Muscat for our final evening.
Day 7
Amman
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
The Oman portion of your trip comes to an end today when you are transferred after breakfast to the airport for your flight to Amman in Jordan. Here you bid farewell to your Omani tour leader and fly unescorted across to Jordan. On arrival in Amman's Queen Alia International Airport you are met and transferred to your hotel, where the remainder of the day is free to explore your surroundings. In the evening you meet your tour leader and the other members of your group for a pre-tour briefing. Please check the notice board at the hotel reception for confirmation of the exact time and place of the meeting. This meeting is generally followed by an optional group dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Day 8
Jerash - Dead Sea - Amman
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch
The Roman city of Jerash is one of the grandest ancient cities in the world, its archways and theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets constitute a striking collection and make it a beautiful place to explore. Grand ionic columns encircle the city's centrepiece, the Oval Plaza, a wonderfully atmospheric place to linger after exploring Jerash's riches. We visit the site in the morning and later drive down to spend the afternoon at the Dead Sea. Relax on the shore or take a dip like no other – the warm, highly saline waters make swimming difficult but bobbing on the water's surface a unique pleasure. Afterwards we return to Amman for the night.
Day 9
Madaba - Mount Nebo - Dana Village - Shobak Castle - Petra
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Dinner
This morning we drive to Madaba, where we visit the Greek Orthodox church of St George that houses a 6th century mosaic map depicting the old city of Jerusalem. This is of particular interest, as it clearly depicts Palestine and Lower Egypt around 550 AD. We continue on to Mount Nebo, where a monastery believed to be the burial place of Moses is located on a hill overlooking the Holy Land. The custodians of this monastery are Franciscan monks and it also contains some of the most impressive mosaics in the world. We then travel to Dana, where we stroll though the ancient village. Recent finds have revealed evidence of Palaeolithic, Egyptian, Edomite, Assyrian, Nabataean and Roman civilisations. We visit workshops where local artisans sell attractive silver jewellery and charms to support their families and their local community. The final part of our drive today takes us to Petra via the ancient Crusader castle at Shobak.
Day 10
Petra
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Dinner
A regular and fully justified contender for the '8th Wonder of the World' title, the iconic Petra view – the Treasury's glorious façade, glimpsed from the narrow cleft known as the Siq – is arguably the single most striking sight of the entire region. The first sight of the exquisite craftsmanship among such stark scenery is a moment that both manage to be eagerly anticipated and also be still an unlikely and almost surreal surprise. Petra's greatest surprise, however, is its size. With our guide we explore the old Roman road, amphitheatre and several old tombs. We also climb up to the Monastery – the site's second beautiful façade – from where we have a magnificent view of the entire site. This is a memorable day exploring a truly extraordinary destination and sure to be one of the highlights of our trip. There is a cafeteria on the site, where we can enjoy a light lunch. In the mid-afternoon we return to our hotel and our tour leader will try hard to persuade us to take a Turkish bath! It's perfect timing after a day exploring Petra, as well as being his a great experience - Petra is an excellent – and safe - place to try this tradition of the region. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 11-12
Petra - Wadi Rum
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We have the chance to return to Petra on an optional second visit (please note that you must pay the entrance fee today if you wish to go in). Afterwards we continue driving on to spellbinding Wadi Rum, a landscape of rugged sandstone mountains standing tall among an ochre desert floor. We head into this desolate, romantic protected area in rather rickety old jeeps, operated by the local Bedouin community. This is an attempt by the Jordanian Government to bring much-needed income into this region - an initiative we also support. After time for lunch in the small village of Rum and a browse around the excellent and informative visitor's centre, we visit several of Wadi Rum's distinctive rock formations and soak in the vast silence and spectacular desert landscapes. The visitor's centre is also a great spot to buy some jewellery and knick-knacks, mostly made by a women's co-operative which is aimed at supporting traditional local industries. Wadi Rum is a truly beautiful place with towering sandstone mountains. It fully deserves the amount of time we spend here, with the wind-sculpted rock formations changing hue throughout the day from sunrise to sunset. We also meet our Bedouin friends and ride camels to our traditional Bedouin tent situated deep within Wadi Rum. The Bedouins live in scattered camps throughout the area. We enjoy an evening with them at one of their camps, which is set in an amazing location. Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18. Much of David Lean's movie on his exploits, 'Lawrence of Arabia', was actually filmed in Wadi Rum. One morning it's well worth rising early and watching the cliffs change colour as the sun comes up. This morning walk (the length of the walk will depend on how energetic we are feeling) may involve scaling one of the large dunes to enjoy sensational views of the surrounding area. Keen photographers will be delighted!
Day 13
Aqaba
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
We continue down to Red Sea town of Aqaba, where we enjoy free time to relax. The sea is teeming with colourful marine life, so it is an ideal place for indulge in some optional scuba diving or snorkelling, depending on time. Our tour leader can help us to arrange these activities. Alternatively you may just like to relax by the hotel's swimming pool or walk around and enjoy the ambience of this coastal town; this is sure to be a welcome break after our time in the desert.
Day 14
Aqaba - Amman
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
We leave the beach and travel up the Desert Highway and the King's Highway on our way back to Amman. On arrival we enjoy an orientation tour of Jordan's fascinating and hilly capital. Known as Rabbath Ammon during prehistoric periods and later as Philadelphia, this ancient city, once part of the Decapolis League, now boasts a population of around 1.5 million people. The most impressive sight is probably the Roman Theatre which is located in the heart of the city. We also visit the old market - a great place for photo opportunities. Tonight we take the opportunity to enjoy a farewell dinner (optional) with our fellow travelling companions. A good option is the Kan Zaman Restaurant, which is a favourite with locals.
Day 15
Amman
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
Your trip ends today after breakfast. Check-out time is usually around 12 noon and you are free to leave at any time. If you have arranged a private airport transfer you will be advised of the pick-up time. Additional accommodation can be pre-booked if you wish to spend more time exploring Amman.

IN A NUTSHELL

15 days
$4,405
15

TOUR INFORMATION

Start End Price
12/12/201126/12/2011 $4,405
10/06/201324/06/2013 $4,405
13/05/201327/05/2013 $4,405
15/04/201329/04/2013 $4,405
18/03/201301/04/2013 $4,405
18/02/201304/03/2013 $4,405
21/01/201304/02/2013 $4,405
24/12/201207/01/2013 $4,405
26/11/201210/12/2012 $4,405
29/10/201212/11/2012 $4,405
01/10/201215/10/2012 $4,405
03/09/201217/09/2012 $4,405
25/06/201209/07/2012 $4,405
28/05/201211/06/2012 $4,405
30/04/201214/05/2012 $4,405
02/04/201216/04/2012 $4,405
09/01/201223/01/2012 $4,405
08/07/201322/07/2013 $4,405
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FURTHER ENQUIRIES