Private 4-Day Jordan Highlights Tour from Amman

Jerash and Ajloun Castle

Jerash, about 50 kilometres north of Amman, is one of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere. You enter through Hadrian's Arch, built in the 2nd century, pass the long Hippodrome and reach the Oval Plaza, a vast forum ringed with Ionic columns. From there the Cardo, a colonnaded street still marked by the ruts of chariot wheels, leads past fountains and temples to the Temple of Artemis and the South Theatre, where the acoustics still work.

A Jerash day trip from Amman usually allows two to three hours on site, and the site opens from around 8 am. Nearby, Ajloun Castle crowns a green hilltop: built by the Ayyubids in the 12th century to guard the iron mines and the routes of the Jordan Valley, it offers sweeping views to the north and west. Together they make day one of this private Jordan tour, with a night back in Amman.

Mount Nebo

On the second morning the drive south begins at Mount Nebo, the ridge revered in Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition as the place where Moses looked out over the Promised Land. The Memorial Church of Moses at the summit preserves remarkable Byzantine mosaics of animals, hunters and vines, and a bronze serpent cross stands on the terrace.

From the viewpoint you see the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea, and on clear days Jericho and even Jerusalem on the horizon. Allow about 45 minutes. The clearest views come in the morning, which is why this tour places Mount Nebo at the start of the day before the long journey down the King's Highway.

Dana and Shobak Castle on the King's Highway

The King's Highway is one of the oldest roads in the Middle East, winding along the edge of the plateau through deep canyons and old villages. At Dana you look down over the Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan's largest nature reserve, where the land drops from high mountains to the desert of Wadi Araba; the restored Ottoman-era stone village of Dana clings to the cliff edge above it.

Further south, Shobak Castle rises on a cone-shaped hill. Built by the Crusaders in 1115, it was later taken and rebuilt by the Ayyubids and Mamluks, whose inscriptions still mark its walls, and a long stairway cut into the rock leads down to a hidden spring. A stop of 30 to 45 minutes at each place lets you take in the views before reaching Petra in the late afternoon.

Petra, the rose-red city

Petra was the capital of the Nabataeans, who carved temples and tombs into the sandstone cliffs more than two thousand years ago. You enter through the Siq, a narrow canyon over a kilometre long, before the Treasury, Al-Khazneh, appears at its end. Beyond it lie the Street of Facades, the Theatre, the Royal Tombs, the Colonnaded Street and, for those ready to climb the rock-cut steps, the Monastery, Ad-Deir.

With a night in a hotel in Petra, you start your visit early, when the Siq is quiet and the light is soft; Petra opening hours begin around 6 am. Spend as long as you like, typically four to six hours, before our driver takes you on to Wadi Rum. Local guides are not included but can be hired at the Visitor Centre. Is Petra worth visiting as part of a private tour? It is the highlight of any trip to Jordan.

Wadi Rum jeep tour and Bedouin camp

Wadi Rum is a UNESCO-listed desert of red sand and towering sandstone and granite mountains in the far south of Jordan. A 2-hour jeep tour in a Bedouin 4x4 takes you to sand dunes, narrow canyons with ancient rock inscriptions and natural rock bridges, with wide views over the valleys as the afternoon light turns the cliffs red.

The night is spent at a Bedouin camp in a deluxe tent for up to 3 travellers, with dinner and breakfast included. After dinner the desert sky fills with stars, one of the unforgettable moments of the trip. The best time to visit Wadi Rum is spring and autumn; from November to March, nights are cold, so bring a warm layer.

The Red Sea at Aqaba and the Dead Sea

On the last day the road leads down to Aqaba, Jordan's only coastal city, for a stop by the clear water of the Red Sea, famous for its coral reefs. Our driver then heads north through the Wadi Araba valley, along the Great Rift Valley, toward the Dead Sea.

At about 430 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on land, and its water is so salty that you float without effort. A float in the sea is the perfect end to the trip before the short drive back to your hotel in Amman, about an hour away. Bring a swimsuit and towel, and keep the salty water away from your eyes.