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• Today you will explore the wild desert landscape of Wadi Rum, which fascinated the British liaison officer Lawrence of Arabia. Describing Wadi Rum as "vast, echoing and god-like" we believe he could not have said it better. We will drive for two hours in a 4-wheel drive jeep through the desert to see Lawrence’s spring. We will pass majestic mountains and explore a gorge with some ancient rock drawings.
• At 11:00am, we will set out for Petra. The Rose Red City. The city is thought to have been first established in the 6th century BC by Nabataean Arabs, a nomadic tribe who settled in the area and laid the foundations of a commercial empire that extended into Syria. Despite successive attempts by the Seleucid king Antigonus, the Roman emperor Pompey and Herod the Great to bring Petra under the control of their respective empires, Petra remained largely in Nabataean hands until around 100 AD, when the Romans diverted to the north the caravan routes that had brought Petra its wealth.
• It was still inhabited during the Byzantine period, when the former Roman Empire moved its focus east to Constantinople, but declined in importance thereafter. The Crusaders constructed a fort there in the 12th century, but soon withdrew, leaving Petra to the local people until the early 19th century, when it was visited by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. The approach to Petra is unforgettable, made either on foot or horseback through the Outer Siq and then on foot through the Siq itself. The Siq ends in an open space which is dominated by the Treasury, Petra’s most famous building. A local guide will give a brief history of the city. You will also see Pharaoh's Castle, the Triumphal Arch, the Amphitheater and Monastery. You will be then transported to your hotel and assist you with check-in.