Cultural & Culinary Tour of Jordan - 8 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Amman, Downtown Street Art Tour

Welcome to Jordan! Your private driver will be waiting at the airport to take you to your accommodation in Amman, the capital of this desert country. Once an Iron Age stronghold turned Roman Decapolis, Amman is a perfect mix of old meets new. The city is studded with ancient ruins tucked between modern buildings and mosques. Leave your bags back at the hotel and lace up your comfy walking shoes to get started exploring the "City of Stairs." 

You'll get your first introduction to the city on a downtown street art tour. Learn more about Amman's artistic community as your small group follows a guide who's deeply entrenched in the city's vibrant hip-hop scene. Walk through bustling neighborhoods and quiet alleyways in search of colorful murals that tell the story of Jordan while simultaneously learning more about Amman's history and contemporary culture. You'll also get a birds-eye view of the city from several different perspectives along the way.

Day 2: Archaeological Tour of Pella, Transfer to Umm Qais, Foraging Tour

Today starts with a 1.5-hour transfer from Amman to Pella, an ancient archaeological site over 6,000 years old. With the help of your private guide, you'll uncover well-preserved Roman ruins and Byzantine temples tucked in rolling green hills. Roman baths, Byzantine homes, and an Islamic mosque are just some of the features you can look forward to exploring with a private guide. Afterward, get back on the road for the 40-minute transfer from Pella to Umm Qais, where you'll be spending the night. This city was once known as Gadara and is home to impressive ruins, including ancient theaters and Ottoman villages.

After settling in at your hotel, spend this afternoon on a foraging excursion with a local guide. The surrounding hills are full of edible plants, veggies, and fruit-bearing trees that are ripe for the picking, and you'll set off in search of these delicious, natural ingredients, including chamomile, almonds, and mushrooms. You'll be supplied with walking sticks, foraging bags, water, and tea with snacks to help fuel your culinary adventure. 

Day 3: Transfer to Ajloun via Jerash Tour, Ajloun Soap House Hike

Grab a delicious breakfast at your hotel this morning to help nourish your body for another day of exploring dense forests and crumbling ruins. First, you'll transfer just over an hour south to see some of the world's best-preserved Roman and Byzantine ruins at Jerash with a private tour. Spend four hours discovering this Greco-Roman city with highlights like the second-century Hadrian's Arch, the Temple of Artemis, a coliseum, fountains, and colonnaded avenues. It's not difficult to imagine what life was like around 63 BCE, Jerash's heyday, although this city was inhabited for thousands of years.

This afternoon, your driver will continue 30 minutes west to the Ajloun Forest Reserve, where you'll spend the night among a landscape of wooded hills and small valleys. Once you've settled in, meet your local guide and set off on a three-hour hike. You'll be following the Soap House Trail, a 4-mile (6.5 km) trek that winds through meadows of colorful wildflowers and forests of strawberry and pistachio trees. The grand finale is the Ajloun Soap House, where local women create Orjan pure olive oil soap. Purchase your very own herb-infused soaps to take home as souvenirs before making your way back to the start.

Day 4: Calligraphy Class, Countryside Farm Visit, Transfer to Amman

Continue your immersion into Jordanian culture today with a private class at the Calligraphy House in the Ajloun Forest Reserve. Learn about the principle methods of Arabic calligraphy from local women as you practice writing your name with a dried reed instrument in the peaceful setting of the surrounding forest. You'll get to take this and your calligraphy home as a beautiful souvenir. 

Later in the day, your driver will take you on an hour's drive back toward Amman, stopping en route at a farm in the As-Salt countryside. Here, you'll follow along with a local woman as she teaches you to make homemade jam with flavors like hibiscus and oregano, depending on the season, and jameed, traditional dried yogurt. You'll get the chance to sample these delicacies and purchase a jar or two to bring home before heading back into the city for the evening. 

Day 5: Visit Iraq al-Amir Women's Cooperative, Carakale Brewery Tour

Day five begins with a visit to the Iraq al-Amir Women's Cooperative. You'll meet local Ammani women and watch as they practice their skilled crafts, from paper making to pottery and handloom weaving. Join the ladies for lunch afterward, sharing in a traditional meal. This co-op aims to support women in their artistic endeavors, aiming for them to become financially independent while also preserving local heritage through traditional crafts. Don't miss the chance to grab a one-of-a-kind souvenir or two to take home with you.

You'll head for the Carakale Brewery this afternoon. Tour the facility as you learn more about Jordan's first craft brewery, all bottled and brewed here in Amman. Sample some of their refreshing beers that are cold-fermented and brewed in the German tradition, like the Blue Valley Kolsch, Blonde Ale, or Pale Ale. Although the topic of drinking can be a bit contentious, ideas around alcohol are more relaxed in Jordan than in neighboring countries, and the brewery aims to continue paving the way for craft beer in the Middle East.

Day 6: Transfer to Dana, Spend the Day with Locals

Kick off day six with a hearty breakfast and a three-hour, early morning private transfer south from Amman to a region of Jordan known for its craggy canyons and gorges—but also for its dense foliage. You'll drive through arid landscapes until you arrive at the Ottoman village of Dana, built in the 15th century. Admire its quintessential architectural features, including expertly laid stone arches, before making yourself at home in this humble town that's perfectly perched on a leafy hilltop amid Jordan's largest nature reserve.

This remote area has been inhabited by the Bedouin Ata'ta people for thousands of years. You'll learn more about their culture and traditions today as you join a local family for lunch in their home, breaking bread both figuratively and literally over dishes like mansaf, made from lamb and fermented yogurt, served with rice. You'll have this afternoon free to explore on your own and catch up on some rest in preparation for tomorrow's hiking adventure.

Day 7: Hike from Dana to the Feynan Ecolodge

This morning, join your private guide for a full-day hike through the Dana Biosphere Reserve on the Wadi Dana Trail, skimming the Great Rift Valley and passing through sandstone gorges and Bedouin camps. The hike from Dana to the lodge is almost 10 miles (16 km) and takes between six and seven hours to complete. You'll have the opportunity to spot elusive wildlife along the way, like sand cats, Nubian ibex, eagles, gazelles, spiny-tailed lizards, and even Syrian wolves. Despite it's arid nature, you'll be surprised to find a wealth of greenery and lush vegetation.

You'll be happy you made the long trek as you arrive at the gorgeous Feynan Ecolodge, where your luggage awaits. This oasis in the desert has won countless awards and has been featured in famous publications like National Geographic. Take part in fun activities like stargazing and Milky Way spotting through a Mead telescope, help the staff light candles in the lodge corridors, or grab a hot cup of tea for board games by the fireplace. 

Day 8: Bedouin Excursion, Transfer to Amman, Depart 

Before saying your goodbyes, spend the final morning of your trip immersed in Bedouin culture and heritage. Several families live near Feynan Ecolodge and open their homes to visitors, teaching their traditions firsthand. Choose from different activities like weaving a goat-hair tent, learning to brew Arabic coffee, baking fresh arboud bread, or learning how to make kohl, the traditional and protective Bedouin eye makeup. Each of these experiences is deeply entrenched in Bedouin culture and is an important part of daily life.

Afterward, you'll make the three-hour transfer back to the Jordanian capital of Amman this afternoon, where your driver will drop you off at the airport for your departing flight Safe travels and ma'assalama!

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