Jordan Uncovered

Enjoy included airport lounge access before your daytime flight to the Jordanian capital, where you'll be met for an included transfer to your luxury city-centre hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Stay: Fairmont Hotel (Deluxe)

Set out this morning on a privately guided tour of Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in existence. Return to Amman for a light lunch and wine tasting at 'The Winemaker', where you will enjoy the opportunity to meet the wine maker Omar Zumot or one of his dedicated team and enjoy tasting a selection of Saint George wines, considered one of the best producers in Jordan. After lunch you you'll tour Amman, visiting the Citadel, the Archaeological Museum, which has displays about the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Roman theatre around which the downtown area grew, the Folklore Museum and the bazaars and Gold Market.

Stay: Fairmont Hotel (Deluxe)

Today you'll enjoy a visit to Mt Nebo, said to be the spot where Moses first viewed the Holy Land. A church was built here in his honour by the early Christians in the 4^th century, and some of the mosaics it houses are thought to be around 1,500 years old. On a clear day Jericho and Jerusalem can be made out in the distance, across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Next you'll transfer to Madaba, a charming town with a strong Christian heritage, best known for the mosaics from the 5^th to the 7^th centuries that lie scattered through its churches and homes. By far the most impressive is a wonderfully vivid 6^th century Byzantine map showing Jerusalem, the holy sites and towns as far afield as the Nile Delta.

Stay: Fairmont Hotel (Deluxe)

Heading south from Amman towards the famous city of Petra grants you the opportunity to visit two of the famous Crusader castles that dot Jordan's desert landscape. The first is Kerak, one of the largest Crusader castles in the Levant, held for just 40 years before falling to Saladin, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. The second is Shobak, which, if anything, is more fun to explore than Kerak, given it's quieter and in greater need of restoration. Built in 1115 by Baldwin I, the first king of Jerusalem, it formed part of the great chain of strongholds that guarded the crucial Cairo to Damascus trade route. You'll also have the chance to explore the rugged valley of Wadi Bani Hammad, a canyon-like gorge home to hot springs, verdant foliage and striking cliffs. After your visit, continue on to Petra and check in to your hotel.

Stay: Movenpick Resort Hotel (Deluxe)

Spend the whole day at Petra, the spectacular 'lost city' carved into the desert's red canyon walls. Built by the ancient Nabateans between 800 BC and 100 AD, Petra reached its peak during Roman occupation but was lost to the world for some 400 years before being rediscovered in 1812. It's reached on foot through the Siq Gorge, a narrow, winding passageway at times no wider than six feet, with rock faces on either side as high as a four-storey building. When you finally emerge you're faced with Petra's most famous site, the Khaznah or Treasury, which served as a temple in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Stay: Movenpick Resort Hotel (Deluxe)

Venture by 4x4 to Wadi Rum, a dramatic desert valley best known for its connection with British officer T.E. Lawrence, who based his operations here during the Arab Revolt of 1917-18. His famous book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom was named after natural stone columns nearby and the film of his exploits, Lawrence of Arabia, was for a large part set here. It's a truly special location, matched by tonight's accommodation – a glass-fronted dome at the remote Sun City Camp, right in the heart of the Wadi Rum. From the outside, your aptly named Martian Dome is straight out of Star Wars, while inside you'll be treated to ultra-stylish furnishings, an en-suite bathroom, air conditioning and stunning views across the desert.

Stay: Sun City Camp – Martian Dome

Depart Wadi Rum for the scenic desert drive to Aqaba on the shores of the Red Sea, where you'll embark on a tour of what is  Jordan's only port city. Highlights include the impressive Mameluk Fort, which began life as a Crusader castle, and was rebuilt by the Marmeluks in the 16th century. After an action-packed start to your tour, we've left the next day free, so why not head to the beach for a dip in the sea and to soak up some sun?

Stay: Movenpick Tala Bay (Deluxe)

Transfer to the Dead Sea, which at 400m below sea level is the lowest place on earth. Ever since the days of Herod the Great people have flocked here for the curative effects of the water's salts and minerals, and for the high concentration of oxygen in the air. You'll stay here for two nights before returning to Amman for your flight home on day ten. We especially recommend our deluxe option here, the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea.

Return to Amman in time for your return flight to the UK.