Treasures of Petra

Fly direct from London Gatwick to Aqaba and transfer to the 5-star Mövenpick Aqaba Resort for a two-night stay. The hotel is centrally placed and has a private beach.

Relax on a day at leisure in the easy ‘gone fishing’ tempo of Aqaba, Jordan’s only port, with sandy beaches, seafront cafés and fabulous fish restaurants. Perhaps take an optional excursion on the ‘Glass Bottom boat cruise’ (bookable locally) which lets you view the marine life and coral reserve through its glass bottom or snorkelling. Later, see Aqaba from the water, enjoying a cocktail on a sunset cruise.
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Visit the ruins of Shobak Castle, built by the Crusaders, with additions by the Mamluks, on an isolated conical hill. Within its enclosing wall are archways and arrow slits, a church and a chapel, a well shaft, a watchtower, and a subterranean spring. Continue to the Siq al-Barid, known as ‘Little Petra’.  Short in length (just 400m) but tall in height, it is home to storeys of carved houses reached by rock-cut stairs, to halls and a temple, and to the faded frescoes of Cupid and Pan in the famous Painted House. Check-in at the 5-star Mövenpick Petra for a two-night stay, and, this evening, perhaps join an optional Petra by Candlelight tour at the tall-walled slot-canyon Siq and the Treasury, when flickering candles add a touch of magic to the rose-red city (bookable locally).
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A morning tour is your introduction to Petra, the legendary City of Stone, carved entirely out of sandstone rock, over 2,000 years ago. With caves and corridors camouflaged in desert canyons, the gargantuan scale of Petra is not revealed without some effort on the part of the pilgrim. This guided walking tour (4 hrs) takes you through The Siq approach, a tight gorge with soaring red-pink walls, and leads to tombs and temples, the Street of Façades, and the magnificent Treasury. Afternoon free for independent discovery, perhaps to climb the 800 steps to the monumental Monastery al-Deir.
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Travel to the desert wilds of Wadi Rum to view the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, leaning against each other in the frontage of a towering rock, and enjoy lunch at a Bedouin camp. Transfer to Aqaba airport for your return flight to London Gatwick, or extend your stay in Aqaba.
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