A 7 night 8 day itinerary based on the Hollywood Blockbuster – The Martian – with Matt Damon
Experience Mars, like Matt Damon in his film The Martian. Filmed in Wadi Rum your two day Wadi Rum experience will give you a sense of isolation the enormity of the landscape both in Wadi Rum and on Mars.
Day 5: Petra
As Wadi Rum starts to get hot you will head into the mountains to visit Petra, the “rose red city half as old as time”.
Despite reading, seeing hundreds of pictures and even films nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. It has to be seen to be believed. As you cross the doorsill of Petra the gates of the past opens up to one of the famous world wonders, the ancient city Petra. Myths say it was built by magic, but it is the perfect example of the mind of god and the hand of man working together in perfect harmony. The Treasury, Petra’s most famous and most photographed monument is just one of eight hundred hand carved tombs and monuments hidden within the mountains.
Following a rich and vibrant period as the Nabatean Capital it was then taken by the Romans and subsequently the early Christian before it was lost to the outside world for over 1,000 years. Since its rediscovery in 1812 Petra has attracted tourists from all corners of the globe. After a full day touring Petra you will overnight just outside the gates.
Overnight Petra
Day 6: Wadi Feynan
As you head from the high mountain escarpment to the valley you will slowly enter the enchanting world of authentic Bedouin hospitality and natural beauty of Wadi Araba.
Deep in the heart of the mountainous Dana Biosphere Reserve, at the end of a rugged track, an idyllic candle-lit lodge rests in the dry and dusty landscape. Wadi Feynan. Hailed as one of the best 25 Eco lodges in the world by National Geographic Traveler Magazine, the award-winning, solar powered, candle lit Feynan Eco lodge offers the most developed eco-experience in Jordan. At sunset you will embark on a short walk to meet local families living near the lodge in their traditional houses of hair or Beit al Shaar. These families will teach you about their crafts and traditions such as making kohl and Arabic coffee.
Overnight in probably the best Eco Lodge in the world.
Day 7: Dead Sea
Leaving Feynan you will head to 410 metres below sea level, the lowest place on earth.
The Dead Sea. With its mineral rich, salty water you will enter into another world. Unable to swim because of he added buoyancy from the salt, you only choice is to sit back and relax. For thousands of years people have been visiting the Dead Sea for its therapeutic and healing properties. The oxygen rich air at this altitude gives you an added boost and you will leave feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
Overnight Dead Sea
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast in your hotel, on the shores of the Dead Sea, we will transfer you to Queen Alia international airport. Our expert airport team will ensure your departure is a smooth and trouble free.
The Martian Film Tour
Day 1: Meet and Greet, transfer to Amman
Welcome to Jordan! On arrival in Amman International Airport (Queen Alia) you will be met and assisted by our airport representative who will guide you through customs and introduce you to your driver before you are escorted to your hotel.
Day 2: Amman and Jerash
After breakfast, you will guests will head to enjoy a sightseeing tour of Amman, which will introduce you to the diversity of the people in this rich and proud land. Explore the Citadel of Philadelphia (ancient Amman) and see how layers of archaeological remains can make a mountain of knowledge.
Following our traditional street food tour of this vibrant Arabian Capital you will head to Jerash, the best preserved Roman city in the Middle East. Your professional guide will guide you through this fascinating Roman city. Soak up the atmosphere in the theatres, walk along the Cardo and feel the ruts made by the chariots nearly 2,000 years ago. Admire the Roman architecture of the Oval Plaza, the Nymphaeum and the Roman temples spread over the site.
Overnight Amman.
Day 3: Wadi Rum- The Red Planet of Mars
After breakfast transfer directly to Wadi Rum about 4 hours south of Amman. The desert of Wadi Rum boasts one of the most spectacular desert landscapes in the world with rolling sand dunes & vast mountains of sandstone. Its red sand made it the perfect backdrop for filming The Martian and it will surely captivate you, as it has so many visitors before.
The Martian is not the only film to use Rum as a location and other Hollywood Blockbusters include, Lawrence of Arabia, Mission to Mars, Red Planet and Transformers. Although mainly filmed in Petra it was also used for some scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Touring through Wadi Rum in Bedouin 4x4 is a wonderful experience. Your local Bedouin guide will stop at all the main sites especially Lawrence’s Spring, Khazali Canyon, a Wadi Rum icon. The Canyon is an easy 20-minute walk with year-round water and many Nabatean inscriptions and drawings. Discover clues from antiquity carved on the mountains and the fallen boulder, vestiges of human activity over several thousand years. Everywhere there are traces left by ancient civilizations - pictographs of Thamudic, Nabataean, Greek and Arabic texts, formal inscriptions and rock art depicting hunting scenes.
Dinner and overnight in Bedouin camp.
Day 4: Wadi Rum & The Martian
Wake up in the serenity of the desert as the clear morning light of sunrise gives the desert a heavenly aura before and enjoying breakfast on the rocks with undisturbed views.
Following breakfast your Bedouin guide will continue your tour of Rum which will include 4x4, walking and riding the “Ship of the Desert”, The Camel. Riding a Camel is the most authentic way to experience Wadi Rum, as the slow pace fits in perfectly with life in the sand.
As the sun sets and the temperature drops the colours of the desert really spring into life. When day turns to night the desert takes on an eerie feel until the stars arrive and light up the night sky. Sitting around the campfire you will be able to soak up the atmosphere and count the endless stars in the starry sky. Waking to the clear crisp light of dawn is an exhilarating experience and one that should not be missed. This is when the desert is at its most peaceful and friendly. Within a few hours, it will be time to move on to the “rose-red city of Petra”.
Dinner and overnight in Bedouin camp
