Ajloun Forest Lodge

Classic Ultimate + 3 more + 3 more

Egypt and Jordan Discovery

Jordan, Egypt

Experience the best of Egypt and Jordan in one unforgettable trip.

13 days

from £4,815 pp

including flights

A Week in Jordan

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Jordan’s greatest hits over just seven days.

7 days

from £2,400 pp

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Jordan in the Spring

Classic Wildlife & Nature + 2 more + 3 more

Flower-filled nature reserves, hidden trails & historic sites.

8 days

from £3,000 pp

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Jordan's Natural Beauty

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A wild journey through Jordan’s most spectacular landscapes.

13 days

from £4,200 pp

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Classic Jordan

Family Classic + 2 more + 3 more

The perfect first-time introduction to Jordan.

9 days

from £2,880 pp

including flights

Petra Short Break

Family Express + 2 more + 3 more

Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea over just five days.

5 days

from £1,905 pp

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Quirky excursions

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Ajloun Guided Trails

There are a number of guided trails available at Ajloun. The Roe Deer trail takes you on a self-guided circuit around the campsite passing the old stone wine press. The Orjan Village trail passes from forest to orchard and includes visits to traditional handicrafts shops. The Rasoun trail passes mainly through the oak forest leading to a viewpoint of 1000m above sea level. The trip can include a visit to the soap house, where local women use traditional processes to produce olive soap. The Prophet's Trail is perhaps the most interesting as it covers the forest landscape and the mosaics of the church at Mar Elias. You can extend this trail onto Ajloun Castle itself, passing by small farmhouses and their orchards and with the offering of extended views across the wooded valley.

Bethany on the Jordan

Around the turn of the 21st Century there was much excitement at an archaeological dig just north of where the River Jordan meets the Dead Sea, as the excavators were able to confirm that they were working on the site of Biblical Bethany, where John the Baptist lived and conducted his baptisms, and therefore by extension the place where Jesus was baptised. The remains of several churches and impressive mosaics have been excavated, as have large basins where it is believed the baptisms took place. Bethany has since become a major pilgrimage site and was visited by Pope Benedict XVI on his trip to the Middle East in 2009. Your tour will be in a small group with a guide who will walk you round the various key sites, including the site of Christ's baptism and right down to the River Jordan itself. As well as the spiritual significance of Bethany, it's also a chance to experience the thick vegetation of the Jordan Valley, which comes as a nice contrast to the arid landscapes of much of the rest of the country. The tour takes about 90 minutes.

Ajloun Castle

Ajloun Castle should form part of most visits to Jordan for several reasons. On a historic level it is one of very few Crusader-era castles built by the Arabs and not the European Crusaders, and so provides an interesting counterpoint to other castles you'll see on your trip like Kerak and Showbak. It's also in an attractive part of the country, offering views over wooded slopes and near the Ajloun Forest Reserve. But most of all, it reawakens childish excitement as it's a wonderful maze of vaulted ceilings, secret passages and fairy-tale towers and battlements.