STI Travel, part of the Central Holidays family of travel brands, has partnered with the Jordan Tourist Board to boost tourism to the destination with a series of tour programs for 2016-17. Jordan was once a crossroads for ancient people journeying to the East and West, and today offers an array of one-of-a-kind experiences in the Wadi Rum desert, the breathtaking city of Petra, and the saline waters of the Dead Sea.
The journeys include three dedicated tours through Jordan, as well as flexible extension packages and optional tours customizing the ideal vacation experience for individuals or groups. Hotel accommodations, daily breakfast, sightseeing and entrance fees, airport transfers and transportation by coach, private car or waterborne vehicles are included in the price.
For example, the 8-day Best of Jordan package includes a full-day tour of the vibrant city of Amman, bustling with souks and bazaars offering colorful textiles, street food and other goods. Guests will then explore the ruins of Jerash, a once thriving Roman provincial settlement that was part of the Decapolis League and the 12th century Muslim fortification of the Ajloun Castle. Next, it’s on to the city of Madaba—best known for its Byzantine mosaics and Mount Nebo—mentioned in the Bible as the site where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. One of the highlights of the package is a full-day tour of Petra and its rose-colored Al-Khazneh, a tomb carved into the mountains by craftsman from a vanished civilization. There is even an opportunity to enter the canyon of Petra on horseback, recreating the famous scene from “Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade,” which was filmed on location at the site. The package concludes with a 2-hour jeep tour in the Wadi Rum, a sprawling desert wilderness of sandstone and granite rock with many rock paintings and petroglyphs. Rates start at $1,400 pp. Also available are a 6-day A Taste of Jordan itinerary from $1,085, and a 7-day Highlights of Jordan itinerary from $1,145. For more information, call (800) 570-0304 or visit centralholidays.com.
