Amman and Jerash

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Amman

This short break starts in sleek, modern Amman. With leafy cafe strips and cosmopolitan galleries, plus a chaotic downtown precinct, Jordan's capital is a great place to glimpse contemporary Arab life.

Day 2 Jerash/Amman

Explore the ancient heritage of Amman, known in Hellenistic times as Philadelphia. Built on seven hills much like Rome, its similarity to that venerable city made it a favourite among Roman soldiers and officials. Marvel at the restored Roman Theatre and the chief fountain, or nymphaeum, and enjoy amazing views across the city from the Citadel lookout. Amman's cosmopolitan history extends even further - it was a Byzantine Christian capital, as its 6th century basilica attests, and a stronghold of early Islam - as you'll discover at the Umayyad Palace. Amman's museum also holds a number of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the earliest known Biblical texts. After lunch, perhaps in a local restaurant, spend the afternoon north of Amman in Jerash, exploring the astonishingly well-preserved ruins of Greco-Roman Gerasa, which have been dubbed the 'Pompeii of the Middle East'. A prosperous trading city until its conquest by the Persians in the 7th century, it enjoyed a brief comeback as a Crusader town, when some of its monuments were converted into medieval fortresses. See arches, columns and temples, the baths and the oval-shaped Forum, and imagine the roar of the crowd in the theatres and hippodrome. Arrive back in Amman by the late afternoon to conclude the trip.