• Includes a guided day at the rock-carved city of Petra
• 6 days cycling with 100% vehicle support 
• Free day to explore Petra 
• Take on the superb Dead Sea to Mount Nebo ascent
• Relax in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba
• Group size 2 to 14

Meet at the group hotel in Amman. Group transfers from Amman Airport are provided, normally in the late evening.

We arrive at the hotel too late for dinner or for a trip briefing, but en-route from the airport your guide will explain the meeting times for the next day.

After meeting fellow group members, assembling bikes, and enjoying breakfast, we receive a briefing from the guide about the cycling ahead.

We start with an approximately one-hour transfer to the west of Amman. After saddling up, we head south and ride through Dibbin Forest Reserve, one of Jordan’s only forested areas, home to Aleppo pine, strawberry, pistachio, and wild olive trees. The reserve was established to protect endangered species such as the Persian squirrel.

Descending toward King Talal Dam, we ride beside the Zarqa River until reaching the main road between Amman and the north. We follow it for 15 kilometres toward the Baqa’a Valley, then head west and climb into the green hills of Remeimin and Jalad, arriving at Salt at the top of the mountain.

Bypassing Salt, we enjoy spectacular views over the Jordan Valley and the West Bank. Beyond Batna, we descend dramatically via Wadi Shu’aib, riding between farms and passing the Baptism Site of Jesus, before reaching 430 metres below sea level and our hotel beside the Dead Sea.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Distance: 100km
• Ascent: 1600m
• Descent: 2900m
• Meals: BLD

This morning we can relax and enjoy the Dead Sea’s unique buoyancy before preparing for today’s challenging climb.

The Dead Sea is 75 kilometres long and 6 to 16 kilometres wide. It is fed by the Jordan River but has no outlet. Due to extremely high salt and mineral content (around 350g of salt per kg of water), it is devoid of plant and animal life. Rapid evaporation causes this concentration, and the mineral-rich waters have curative properties recognized since the time of Herod the Great.

After a dip, we ride along the Dead Sea shore for around 7 kilometres. Turning inland, we begin the unique climb from around 400 metres below sea level. We visit the Dead Sea Exhibition at the Panorama Complex and enjoy superb views across the sea and to the Western Plateau.

Over the next 20 kilometres, we continue climbing to the plateau at 850 metres, reaching Mount Nebo, reputedly where Moses viewed the “promised land”. On a clear day, you can see Jerusalem about 45 kilometres away. We explore the site and its ancient mosaics before riding east to our hotel in Madaba.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Distance: 60km
• Ascent: 1500m
• Descent: 400m
• Meals: BLD

Leaving Madaba, we ride south to Um Arrasas, recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, especially for its impressive mosaic dating back to 785 A.D. The mosaic depicts scenes of hunting, agricultural and pastoral life, bordered geographically by cities of Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt.

After exploring, we cycle to Dhiban to connect with the King’s Highway, which twists through the heart of Jordan. We descend into Wadi Mujib (the “Jordanian Grand Canyon”), cross the Mujib Dam at 200 metres, then tackle an 11-kilometre climb up to 900 metres on the Eastern Plateau.

The King’s Highway is the world’s oldest continuously used communication route and is mentioned in the Bible, though today it is a relatively low-traffic local road. Our hotel on the outskirts of Karak (1050m) is ideally placed after a long riding day. Depending on arrival time, we may visit Karak Castle, one of the most impressive Crusader forts in the Middle East.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Distance: 100km
• Ascent: 1500m
• Descent: 1300m
• Meals: BLD

Continuing south on the plateau, we follow the King’s Highway past agricultural fields, ruins, and villages to the edge of Al Hassa Canyon. After stopping to admire the views, we descend into the rocky chasm.

What goes down must go up: there is an 800-metre climb out of the wadi, motivated by the thought of a picnic lunch and a rest once the 22-kilometre ascent is complete.

After lunch, we continue southward, avoiding Tafila by contouring around its east side on minor farm roads. We steadily gain height to around 1600 metres near the rocky summit of Jabal Ata’ta, then descend 400 metres to Dana village (1250m).

Dana sits on the edge of the Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan’s largest reserve area, with spectacular mountains and wadis along the face of the Great Rift Valley. Dana village has been home to the Al Ata’ata tribe for 400 years, and we have the chance to explore this tranquil settlement.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Distance: 100km
• Ascent: 2000m
• Descent: 1700m
• Meals: BLD

Today we ride via Shobak Castle, part of the chain of Crusader fortresses built across Jordan in 1115.

Beyond the castle, a steep climb through small villages leads to Hisheh, with magnificent views down to the natural white rock domes of Beida. We descend to Beida and stop to explore Little Petra before continuing to Wadi Musa (1150m), the “Valley of Moses”, gateway to Petra.

We check in to a comfortable hotel for a two-night stay.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Distance: 80km
• Ascent: 1150m
• Descent: 1650m
• Meals: BLD

Today is a welcome day off the bikes as we explore the ancient UNESCO city of Petra with a knowledgeable English-speaking guide.

We enter through the narrow Siq and approach the magnificent Treasury, whose intricately carved façade provides a dramatic reveal at the end of the gorge. The Nabataeans, an industrious people of Arab descent, created Petra some 2000 years ago. Ancient Petra was occupied for around 400 years around the time of Christ, then lay deserted for about 300 years before its rediscovery in 1812.

There are over 800 monuments at Petra—temples, tombs, gateways, and streets carved from colourful sandstone. Highlights include the High Place of Sacrifice, with panoramic views, and the Monastery, larger than the Treasury and reached by around 800 steps.

The guide stays with the group for around three hours, after which you are free for independent sightseeing or relaxation. We return for a second night in Wadi Musa.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Meals: BLD

Still following the King’s Highway, we ride toward Taybeh and Rajef along a scenic, undulating route with great views of the rugged Petra Mountains.

We descend to the junction with the Desert Highway (Jordan’s main north-south road) and turn south for the final leg to Aqaba and the Red Sea. The road descends gradually from around 1400 metres to the coast. For around 40 kilometres we ride on this relatively busy road, staying together as a group, watching for trucks and avoiding hard-shoulder debris. Depending on traffic and weather, there is an option to transfer this section.

Arriving in Aqaba, we can enjoy a well-earned dip in the Red Sea and relax with a cold drink. After finishing our cycling week, we take a private transfer to Madaba and enjoy a deserved celebratory meal.

• Accommodation: Hotel
• Distance: 120km
• Ascent: 1400m
• Descent: 2550m
• Meals: BLD

After an early breakfast, a single timed airport transfer will take the group to Amman International Airport. Land-only package services end on arrival at the airport.

If you prefer to stay in Aqaba at the end of the trip and enjoy a few relaxing days at the Red Sea, please contact your adventure travel consultant to discuss extension options.

If you wish to extend your trip (for example, enjoy an extra day or two in Aqaba), please let us know and we will be glad to assist.

We wish you a safe homeward journey and hope to see you again in Jordan soon.

• Meals: BLD

• A locally based English speaking bike guide Timed Amman Airport transfers at the beginning and end of the trip
• One or more support vehicles and drivers
• A specialist local guide in Petra
• Entrance fees to Karak Castle / Petra / Aqaba beach
• All accommodation as detailed under ‘trip details’
• All meals
• Complimentary water, juice and snacks throughout the rides

• Flights
• Travel insurance
• Visas
• Tips for the guide and local support crew
• Miscellaneous expenses - drinks and souvenirs etc