Depart from London to fly to Amman, arriving shortly before midnight. On arrival you will be met by our local guide and transferred to your hotel in Amman.

This morning we drive to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth (over 400 metres below sea level). It has been famous over the centuries for its minerals and natural healing powers: Cleopatra reputedly had her cosmetics factory here, and Mark Anthony had to step in and conquer the area for her to safeguard it.

The Dead Sea is unique for its combination of climate, enriched oxygen atmosphere, mineral-rich salt sea, mud and hot springs. Here, you can experience the unusual sensation of floating while reading a book in the salty water - it's impossible to sink in this viscous saline solution! Make sure you don't get any water in your eyes though, as it's so salty that it can really sting – so no splashing! You can take advantage of the many treatments on offer – how about a massage followed by a mud pack, and the children can enjoy the swimming pools and water-slide complex – a great way for everyone to have fun together before you head deeper into the desert tomorrow.

As day 02.

Today, you’ll head southward through hilly countryside to the market town of Kerak. Here you can explore its magnificent castle, built in the twelfth century by the crusaders who came from all over Europe to protect the holy city of Jerusalem from the great Moslem ruler Saladdin. The castle is extremely well preserved and it’s easy to imagine what life must have been like during the crusades – an enlightening learning experience for adults and children alike.

After exploring the castle, you’ll continue further south, crossing to the fast and flat Desert Highway and then turning towards the mountains and Wadi Musa, the desert town beside the ancient Nabatean city of Petra.

Today you'll enter the hidden world of the ancient Nabateans as you explore the spectacular rose-red city of Petra with your guide. There is much to see here. The Petra basin consists of over 100 square kilometres (38 square miles) of limestone and sandstone mountains, interspersed with narrow valleys and broad plains.

You begin by riding horses the short distance from the Visitor Centre to the start of the narrow gorge known as the Siq, the main route into the site. You'll follow the Siq as it twists and turns through the mountains for just over a kilometre. At times you'll be walking over Roman paving stones, but if you look up you can see the many different layers of natural rock. At the far end of the Siq you are treated to one of the most dramatic views you’ll ever encounter as you suddenly emerge onto the great plaza in front of Petra's most famous monument, the Treasury (al-Khazneh), which you'll recognise immediately from the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. According to legend, the Nabateans hid the treasure they amassed from controlling trade routes here - but no-one has found it yet!

You'll have a chance to photograph Bedouin tribesmen with their typical red and white keffiyeh head-dress, fine Arabian horses and riding camels, and policemen in their distinctive uniforms. Further inside the site you'll see the remarkable 7,000 seat outdoor theatre that was refurbished by the Romans when they conquered the city, and can also visit the Royal Tombs, where the Nabatean Kings were supposedly buried.

If you’re feeling energetic while you are here, we highly recommend the 45-minute climb up a steep rocky path from the museum area to ad-Deir, the Monastery - another astonishing monument cut from a sheer face of red sandstone. From here you can visit viewpoints which offer dramatic vistas over the surrounding mountains. Alternatively you may prefer to avoid the climb and stay in the lower part of the site to simply soak up the atmosphere of the temples and tombs.

At the end of the visit you make your way back through the Siq - if you're feeling tired by that time it may be possible to negotiate (extra) a ride back to the entrance on a mule or two-seat horse-drawn buggy to save your legs. Outside the site, in Wadi Musa town, there are plenty of shops packed with souvenirs to lure you inside.

You can either have a relaxing morning, or hone your cookery skills by learning how to prepare a typical Jordanian meal (extra) at a local restaurant in Wadi Musa and then eating it (obviously!). After lunch you set off by bus to rejoin the Desert Highway and drive south for a couple of hours to the protected area of Wadi Rum (wadi is the Arabic word for a dry riverbed that fills with water when it rains – which is rare in these parts). It's here that the true desert experience begins as you head out to your night-stop in a Bedouin-style camp.

Tonight you can sleep in tents if you want but we recommend dragging your mattress outside for at least part of the night and sleeping out under the stars. The night sky is simply unforgettable. If it's clear – and it generally is - you'll see more stars than you've ever seen before! Sleeping in the desert also provides a chance to see or hear some of the wildlife that manages to survive in the parched sandy spaces: hyrax, hares, foxes, gerbils or maybe even gazelle and ibex.

After breakfast the day starts with a visit to the nearby Wadi Rum Visitor Centre to help you understand what you're about to see. There is also a small craft centre. You’ll have a chance to experience the desert nearby on foot but perhaps the best way to see it is from the back of a camel, so you can take a one-hour camel trek (optional - at your own expense) to find out just what it feels like. Make sure you hold on tight when it gets up!

In the afternoon you’ll travel by four-wheel-drive vehicle and head out into the moon-like landscape of pinkish sand and rocky mountains. In prehistoric times there was much more water here and this was a land of plenty. There is evidence that early man hunted abundant wildlife here; many examples of rock paintings or engravings can be found in the nooks and crannies of the mountains.

You’ll also see spectacular rock formations created by the action of wind and water eroding the soft rocks over the ages. Wadi Rum was made famous by the exploits of the legendary Lawrence of Arabia who, during World War I, assembled a force and encouraged the Bedouin to attack the Ottoman Turks in Aqaba. In the late afternoon you'll return to your camp to spend a final night under the desert skies.

Sadly, we leave this magical wadi behind and continue our journey south to Aqaba (journey time approx. 1 hour), Jordan’s Red Sea resort. As well as being a busy port, Aqaba boasts sandy beaches, warm seas and coral reefs offering good diving and snorkelling opportunities, as well as sailing and other water activities. It is a pleasant and relaxing base to round off a comprehensive trip to Jordan. Your time here is free to relax or take various optional activities on offer; you might like to take a boat trip on the Red Sea, visit Aqaba Fort and the Marine Aquarium, cruise out to see the Crusader Castle at the nearby Pharaoh’s Island or simply relax by a pool or on the beach.

This morning, you will be transferred to Aqaba airport for your short domestic flight to Amman where you will change aircraft for the return international flight to London.