Discover the ancient rose-red city of Petra, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world, stroll through the crusader castle at Karak or explore the fascinating Roman city of Jerash.

Hike ancient trails, ride through the desert on camel, live in tents with the local Bedouin or follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia from the fort at Azraq through the deserts to Wadi Rum in a landscape little changed over the last 2000 years. Or stand on the spot where John baptised Jesus at Bethany, admire the same view of the Promised Land that Moses saw before he died, or visit King Herod's fortress where Salome performed her dance that resulted in John's execution.

Highlights

Here are just a few highlights tohelp you plan an unforgettable adventure through a land that teems withcultural, historic and religious treasures.

Petra - "A rose-red city half as old as time." -famously described by poet, John William Burgon in 1845. This ancient butwell-preserved city is hewn from a towering sandstone rock wall. Once thecapital of the Nabateaeans, a 3rd century BC Arab dynasty, Petra was onlyrediscovered in 1812. Set in a deep canyon, accessible only through a narrowwinding cleft (or siq) in the rock, Petra offers a number of extraordinarymonuments streaked in dramatic bands of rainbow colours - a testament to twothousand years of gently erosion from desert winds.

The Treasury - The most famous of all Petra'smonuments, the Khazneh, or treasury is a huge rose-red facade hewn out of thesheer rock face. Climb to the top for stunning views over Petra. Try to timeyour visit between about 9am and 11am or in the afternoon around 5pm or 6pm,when the facade is suffused with a reflected reddish-pink glow from thesurrounding walls.

The Monastery - Ride a donkey or be environmentallyfriendly and hike for an hour to the summit of Petra's largest facade, agigantic mountaintop tomb. The best time to climb is in the afternoon when theclimb is mainly in shadow and the sun hits the facade face-on.

Wadi Rum - Discover some of the most spectaculardesert scenery in the world - a landscape not of sweeping sand dunes but ofstrangely shaped soaring rock formations, known as jebels. This is whereLawrence of Arabia camped for a time during the Arab Revolt. Best enjoyed on aone- or two-day tour with a local guide. Hike through the networks of canyonsand ravines, climb across naturally formed rock bridges and sleep in the desertbeneath a starry sky - you'll find the tranquility of a pitch-dark desert nightan unforgettable experience. Or float over Wadi Rum's Valley of the Moon in ahot-air balloon.

Karak castle - Walk the battlements of one of thefinest Crusader castles in the Middle East, second only to Syria's Crac desChevaliers. Located between Amman and Petra, this fortified castle offers arare insight into crusader legends. Bring a torch and explore the undergroundpassageways.

Jerash - One of the Middle East's best-preservedand accessible Roman cities located north of Amman. Stroll the Cardo up to theTemple of Artemis and be inspired by the paved and colonnaded streets, grandtemples and Byzantine mosaic-floored churches.

Mount Nebo - Climb to the summit of the mountainwhere Moses looked out over the Promised Land and visit the monastery church toadmire the beautiful mosaics.

Bethany - Newly discovered in the reeds and flowing water along the valley of WadiKharrar on the east bank of the River Jordan is the place where John theBaptist lived and where he most likely baptized Jesus Christ. Best visited inwinter as summer temperatures of 45°C may limit your ability to explore thisjungle-like thicket.

Azraq Wetland Wildlife Reserve - See how many of more than 300 speciesof birds you can spot, as well as hyenas, red wolves, jerboas, gazelles,ostriches and Arabian oryxes in Jordan's best wildlife oasis.

Trekking - Take the opportunity to get off thebeaten track, whether alone or with an adventure company to tour ruins ordiscover nature; explore the wild reaches of the Dana reserve, Wadi Mujib orthe Ajloun woodland reserve.

Dead Sea - Enjoy spectacular sunsets at the lowestpoint on earth as you float easily on this inland lake supported only by thedensity of the extra-salty water.

Camel-riding - Experience the 'ship of the desert' ona desert excursion: cock one leg around the pommel and enjoy the gentle,hypnotic swaying gait as you set off on an adventure across open desert.

Best time to go

During spring (March to May) orautumn (September to November). Jordan's climate is varied. Temperatures on theplateau range from low 20°Cs to high 30°Cs, while the desert reaches 40°Cs andbeyond. Summers are hot and dry, around 40°C, with cool evenings. Rain fallsbetween November and March, with cold weather in December/January andoccasional snow.

Shopping

Jordan is famous for gold andsilver with every town in Jordan having a souk (market); Amman's gold souk hasmore than 50 shops. Look out for necklaces that feature a small golden coffeepot - a popular local gift. Browse for Hebron glass, mother-of-pearl boxes,pottery, backgammon sets, embroidered tablecloths, jeweled rosaries, worrybeads and caftans hand-embroidered with silver and gold thread.