Key Tour Experiences and Highlights
Tour Itinerary
Welcome to Jordan! After immigration procedures, your driver will take you directly to your hotel in Madaba where you will be staying. Overnight at Madaba. Dinner is included for arrivals before 10:00 PM.
This morning, after breakfast, your driver will pick up you at 8 am from the hotel lobby to drive you down to Petra (3h drive). Leave your bags at the hotel and head out to explore the ancient Nabatean city with a local English-speaking guide for 2-3 hours. The rest of the day is free to explore the city of Petra by yourself in your own way or to relax at your hotel in Petra. In the evening, you will meet the horse-riding organizer to discuss the program for the next days. Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch to own account.
Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to meet the horses just outside Wadi Musa. Mount up and set off riding into the hills above Petra, with wonderful views across Jebel Haroun Mountain, the highest summit in the Petra region. The prophet Aaron, older brother of Moses, was buried here by Moses himself. Leaving the horses tied up, those who wish can walk up to the “High Place of Sacrifice” for the incredible view over Petra and the maze of canyons in which it is hidden. A picnic lunch before riding on in the afternoon to camp on Taibah mountain. Dinner and the night in camp. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are included).
After breakfast you will ride from the mountain of Taibah to the old village of Rajif, which has great views overlooking the Wadi Araba desert. A magical experience in the clean nature of the area. Stop for lunch in the shade of a garden. After lunch you continue riding along the Silk Road which was used by caravans of traders to exchange their produce. There are opportunities for long canters across the plains in the direction of Ber Hamad (an old Nabatean caravan cistern). Dinner and overnight in a portable camp. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included).
Breakfast in camp and then set off riding through Ber Hammad along the trail which in Nabatian and Roman times connected Wadi Sabra and Petra. With fit horses and fresh mountain breezes, there should be plenty of chances for exhilarating trots and canters where the going allows. A dynamic afternoon takes you through limestone hills to the gateway of the desert “bab el Sahara’’ – in good weather you can see the red sandstone buttresses of jebel Rum, the central mountain of the Wadi Rum area with peak at 1784 meters. Dinner and the night in camp. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included).
Continue riding east through curious little canyons, still following the spice trail along parts of the ancient silk road. Pass the old village of Thogra and then dismount to lead the horses across the Desert Highway, the main road between Amman and Aqaba which continues to Saudi Arabia. Continue east through a long valley to the lunch stop. In the afternoon, eastwards again riding towards the sandstone cliffs of Wadi Rum where you should be able to see the natural rock arch ‘Karazeh’ before reaching camp. Dinner and the night in camp
Breakfast in camp and mount up to ride beneath the majestic sandstone cliffs, seeing famous inscriptions made by the Thamudic and Nabatean people centuries ago. Continue riding southeast towards the agricultural village of Chakria stopping for lunch on the edge of the famous mud flats. Ride up to the French fortress which is well maintained and situated in one of Jordan’s most beautiful desert landscapes which is rarely visited by tourists. In the afternoon you will continue riding through stunning canyons and out onto the mud flats which are perfect for long exhilarating canters. Eventually you arrive at Wadi Um Ishrin, a large valley next to Jabel Um Ishrin, with beautiful sand dunes. Overnight in Um Ishrin valley in your camp. (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included).
You are now in the heart of the Wadi Rum. After breakfast saddle up and set off through the beautiful valley of Um Ishrin, passing by the red sand dunes in the valley of Anafishia. You will pass the ruins of “Lawrence’s house” and ride through the beautiful Barrah canyon, where there are several Thamudic engravings on the cliff faces depicting camels and other animals. Reaching the lunch stop you say goodbye to the horses and, after lunch, transfer about 1 hour by car, to Aqaba on the Red Sea. Dinner and night at the My Hotel (or similar) in Aqaba.
Breakfast and then you will be driven to the Dead Sea. A relaxing day swimming, floating & relaxing by the Dead Sea, trying a famous mud wrap if you wish! Entrance and lunch are included in the swimming experience. In the late afternoon you will be driven back towards Madaba passing Mount Nebo, with a chance to visit the church before sunset. Dinner and night at the Mosaic Hotel (or similar) in Madaba.
After breakfast, we will transfer you to the Airport for your journey home.
Trip Details
- Transfers according to the described program in modern A/C vehicle.
- 2 nights’ accommodation in Madaba including breakfast and dinner.
- 1 night accommodation in Petra including breakfast and dinner.
- 5 nights’ accommodation in portable camp during riding days (3-8) at portable tents and foam mattress including breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- 1 night accommodation in Aqaba including breakfast and dinner.
- Entrance fees to Petra, Wadi Rum, and Mount Nebo.
- Local English-speaking guide in Petra (2 hours).
- Escort English-speaking Horse-Riding Guide acting as road guide in days (3-8).
- Logistics: escort support vehicle carrying luggage and logistic needs during the riding days, escort Cook, and tour manager.
- Arabian Horse for each participant that fits ability and experience for 6 days from day 3 to day 8.
- Meals as mentioned in the program and inclusion part.
- Entrance, swimming, and lunch in Dead Sea.
- International flights
- Tips to local team
- Lunch in day 2
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal expenses.
Explore Jordan affordably with our carefully selected accommodations. From the charming Mosaic Hotel in Madaba to the inviting La Maison Hotel in Petra, to My Hotel in Aqaba, and the adventurous portable camp in Wadi Rum, our choices ensure your comfort and convenience throughout your journey. Please note that alternative accommodation options may be used in the event of availability issues with the suggested hotels. Your comfort and budget will still be our primary focus.
LUGGAGE
Avoid suitcases and prefer flexible travel bags instead. A small backpack will be useful for traveling and touring days but not during the ride where your will be provided with saddlebags. We advise you to take some plastic bags with you to protect your belongings from the dust and the sand.
FOR TOURING DAYS AND EVENINGS:
A warm sleeping bag (and a small pillow if you wish)
Pullover or sweater for evening and morning
Wind proof coat
Light and comfortable trousers, shorts, and light shoes
Swimsuit
Sunglasses
HYGIENE/HEALTH:
Toilet case
High protection sunscreen and after-sun cream
Wet wipes
Chap stick
Personal pharmacy (painkillers, muscle relaxant, eye drops, anti-diarrheal…)
We bring a collective pharmacy on the ride, but each rider should bring his own medicine depending on his treatments, habits, and intolerance to certain drugs.
PERSONAL EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDED
Please find below an indicative and non-exhaustive list of the things we recommend you bring to fully enjoy your trip. During the ride, we provide you with tents, mattresses, bottled water, toilet paper and saddlebags to carry your belongings.
FOR RIDING:
Riding pants or jeans
T-shirts or light long-sleeved shirts (to protect you against sunburns)
Hiking or Riding boots
Chaps or mini chaps
Cotton Under wear (Strongly recommended)
Riding gloves
Helmet:
we highly recommend you wear a helmet during the ride for security reasons, although it is not mandatory. Even if the day can be hot as soon as the sun goes down the temperature can drop considerably. Think of taking several layers of clothes so you can face every kind of weather during your trip. If needed, you can leave the unnecessary clothes in the support vehicle at lunch break.
HORSES AND TACK
All our horses are locally bred pure Arabian or Anglo-Arabian horses. They have a keen and generous character and great endurance and speed. The cavalry consists mainly of mares and two geldings most of which have been raised and trained by our guide and the team. We mainly use classic English saddles and simple bridles. We also use western saddle pads and saddlebags.
LEVEL AND DIFFICULTIES
We ride around 25-35 km a day, meaning between 4 and 6 hours of riding per day. We usually leave quite early and ride 2h30 – 3h30 in the morning, take a long break at noon (2-3h) to avoid the hottest hours, and ride around 2 to 3 hours in the afternoon. The time spent riding and the rhythm of the ride depend on the weather, the level of the group and the horses. For this ride, you should be able to control your horse at all paces outside and be fit enough to endure long hours in the saddle.
