Jordan: Wonders of Wadi Rum & Petra Photography Tour 2024
Category: Travel Photography - Tour - Jordan
7 night/ 8 day travel photography tour of Jordan's most iconic world-renowned cultural and natural sites
Dates: 09-16 March 2024
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TOUR SUSPENDED
Due to recent unfortunate events in Israel and Gaza we have had to suspend travel to Jordan until further notice
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Rates: £2865 per person
Single supplement £410
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Small group: min 4 / max 6
"Jordan was my childhood home, and the land that first ignited my passions for travel and photography. It still inspires wonder each time I return.
These two iconic destinations make a dazzling combination and will always be high on my recommended 'must-see' list " Trai Anfield, tour leader
Read more on my blog: Jordan Photography Tour: A Trip Down Memory Lane"
Today is a free day, giving you the opportunity to visit the Petra Museum, book a 1-2-1 review and edit session of your images from the tour so far, or perhaps explore Wadi Musa town or the surrounding area with a hike through Wadi Gwehir. You may even wish to return to Petra independently of the group to re-visit some of the memorable spots from your first day in the Rose City - if you're feeling adventurous you may even find some different points of view. There are plenty of choices to ensure you make best use of your time!
Overnight Wadi Musa.
©Jolanda Koopman
Jordan Photography Tour Highlights
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Petra and Little Petra: three full days, plus one night time visit to fully appreciate and photograph this phenomenal Unesco World Heritage site and its many fabulous archaeological treasures.
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Wadi Rum: two full days to explore the spectacular natural architecture of this incredible desert landscape, plus two nights of astrophotography with spectacular desert foregrounds.
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Aquaba Red Sea beach and/or diving extensions available
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Full Jordan tour extension available: Dead Sea, Dana Biosphere Reserve, Kings Highway, Kerak, Amman, Al-Salt, Jerash, Azraq
Why Go To Jordan On This Photo Safari?
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A perfect spring getaway - March is a great month to visit Wadi Rum as the weather is pleasant - not too hot - and after the winter rains there may now be springtime treats like baby camels and spring flowers in the desert too.
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This tour is also timed for optimum conditions for astrophotography. During our nights in Wadi Rum the sun will set just after 6.30 pm and it is around the time of the new moon - so we will have time for exploring the challenges of astrophotography without having to stay up all through the small hours!
There are far fewer tourists than in the crowded peak seasons, so it is an exceptional time to explore and photograph this spectacular country’s major attractions like Petra and Wadi Rum in peace.
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Direct flights from the UK to Aqaba.
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Optional Full Jordan Tour or Aquaba Red Sea beach / diving extensions available. Max out the extraordinary diversity of experiences that Jordan offers: when you’ve soaked up the culture, soak up the sun or dive the reefs of the Red Sea.
Jordan Photography Tour - Full Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive and relax in Aqaba
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Please note: from the UK the easiest way to get to Aqaba is by direct Easy Jet flight from London Gatwick. When you arrive in Aqaba there is no need for a Jordanian visa as I have included the 'Jordan Expert Pass' (combined visa and entry to archaeological sites) in the price of your tour and will send it to you prior to departure.
Today is an arrival day, so I have left the itinerary open for you to choose your own activities, depending on when your flight arrives. Airport transfers will be organised for you, then you can relax at our overnight hotel or explore Aqaba at your leisure.
You are also invited to an optional pre-tour introductory dinner with me and the other members of the group; a nice easy way to get to know each other and look forward to the tour and the photographic opportunities it presents. I will confirm venue and time closer to departure.
Day 2: Wonders of Wadi Rum: Classic Tour plus Night Photography
After an early breakfast we start our drive to spectacular Wadi Rum.
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As soon as check-in at Rum village is complete, we set out with our bedouin guide to tour the most iconic sites of Wadi Rum. The route is optimized to ensure we are at the right sites at the right time for photography.
Please note: The number of sites that we visit is flexible and depends on the pace of the group.
Bird lovers will want to keep an eye out for Sinai Rosefinch, along with other desert specials such as hooded wheatear, trumpeter finch, sooty falcon and brown-necked raven.
Around mid-day we have a freshly prepared picnic lunch at a picturesque spot in the desert, with time to relax before the tour continues until the best light of the day around sunset.
Then we drive to the camp for dinner, followed by our first session of astrophotography.
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Overnight in Wadi Rum (all meals included)
Day 3: Wonders of Wadi Rum: Off The Beaten Track Tour & Night Photography
Today we rise early and leave the 
camp well before the sunrise to tour
 around the lesser visited outer area of
Wadi Rum. At the start of the day, we 
have a great opportunity to
 capture the sunrise over Wadi Rum.
 Midmorning, when the sunlight gets 
harsher, we take a break to enjoy a
 picnic breakfast. Afterward, we visit
 more sites of beauty in this
 extraordinary desert landscape.
During the heat
 of the day, we take a lunch break
followed by a siesta.
Then we continue 
the tour and make sure to be in superb 
places in the hours towards the sunset.
After sunset, we drive back to the camp where we have dinner.
With dinner over, and hopefully a clear sky above, we leave camp one more time and head to an excellent site for astro photography. With little light pollution and an amenable climate, the area is perfect for practicing Milky Way and star trails techniques. Alternatively you may wish to simply sit around a camp fire and contemplate the endless starry sky at your leisure. Overnight at ‘our Wadi Rum bedouin camp for the final time (all meals included)
Day 4: Wadi Rum - Little Petra/Siq al-Barid
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After a final sunrise shoot in the desert we return to camp for breakfast, then bid farewell to Wadi Rum.
Our private road transfer will take 2- 3 hours to reach Wadi Musa, the little town closest to Petra, and our base for the next four nights.
After checking in to our Wadi Musa hotel, we have the option to have lunch here before heading out to the nearby archaeological site of Little Petra.
These picturesque ruins are great
 appetizer for Petra tomorrow. Also known as Siq al-Barid, this enclave of Petra is a wonder in its own right, with 1st century Nabatean structures carved into the sandstone canyon walls.
The Painted Biclinium, or dining area, has a Nabataean fresco on the ceiling
 depicting grapevines, birds and flowers, and there is also a Neolithic village just 
ten minutes hike from the car park here.
With our visit complete we have dinner in one of Wadi Musa's acclaimed traditional restaurants.
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Day 5: Wonders of Petra - Part One "By The Front Door"
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After breakfast (included) we we will transfer to the gates of Petra, entering on our first visit via the visitors centre. First we walk through the narrow Siq, and at the end catch a thrilling first glimpse of the Treasury. From here there are many options and Petra will easily fill day 3 of our Jordan Photography Tour with history, culture and of course photographic opportunities.
During our time at Petra you may wish to stay with the group and receive tuition, though I understand that some photographers may wish to explore independently at times too - if so we will arrange a meeting time to join up as a group again for lunch.
Lunch today is included, at the Basin Restaurant within the Petra complex.
Depending on the interests and walking ability of the group, some may wish to hike up to the High Place of Sacrifice. From here we have a great view over the city centre of Petra and the Royal tombs, while on the way down we visit the Garden temple, complete with advanced water cisterns, the Soldier tomb and the Lions fountain.
No visit to Petra is complete without a visit to the Great Temple and the Temple of the winged lions, and after admiring the mosaics in the ruins of the Byzantine church, we will head back towards the entrance.
Our route and timings can be adjusted in consultation with the group and guide.
Option for dinner at another of Wadi Musa's fine, authentic Jordanian Restaurants.
Overnight Wadi Musa.
Day 6: Free Day
Day 7: Wonders of Petra Part Two: "By The Back Door" plus Petra By Night
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On this, our second full day group visit to Petra, we hike up to the Monastery via the so called back road hike. On the way up we have panoramic views to the west, over the Wadi Araba desert, though the main reward of this hike is the elevated view of the iconic Monastery.
Afterwards, on the terrace of the cafe opposite the Treasury, we will simply relax and enjoy the view.
Alternatively the energetic may head up the mountain behind the coffee shop for two additional lookouts. Enjoy the “best view in the world” before descending the 800+ steps down to the Basin, which forms the end of the colonaded street.
As we make our way back to the entrance, our guide will show us any hidden gems we may have missed.
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However, this does not mark the end of our Petra journey!
After a traditional Jordanian dinner in town we return to Petra after dark to experience the atmospheric Petra By Night lightshow. The journey along the Siq is now lit by candles and the Treasury becomes the host for an unforgettable sound and light experience.
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We spend our final night in Wadi Musa.
Day 8: Back to Aqaba & Fly Home / Continue On A Jordanian Extension
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The final day of our Jordan Photography Tour starts with an early breakfast in our Wadi Rum camp.
From here we make the 2 hour drive to Aqaba.
*If flight schedules allow, we will lunch at one of the vibrant restaurants in town, sharing our highlights of our Jordan Photography Tour before we leave for the airport and catch our international flights home.
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You may prefer to stay in Aqaba for another few days to enjoy a short dive and/or beach extension.
OR
Continue to tour Jordan - full country cultural and wildlife extensions available on request.
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DATES & RATES
Dates: 09 - 16 March 2024 - LAST 2 PLACES
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Rates: £2865 per person
Single supplement £410
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Includes: 7 nights accommodation, with breakfast (1 night Aqaba, 2 nights Wadi Rum, 4 nights Wadi Musa); all meals & drinks during your stay in Wadi Rum; all breakfasts plus 1 lunch and 2 evening meals in Wadi Musa; expert photographic tuition with tour leader Trai Anfield; specialist Jordanian guides throughout; all private transfers and excursions; Jordan Pass: Expert (covers visa and all archaeological sites entry fees as described), Petra by Night ticket.
Excludes: International flights, meals not specified above, personal insurance, gratuities, any additional activities.
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