The horses used on this horse riding holiday in Jordan are Bedouin Arabs, Pure Arabs and Anglo Arabs, ideal for the climate and terrain. Incredible riding and camping in the middle of the desert surrounded only by hills of granite and desert sand. Your luggage is transported for you. Depending on the time of year you go, the programme includes an opportunity to spend a full day in Petra, an afternoon in Aqaba to swim & snorkel at the Red Sea, and one full day to swim, float & relax at the Dead Sea. Read about riding trip David LO Smith did in Wadi Rum.
Trip length
10 days / 9 nights
9 days / 8 nights (Christmas and New Year)
**Christmas ride includes special visit to Petra by night**
Included from meeting point on set arrival and departure days. For transfers on other days a charge is payable, please enquire. Transfer time is approximately 30 minutes.
No supplement if willing to share. Otherwise:
2012 9d/8n: £98/€119/$149
2012 10d/9n: £98/€119/$149
SAMPLE ITINERARY - WADI RUM
Day 1 Arrival at the airport, where your guide and your driver will meet you.
Then we will drive you to Amman, around 20 mn drive . Dinner and night in Amman/Madaba in a 3* hotel.
Day 2
Early morning at 7.30, our bus will collect us to go to Petra (around 2h30 drive). Arrival around 10 am, full day to visit the site. The group will have a 4 hours guided visit with an official guide. Everyone will be free to walk inside the site or to go back to the hotel after this. There are many small restaurants inside the site to get lunch.
Our 3 * hotel is located right at the entrance of the site; everyone is free to go back to the hotel at anytime. Dinner and at the hotel.
Day 3
After breakfast, our bus will drive you to Wadi Rum (around 1h30 drive). Arrival in the village of Wadi Rum in our stable around 9.30am.
Time to drink the first bedouin tea, meet the horses and the team.
First ride through Um Ishrin valley, on the way visit of Lawrence’s house. After lunch we will ride through an open valley with a view over the red sand area. Dinner and bivouac in Abu Hassaran.
Day 4 After breakfast, we will cross Rash Rasha valley with its red sands and go to Qatar mountain. There we will see the spring and have lunch. After lunch, ride to Um Raza, its red sands and its canyons, where we will set up camp for the night.
Day 5 After breakfast, we will ride to Arab Antar, a natural cave famous for its legends. Lunch near Arab Antar, then we will go to Sweibat valley, that is located 5 km from the saudian border. Dinner and bivouac in Sweibat.
Day 6 After breakfast, we will cross through Cerdan valley and see a Neolithic well that is still used by the Bedouins. We will have lunch in Um Umgur. Then we will cross narrow canyons to arrive in Abu Rashaba where we will set up camp for the night.
Day 7 After breakfast, we will ride from Abu Rashaba to Jebel Burdah and see the natural rock bridge on its summit. After lunch we will ride to the red sand dunes and Jebel Um Feshiyeh and its nabatean inscriptions. Dinner and bivouac in the red sand dunes area.
Day 8 After breakfast, we will cross Barragh canyon, that is le longest canyon in Wadi Rum, having a look at its monumental cliffs, famous for rock climbing. Then we will cross the Disseh plain to go back to our stable. Lunch in the stable.
After lunch our bus will drive us to Aqaba (around 1 hour drive), to our 3* hotel. Dinner in Ali Baba restaurant, famous for its variety of local meals, especially the famous Sayadiyah, specialty from Aqaba, cooked with fish from the Red Sea.
Day 9
Everybody will be free to walk in the city of Aqaba, for shopping for example, or to go to the Royal diving center for snorkeling.
Transports are included for go in the morning and back in the afternoon. If you want to go back earlier or later, anyone is free to take a taxi for 5 JD/the way.
At 3.30 pm, out bus will collect us from the hotel to the hotel in Amman. Dinner and night in a 3* hotel in Amman/Madaba.
Day 10
Transfer to the airport at convenient time for your flight.
Please note: This itinerary is given for your guidance only and it may be altered in accordance with the prevailing conditions by the organising team.
NOTES - WADI RUM
Weight Limit A strict weight limit is enforced on this ride due to the Arabian breed and sandy nature of the ground.
Accommodation upgrade The trail in Wadi Rum involves camping or sleeping under the starts in the desert en route with basic facilities. For those wanting a higher level of comfort there is now a comfort camp option. Each night after the ride you can be transferred (about 20min) to a remote but comfortable based camp in the valley of Abu Hassaran ( 15 km away from the village of Wadi Rum). The camp is equipped with traditional tents on stilts (to avoid sand and insects) with a wooden floor and made up beds. There is a large traditonal style sitting/dining tent and an ablution block with flush toilets and hot showers provided by solar heating. Please see detailed prices for this option.
The sample itinerary above is the Spring and Autumn itinerary and takes place in March, April, May, October and November.
Here are shortened versions of the Winter and Christmas and New Year Itineraries, the riding details will be as above:
Winter Itinerary January, February, September
Day 1 = Arrive
Day 2 = Visit Petra
Day 3 = Riding Wadi Rum
Day 3-8 = Riding
Day 8 = Aqaba/Red Sea
Day 9 = Overnight Amman on Day 9
Day 10 = Depart
Christmas and New Year Itinerary December
Day 1 = Arrive
Day 2 = Visit Kings Road/Dead Sea
Day 3 = Visit Petra, overnight Wadi Rum
Day 4-8 = Riding, overnight Amman on Day 8
Day 9 = Depart
The weight limit for this ride is 13 st/187 lb/85 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.
FURTHER DETAILS
As we are specialists in our field we have extensive knowledge of all our products from details of accommodation and meals to number/size/type of horses to pace of riding ... and much more.
Should you wish to receive further details of this ride please click here.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
The trip price includes all hotel accommodations in half board & twin room occupancy in towns, camping equipment; tents, mattresses…etc, all meals whilst camping, horses, tack, guide, all transportation and luggage transfer by support vehicle during the ride, airport transfer, entrance fees to Petra & Wadi Rum, guide in Petra for the first part of Petra, entrance to Royal Diving Club (RDC), entrance to hotel at the Dead Sea.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Not included flights to and from Amman, entry visa fees and departure tax to Jordan, alcoholic drinks, tips, lunches in Amman, Petra, Aqaba, personal expenses.
Riders who booked this ride also considered:
Namib Desert Trail - Namibia Challenging 400km trail across the Namib desert finishing on the white beaches of the Atlantic Ocean's Skeleton Coast.
Magic of the Desert - Tunisia
Fast trail ride through the sand dunes of southern Tunisia. Camp with your horse and enjoy long canters along dry river beds.
Abyssinean Explorer - Ethiopia
Highlights of Ethiopia including Lalibella and riding on the Ethiopian Highlands with the semi nomadic Oromo people. Amazing and unusual trip.
Madagascar Trail - Madagascar
See lemurs in the rain forests, then embark on an 8 day safari to the remote center of this ecologically diverse country accompanied by ox-carts. Finally relax on a coral island for a few days.
Tibetan Adventure - China
Unique cultural experience of Tibetan Litang festival and riding in the Himalayas with nomadic herders.
Umbrian Summer Adventure - Italy
Enjoy a special riding holiday week at an excellent riding centre in a glorious setting surrounded by woodland and overlooking mountains and valleys on all sides.
Naguar Fair Rajasthan - India
Visit the colourful Naguar fair on horseback. Ride through Rajasthan on fine Mawari horses, for intermediate riders onwards.
Reading List We're avid readers here at Unicorn Trails and have selected several books connected to this ride. If you're interested in reading more about the area before you travel, or want to get into the cultural background, here are some suggestions that may inspire you. Click on the links for more information.
What you see on our web site is exactly how much your invoice will come to and this will not change once booked. Unlike some other companies the prices on our web site are fully inclusive of often hidden extras such as: VAT, Sales Tax, state taxes, city taxes, service charges, non-optional tips, fuel surcharges which can add 20% or more to the advertised cost. Prices are available in £ sterling, Euros and US$. Once invoiced, prices are guaranteed against adverse currency fluctuations. Contact us for package prices which include flights from the UK and see each ride for exact details of all items in individual itineraries.
21, The Acorn Centre, Chestnut Avenue, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 ORA, England
Tel: +44 (0)1767 600606 Fax: +44 (0)1767 312555
Office hours 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday
Email: enquiries@unicorntrails.com http://www.unicorntrails.com
This Website and all of its contents are copyright of Unicorn Trails.
Under no circumstances is any part of this site to be copied or used without written permission.
- Ian J. Andrews. The best ornithological field guide from a longtime leader of birdwatching tours to Jordan.
- Lankester G. Harding
- Zohrab Markarian
