Also I saw reviews about the add ons and they were not too good. (Petra at night and Stargazing)  Wondering if they are worth booking cannot do a lot of walking especially after a full day sightseeing.

Any information about this trip would be great.  I have been on several tours before covid, they were all great but of course getting older and a bit more wary now.

Thanks.   Tricia

Has anyone done the Jordan holiday flying from Heathrow and has flown down from Manchester.  I want to book next May 2023 but a bit worried about changing planes in Heathrow.  Office is closed at moment week-end and bank holiday but will speak to them next week but would like thoughts from other travellers.

Also I saw reviews about the add ons and they were not too good. (Petra at night and Stargazing)  Wondering if they are worth booking cannot do a lot of walking especially after a full day sightseeing.

Any information about this trip would be great.  I have been on several tours before covid, they were all great but of course getting older and a bit more wary now.

Thanks.   Tricia

Hi Tricia,

I have done Petra but not with JY. The walk to the Treasury etc., is quite a distance and what you do not realise is it is downhill, because you are taking in all the sights, so the walk back is quite a slog. Don't let this put you off it's well worth the walk. Hope this helps.

I live just north of Birmingham so haven’t specifically used Manchester as a departure airport before connecting at Heathrow, but I have done several holidays that have involved a connecting flight or flights. At check-in in Manchester your luggage will be booked all the way through to your final destination, so on arrival at Heathrow all you need to do is follow the signs for ‘connecting flights’. You then make your way to the appropriate departure gate for your flight to Jordan. At Manchester it’s important that you get boarding cards for both flights ie Manchester to Heathrow and Heathrow to Amman.

Regarding the add-ons, I did a tour of Jordan a few years ago and throughly enjoyed it. To get to Petra you have to walk along the Siq, a long footpath with high cliffs on both sides before emerging onto the Treasury building. ‘Petra by Night’ shows the Treasury lit up with thousands of candles, but I’m not sure it would be right for you if you ‘cannot do a lot of walking after a full day sightseeing’ because it would involve repeating the walk along the Siq (and back).

I did Petra by night and it was OK but not sure it’s worth repeating the walk if I’m honest. Stargazing wasn’t an option on offer when I visited so I can’t comment on that.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Mike

Has anyone done the Jordan holiday flying from Heathrow and has flown down from Manchester.  I want to book next May 2023 but a bit worried about changing planes in Heathrow.  Office is closed at moment week-end and bank holiday but will speak to them next week but would like thoughts from other travellers.

Also I saw reviews about the add ons and they were not too good. (Petra at night and Stargazing)  Wondering if they are worth booking cannot do a lot of walking especially after a full day sightseeing.

Any information about this trip would be great.  I have been on several tours before covid, they were all great but of course getting older and a bit more wary now.

Thanks.   Tricia

Hi Tricia, I did this tour in October 2019 and it is fabulous! I flew direct so don’t have any experience of a plane transfer but it’s usually fairly straightforward with  people to ask if you’re not sure.

Regarding the optionals I did the Petra by night and it is certainly a unique experience but hard going as we had previously spent the whole day in the valley so two very long walks in one day! Glad I did it but not worth doing again, the entertainment is not exactly riveting!

Several people were disappointed by the stargazing, not what they expected so glad I didn’t bother. One thing I would definitely recommend is the early morning jeep drive to watch the sunrise over Wadi Rum. It’s a very early start, cold and dark, and you need to be able to climb into the back of the jeep. However it was well worth it, the sunrise was spectacular and we then visited a Bedouin camp for refreshment and also did a little dune bashing, great fun but hold on tight! I would have liked to spend longer here in the desert.

The Red Sea was OK but it was very hot, and I was unfortunate that my room was close to the pool so the evening entertainment was disturbing. I took the mud bath and tried floating in the sea, which is very easy, but standing up again is well nigh impossible without help, and can be quite undignified!

It’s a busy tour with some long days, and if they are using the same hotels the layout in a couple is a bit confusing but I had an amazing, unforgettable holiday. I’m sure you will enjoy it and if you get Jennie Whalley as your tour guide that will be an added bonus.