London to Amman (Jordan)—fly at c. 4.00pm from London Heathrow to Amman (time in the air: c. five hours)—arrive at the hotel after midnight—overnight Amman.

Mount Nebo, Madaba—Mount Nebo, frrom which Moses viewed the Promised Land he was never to enter, has panoramic views of the Holy Land and the Jordan Valley; the sanctuary of Moses has fine mosaics—south through dramatic mountain scenery along the old King’s Highway—Madaba was an important centre of Byzantine mosaic and there is a mosaic map of Palestine in the church—visit also the archaeological park—stop in Karak en route to Petra—first of three nights in Petra.

Petra—two full days for exploration of this unique and beautiful site—Petra, a natural desert stronghold with fresh-water springs, was the capital of the enigmatic Nabateans, who from c.400 BC until annexation by Rome controlled some of the most lucrative trade routes in the Near East—metals, bitumen, precious stones, silks, spices and frankincense all passed through this great emporium—access to the city, hidden in the mountains, is through a narrow ravine, the Siq—the splendour of the architecture, an eclectic blend of Arabian, Syrian, Hellenistic and Roman elements, is enhanced by the beautiful natural pinks, greys, browns and ochres of the sandstone—visit the Treasury of the Pharaoh, the Royal Tombs, theatre, colonnaded street and temples—climb rock-cut paths to the High Place of Sacrifice and Ed-Deir (‘the monastery’) for magnificent views.

See day 3 for details.

Jerash—drive north along the Desert Highway to Jerash in the hills of Gilead, one of the most beautiful and best preserved provincial Roman cities—prosperous and cultured, with a rather baroque taste in architecture, it has a striking oval precinct, theatres, temples and Early Christian churches, colonnaded street, shops, fountain and agora—cross the border into Syria—overnight Bosra.

Bosra, Qanawat, Shahba (Syria)—the Jebel Druze area is distinguished by the black basalt building material—Bosra, a Nabatean town which became capital of the Roman province of Arabia, has a Roman theatre converted into an Arab fortress­—early churches survive at Qanawat—visit Shahba, ancient Philippopolis, birthplace of the first Arab emperor of Rome—drive across the desert to Palmyra­—first of two nights in Palmyra.

Palmyra—all day in this magnificent oasis city, capital of the infamous Queen Zenobia, who dared to challenge the power of Rome—caravan city par excellence, on one of the main routes from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates and thence to markets further east—one of the world’s great archaeological sites, with colonnaded streets, monumental arch, theatre and the enormous Temple of Bel and the Valley of Tombs—the museum has splendid portrait sculpture—overnight Palmyra.

Qasr Al Hayr Ash Sharqi, Dura Europos—drive out to the 8th-century palace complex of Qasr Al Hayr, rural retreat of nomadic rulers—Dura Europos, founded by the Seleucids c.300 BC; strategically sited above the Euphrates valley, it became a strongly garrisoned fortress on the Roman imperial frontier

Deir ez-Zor, Rasafah—visit the excellent museum in Deir ez-Zor­ before driving north-west alongside the river Euphrates—the garrison town of Rasafah has early Byzantine walls and cisterns like immense subterranean cathedrals—to Aleppo, a bustling city and trading centre for nearly 4,000 years—first of two nights in Aleppo.

Aleppo—perhaps the most picturesque and least spoilt of Arab cities, Aleppo has many fascinating covered suqs and caravanserais—the impressive fortifications of the mediaeval citadel cover the remains of successive earlier cities—the fine museum has collections from Ugarit and other ancient sites—excursion to the remarkably well-preserved 5th/6th-century monastery of St Simeon, one of the masterpieces of Byzantine architecture—overnight Aleppo.

Ebla, Apamea—visit ancient Ebla, destroyed around 1600 BC, and continue to the astonishing Hellenistic and Roman city of Apamea, which has the longest colonnaded street and a situation of breathtaking beauty overlooking the Orontes valley­—drive over the mountains and along the coast, populated in antiquity by the Phoenicians, great traders and seafarers—overnight Latakia.

Saladin’s Castle, Ugarit, Safita—on a site occupied by the Phoenicians and Byzantines, Saone castle was seized by the Crusaders in the early 12 century until it was finally taken by Saladin in 1188—Ugarit, a prosperous ancient port, was first settled over 7,000 years ago; industries included the manufacture of ‘royal purple’—Safita has another castle, the Chastel Blanc of the Knights Templars—splendid views of the coast and Mount Lebanon—overnight Safita.

Crac des Chevaliers, Damascus—headquarters of the Knights Hospitallers, Crac des Chevaliers is one of the best preserved of Crusader castles—continue to Damascus for the first of three nights.

Damascus—capital of a powerful Aramean kingdom in the 1st millennium BC, prosperous under the Romans and Byzantines, seat of the Umayyad caliphate (7th-8th century) and today capital of modern Syria—see the Great Umayyad Mosque, Saladin’s mausoleum, the Ottoman Azem Palace and Tekke of Süleyman—Christian monuments include the Chapels of St Paul and Ananias and the Street called Straight—overnight Damascus.

Damascus—the morning is spent at the National Museum, one of the best in the Middle East, with items from most of the places visited on the tour—free afternoon for further exploration of the city—overnight Damascus.

Early morning flight from Damascus to Amman to connect with the flight to Heathrow, arriving c. 3.00pm.