While in the coastal city of Aqaba, make your way to old town, where you’ll discover some of Jordan’s best culinary treats. Locals enjoy the area around Raghadan and Zahran Streets, where you’ll find traditional restaurants serving mansaf, zarb, minced kebab, and mouthwatering hummus. Don’t miss the local sayadieh—freshly caught grouper with caramelized onions, spices, nuts, and herbs.

Jump in a Bedouin jeep for a tour of the Wadi Rum desert (where the Golden Globe-winning movie “The Martian” was filmed). Experience a maze of canyons and rock outcroppings as you uncover natural wonders throughout seemingly endless desert.

A perfect introduction to the Middle East, Amman was the birthplace of several civilizations yet today is a westernized and modern hub. Only 30 miles north of Amman sits Jerash, one of the original 10 great Roman cities. Now one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns, Jerash features hilltop temples, cities walled with towers, public squares, and beautiful theaters—all rooted in Roman ancestry.

The Sun City Camp in Wadi Rum or the “Valley of the Moon” is located in a desert landscape with unique rock formations everywhere you look. While at this luxury desert camp, spend time in your futuristic “martian dome” enjoying the magnificent stars as you gaze through the domed glass window.