Highlights of Grand Tour of the Middle East

Below are some of the major travel highlights for Grand Tour of the Middle East. For more in-depth attractions of each country on this route, click on the country names below or select a route to see the highlights on this section of the journey. Click on the icons below to focus on specific types of features (click again to return to all).

In-depth highlights: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey


Natural	History	Wildlife	Trekking	Cities	Religious Monument	Boat Journey	Rail Journey	Diving	Cultural	Adrenaline	UNESCO WHS

Natural attractions of Jordan Syria and Lebanon

Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum A trip to Wadi Rum is one of the quintessential travel experiences in Jordan. This is an area of stunning desert scenery with sand dunes mixing with dramatic sandstone mountains, narrow gorges, natural arches, towering cliffs, ramps, massive landslides and caverns. Travelling with Bedouin guides who still forge a nomadic existence in the area, camping overnight in Wadi Rum is essential - to see the effect of sunset on the colours of the sandstone rocks and sleep out under the clear, star-filled sky. It was here that Lawrence of Arabia assembled the Arab tribes for the attack on Aqaba in the First World War and it also provided the location for the film. A camel trek through the wadi will transport you back to the time of Lawrence and complete the desert experience. The site also includes some 25,000 rock carvings and 20,000 inscriptions which testify to 12,000 years of human occupation. UNESCO World Heritage Site: Wadi Rum Protected Area

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum

A trip to Wadi Rum is one of the quintessential travel experiences in Jordan. This is an area of stunning desert scenery with sand dunes mixing with dramatic sandstone mountains, narrow gorges, natural arches, towering cliffs, ramps, massive landslides and caverns. Travelling with Bedouin guides who still forge a nomadic existence in the area, camping overnight in Wadi Rum is essential - to see the effect of sunset on the colours of the sandstone rocks and sleep out under the clear, star-filled sky. It was here that Lawrence of Arabia assembled the Arab tribes for the attack on Aqaba in the First World War and it also provided the location for the film. A camel trek through the wadi will transport you back to the time of Lawrence and complete the desert experience. The site also includes some 25,000 rock carvings and 20,000 inscriptions which testify to 12,000 years of human occupation.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Wadi Rum Protected Area

Dead Sea - Jordan
Dead Sea - Jordan Floating in the Dead Sea is one of travel's memorable experiences. The sea, 400 metres below sea level and with 33% salt (normal sea water has 3-4%), is impossible to sink in. The water and the soft, sulphurous black mud you can pick up underneath is said to have remarkable healing powers.

Cedar Tree Reserves
The cedar tree is the national emblem of Lebanon and the great cedar forests have been used throughout its history in the construction of religious and political buildings. Today, the remaining cedar forests can be seen at a number of sites including Bcharre and the Tannourine Cedar Reserve in the north, which have trees up to 1,500 years old. UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)

Cedar Tree Reserves

The cedar tree is the national emblem of Lebanon and the great cedar forests have been used throughout its history in the construction of religious and political buildings. Today, the remaining cedar forests can be seen at a number of sites including Bcharre and the Tannourine Cedar Reserve in the north, which have trees up to 1,500 years old.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)