Request Your Free Brochure For Adventure Inspiration. Order Now

All activities
No results found
Select all activities Culture Cycling Family Mixed-Activity Multi-Country Holidays Polar Walking & Trekking Wildlife Holidays Winter Holidays
All months
March 2024 April 2024 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024 September 2024 October 2024 November 2024 December 2024 January 2025 February 2025 March 2025 April 2025 May 2025 June 2025 July 2025 August 2025 September 2025 October 2025 November 2025 December 2025
Ask a Question
Turtle, Ecuador

Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…

Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.

Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.

Reviews

AXE061023

It was a really good trip… maybe a few less castles and extra time in Aqaba ..

Most Inspirational Moment

The stay in the desert.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader Amer was one of the best I have ever had… he’s English was spoken like a native and his knowledge was beyond excellent…he was able to answer every one of our questions and explained each site to the full… he was a great organiser when it came to preference for places to eat. I’m vegetarian and he made sure I was catered to..he knew all the best restaurants that were not too expensive..

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take photo copies of your passport and insurance…need sea shoes for the Dead Sea and the Red Sea…

TRIP REVIEW

Very well planned trip with good logistics.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra and Wadi Rum.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very knowledgeable and able to answer all questions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes. The heat is very fatiguing with this itinery. The trip rating value does not reflect this.

Comprehensive View of Jordan

A lot of ground is covered, Day 1 was long with a lot of sites – several of which I didn’t find that exciting but it got much better after that. The Jerash hotel is poor but it is only one night and apparently there are no alternatives. Jerash Roman city is amazing. And if Jerash was good Petra is staggering and the site is huge – I had no idea! It’s about 1.5 miles walk from hotel to the famous Treasury and that’s only the start. I have worked out that we walked around 8 miles on day 1 at Petra and about 9 on day 2. The walk to the monastery at Petra is quite long but worth it – I am 70 and with moderate fitness. There are buggies and even horses and donkeys available. At Aqaba there is nice healthy coral with plenty of fish straight off the sandy beach. You can hire mask & fins for 10JD or just a mask for 7JD.

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly the time spent at Petra.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nidal was excellent. very good English. If I was to be super-critical he tended to overload us with information at times and I could see some of the group switching off.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You cover a lot of territory so inevitably there is much time spent travelling on the bus. Lunches were generally from take away street establishments often eaten on the hoof or in the bus but sometimes sitting. We became very familiar wit the falafel sandwich! And lunches were very cheap too, often spending well under £1 per person. Weatherwise - we were there in February, be prepared for some cold evenings and mornings except for the Dea Sea and Aqaba although the sea was quite chilly at both places. At one restaurant my fleece jacket was kept tightly zipped up all evening!

Suggestions

Binocular users take note. I had read a review before we went about problems with Jordan security attitude to binoculars but pretty much ignored it because it was only mentioned in one review but it is true. There was no problem until we got to the Dead Sea Holiday Inn where you put your back packs through a scanner on arrival and if you have binoculars they are confiscated, returned to you only when you leave the hotel at the end of the 2 night stay. Whether or not they would be found if they were in your main suitcase I'm not sure. When leaving Jordan at Amman airport there is a pre-security check before check-in and if you have binoculars in your cabin bags they ask you to transfer them to your hold bags.

Jordan

Our tour guide Sami was the best. The Olive Branch Hotel in Jerash was terrible. Cold shower,no hot water til way too late when one of us requested it be turned on and it had to heat through. Hotel looked abandoned, broken doors and windows. Breakfast was white bread and processed cheese, nothing fresh.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra, the whole site and Wadi Rum.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sami was fantastic, best tour guide in Jordan.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a puffa jacket and bed socks for Wadi Rum.

Suggestions

Thank you for all the brilliant organisation. All the other hotels were fab. The transit to and from the airport worked. Very well, the meal in a home in Amman was great. A very good time.

Great Guide and a thoroughly enjoyable trip

Ab our guide stood in at very short notice (having returned from his other trip the night before without going home), our intended guide had covid. He was professional, knowledgeable and with a great sense of humour which gelled with the group. It was a great group too! Ab provided lots of insight into the culture/religion/politics/history of this really interesting country.

Most Inspirational Moment

The High Alter of Sacrifice walk around Petra (day2) really showed the perspective of this enormous site (most of which has not been excavated).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant (see summary above).

Advice for Potential Travellers

Avoid the front facing bedrooms in Amman - they are very noisy!

Suggestions

Agreed with some other comments about Aqaba not being in keeping with the rest of this tour. Having been there would not feel I was missing out if I didn't go, however if the tour didn't go there you might feel you were missing something - so you can't win! It was a long drive back to Amman the next day and felt a bit of an anticlimax going around the sites in Amman. Maybe it would have been better if the tour of Amman had been on day 1 afternoon (with the late arrival times of flights, we arrived at the hotel at 2 but had to get started at 8 or 9 for the trip to the desert) so we could have slept in a bit more after our arrival in Jordan, and been more rested to take in the sights etc. Personally I would have enjoyed the option of a couple of days hiking as an add on.

Fascinating and fun

Great trip with Abdullah as our highly knowledgeable guide, organised and with a great tolerance of Brit’s sense of humour! We had an excellent group and Ab helped us all gel very quickly. Exodus’s organisation was spot on. The tour is busy at times and needs to be in order to take in the many sites that are just amazing. There are balancing relaxing periods when staying at the places for more than one night.

Most Inspirational Moment

Gerash, Petra -the first sight of which lives up to expectations, The view from the sacrificial peak was just fabulous.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ab was the best. Answered all our many questions and got us to places at times we needed to be there. He had so much knowledge and expressed himself well. He also took us to some excellent eating places. He dealt well with any issues and he kindly contacted us after the tour had ended to ask if we needed medical assistance as my husband and I both were ill after leaving the tour as we had stayed on in Amman for a few days. (We didn't but it was a reassuring gesture). Thank you Ab.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take good strong walking shoes (boots not really necessary) but you need more than soft open toe sandals. Changing money from a different currency was not an issue. Followed the recommended packing list and we were not missing anything. The number of days is well wort while compared to the shorter trips. We had two full days in Petra which was good to really take it all in and walk everywhere. It's big.

Suggestions

We're already looking again at booking with Exodus.

Fascinating ...

An excellent itinerary that showcases some of the finest historic sites in Jordan. I highly recommend this trip. The usual well thought out arrangements by Exodus for hotels, restaurants and recreation.

Most Inspirational Moment

The impressive crusader castles with their water systems and defences Petra, of course The Wadi Rum camp with traditional style Bedouin tents, zarb cooked in the sand and the night stars The imposing caravanserai conjouring up thoughts of silk route travels

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very keen to show us as much as possible of Jordan in a short timeframe. Excellent knowledge of the history of his country and the sites we visited Well organised travel, meals and hotel arrangements It is quite an intensive trip and it would be good to develop a leadership style that caters for different levels of physical ability. However, group members were very supportive and we ensured nobody got left behind on their own.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for fast moving, riderless donkeys descending the narrow and slippery steps at Petra and flatten yourself against the wall. The walk to the High Place of Sacrifice is long and can be very hot as there is no shade and heat reflects off the stone so wear hats, sunscreen and take plenty of water if you decide to do it. Be prepared for your tour leader to say in front of local vendors that they have families to feed and offer fair prices. Leaders are in a difficult position as they need to maintain a good relationship with the people on the sites they take visitors to. Your leader may also say privately to your group that you do not need to purchase anything. You will make your own mind up if the items are worth the prices asked.

Suggestions

The driver was charming and safe and the coach was clean and well maintained. The hotels were all good except the one one in Jerash. It had a wonderful position and great views from the room balconies but there was no hot or even warm water evening or morning. The electric light switched shorted. There was no wifi connection - (although I can live without that for a day) and the breakfast was terrible e.g. packet processed cheese and meat, no fresh fruit. The Wadi Rum camp is fabulous and I am happy with basic facilities and not a fan of the 'space bubble'camps other companies have in the desert however, if all the tents had been occupied by a larger group the washroom facilities would be inadequate. I am very appreciative of the way tha Exodus supports local communities so was pleased that our leader agreed that we could go to shops in downtown Amman to buy herbs, spices, soaps, biscuits and other items from local people. I understand that it is difficult to find good places for toilet breaks but stops at the large tourist emporiums with over-priced goods where sales people follow you round is perhaps not the best way to contribute to the local economy. Difficult issue for Exodus to navigate.

Very enjoyable

We had a great time and throughly enjoyed our holiday, with a few caveats. This was a much anticipated trip as was originally booked for April 2020! but we swapped from ‘A week in Jordan’ to this ‘Hidden Treasures’ and I wish we hadn’t bothered as the first couple of days visiting the desert loop and Irbid were not that interesting. However after that Jerash, Black Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum were amazing.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing to the High Place of Sacrifice at Petra and the subsequent walk through the amazing rock formations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mikhled was a nice guy, and really tried to accommodate the various requests from our group, but as a guide he gave little information about the sights we were seeing and very often when he did it was to only the first few people in the group who kept up with him. People take pictures and some were slower walkers, that’s just how it is with group tours but he would speak before most of the group were there. His English was good but his accent very strong and sometimes there was lack of understanding both ways in that we couldn’t grasp his meaning and he didn’t understand our questions. He also didn’t seem to convey the plan for the day and timings to the group, like stopping for lunch, although we enjoyed the process of going into the sandwich shops and bakeries, sometimes it was 11:30, sometimes 14:30.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The food is plentiful and of good quality, except breakfast at some of the hotels. As anywhere be prepared to pay over the odds for drinks at the tourist sites or try to shop at the supermarket beforehand. Alcohol is not easily available and very expensive so try to do without.

Suggestions

Our driver was great, but the bus we were allocated was not big enough, we were 14, plus guide and tourist policeman which was OK when on a day tour but when moving with luggage it was unsafe. They originally put cases on the back shelf as they wouldn’t fit in the boot, but one of our party pointed out that this was dangerous as in the event of an accident or even sharp braking, those cases could shoot forward and injure people. Therefore our guide had to order a taxi to transport some of the luggage from hotel to hotel separately. Exodus, you need to address this, if it hadn’t been for the lady in our group being absolutely adamant that we should not travel with cases on the back shelf we probably would have accepted it and we shouldn’t.

Adventure in Jordan -

We travelled as a couple. The tour was well organised, we visited all major sites and had some free time for relaxation towards the end. We visited deserts, castles, dead and Red Sea, biblical and iconic sites such as Petra. The tour also gives a good understanding of the culture and the gastronomic scene in Jordan. Our guide Nidal and driver Jamal were very hospitable. They were friendly, helpful, accommodating and knowledgeable. They wanted to show us all the beauty of their country and we had a fabulous time throughout the trip. We also covered 35km over the course of the time spent in Petra. This is entirely up to your fitness level as already mentioned in previous reviews and the trip notes. This trip was also our first time with Exodus and will definitely recommend.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra: Treasury, Monastery, High Place of Sacrifice & Mt Nebo

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nidal was excellent in his approach and was responsive to the group needs

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that Jordan is still a place where smoking is allowed inside buildings Petra by Night is optional. Whilst the show itself was mediocre , the walk through the Siq at night under the stars was an experience to remember.

Suggestions

Due to unseen circumstances our first driver was replaced by Jamal at short notice. Jamal was exceptional considering it was the first time he was doing this trip. He also worked quite well with our Tour Leader Nidal.

Excellent full-on tour of Jordan

Excellent full-on tour of Jordan, with its wonderful variety of scenic and historic attractions. The Jordanians were very welcoming, friendly and honest people. Organisation and itinerary were great, and our guide Nidal was excellent.

Most Inspirational Moment

Most inspirational moments were in Petra, particularly the Monastery and the Wadi Farasa Trail from the High Place. Also floating in the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum and Jerash.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nidal was excellent in every respect. He arranged very good restaurants for our group dinners and good value lunch stops.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Alcoholic drinks were expensive when available. Jordanian wine is good but beer is bland.

Suggestions

I'd recommend avoiding the optional “Petra by Night”, the least good sound and light show I’ve ever seen.