Steppes Travel has twinned Jordan and Saudi Arabia offering an opportunity to compare and contrast the sister cities of Petra and Mada’in Saleh. 

Both rock carved cities once belonging to the ancient Nabatean Kingdom and were connected through nomadic Nabatean traders.

The operator was the first travel company to complete an expert led group trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Having seen first hand what the country has to offer, the company says it looks forward to the opening up of tourism to the birthplace and spiritual home of Islam.

Having returned from the operator’s first small expert-led group trip, (March 2017), led by author and Saudi Arabia Expert, Peter Harrigan; managing director of Steppes Travel, Justin Wateridge, said:

“There was much that I did not expect, there were many images contrary to my expectations of Saudi Arabia and my overriding impression was one of hospitality and smiles.”

The tour led by Peter Harrigan that combines Jordan and Saudi Arabia aims to put the whole region into the geographical context of more than 2,300 years ago, when Nabataean settlements and their trading routes flourished.

While the ancient Nabataean capital of Petra is well known, her twin sister, Mada’in Saleh is less so. Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site is well preserved, ancient, with 94 rock hewn tombs, 35 funerary chambers and more than 1,000 non-monumental graves and stone-lined tombs.

A second trip ‘Behind the Veil’ led by author and Saudi Arabia expert Peter Harrigan,  will depart 3 – 14 November 2017 from GBP4,895 per person.