Fast Facts:
- Country: Jordan
- Capital: Amman
- Location: Jordan is a country in the Middle East. It’s bordered by Syria to the north, Saudi Arabia to the south, Iraq to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west.
- Language: Arabic, English
- Currency: Jordanian Dinar (JOD)
For this trip:
- Month of Travel: June
- Weather: 28 to 32 deg C
- What to Wear: We’ve read a few blogs giving strict instructions on what to wear in Jordan, so we spoke to our Jordanian friends to validate that. According to them, if you are only going to touristy places, you can wear anything comfortable. However if you are going to local places like Downtown Amman, it’s best to cover your arms, shoulders and thighs. To make this simple, dress modestly.
TnT tips:
- Before you fly, consider purchasing a Jordan Pass It allows you free single-entry to over 40 of Jordan’s top tourist attractions including Petra, Jerash and Wadi Rum. Present it on arrival and you can get your visa entry fee waived provided you are staying for 4 consecutive days (3 nights). It starts from USD 99. We upgraded ours to include tickets to Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
- We flew during Ramadan and it has its pros (i.e., tourist spots are less crowded, rates drop) and cons (i.e., some good restaurants are closed during the day, shorter operational hours). Read some useful tips here so you can plan ahead.
- Some sites are far from each other and require hours of driving. It’s recommended to hire a car with a private driver so your transportation costs are fixed and you can move at your own pace. We used Sherazade Travel, who also assisted us in finalizing our itinerary. See our review of their services here.
We’re going to warn you. This is a very biased review. We have a couple of Jordanian friends, and we love them. They are genuine, warm and helpful, so the thought of finally visiting their country made us giddy with excitement!
Five Must Visit Places in Jordan
1. Petra
Petra, a world wonder and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is on most travelers’ bucket list, and rightfully so. Seeing it in its majesty can leave anyone in awe! Also known as the Rose City due to the color of its sand and stone, Petra is famous for its rock-cut architecture by the Nabateans, an Arab civilization who settled here more than 2,000 years ago and turned it into a major trading hub. It was said to be an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India, Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.
One key thing to remember is that Petra is an entire city! There are various trails that lead to several intricate facades sculpted into the sandstone cliffs, preserved structures, monuments and so on. We picked the Ad-Deir (Monastery) Trail and this took us 6.5 hours from 7:30am to 2:00pm. For a complete guide on how we did it, visit our other post here.
Our favorite structures are the Treasury,
The Royal Tombs,
and the Monastery.
2. Wadi Rum
After Petra, we continued our day in this area by driving to Wadi Rum, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed under the natural and cultural significance categories.
After registering at the Visitor Centre, we first headed to our campsite where we were going to stay overnight. It is important to ask where the location of your campsite is. Some of them are just near the main road or train station.
Our beautiful camp, Rahayeb Desert Camp was further in and situated between two stunning rockscapes.
We went for a 4×4 sunset drive to see the rest of the spectacular cliffs, and sandstone and granite mountains.
Spanning 720km of desert wilderness, it will take you three days to see all of Wadi Rum.
We climbed one of the mountains and watched the sunset from there… peaceful and breathtaking.
TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) stayed in Wadi Rum during the British-inspired Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.
3. Dead Sea
There are plenty of hotels to choose from when you’re staying in the Dead Sea area, but we super highly recommend The Kempinski Ishtar.
Even when you go to top review sites, you’ll see this is the number 1 hotel in this strip.
This is our balcony and the first photo was our extra spacious room with a bed made of clouds.
There are more than enough swimming pools like this one, which was the closest to our room,
the lazy river,
the pool bar, and the infinity pool.
But of course, the highlight was the Dead Sea, a salt lake with surface and shores at 400m below sea level, making it the lowest point on earth.
On the shore, there will be vases where the black Dead Sea mud is kept. It has proven benefits including improving skin health. First, you need to soak in the mineral-rich sea for 15mins. Then slather the mud all over the body. Let it dry for 10 mins before going back to the sea.
You need to stay in the water for another 15 mins for noticeable benefits on your skin. The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water therefore no living thing can survive in its harsh environment. If you are sunburnt (like us), have a cut, just shaved or get water in your eyes, prepare for a burning sensation. Enjoy incredibly smooth skin after but no pain, no gain!
For dinner, we went to Obelisk where an international buffet awaited. Towards the end, the lovely team surprised us with this cake! So sweet!
As if that wasn’t enough, when we returned to our room, it was covered with rose petals! Kempinski team, you have honestly exceeded our expectations.
It’s hard to say this was the highlight of our trip as the other parts were truly memorable, but our hearts hurt the day we left the hotel!
4. Jerash
A roam away from Rome! Jerash isn’t always on the must-see list of travelers to Jordan but it should be!
The first thing we saw was this arc and we thought that was it! We were ready to leave and try to squeeze more activities in our already packed itinerary, but we were wrong!
Honestly, we did not research much about this place prior because we weren’t expecting how massive it is and how preserved the structures are inside!
Jerash was the site of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa and later on joined the Decapolis league, a center of Greek and Roman culture.
Jerash was a favorite city of the Roman emperor Hadrian.
Later on, it fell under the rule of the Byzantine empire and became a Christian city.
Following this, the Muslims took over.
A major earthquake destroyed the city, but the final decline happened during the period of the Crusades.
5. Bethany Beyond the Jordan
This place is believed to be the baptism site of Jesus by John the Baptist.
Pope Francis also visited this site in 2014.
This is the gold-domed Greek Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist.
There is an option to dip in the river. You can buy a white robe near the main entrance and use it on top of your swimwear.
Other Sites Worth Seeing
Mt. Nebo, Madaba
According to ancient tradition, Mt. Nebo is the place where Moses was given a view of the Promised Land.
It is located in the region of Madaba, which is also known as the City of Mosaics. Visit the Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art and Restoration where you’ll learn how these intricate pieces of art are made.
Amman Citadel
Located in Downtown Amman, the Citadel is a historical site once called Philadelphia during the Greek conquest.
The highlights are the Temple of Hercules,
and the Ummayad Palace.
Ajloun Castle
Ajlun Castle dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan Valley and protected the trade and commercial routes between Jordan and Syria.
Because of its strategic location, it became an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who spent decades trying to capture the castle and the nearby village.
Food
Feasting on mostly Jordanian buffets was how we survived our tight itinerary.
This is a proof that Tricia is always hungrier (hangrier) than Tim.
We’re Dubai based so we’re familiar with the offerings – kibbeh, labneh, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, hummus, falafel, shawarma, mansaf, baklava, fresh fruits – everything is tastier here!
Honestly, if we had the option, we would stay in Jordan longer. This, without a doubt, is now one of our favorite countries! We hope you enjoy your visit as much as we did, and (ahem) we hope our Jordanian friends invite us back in the future! 😉