To be honest: Jordan never came up in my mind when it comes to ‘destinations I want to visit’. Okay okay, I don’t like bucket lists, but I do think of that stuff sometimes. Somewhere in August last year we wanted to go on a 2 week holiday in November. So I just googled what would be a good destination to visit in 2 weeks where the weather is still nice. Jordan came up! I looked on a few other blogs and immediately fell in love. We rented a car and drove around this amazing country for 14 days.
Astonishing Amman: 1 day
If you travel by plane, you have 2 main options: land in Amman or in Aqaba. We chose the capital Amman. I read that you can immediately leave this city, because there’s not much to see. But I wanted to give it a chance. And it was worth it! We ate the best falafel sandwich ever, visited the Citadel (with the Temple of Hercules, so cool), and ate marvelous mezze.
Here’s how to make the most out of your day(s) in Amman. (coming soon)
Yes, go to Jerash: 1 day
We were in doubt whether to visit Jerash or not. Because it’s quite out of the direction we wanted to go. Being: more south. And Jerash was way up north! But we decided to do it anyways. And boiiii, were we happy we did it! Please do so too! It’s an old Roman city that disappeared after the earthquake in 700 AD. With numerous impressive temples, it really is worth a full-day visit.
Dreamy Dana: 2 days
One for the nature lovers! Tip: stay at Dana Eco Camp. Right in the middle of a mountain! And do it for 3 nights. Because you want to do at least 2 full-day hikes. The Wadi Ghuweir Trail, between a canyon. And the Wadi Dana Trail, between the mountains.
Curious how to hike these 2 trails and what a stay at Dana Eco Camp is like? Check it out! (coming soon)
Perfect for Petra: 3 days
A lot of people say that you should spend at least 2 days in Petra. But we had quite some time, so we did 3! The two first days we visited this 2000-year-old city itself. And saw the famous Treasury from down below and from a viewpoint. Wow. Just wow. We visited Little Petra and walked through 9.000 year-old (yep, that’s the correct number) town Al Beidha to the Monastery. The third day was something special. A hike to Jabal Haroun.
More details on how to spend 3 days in Petra and tips for the Jabal Haroun hike, you’ll find in this more detailed article. (coming soon) I’ll give you 3 tips already: enough water, good shoes, fulfilling snacks. That’s all!
Desert dreams in Wadi Rum: 2 days
Everyone we’ve encountered on this trip so far, said Wadi Rum was the best part of this trip. So our expectations were quite high. But wow, did they get fulfilled! A 3-hour camel ride, a full-day jeep tour along every highlight, fresh food, cool tents and the clearest starry sky ever. And all of that in the middle of the desert! What a way to unwind. The Bedouins stole my heart. <3
Tip: spend at least 2 nights in Wadi Rum desert. And do it in a Bedouin camp! More tips, you’ll find here. (coming soon)
From dreaming to diving in Aqaba: 2 days
From relaxing Wadi Rum to hotspot Aqaba. Literally, because it was 34°C. A cute town to walk through, especially the markets. But the 1 thing Aqaba is most famous for? Diving!
Want to know some confessions of a diving rookie? And how to make the most of your time in Aqaba? Got you covered! (coming soon)
Combining Karak & Madaba: 1 day
Karak is a nice stopover. Especially because it has a castle that was built in 1135 (AD) by the French crusaders. Tip: take a flashlight with you, because there are some extremely dark passages. Another tip: stay until sunset, you’ll have an amazing view.
Afterwards, we went to Madaba. One of the only Christian places in Jordan. With churches instead of mosks, and spots where they do sell alcohol. Definitely visit Kowan Bookstore! They have cool books and a café.
Canyoning in Wadi Mujib & floating in the Dead Sea: 1 day
Off to Wadi Mujib! Another canyon. But this time 410m below sea level! Which makes it the lowest nature reserve in the world. Here you can do the famous Siq Trail. Afterwards you can go float in the lowest point on earth: the Dead Sea, at 420m.
You’re gonna need some advice to hike the Siq Trail and visit the Dead Sea. So here it is! (coming soon)
Back to Madaba & Amman: 1 day
We didn’t get the chance to see a lot of Madaba, so we went back! After a stop at Mount Nebo, the place where Mozes saw the promised land and then died. Unfortunately, there was a sandstorm. Sadly enough we didn’t see a lot. So we drove further to Madaba. Famous for its St. George Church, where there’s a mosaic of 1.500 years old!
Afterwards, on to Amman again. We went to the Amphitheatre, ate some traditional food and ice cream. The next morning we quickly visited King Abdullah Mosque and then it was time to go home again. With tears in my eyes I left this amazing country, incredibly sweet people and the most delicious food I ever ate.
Extra tips:
- Want to be at ease, flexible and go off the beaten path? Rent a car! Really. It’s not that expensive, the roads are good and there’s always a parking spot. My advice? Go with Sunny Cars! Everything is in your contract, so you don’t have to pay any extra costs.
- 1 thing to watch out for: the high bumps on the road! So never drive too fast.
- Respect the Jordan culture and heritage, and try to dress properly. Head scarves aren’t mandatory, but don’t be too naked. 😉
- A lot of Jordan people make a living out of the tourist sector. So please, tip the drivers, guides, camp hosts … They need the few dollars/euros/JODs more than you do.
- JORDAN IS SAFE! Even more: I’ve never been to a country where people were so friendly, helpful, welcoming, hospitable and funny.
