We are back home near Annecy after this wonderful trip to Jordan. I loved sharing it with you, because the landscapes and the change of scenery were everything we had hoped for. Between my trek in the desert (see the article on the Jordan Trail) and our road trip from south to north, we saw and lived so much that fitting it all into one article is quite a challenge! So here is how we chose to visit Jordan.
In short: we travelled from south to north, from Aqaba to Amman, at the end of November and the beginning of December. We started with the Red Sea and Wadi Rum, spent two nights in Petra, walked in Dana, then finished with Madaba, Mount Nebo and the surroundings of Amman. Below you will find our top five places, our hotels and food tips. And a “more responsible tourism” section for several stops.
Sommaire
Why visit Jordan
Why Jordan? The country is more and more popular, but its location still gives it an image that is sometimes unwelcoming, even dangerous. Just read the friendly recommendations on the government website. They would almost have you plan a road trip in Normandy instead of buying a plane ticket to Jordan.
And yet Jordan has so much to offer, between nature, culture and heritage! We wanted to discover it our own way, putting its landscapes and its ecosystem first.
Nature
When it comes to nature, we were spoiled! That said, winter is not the ideal season for some wadis and nature reserves. And we left at the end of November. We spent little time in Dana because most of the trails were closed. But the little we saw was really beautiful.
Heritage
I will spare you a crash course on the Nabataeans and all that. Still, it is fascinating to walk through sites like Petra, Jerash or El-Maghtas, places steeped in history. We are not big fans of visits and museums. Yet we really enjoyed wandering around Petra and Jerash, which let us combine lovely walks with a bit of history.
Culture
We have beautiful landscapes and wild stories at home too! What we came to Jordan for, above all, was a complete change of scenery, to discover a country and a culture we knew nothing about. They say travel broadens the mind. I find it mostly helps you keep an open mind and understand a little better what is happening a few kilometres from home, as the crow flies.
Visit Jordan: the top 5 places not to miss
If you are planning a trip to Jordan, I would put these five places at the top of your travel list. It all depends on your own wishes and priorities, of course. If you are passionate about the history of the country and its monuments, add El-Maghtas and Jerash.
Petra
If I had to name just one, it would be Petra, of course! Not very original, I know. But if the site is on the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World, there is a reason.
Wadi Rum
An incredible desert, a film set, where you lose all sense of time and distance!
The Dead Sea
There is no need to stay too long. The sting of the salt and the prices charged by the hotels around it will probably put you off anyway.
Amman
The city itself is not very pretty, but it buzzes with activity, especially at the weekend. We stayed three evenings in Amman to explore the surroundings, around Wast El Balad (the neighbourhoods below the Citadel, Jabal al-Qala’a). You really have to spend an evening eating a hummus and falafel sandwich while watching the bustle around you.
The Red Sea
Our knowledge of fish stops at the world of Nemo. So it took only a few minutes to go wild over the marine life. Aqaba itself has little to offer. Still, it would be a shame to come to Jordan and not spend half a day underwater.
Visit Jordan: the nice surprises
I am repeating myself a little, but the landscapes really are incredible. The multicoloured rocks of Petra, the orange desert of Wadi Rum, the ochre horizon of Dana, the rolling landscapes of the King’s Highway, the translucent blue of the Dead Sea: every day brought a lovely discovery.
Kindness and safety. Unlike some countries where tourists are not always welcome, most Jordanians are very pleasant. Not everyone speaks English, but there is always a kind soul ready to help. We never felt unsafe (except on the road, because people drive like maniacs ^^). We walked alone in the Wadi Rum desert, in Amman late in the evening, and ate several times in local restaurants. Translation: places where the menu was not translated and we ordered more or less at random.
The food. On the first day, a tomato and cucumber salad was served to me in the desert, and I faced quite a dilemma. I am used to the fairly strict advice given for countries like India, where eating raw vegetables and fresh food is (very) strongly discouraged. I quickly realised that in Jordan I could eat anything, anywhere. Falafel and hummus sandwiches in roadside joints, a raw vegetable salad in the desert: I did not hold back!
One warning, though: it is not recommended to drink tap water.
Things to do in Jordan, day by day
Our approach to travel
If you follow my adventures a little, you already know that “old stones” and other historical visits tend to bore me quickly. I would much rather discover a country through its trails, its nature and its little streets than shuffle around a museum. That is just my point of view (debatable, of course). It explains why we did not visit ALL the museums and monuments. And why we did not spend half a day at each one.
In the day-by-day part, I added a section called “for more responsible tourism”. It may sound like a killjoy, but I hope it will speak to you. We are all players in today’s tourism, and we can all have an impact on tomorrow’s.
Our organisation
Most of the other tourists we met visit Jordan from Amman to Aqaba. They finish their trip in Aqaba, then go all the way back in one go to catch their flight from Amman. We did it the other way round. Cyril joined me in Aqaba, where I had arrived the day before after finishing the Jordan Trail.
The advantage of this plan is that you do not have to cross the whole of Jordan on the last day. The small downside is that you start straight away with Petra and Wadi Rum. So the rest inevitably feels less “wow” (that is how we felt, anyway).
Our budget was fairly tight, and even tighter because the car hire cost us far more than planned (not to mention the surprise fine and the flat tyre). So we favoured small restaurants, cheap snack places and affordable hotels.
Day 1: Aqaba
After five days in the desert, arriving in Aqaba was slightly brutal. It was the first big Jordanian city I had seen. And the place where Cyril joined me to start our holiday.
Aqaba is the only seaside resort in Jordan, very popular with divers and snorkellers for the underwater world of the Red Sea. To be honest, that is the only interest we found in this city. Like most Jordanian cities, it has little to offer in itself.
Activities:
- Beach
- Diving
- Snorkelling
- Glass-bottom boat
- Walk along the corniche
- Day trip to Wadi Rum
For more responsible tourism:
Remember to bring an environmentally friendly sun cream.
Hotel:
The Movenpick in Tala Bay is incredible and puts you right at the water’s edge. It is a restful place, far from the bustle of central Aqaba. It let me recharge after five days in the desert (and take a proper shower).
Where to eat:
Al Muhandes Cafeteria. This was our little canteen in the centre of Aqaba, which admittedly does not look like much but serves delicious falafel sandwiches. It is really cheap. The man at the counter does not speak English, which made ordering a bit comical. It all worked out so well that we went back!
Day 2: Wadi Rum
For me, Wadi Rum clearly deserves two full days to enjoy it properly. Having already spent five days in the desert, we dedicated only one day and one night to it. So that Cyril could enjoy it a little too.
Two faces of the Wadi Rum desert
For more responsible tourism:
I saw two faces of Wadi Rum during this stay in Jordan. The first was during those five days on the Jordan Trail, in a silent desert where we were the only people for miles around. It is exactly what I imagined when I dreamed of this adventure.
The second face is a little less pleasant. It is a Wadi Rum where jeeps swarm and storm every little dune to reach the attractions of the desert (natural arches, canyons, inscriptions…) as fast as possible.
I understand that everyone wants their little photo on the Rock Bridge. But picture the impact of dozens of jeeps crossing the desert all day, both ecologically and visually. Personally, when I say I want to experience the desert, I do not picture a motorway with 150 tourists next to me.
Camps in the Wadi Rum desert
Another negative point in this otherwise magnificent desert: the camps! I saw few of them during our week of trekking, because once you move away into the southern part there are few or none. On the way back, though, I was surprised by the number of camps you can see. You only have to wander around a little to notice that some are abandoned, leaving remains of tents and rubbish behind.
In the fourth most water-scarce country, it would be more than reasonable to accept that no, you cannot have showers and toilets in the middle of the desert. And if these eco-warrior arguments do not speak to you at all (that is your right), know that we walked past several camps with a lovely view of… a car park. They promise a superb night under the stars in a bubble for the modest sum of €100 a night (with beautifully doctored photos, of course). Instead of the Milky Way, you will mostly admire the motorway.
A better way to spend a night in the desert
So, at the risk of playing the killjoy, I would rather recommend going through a provider who offers a night under the stars in a more basic, nomadic camp (but that is the real desert, after all), with a gentler means of transport. Of course, most will offer a bit of jeep to get further into the desert. There are still few providers offering this kind of experience. But it is up to each of us to decide which kind of tourism we want to prioritise. And to shape the offer and the services that locals will put in place to meet it. Translation: if more and more of us ask for a traditional desert experience, chances are more and more providers will start offering one.
Activities:
- Hiking
- Camel rides
- Climbing and scrambling
- Jeep (see above, I am not a fan).
Days 3 and 4: Petra
Petra, incredible Petra! Where do you start with a giant like Petra? Perhaps by saying that Petra is above all a site of 80 km², which we tend to reduce to its centrepiece: the Treasury, or Khazneh. It is certainly incredibly beautiful and impressive. But it is only one of the superb monuments to discover on the site. For me, Petra amply deserves two days. You can squeeze it into one, depending on your fitness and your ability to cover kilometres while admiring every monument. But that would be a bit of a shame.
Hotel:
My Home Petra. There are hotels of every level in Petra. And after reading online reviews we chose a small place in the centre of Wadi Musa. We ended up spending two nights at My Home Petra, a fairly basic hotel that does the job. The manager was very friendly and keen to welcome us like kings! Note that he offers packed lunches.
Animals at Petra
For more responsible tourism:
Yes, here I am again with my favourite section! Regarding Petra, I am going to sound like Brigitte Bardot 3.0 again. But it pained me to see so many animals “exploited” for tourism. I understand very well that animal suffering is a “rich people’s problem” and that some people think first of feeding themselves and their families. But if you are going to use a little donkey that never asked anyone for anything. And make it climb the 800 steps up to the Monastery several times a day, you might as well do it kindly. Do not beat it violently with a hose.
Donkeys, camels and horses on the site
Camels, donkeys and horses are the preferred means of getting around the site. At first I would tend to say “fine, that is good for older and disabled people who cannot manage to climb up to the Monastery, for example”. But after a 48-hour “study” of the people taking the donkey option, I mostly noticed young people wanting to have fun and take a “funny photo”. There were also plain lazy people who clearly did not want to sweat to enjoy the view.
Dogs and cats are also found all over the site, in more or less good condition. Feel free to give them your lunch leftovers, and say hello from the Frenchwoman who spent two days photographing them!
Day 5: Dana
We head back to the green (or rather the yellow) with a day in Dana. Dana is a fairly well-known nature reserve in Jordan. And also the name of a rather picturesque village that gives access to it.
It is a magnificent place for hiking, with many possible trails and three different entrances. Unfortunately, many trails were closed in December. We could only walk the Wadi Dana trail, which still gave us a lovely view over the valley.
In the vaaalley, oh oh, of Dana… lalalala!
Hotel:
You can sleep inside the reserve, notably at the Dana Guesthouse, which has a panorama and a good location. However, prices are higher on average, so we preferred to sleep at Al-Nawatef Camp, a few minutes away from Dana by car. The manager is very friendly and there are several sleeping options (rooms, tents and so on). Everyone eats together in a shared room, with dinner and breakfast. It was one of the only places where we could chat with other guests, of all nationalities, and the atmosphere was really nice!
A little bonus: there is a superb viewpoint a few minutes’ walk away for sunset. And the tents give a very nice view of the wadi!
Day 7: Madaba to Amman
Madaba is known for its beautiful mosaics, and you can see why when you wander around. The town centre is quite pretty, and we spent a pleasant morning visiting the various points of interest.
Mount Nebo is one of the highlights of the area. Go in the morning and when conditions are good, otherwise the panoramic view quickly takes a beating.
El-Maghtas is a 10 km² site that contains the supposed place of the baptism of Jesus. The site as a whole is mostly of historical and religious interest, for some people. At the Jordan River, where you can immerse yourself in the water, you can see Israel a few metres away on the other bank. Or, more exactly, other tourists bathing in white robes on the bank of the Jordan on the Israeli side.
Days 8 and 9: around Amman
We headed to the Shaumari reserve to see the Arabian oryx. The site is a bit far from Amman, but we really wanted to be back in nature and to discover this species we knew nothing about. Shaumari is home to many species, such as the desert fox, the Asiatic wild ass and the Rhim gazelle. We did a one-hour mini safari, which let us observe the oryx.
On the way back, we stopped to admire the desert castles. Once again, it all depends on your appetite for history and pretty stones. Personally, the desert castles disappointed us a little, and we only stopped because they were on the road.
Visit Jordan: your questions answered
In which direction should you visit Jordan?
Most tourists we met travelled from Amman to Aqaba, then went back to Amman in one go to catch their flight. We did the opposite, from Aqaba to Amman. So we did not have to cross the whole country on our last day. The small downside is that Petra and Wadi Rum come first. So the rest of the trip felt a little less “wow” to us.
How long should you spend in Petra?
Petra is a site of 80 km², and for me it deserves two days. You can squeeze it into one, depending on your fitness and how many kilometres you can cover while admiring each monument, but that would be a shame. We spent two nights in Wadi Musa, in the centre of town.
How long should you spend in the Wadi Rum desert?
I think Wadi Rum deserves two full days. I had already spent five days in the desert on the Jordan Trail. So we stayed only one day and one night, so that Cyril could enjoy it too. I would rather go through a provider who offers a night under the stars in a simple, nomadic camp. You will find more details in our guide to the Wadi Rum desert.
Can you visit Jordan in winter?
We left at the end of November and came back at the beginning of December. Winter is not the ideal season for some wadis and nature reserves. In Dana, for example, most of the trails were closed, and we could only walk the Wadi Dana trail.
Is Jordan safe to visit?
In our experience, yes. We never felt unsafe, except on the road, because people drive very fast. We walked alone in the desert of Wadi Rum, late in the evening in Amman. And we ate several times in local restaurants. Most Jordanians were very pleasant, and there was always someone to help us, even though not everyone speaks English. It is not recommended to drink tap water.