Jordan is so much more than the country where the stunning World Wonder of Petra is located, it has all from Red Sea to Dead Sea, unique deserts, old Roman heritage and holy sites with countless stories, so plan your visit plan to Jordan with this travel guide

Jordan is probably the most surprising destination in the Middle East as it combines stunning nature landscapes, unique monuments heritage and one of the most tolerant friendly cultures.

My travel guide to Jordan will give you all the most important travel tips to visit Jordan and the top things to do in Jordan with many insights. The most important is that you take these recommendations to organize the best itinerary to visit Jordan that fits your interests. trip duration and season you will be visiting.

Here below is a map of Jordan to make you know more about the geography of the country, showing where the main attractions are located and the main travel hubs of Jordan. Despite being a relatively small country and with average to good roads, travel between the main cities will be taking longer due to traffic, few highways and some checkpoints to guarantee security (namely aimed at locals, not tourists)

WHEN TO GO TO JORDAN

The best time to go to Jordan is by late Winter from March to early June and then from September to November as the weather will be milder in Central and Northern Jordan and not too hot in the Red Sea and desert. Summer here is very hot and you should avoid July / August as it will be extremely hot. Despite that , nights tend to be cooler and with some wind. Winter would be usually with some rain and cold in areas like Petra, Dead Sea and Amman.

Temperatures in Jordan can be extremely different between the North and South so expect around 10 – 15 degrees celsius in during Spring across Northern Jordan and above low 20s in the area of the Red Sea. Nights will tend to be cool in all Jordan regions and beware that in the desert at night can be almost freezing.

If you do go to Jordan between mid-June to mid-September then plan to start as early as possible and take longer breaks during midday as it will be usually over 30 degrees and quite dry.

HOW TO GET TO JORDAN AND GET AROUND JORDAN

The best way to get to Jordan is by plane to the capital Amman, located up North, or to Aqaba, down south by the Red Sea. Some main international flight companies fly to both airports such as Air France/KLM, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, low cost Ryan Air, Wizz Air and Eurowings and the national carrier Royal Jordanian.

There are also land border crossings from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Irak, with the one from Israel being especially tricky as you need to get the visa online in advance and most importantly you can’t cross the border with a rental car, you need to commute by bus/ taxi from both sides.

From the airport of Aqaba, its a quick 15 minutes taxi ride to the city center of Aqaba for around 15€. From Amman airport to Amman city will be 45 minutes by taxi for circa 30€. Ideally make sure that the taxi meter is on and make sure to take the official taxis outside the terminals in Jordan are well indicated and organized.

Getting around Jordan is done ideally by car as distances are doable in good road connections between the major cities and just a few gravel roads to some more remote locations. Driving in Jordan is only more busy and complicated at the capital Amman. Major rental car companies offer good rates in Jordan, namely if you rent outside the airport. I recommend you take a taxi when arriving and then pick up a rental car the day after from the city.

For an idea of the main connection roads check out the map here:

In case you don’t want to drive, plenty of local tour companies and even taxi drivers offer good fares per day, depending on the distances, or then take the local buses. The national bus company called JETT (Jordan Express Tourist Transportation) offers good connections across all main Jordan Cities , so have a look to their schedules and book here

In the cities themselves there are local buses thatv

TRAVEL ITINERARY JORDAN AND HOW LONG TO PLAN

My recommended time to make a trip to Jordan Costa is 1 to 2 weeks. In one week travel itinerary you can visit Jordan top attractions and still manage relax 1 day at the beach , in two weeks (or even 1ust 2 days) itinerary you will be able to experience some great places in Jordan that most tourists don’t see and still relax a couple more days at the beach.

Note that you might be able to do more if you connect by plane from Amman to Jordan when doing the inbound or outbound flight as it only takes one hour versus 4-5 hours by car or bus.

Contact me for a personalized itinerary that can fit your schedule, budget and interests.

WHERE TO STAY IN JORDAN

The best places to stay in Jordan come with a price. In comparison to Europe and US standards it will be at a similar high level for 3 to 5 stars, meaning that budget travel in Jordan might be a challenge , namely in more beach holiday areas such as the Red Sea and Dead Sea. In bigger cities and near top attractions like Petra or Wadi Rum you will be able to find better value for money options as you will be most likely only to be at night in the hotel and extra facilities don’t play such a major role.

My recommendation is that you splurge more in accommodation at the areas of the Red Sea and Dead Sea. At the Red Sea in the Aqaba area you have the option to stay in Aqaba city or then on the South beach of Aqaba, with the latter havin by far the best beaches and diving/ snorkeling areas, whilst the former will be closer to the main points of interest plus nightlife.

My recommendation to stay in Aqaba is at the South Beach, in specific the Movenpick Hotel Resort, an amazing complex with great pools, beach & Spa. Try to get a better rate via their membership program. I also tried the nearby Marina Bay Resort but was disappointed by it. Here some images of the Movenpick Aqaba resort

Another place where a good location plays a big role is the Dead Sea, as the best beaches are all private and the best resorts are located on the Northeast part of the Dead Sea in Jordan. Here i can highly recommend the amazing Hilton Dead Sea with stunning pools, great restaurants and a lovely beach. Another good but more expensive option is the crowne Plaza whilst Holiday Inn offers a better value for money but is less well located for the beach. Here are some pictures from the Hilton Dead Sea

My final accommodation suggestion is for Wadi Rum and Petra. In Wadi Rum the places to overnight range from low budget tents to luxurious glamping tents and some in between alternatives. In Wadi Rum, I definitely suggest a glamping Martian tent as its such a magical place to watch sunset, starry sky and sunrise that you will really feel the money was worth investing. Very important: choose a camp inside the Wadi Rum protected area, as it will save you time and is more beautiful in termal landscapes. My personal favorite was the Jamal Rum Camp even if I also liked the Magic Desert camp. Here a few images of the tents and surroundings:

For Petra stay as close as possible to the main entry gate, as it will save you time and save you the hassle of taking a taxi or driving to the Parking. I suggest that you avoid hotels with facilities or with a view, because at the end you will spend very few time at the hotel itself. I really liked Petra Plaza Hotel as extremely friendly and with a good breakfast, for bigger groups there are some good apartments off the main street such as Petra Main Gate Studios.

As almost anywhere accommodation is a very personal choice depending on your budget, desired options and areas that you will stay, that I ask you to contact me for specific recommendations when doing a personalized itinerary.

WHERE TO EAT IN JORDAN

Food in Jordan can be extremely interesting if you are open to try the local dishes that combine fish, vegetarian and meat with delicious spices! For more budget travellers there are great options with the famous kebab restaurants with tasty meat on bread or spite. I found both options to be really good so you will be having great experiences depending on your taste.

My favorite restaurants across Jordan were:

• Aqaba; Papaya Restaurant (average/ high) or Alia restaurant (budget)
• Aqaba South beach: Suzana Restaurant (average/high) , De Soto (average/ high) Movenpick restaurant (high)
• Petra: Petra nIght (average / high) or Little Petra (budget)
• Dead Sea: Elite Restaurant (average/high), Hilton Dead Sea (high)
• Wadi Rum: dinner included in the camp, lunch can be arranged

Most of the dishes in Jordan have a strong mix of rice or couscous with vegetables and meat/ fish combinations. Here some of the local Jordan food specialties:

TOP 15 THINGS TO DO IN JORDAN

My top things to do in Jordan are so diverse as the country itself offering a wide range of travel experiences fittinmg pretty much all tastes in quite a compact country, So my list of the must see places in Jordan and what to do in Jordan should meet every traveller wishlist for a complete overview of all with some secrete places an gfreat travel tips.Myself, I am a fan of covering all the different kind of travel experiences, so these are the absolute best spots in Jordan, with no particular ranking.

These are then the top 15 things to do in Jordan:

1. Petra Old City UNESCO World Heritage Site
2. Wadi Rum Deset
3. Aqaba city
4. Aqaba South Beach by the Red Sea
5. Kerak castle
6. Mount Nebo
7. Madaba
8. Jerash
9. Dead Sea beach
10. Wadi Numeira
11. Wadi MujIb
12. Jordan River
13. Baptism site
14. King’s Highway
15. Amman Citadel

USEFUL TRAVEL TIPS FOR JORDAN

• Visas – Most nationalities can get a visit on arrival at both international airports in Jordan, for border crossings you need to get it online. The current fee is 40 JOD (50EUR/ USD), but you can waive it if you buy the JORDAN Pass.
• JORDAN PASS – The Jordan pass enables you to access most attractions in Jordan and can only be bought abroad and before you arrive to Jordan. You can then select 1, 2 or 3 days at Petra as well a reduced entry to the Baptism site, with prices starting fron 75 JOD. For example single ticket to Petra costs 55 JOD, so if you buy the baic Jordan Pass you would already save 20 JOD if you pay the visa and the entry to Petra (95 JOD in total) . Note the JORDAN PASS is owned by the local authorities, so no fees or unwanted subscriptions- you can check and book it at https://jordanpass.jo/
• Money – The local currency is the Jordanian Dinar (JOD). In the present its actually valued at 1.30EUR or 1.30 USD per 1 JOD. Best is to exchange your money at the city banks or withdraw it in an ATM. most places accept credit cards Do not exchange money at the airport unless you absolute need it.
• Telephone – buy a local SIM Card on arrivals from Orange or Zain operator official kiosks. Orange has a better coverage. Costs for 25GB surfing are 12 JOD (circa 18 EUR/ USD), that will more than be sufficient. No need to sign up or login anywhere, its immediately ready to use in your phone..
• Car rental – Its quite great value for money if you book it for 7 days or more, expect to pay around 30EUR/ USD per day for an average car . You won’t need 4WD anywhere unless you are planning to drive through the desert or any off road tracks down south, Also when it rains, most roads are perfectly drivable. Own insurance is a good idea, but if you are used to drive abroad, then skip it. Book directly with the rental companies, beware of third parties and companies with hidden fees
• Travel essentials – In Autumn/ Winter bring a rain jacket and some warm clothes, other than that bring light clothing and just a hoodie or jacket for the cold desert nights. Across all seasons do bring waterproof hiking shoes, snorkeling gear (unless you are ok to rent one), water shoes, sunscreen , water refillable bottle and a torchlight.

Do ask me for a personalized itinerary or any specific tips because Jordan needs to be well planned but like any travel do spend time to experience Jordan and stay longer where you feel that is a place you feel blended in.