Journey Through Jordan: An 8 Day Itinerary

Jordan is by far my favourite country that I have visited so far. It is layered in history and is rich in culture that emanates Middle Eastern life.

I booked the ‘Highlights of Jordan’ trip with G Adventures, which was an adventurous 8 day trip. When I first decided to go to Jordan many friends and family were immediately wary of the safety of the country because it is situated in the middle of warring neighbours that have been experiencing continuous conflict for many years. However, Jordan is a liberal and neutral country and I felt so safe and welcome whilst travelling through the country. Driving throughout the country there are random police and military checkpoints along the way, where officials regularly check identification of people travelling through the country. This offers another form of safety and security ensuring that everyone is being assessed.

When to travel

I traveled in March which was a great time to visit as it was not overrun with tourists making it feel like a unique and authentic experience. It was fresh in the evenings but comfortable temperatures during the day.

Our 8 Day Itinerary

Day 1: Amman

I landed late the night before the tour was to begin and pre-booked my airport transfers through G Adventures so the journey from the airport to the hotel was seamless.

In the morning, I decided to venture out on my own and explore Amman’s famous amphitheatre and citadel.

First, I had to exchange some money and work out how to get there. Around the corner from the hotel the local money exchanger, Omar, was the friendliest and most welcoming person I have ever met on my travels. He explained it was too far to walk and insisted on getting me there himself. In hindsight, this probably wasn’t the best idea, however I took him up on the offer and he dropped me off at the amphitheatre where I was met with locals trying to sell me over priced entry fees and tours. I was quoted 40 JOD which is $80 AUD. I denied the offers as I knew the entry fee was only 2 JOD and decided to explore myself.

The Roman amphitheatre was built at the end of the 2nd century AD and was built to seat around 6,000 people. I climbed to the top of the 44 rows to take in the views of the city. Here, I met two other travellers who let me tag along with them to the citadel.

At the top of the citadel, the view over Amman was breathtaking. Known as the White City, the buildings cover the hills in uniformed colours of beige, white and grey. With the call to prayer echoing throughout the valley and the view over the city, it was a great place to sit and take in the unique surrounds. It was here that I met some lovely local women who were eager to chat.

The Citadel dates back to the Bronze Age and was the capital of the Kingdom of Ammon. The ruins consist of structures from the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods. The most iconic ruins that remain are notably the Temple of Hercules, the Umayyad Palace and a Byzantine Church.

Day 2: Jerash and the Dead Sea

Jerash

The ancient city of Jerash, also known as the “city of a thousand columns”, is one of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world and is only 1 hour from Amman. We spent half the day touring this ancient city and is one of the highlights of my trip. If you think the ruins in Rome are amazing then you need to visit Jerash. Here you can witness layers of history, from the Hellenistic, Byzantine and Roman periods.

Our guide told us that this expansive ancient city extended so much further however excavation stopped because the modern city of Jerash had already been built up.

Dead Sea

On the way back to Amman we detoured to the Dead Sea for a swim or shall I say a “float”. The Dead Sea is an experience in itself. The beach we stopped at was not picturesque however we were there to experience the lightness of our bodies as we float on the water. For 3 JOD you can rub mud from the Dead Sea all over your body. The mud offers natural minerals and leaves your skin feeling smooth and silky afterward. When you first arrive cover yourself with the mud from head to toe and let it set till it is hard. After the mud has dried to your skin, submerse yourself into the salty water ensuring you do not get any water in your eyes! A small drop found its way in my eye and I was blinded for a couple of minutes. It was so salty, it stung like crazy.

The saltiness of the water is due to being the lowest point on earth. And due to the high salt concentration it is almost impossible to sink making you so buoyant that is difficult to swim. I tried doing breast stroke, however due to the buoyancy I had difficultly submerging my legs below the water which made for a hilariously goofy swim!! I finally resigned to kicking back with a magazine and enjoyed a very relaxing float.

When standing along the waters edge you can see clumps of dried white salt grouped together below the water. These dry clumps are quite sharp under your feet so be careful when entering the water not to cut your feet. Once you have washed the mud away it is a good idea to have a fresh water shower straight after. I did not immediately do this and ended up covered in white salt. The shower was very refreshing and my skin felt amazing after. The resort we were at also had two swimming pools to take a quick dip and this is also a great spot for kids to play whilst you get your Dead Sea fix.

Day 3: Amman to Petra

Today we departed Amman for Petra which was roughly a 3-4 hour drive. On the way, we stopped at Mt Nebo, Madaba and Karak Castle.

Mt Nebo

Before stopping at Madaba we hiked to the top of Mt Nebo. It is a must see for religious pilgrims. It is where Moses spent twelve years looking over to the Promised Land before he died. It was an easy walk to the top where we enjoyed the endless views over the Holy Land. We also explored the Memorial Church of Moses, an old church that was built in the 4th century to commemorate the death of Moses. The flooring shows well preserved remnants of the old mosaic tiling that date back to 530 AD. I don’t think I have ever seen anything so old.

This site was very busy with tourists, the most I had seen on the whole trip.

Madaba

Madaba is a quaint little town just near Mt Nebo. It is known for Byzantine mosaics. Walking down the street local shop owners sit on the steps outside their shops and chat in a quiet manner. Wearing their traditional head scarfs of red and white it gives you a real taste of Arabic culture. Here, you can stop by a local coffee shop and enjoy a turkish coffee in a quaint Jordanian style cafe before wandering the shopfronts containing many mosaic artworks and traditional Arabic tea pots.

We visited Church of Saint George which houses the famous 6th century mosaic map depicting the Holy Land which is now known as Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the Dead Sea. It is the oldest known map of Jerusalem and the oldest known geographic floor mosaic. The Orthodox church was built over the top of the Byzantine church which assisted with the preservation of the mosaic.

Whilst we were making our way back to the bus we spotted some young gypsies. They started following us and harassing us and we were warned by our guide they are dangerous and to stay together as they will try and rob you. A shop owner came out of his shop and yelled at them in Arabic and told them to leave. Within seconds, the tourist police were there escorting us back to our bus ensuring they left us alone. As there were not many tourist around except us we were obviously a great target for them but considering how quickly the tourist police were there to assist it put our minds at ease.

Karak Castle

We explored Kerak Castle, an old crusader castle that boasts a lot of history. The castle was built in the 12th century and was once the most powerful crusader castles of the regions due to its location near the crossroads of two major trade routes. It is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage site due to its unique architectural style that is worth visiting.

It was extremely windy the day we were there and bitterly cold. However, the views of the surrounding countryside was stunning. There are endless tunnels that meander through the mountainside to explore and you can explore the dungeons, old kitchens, secret passageways and chambers. I will admit it was a little eery exploring some of the chambers so I was quick to stay close to the rest of the group!

Day 4: Petra

Today we spent the whole day exploring Petra. We hiked over 27 km and did 21,000 steps from sunrise to sundown. This UNESCO World Heritage site is famous for Al-Khazneh, aka the Treasury. However, there is so much more to this lost city than you realise.

My advice is to arrive before the sun is up that way you are sure to get your shot of the treasury before it is littered with tourists vying for the same instagram worthy shot. It also guarantees a peaceful and breathtaking experience when seeing the Treasury for the first time.

After witnessing the Treasury we enjoyed a turkish coffee in a bedouin cave before hiking up to view the Monastery. This is also another remarkable piece of history that is worth the uphill hike.

After our massive day of walking we soothed our sore muscles at the Turkish Bath back at the hotel before making our way back to the Treasury for our Petra by night experience. This was a magical experience. We listened to live bedouin music while witnessing the Siq and and treasury lit up by candlelight.

Day 5: Wadi Rum

This morning we visited Little Petra before making our way to Wadi Rum. Little Petra

After arriving at Wadi Rum, also known as the Valley of the Moon, we jumped in the back of a 4×4 jeep and explored the vast landscapes of the this unique desert. When you think of a desert, you automatically think sand dunes and nothing else. However, to describe Wadi Rum is to liken it to Mars. Scattered throughout the crimson desert are towering sandstone and granite rock formations.

As we explored the desert we found ancient petroglyphs carved into the rock 12,000 years ago and climbed natural stone arches. It is honestly the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. And even though the dunes were small (and nothing to fear), I was a little nervous. Thinking back now, I do not know why I panicked!

After witnessing a beautiful desert sunset we headed to a Bedouin Camp where we spent the night followed by a morning camel ride to watch the sun rise.

Day 6: Aqaba

After enjoying a simple breakfast we started our journey south to the seaside resort town of Aqaba. On our way we stopped at a section of the Hijazi Railway where an old Turkish train still sits from the days of the Ottoman Empire. The locals used to showcase a reenactment of the Great Arab Revolt where tourists could be transported back to 1916 to experience history. While on the train ride actors dressed as Arab fighters would chase the train on horses and Turkish fighters would shoot back at the horsemen. I would have loved to have experienced this educational sight seeing experience however they were not showcasing this when I was there as tourism was so low.

Aqaba is a tax free city and is located on the Red Sea. There were a lot of unfinished resorts and buildings here. Due to the decline in tourism, companies were unable to finish building resorts for the once thriving coastal town.

Standing majestically on the waters edge is the largest flag I have ever seen. The flag represents the Arab Revolution as it billows in the wind. The colours of the flag, red, black green and white represents the same colours on most Arab country flags. Aqaba is the site of the Arab Revolution.

We boarded a boat and spent the day relaxing on the waters of the Red Sea. The Red Sea is perfect for scuba diving and snorkelling. The reef is right on the coastline so the boat ride out to where the good dives are is not far. There is a sunken ship that you can scuba dive and swim under. Unfortunately, I am not a diver so I enjoyed snorkelling and seeing the reef and fish in shallower waters. The water was quite cold so I did not last long. But I was happy to rug up and relax after all the exploring we had done. Coming from Australia that is an island on its own I found it so interesting to view three different countries from the boat. We could see Egypt, Israel and Jordan and in the not to distant Saudi Arabia.

Aqaba is a little more conservative then that of the capital city, Amman, as it is closer to the border of Saudi Arabia which practices Shariya law. We were advised as a women to not walk around on our own. I had no problems as I stayed with the group and dressed respectively according to the countries customs.

On our drive back from the boat trip, our driver witnessed a group of young boys stealing a snorkel and mask from outside a shop. Our driver turned the car back around and cut the boys off and started yelling at them in Arabic. This display proved what our guide had told us previously that locals promote safety in the country by intervening where necessary.

For dinner we dined at a waterfront restaurant that offered delicious local seafood. The view from the restaurants rooftop bar offered nightly views of an Israeli seaside town.

Day 7: Aqaba to Amman

Today we made the journey back to Amman. Before arriving in the city, we were meant to visit the Jordan river where Jesus was baptised but the roads were closed due to an event in the area. The drive was roughly 4 hours.

We enjoyed our last Jordanian dinner with the group. We indulged in traditional Middle Eastern cuisine with tender lamb and mouthwatering fresh dips, such as hummus and baba ghanoush.

Day 8: Amman

After our last breakfast as a group we said our goodbyes and departed Jordan after what was an unforgettable trip!

I look forward to returning to this country one day with the kids. It was an amazing experience and a great introduction to Middle Eastern hospitality.