Things to do in Jordan: 10 reasons to visit this beautiful country

Jordan is one of the most special countries I have visited in recent years. For a week we enjoyed everything this beautiful country has to offer: from the world wonder Petra to the ancient Roman city of Jerash and from floating in the Dead Sea to waking up in the desert. Still unsure about a trip to Jordan? I’ll tell you what you should definitely do in Jordan and why a trip to this special country should definitely be on your bucket list.

#1 Wonder of the World Petra

Petra was for me the reason why I had wanted to visit Jordan for years. To be honest, I mainly knew Petra from the well-known pictures of the Treasury and I was surprised that Petra was so huge. It really is a complete city. We therefore needed a full day to see all the highlights, but it was so much more beautiful and impressive than I had imagined beforehand. I completely understand why Petra has been named one of the seven wonders of the world. It was the absolute highlight of Jordan for me.

#2 Jerash: the Rome of Jordan

Fortunately, Jordan has much more to offer. In addition to Petra, you should certainly not miss Jerash during a visit to Jordan. Jerash is one of the largest and best preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy. It is even the second most popular place in the country, after Petra. Because the old city of Jerash has been so well preserved, you get a good idea of ​​what the city looked like in the past. It is so special to walk past the ancient amphitheatres, squares and temples. I found Jerash very impressive and I definitely recommend you to visit this city during your trip through Jordan.

#3 The Grand Canyon of Jordan

In the middle of Jordan is a beautiful canyon landscape, which is also called the Grand Canyon. It reminded me a lot of the landscapes in Western America, so I can see where the name Grand Canyon comes from. You will find the Grand Canyon of Jordan on the King’s Highway. This road runs from Amman to Petra, right through the mountain ranges. The King’s Highway is the slowest option to get from Amman to Petra because of the many hairpin bends (there are two highways next to it), but it is without a doubt the most beautiful option. Along the King’s Highway you can visit many beautiful places, of which the Grand Canyon was one of my favorite stops.

#4 The Wadi Mujib dam

Another stop on the King’s Highway not to be missed is the Wadi Mujib dam. Even from the car you can hear how bizarrely hard the water plunges down here. From the dam you have a beautiful view of the flowing water with the mountain ranges in the background. You have the best view of the dam itself when you drive up from the Wadi Mujib Dam towards Petra. You will then come to a cafe which is called ‘Grand Canyon’ on Google Maps. Although you already have a nice view here, I would advise you to drive a little further to the next cafe. From here the view is even more beautiful and it is often a bit quieter, because fewer tour buses stop here. A small terrace has been created where you can enjoy the great view while enjoying a drink.

#5 Spending the night in the Wadi Rum desert

The most special place where you can stay in Jordan is without a doubt in the middle of the Wadi Rum desert. With 720 square kilometers this desert is one of the largest deserts in the world. It is a beautiful area with red dunes, large open plains and huge rock formations of up to 1700 meters high. During the day we drove a jeep through this special desert. The Bedouins showed us the most beautiful places of Wadi Rum, from huge rocks to beautiful canyons. A little later we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and at night we admired the clear starry sky. Sleeping in a Bedouin camp in the Wadi Rum desert is a truly unique experience and something you should definitely do in Jordan.

#6 The many old fortresses and castles

Jordan is packed with old fortresses and castles. Despite the fact that some castles are more than 1000 years old, many are still in good condition. We visited, among other things, Al-Karak, a huge seven-storey castle, built on a large hill. The underground passages in particular are still almost completely intact, but large parts of the arches and corridors are still intact. I thought it was a very impressive place and I was especially surprised at the size of Al-Karak. From the castle you also have a beautiful view of the green hills in the area. I also found the castle of Shobak very impressive. What is also nice is that almost all castles and fortresses in Jordan can be visited for free with a Jordan Pass.

#7 Floating in the Dead Sea

Floating in the Dead Sea was one of the most special experiences of our tour and it is something you should definitely do in Jordan in my opinion. The area is located at 427 meters below sea level, making it the lowest point on earth. Due to the high salinity in the Dead Sea, you will float on the water here. In addition, the water and mud of the Dead Sea has a healing effect, so that you come home completely zen and with soft skin. I really thought it was a unique experience to float weightlessly in the sea.

#8 The beautiful surroundings

In addition to highlights such as Petra, Jerash and the Dead Sea, the environment in Jordan is also beautiful. Earlier I told you about the King’s Highway where you drive from peak to peak, but the environment along the other roads is also beautiful: from the green hills near Jerash to the mountain ranges at Petra and the red desert in Wadi Rum. Despite the sometimes downright chaotic traffic, it was wonderful to do a road trip here. Especially south of Amman, driving was easy and we were very happy that we had rented a car ourselves to discover this special country at our own pace.

Guide to traveling throughout Jordan country in one week

#9 The delicious food and drinks

The food alone is a good reason to go to Jordan. We had a really delicious meal for a week. Among other things, we enjoyed fresh falafel, flatbread, hummus, baba ganoush, grilled meats, good salads, cheese and baklava. The food in Jordan is not only super tasty, but also very affordable. The cheapest we ate at Hashem in Amman for only 2.25 Jordanian Dinar (less than 3 euros) per person. Hashem is a household name in Jordan and its famous falafel certainly did not disappoint. Our most expensive meal was 17 Jordanian Dinar at the Basin in the middle of Petra. The best meal was the traditional buffet with underground barbecue in the middle of the Wadi Rum desert.

The Jordanian drinks were also well received. I loved the fresh lemon-mint drink, but the Jordanian tea was my favorite. You can order a cup of traditional Jordanian tea almost everywhere, which is made from more than 10 different fresh herbs, such as mint and cardamon. The tea is often served with homemade cookies and a delicacy that resembles Turkish delight. Even in the mountains of Petra we were served a glass of Jordanian tea everywhere. The Bedouins in Petra also called it ‘the rum of the deserts’. I couldn’t get enough of it myself.

#10 The friendly locals

It is somewhat related to the previous point: the friendly locals who offer you a delicious cup of tea every so often, is definitely a reason to go to Jordan. Despite the fact that not everyone speaks good English, the people here are super helpful and hospitable. Where in Asia we are usually wary when people just want to start a friendly conversation, they didn’t have a hidden agenda here and they really wanted to chat and ask where you come from and what you think of Jordan. The Bedouin in Petra in particular were very friendly and hospitable and we spent more than an hour talking here, so we also learned a lot about Jordan.