Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Itinerary

Welcome! Or as they say in Jordan “Ahlan wa sahlan! “ The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is an Arab nation in Western Asia located on the East Bank of the Jordanian River. The people here are friendly and the landscapes are inspiring; here are a few of my top tips and the places we visited.

1. Get the Jordan Pass! There’s no reason not to, especially when you realize that it waives the tourist Visa fee and provides entry to over 40 sites, including Petra and Wadi Rum! Get it here!

Price comparison:

A 3 day Jordan Pass costs 80 JD (113 USD )

A Jordan Visa is 40 JD (57 USD)+ 1 day in Petra 50 JD (70 USD)

80 JD VS 90 JD with only one site visit! It’s just math.

2. Buy alcohol at the airport.

This is a pretty standard rule in the Middle East as the drinks are usually expensive and weak. Get a fifth of vodka or something that can easily spike your drinks, put it in a water bottle and you will save money after just 2 poolside drinks. I’m not an alcoholic I promise.

3. Rent a car.

Unless you want to be at the mercy of giant tour groups this one is worth the expense. Having the autonomy to see sites how we want, stop when we want, and not hang out with a million other people provided significant value to me and my sanity; public transit was not a feasible option.

Side note: the drivers in the ME aren’t…bad BUT they could be considered aggressive. If someone is zooming behind you and flashing their lights just move over and let them pass.

4. Carry cash.

More so than in other countries we found ourselves unable to pay with cards (USD worked in a few clutch situations.) The currency is the Jordanian Dinar (JOD) which is currently valued at $1.41 USD. Save yourself from worrying and hit the ATM.

5. Plan your trip to see Petra nights!

In 2030 every Monday/ Wednesday/ Thursday night you can visit a candlelit Petra. We missed this because of our travel dates but it is just another reason to go back.

6. Stay at multiple locations.

While it is always convenient to stay in one hotel for an entire trip, there would have been serious planning perks from hotel hopping in Jordan. If I was to do it all over I would stay South in either Wadi Rum or Aquaba, Night 2/3 in Petra, Night 4 at a dead sea resort- or vice versa.

7. It's more expensive than you might think. The Middle East in general is quite pricy but the overall cost of this trip caught me off guard. Don’t let this deter you but plan accordingly and don’t expect a budget vacation.

Get The Jordan Pass

Amman Airport (AMM) With the Jordan Pass covering our visa we didn’t actually have to wait in any long customs lines. I’d be interested in hearing other people's experiences because it was all way too easy!

As previously mentioned, use duty-free and buy some alcohol if you’re a drinker- we didn’t because at this moment we weren’t in the “mood” but a few days later after a LOOONG day hiking around Wadi Rum we broke down and cracked into the dreaded hotel mini fridge for some overpriced beer.

Marriott Petra (TT 2:45 Via HWY 15)

Queen Rania Al Abdallah Street Wadi Mousa, Jordan +962 3 215 6407 There were two main resorts in Petra: Marriott and Movenpick. We opted for the former because of lower rates and free breakfast included with our Bonvoy membership. It was nice; nothing to write home about and the rooms were slightly dated but there was a lovely outdoor seating area where we could smoke shisha by the fire and enjoy mixed grill at sunset.

Aquaba (TT 1:45 from Marriott Petra)

This is a very unique region as Joran, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia all share coastal space on the beautiful Red Sea. We went to the free public beach at Al Hafayer, which looks like it normally has quite a few facilities, except everything was closed because Friday is the holy day in Muslim countries. There was a local dude renting snorkel gear (cash only) and a friendly lifeguard who pointed out some of the best coral; he also let us know that even though this is a less touristic beach, people generally do not mind bikinis or western swimsuits. The water was crystal blue with lively coral and if we had time there were many unique dive spots accessible from the coast including a crashed C-130 Hercules, a tank, and an underwater coral garden named “Seven Sisters.”

Wadi Rum (0:55 from Aquaba, 1:30 from Marriott Petra)

When you want to start your day in Jordan but make it to planet Mars by sunset... Wadi Rum was a surreal experience and now that I’ve been it seems to be popping up everywhere! Alladin? The Martian? Star Wars? Transformers? I’m not even a movie buff but it’s really fun to figure out the filming spots! While you could drive yourself we elected to hire a guide on a whim and it was one of our best decisions. Wadi Rum is huge and even though I am very comfortable with my navigational capabilities it would have been difficult not to get lost, let alone maximize our itinerary. Throughout the part, there are dozens of Bedouin tents that provide tea, water, and trinkets for sale. There is also the option of staying at the camps overnight, I would have loved to camp under the stars but perhaps not in the middle of Summer.

Petra:

Do I even have to say anything? I mean…you’ve seen Indiana Jones right?! This is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and while the Treasury is the most well-known, you could easily spend days or weeks exploring this vast rock city. My biggest recommendation is to wake up early and be there at opening, not only will you beat the crowd but the temperature and lighting will also be in your favor. Petra also comes alive by candlelight every M/W/TH from 20:30-22:00, I wish we had known this when our trip was planned.

Wadi Al Mujib, Siq Trail:

This place is EPIC! My friend, Don, found it by randomly clicking around on google maps - lucky find! One of my favorite wadis EVER and a highlight of our trip. Siq Trail feels like you are doing a waterfall hike through the center of Antelope Canyons (AZ.) The hike starts with a leisurely walk upstream, and eventually, you climb a series of waterfalls with the help of ropes and ladders until you reach the largest final waterfall. The trail takes about 2-3 hours depending on your pace, it is not a challenging hike but I would recommend being in reasonably good shape before you do this to help with the portions of swimming and climbing. Type in “Wadi Al Mujib Adventure Center” for proper directions & travel times and bring cash to pay the 21JD entrance fee, this price will also provide you a lifejacket which is required throughout the experience.

Dead Sea:

There are several free beaches on the Dead Sea, if fact there was one directly next to the parking area of Wadi Al Mujib. However, under the advisement of a friend, we drove 30 minutes up HWY 65 to use the resort areas and paid for the day pass at the Holiday Inn (25JD/ pp.) Holiday Inn features multiple pools, bars, and restaurants but is lower on the bougie's totem pole, with Movenpick toward the top (55 JD/ pp.) Jordan turned out to be a pricier trip than we had expected and our time was limited so we almost decided to forgo to resort but I’m so glad we didn’t. It’s hard to imagine just how different a Dead Sea experience is from normal swimming but after a quick float, full-body mud bath, and an accidental dunk in the water (DON’T DO THAT- I'M SO DUMB) I was grateful to have a shower for rinsing off.