Discovering Jordan: 2 weeks itinerary - Travel Guide

Madaba & the Dead Sea

Madaba is a very authentic, full of history and cute city only 30 minutes drive from Amman airport. Therefore, it is a perfect place to stay to visit the area : the Dead Sea, Mount Nebo, Ma’in Hot Springs, Wadi Al Mujib, Wadi Attun, Wadi Bin Hammad, and more. 

What to do in Madaba ? 

Madaba, also known as the City of Mosaics, is worth visiting with its beautiful churches and Byzantine era mosaics. Don’t miss :

• the greek orthodox church of Saint George where you will find the well known 6th century map of the Holy Land

• the ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK (included in the jordan pass) and its beautiful mosaics

• and the Roman catholic church of St John the Baptist where you will climb the bell tower all the way to the top for a wonderful view over Madaba.

If you’re looking for delicious and affordable jordinian kitchen, make sure to stop by Ayola Restaurant and ask for their recommendation : we went back 4 times in 3 days… And another good address : the bookstore cafe where you can buy your next reading, discover very rare books and have a great coffee / snack on a lovely sunny terass. 

What to do around Madaba? 

There are a lot of things to discover around Madaba. Mount Nebo, its church and stunning viewpoint is easily accessible by car. You can pass by on your way to the Dead Sea for example. Same for Ma’in Hot Springs also known as Hammamat Ma'in (15 JOD entrance) which is the most famous thermal spring of Jordan.

Experiencing the Dead Sea

If, just like for us, it’s your first time at the Dead Sea, you can’t miss the experience of floating in this super dense, salty and dreamy water : it literally feels like a dream. Before you go, you need to know that for health reasons, you won’t spend more than 15 minutes in the water and you will need a shower right after. 

You will have two options to swim in the dead sea : 

• Paying a fancy hotel for a day pass (between 20 and 30 JOD per person). As 3 girls, we chose this option to avoid feeling uncomfortable in bikinis on the public beaches. It is way overpriced and the hotels aren’t that special but we enjoyed the view, the swim, as well as the mud bath and the salt scrubbing provided by the hotel.

• Going to the public beach “Free Beach On Dead Sea” and carrying mineral water to get rid of the salt. We met some people who did it this way and had a great time. 

Canyoning in Wadi Al Mujib

Wadi Al Mujib is an unmissable experience in western Jordan. It has two trails you can choose from. The first one is from above. It requires sliding equipment and a guide. The second one which we chose is taking you through the spectacular canyon (in and out for around 2.5 hours). It is very accessible and a lot of fun. The site is very touristy so I would recommend starting either really early in the morning or just before the closing around 2:00 pm. It costs 21 JOD/person. 

If you want to explore the area a bit more, you will find other Wadis around : we heard a lot about Wadi Attun and Wadi Bin Hammad for example.

Petra

Petra… The place for which 90% of the people come to Jordan, but for a reason! The rose coloured city is spread over tens of square kilometers and has so much to offer. No matter how much you read about Petra, or see pictures of it, that first glimpse of the lost city of the Nabateans will take you by surprise.

2 days itinerary in Petra 

Two days is a good amount of time to explore the main parts of Petra : the Bab Al Siq and the Obelisk Tomb, the Siq, the Treasury, the Street of Façades, the Theater, the Royal Tombs, the Colonnaded Street and the Monastery. Before you start, here is an important advice : there is barely any shade in Petra, so be prepared to do a lot of walking in full sun!

Day 1 : First steps in the wonders of Petra

Start at the visitor center and make your way through the Sik and take the time to follow the secondary trails around the Treasury also called “Khazneh”. Make sure to engage with the bedouins as they will be the only ones able to take you off tracks and show you the beautiful hidden parts of the lost city… 

You want to see the treasure from above? Take the "Al-Khubtha Trail" (at the entrance, a map allows you to see the whole site and its hikes). 

Day 2 : Hike from Little Petra to the Monastery

Wake up very early, leave your car at the visitor center, take a taxi to little Petra (10 JOD) and follow the hiking path all the way to the Monastery. The trail is well indicated and not that crowded, the view is absolutely unreal and you will avoid 800 steep steps up to the Monastery by arriving from the other side. 

You will then walk all the way to the visitor center passing by all the main monuments… 

Where to stay in Petra ?

Depending on your budget and your expectations, you can choose from various options : from fancy hotels with amazing views on the valley to authentic bedouins camps. We booked last minute and decided to stay at “Nomads Hostel” for 10 JOD / person / night in a dorm. It was really nice, especially the rooftop. The staff was also super friendly and helpful. We met a few people along the way who stayed at “Little Petra Bedouin Camp” and had a great time.

Wadi Rum 

Dreaming of an outstanding experience? Consider spending one (or even two) nights in the Wadi Rum desert and let the magic happen… There are many many different camps in Wadi Rum and I would highly recommend choosing a small bedouin camp for an authentic experience. 

We stayed two nights and experienced a perfect little camp in the middle of the desert called “Get your Tour in Wadi Rum”. Everything was so special : our first steps in the red sand dunes, the diner cooked underground, the incredible evening with the bedouins by the bonfire, the quiet night under thousands of stars, the full day jeep tour and all the stories of our guide Armed…

From April to the end of October, you can also decide to sleep under the stars and choose bivouac camping. This way, you won’t miss the chance to wake up to the rising sun casting the mountains of Wadi Rum…

Aqaba & the Red Sea

Aqaba is the place to be if you’re looking for beautiful coral reefs… There are many sites to explore, all available for snorkeling and diving : 7 sisters, Jordanian Air Force C-130 (yes, there is a whole aircraft sunk in the sea), American M42 Duster Tank, Japanese garden. All sites are very easily accessible from the beach. The snorkel gears can be rented directly on the beach for 5 JD/day without fins.

After a full day of snorkeling or diving, you’ll probably be starving. You can walk around the really nice market in Aqaba and try all the spices you could image and then make sure to visit : 

• Hachems Son for super tasty Jordan kitchen
• Abu Baker for Fishs for perfect fresh fish

Good to know : I would recommend staying a bit more south from Aqaba especially when the weather is hot. It can get really hard to deal with the heat in the city, it will be easier along the coast with some fresh breeze.  We had a nice time at Aqaba Adventure Divers Resort & Dive Center.

Dana Biosphere Reserve

Dana Biosphere Reserve was one of our favorite places in Jordan. Often completely overshadowed by heavy-hitters like Wadi Rum and Petra, Dana is the largest nature reserve in Jordan. Referred to as the Jordan’s Wild Side, it is a protected park and important efforts are being made by the country to keep it that way..

The grandeur of the red and white sandstone cliffs of Wadi Dana and the absolute silence are enough to explain why it’s worth a stay. We would recommend 2 nights, at least one, depending on how much you like hiking.

Where to stay in Dana Biosphere Reserve?

There are a few options around Dana. From the Rummana campsite with basic tents to the famous (and not that affordable) Feynan Ecolodge… We decided to stay at Al Nawatef eco Camp and we absolutely loved it! When we arrived, we had the choice between a room between stone walls or a very cute tent. Even if the tent seemed more authentic, we picked the stone walls to avoid mosquitos (and didn’t regret it). The restaurant serves a traditional breakfast buffet every morning and an amazing dinner buffet for 8JD/person (2022). Needless to say, you will never run out of tea… 

How to choose your hiking trail in Dana Reserve ? 

Dana Biosphere Reserve has so much trekking and nature-watching to offer. Al Nawatef eco Camp proposes many options from which you can pick when you get there. We guess it would be the same at most of the camps. Unlike the rest of the country, not many people are able to speak english. Unfortunately, being unable to talk with your hiking guide is very normal there. But the landscapes are talking for themselves. Here is an overview of the different trails.

Our favorite desert castles: top 3

Did you know that there are very well preserved castles in the desert? Well, we didn’t until other travelers told us about them. So we decided to take a look and started driving to the east side of the country. 

Qasr Amra

Qasr Amra, located 131 km (81 miles) from Amman in eastern Jordan, maybe the most important of all the castles in Jordan. You might get invited for tea with the « king of the desert » (that's actually how he introduced himself)  in the tent at the main entrance of the castle. He and his friends were very friendly and showed us around. 

Qasr Al Kharana 

Qasr Kharana is one of the most well-preserved desert castles in Jordan. Located just 55 km east of the capital city of Amman, Qasr Kharana was built around 711 CE. Guides are not required at Qasr Kharana. It’s very easy to explore the ruins on your own.

Qasr Al Mushatta 

This castle is located 30 km from Amman on the north side of Queen Alia International Airport. The castle was created for Caliph Al-Walid II between 743-744 during his brief reign. Qasr al-Mushatta is a free and easy day trip from Amman.

Amman

We decided to spend our last 2 days exploring the capital city of Jordan. Amman is a vibrant city, absolutely different from the rest of the country. The place has so many historic sites and cultural activities that you can easily spend there a pleasant day or two. Aman is very hilly, you will be happy to use Uber (which is mostly cheaper than local taxi) at the end of a long day.

What to do in Amman?

Most of the attractions are included in the Jordan Pass : our favorites were Amman Citadel and the Roman Theater. 

The blue mosque King Abullah I is also worth a detour, the entrance is 2 JD per person and the architecture is very impressive.

From the Theater / Citadel area, you can walk to downtown Amman, the traditional market area in Amman where you can find basically anything. If you wanna bring souvenirs, that’s the place and don’t forget to use your best bargaining skills. I highly recommend visiting Habibah Sweets for their Knafeh, they are truly delicious and Hachem Restaurant for the best Falafels in town.