There are many must-see places in Jordan, a country with a magical beauty and a must-see destination for all travel lovers, that will surprise you at every step.
Located in the Middle East and very safe, despite being close to countries in conflict, it is a place of peace and as we say, safe to travel and explore it for free.
Petra, one of the 7 wonders of the world, is the jewel of Jordan and the main attraction for tourism, in which the tour of the Siq Gorge, to the incredible Treasure, will be one of the moments that, we are sure, you will remember lifetime.
Float in the Dead Sea, see the seabed of the Red Sea in Aqaba, tour the Desert castles like Lawrence of Arabia, walk along the Wadi Mujib gorge, visit the Roman city of Jerash, get to know the biblical places, sleep watching the stars In the Wadi Rum desert or getting lost in Amman, these are just some of the many reasons to visit Jordan.
Jordan, even if you are in the unstable area of the Middle East, is a safe country to explore on your own by rental car or taking taxis. Another more comfortable option is to book this circuit in Jordan where you will visit its main wonders with a guide in Spanish.
Based on our trip to Jordan for free, we have made a list of what we believe are 10 most beautiful places to see in Jordan. We start!
1. Petra
Petra, the lost city of stone and former capital of the Nabateans, is one of the places to see in Jordan and, without a doubt, one of the most incredible in the world.
More than 2000 years ago, this city, built in the middle of the desert and surrounded by rocky mountains, was a mandatory stop on commercial routes. Rich merchants invested part of their money in building temples and tombs carved into the rock, but over time the routes were lost, as was the city, which remained missing from the world for many centuries.
Its privileged situation, which can only be accessed by the Siq, an incredible gorge, meant that it was not rediscovered until the early nineteenth century.
We recommend visiting Petra with peace of mind in two days. The first day we recommend you enter at the time they open, in order to tour the Siq and take pictures of the Treasury without people. Another recommendation is to enjoy the night show "Petra By Night", before visiting the pink city, since the first vision of the Treasury and the Siq will be much more surprising.
Petra's most prominent places are the Treasury, at the end of the Siq and the Monastery in the upper part of the city. For hiking enthusiasts there is a route of about 12 kilometers with impressive landscapes between Petra and Little Petra, which can be part of a day if you have an extra day in the magnificent Petra.
There are several ways to get to Petra from many parts of Jordan by public transport, taxi or rental car. eAlthough it should be taken into account that buses and minibuses depart from Amman early in the morning to Petra, with which the journey time is about 4 hours. The taxi or van is much more expensive, about 100 euros the vehicle.
An interesting and comfortable option is to book a trip to Petra with a guide in Spanish that will allow you to learn more about Petra's history.
Petra
2. Wadi Rum Desert
Spending the night in a jaima watching the spectacular starry sky in the Wadi Rum desert, is one of the best things to do in Jordan. As a curiosity we will tell you that in this mountainous desert, located at 1600 meters high, in which Bedouin tribes live, much of the famous film was shot "Lawrence of Arabia".
The desert is mostly covered by jeep, although you can do routes by camel or quad. During the route you will enjoy incredible landscapes with dunes, canyons, stone bridges and gorges, in addition to being able to see ancient petroglyphs drawn by the Nabateans, discover places that inspired Lawrence of Arabia, drink tea with the Bedouins or eat lamb, cooked for hours under the desert sand, which will become part of the entire collection of the great moments you will spend in Wadi Rum.
If you are not making a circular route by rental car, you can reach the Visitor Center in less than 1 hour, from Wadi Rum from Aqaba by taxi, or from Petra in an hour and a half. In the center you can hire the 4 × 4 excursion that includes the night in the desert or if you have already hired the excursion online, arrive by taxi to the tour's company camp.
Wadi rum
3. Dead Sea and Wadi Mujib
Floating on the sea is one of the amazing experiences you can enjoy when you visit Jordan. The Dead Sea located 430 meters below sea level, between Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, has a high salt content that allows you to float without doing anything special or any effort. These waters with lots of magnesium, calcium and potassium, also have healing properties, so many travelers come here to spend several days doing treatments.
If this is your idea, in a part of the Dead Sea shore large hotels have been built with spas and private beaches, where you can get different healthy treatments with their waters and mud.
If you do not want to stay in any hotel, you can pay the entrance as we did at Amman Beach and only use their shower, pool and changing room services to enjoy a day at the Dead Sea.
After taking a small bath and having the feeling of buoyancy, especially watch that you do not get water in your eyes, you can do a skin treatment covering yourself with mud for about 15 minutes, which will make you continue traveling Jordan with excellent skin.
You can arrive by bus or taxi to the Dead Sea from Amman, which is an hour and a half away by car.
Another good option is to book a guided tour in Spanish that in addition to the Dead Sea you will visit the biblical places of Bethany.
Another alternative to complete the visit to the Dead Sea is to make the beautiful Wadi Mujib Gorge that ends with a waterfall. The tour will not take you more than 3 hours, round trip and is an excellent complement to the visit to the Dead Sea.
Dead Sea
4. Madaba
Madaba, the city of mosaics, is another of the most essential places to see in Jordan. Its most prominent place is located on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, the huge mosaic that reproduces in the form of a map, Jerusalem and the Holy Land of the sixth century, is a wonder. Its more than two million colored tiles form the oldest map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land that is preserved.
Located about 30km south of Amman, near the Dead Sea, you can easily reach it by bus, taxi or by booking a guided tour in Spanish that also includes a visit to Mount Nebo.
Madaba
5. Jerash, one of the places to see in Jordan
Jerash or Gerasa, called the Pompeii of Asia, was one of the most important ancient Roman cities in the Middle East. Located north of Amman, Jerash is one of the best preserved cities of the Roman Empire, it remained protected under the desert sand until 1920.
The most interesting places in Jerash are: the Arch of Hadrian, the Oval Square, the Hippodrome, the South and North Theaters, the Cardo Maximus, the Ninfeo or the Temple of Artemis.
Jerash is less than an hour by taxi or bus from Amman. Another good option is to book a guided tour in Spanish that includes Ajlun Castle, a Muslim fortress with excellent views.
Jerash, one of the places to see in Jordan
6. Desert Castles
To the east of Amman, scattered throughout the desert are several ancient castles, which are worth visiting. Many of these ancient castles or mansions were used as caravans, in which caravans that traded with species and other products used to rest or spend the night. The Qusayr Amra is the most famous castle, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, has incredible frescoes with hunting scenes, fruits and women. The Qasr Kharana is the most spectacular and the one that is best preserved with its huge square structure of two floors in the middle of nowhere.
Finally, the Qasr Al Azraq is the most visited of the desert castles, Lawrence of Arabia used it as a fortress and center of operations during the Arab revolution.
To get to the castles the best option is by taxi or rental car, another good option is to book this excursion with a guide in Spanish that includes the Dead Sea.
Qusair Amra, one of the Desert Castles
7. Monte Nebo and Bethany
There are several places mentioned in the Old and New Testaments to see in Jordan, such as Mount Nebo and the Jordan River area. One of the places that concentrate more pilgrims is in Bethany, on the bank of the Jordan, where it is said that John the Baptist baptized Jesus. It is curious to see across the river, the border and the soldiers of Israel, as well as many people fill or buy bottles of this miraculous water.
Mount Nebo, the place where Moses glimpsed the Promised Land and died after a long journey from Egypt, is another place you cannot miss. From the top of Mount Nebo you will enjoy beautiful views of the Dead Sea and Israel.
Mount nebo
8. Amman
Amman, known as the white city, is an interesting mix of modernity and tradition. Markets with intense aromas of the species and old buildings are counteracted by designer shops and western restaurants.
The capital of Jordan, built on 7 hills, highlights the Citadel hill with magnificent views of the entire city and several important archaeological remains such as those of the Umayyad Palace and the Temple of Hercules. In the Citadel there is also the Archaeological Museum of Jordan that has some of the famous Dead Sea Manuscript.
In the lower part of the city you can stroll through its streets full of atmosphere to the Roman theater of the second century A.D. and the busy Plaza Hashemita. Near the square is the King Abdullah I Mosque, which stands out for its impressive blue dome and further away you can see the beautiful Abu Darwish mosque, decorated with black and white stones.
Amman
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
9. Karak Castle
On the way from Amman to Petra or Wadi Rum, if you have enough time, it is worth a detour to visit Karak Castle, another place to see in Jordan. At the time of the crusades in the Middle East, this fortress was built at almost 1000 meters of altitude, which served to monitor and protect commercial caravans from Egypt and elsewhere. After a while it was used for spearhead of military expeditions of the Crusaders, in the end after several assaults the fortress passed into Muslim hands.
It is one of the best preserved fortresses in the Middle East, its underground galleries, dungeons, passageways and its incredible views will make you not regret spending your time.
Karak Castle
10. Aqaba
Most routes through Jordan end with a few relaxing days in Aqaba, gateway to the Red Sea and Jordan's only port. The city has a great tourist infrastructure with hotels and resorts on the beach, western shops, restaurants to eat fresh fish, and all kinds of sports and leisure activities. Its biggest claim is the seabed of the Red Sea full of corals, turtles and goldfish that make it one of the best places in the world to dive or snorkel.
There is a good bus connection between Aqaba and Amman, the journey time is between 4 and 5 hours, the taxi for its high price is not recommended.
If you feel like helping us expand the list 10 essential places to see in Jordan, add yours in the comments.
