Jordan Things to Do Tips by Rodan44

Wadi Rum Desert

The stunning desert landscape of Wadi Rum more resembles the surface of Mars than anywhere on Earth. The sand dunes are broken only by large red rock formations that were formed millions of years ago by ancient oceans. Wadi Rum is a great place for trekking, either by foot, camel, or 4x4. It is also home to many nomadic Bedouins, whose tents can be seen scattered throughout the area. If you have the chance, I highly recommend camping in Wadi Rum. There are many well run campsites, and the star filled night sky is spectacular!

Directions: Far south close to Aqaba and the Saudi border.

Desert Castles

In the desert east of Amman along the highway to Iraq lie several well preserved early Islamic castles. Despite being called castles, many of them were actually desert palaces used as country retreats or trade outposts by their rulers.

We were able to visit 3 of these castles on a day-trip from Amman. They included Qasr al-Kharana, Qusair Amra (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and Qasr al-Azraq, a black basalt fort where T.E. Lawrence was once stationed.

Directions: One and a half hour drive east of Amman along the highway to Iraq.

Petra

The anicient Nabatean city of Petra is unquestionably the most impressive site in all of Jordan, if not the Middle East. The Nabateans were an Arab people who ruled a vast empire in the Middle East beginning over 2 millenia ago, and Petra was their most important city.

The city itself is most remarkable because the original buildings were all carved directly into the rock cliffs of a deep, narrow gorge. The site is reached by trekking down a spectacular kilometer long very narrow chasm, known as the siq. Petra's most impressive monument, al-Kazneh (the Treasury) lies at the end of this chasm and is breath-takingly beautiful. The building was used in the closing sequence of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Further into the gorge is an entire city, complete with temples, tombs, theatres, and colonnaded streets. In later days, the Romans supplanted the Nabateans and added their own architecture to the city.

Petra is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and draws a tremendous amount of visitors. Most of the site can be explored in a long day, but two would be ideal. It requires a significant amount of walking, so dress accordingly. There are cafes and souvenir stalls open inside the site.

Directions: Town of Wadi Musa, along the King's Highway 3 hours south of Amman.

Kerak Castle

The city of Kerak contains a large and impressive castle built by crusaders during the 12th century on the site of an earlier citadel from the Nabatean times. The castle held a strategic position used to control trade along the main north-south caravan route. Saladin besieged the castle and eventually took it for the Arabs in 1189.

The castle ruins today are a maze of tunnels and vaulted passageways, wonderful to explore freely. It can be quite dark inside as there are no electric lights, so bring along a flashlight.

Directions: King's Highway south of Madaba

Madaba

Madaba is an important site along the old King's Highway, and the city is famous for its numerous ancient mosacis from the 5th to 7th centuries. St. George Greek Orthodox Church houses the most impressive of the mosaics, a 6th century map of the Holy Land that shows great detail of the important cities and villages of the time.

Directions: King's Highway south of Amman

Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo rises high above the Dead Sea valley and is an important religious pilgrimage site, as it is reputedly the place where Moses died and was buried. At the site is an old Christian Church that contains an impressive ancient mosaic floor. There is also a large modern cross that overlooks the valley below. The views are definitely stunning, and one can see cities in Palestine such as Jericho from this point. The Pope also visited here in 2000.

Directions: The road to the summit starts from either Madaba or the Dead Sea resorts below.

The Dead Sea

At more than 400 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest spot on earth. The sea itself (really a lake) is fed by the Jordan River and surrounding wadis, but it has no outlet to the ocean. Thus, the water is only lost to evaporation, leaving behind all of the minerals deposited there. The result is that the water has six times the salt concentration of the ocean, making the waters incredibly buoyant. The most remarkable thing about swimming in the dead sea is that you float practically on top of the surface and cannot sink even if you try. But be careful if you have any exposed cuts on your body, as they will sting like mad!

There are several excellent 4 and 5 star resorts on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. They offer a stunning view of the sea and Palestine on the opposite side.

Roman Ruins of Jerash

Jerash contains some of the best preserved ancient Roman ruins in the world. In fact, the ruins form a complete Roman city, including an entry gate, several temples, two amphitheatres, a hippodrome, an oval plaza, fountains, public baths, and column lined streets. The site gives a very clear image of what an important provincial Roman city in the middle east would have looked like so many millenia ago. Definitely a must see!

Amman

The Jordanian capital city of Amman is a modern Arab city, but it still contains some traces of its ancient past. The city sprawls out over numerous hills, called Jebels, making it a difficult city to walk around.

The historical sites are all clustered in the old city, the highlight of which is the Citadel, which has Roman, Omayyad, and Byzantium ruins, as well as the large Roman amphitheatre. Another must see site is the King Abdullah Mosque, with its beautiful blue mosaic dome and towering minarets. It is also one of the few mosques that allows non-Muslims inside, and I would highly recommend a visit.

The old city also contains numerous little cafes and pastry shops where you can sample some excellent and affordable local cuisine.