Petra was on my list to visit for some time and in November 2021 we had a week off, so Jordan seemed just the right destination.
It ended on my travel bucket list because of a book a read a few years back, Married to a Beduin – it is a memoir of Marguerite van Geldermalsen who lives with her bedouin husband in Petra, before the ancient city became a top touristic attraction.
This small country is probably one of the most popular destinations in the Middle East and for good reason. Deserts, canyons, good food, historical and religious sights, friendly people, and Petra – one of the 7 wonders of the modern world – are the main reasons why Jordan is totally worth a visit. It is also a safe country despite the troubled neighbors.
jordan has a high human development index, ranking 102nd and is considered an upper middle income economy, attractive for foreign investors because of the skilled workforce.
Credit Cards and ATMs
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted and you can pay by card in cities, gas stations, and most shops but it may be a problem in remote areas like Wadi Rum. Make sure you always carry some cash.
Easiest is to get JDs from the ATMs. For 200JD redraw the fee was 4JD.
How to travel around Jordan – we always prefer a rental car for the flexibility. There are also drivers or taxis to book for short as well as long trips. Another alternative for long trips is to book a tour with transportation included. In Amman Uber is also a viable option.
We booked one car online before arrival and picked it up from the airport. The process was easy and fast.
If you rent a car and plan to travel to more remote places like Wadi Rum or Petra take a 4×4, so you don’t risk getting stuck in the sand.
For navigation you can either request a car with GPS included or like we did: download before arrival the Jordan map so you have it available offline AND for additional safety, we bought a sim card with mobile data included. Can be found at the airport in the mobile provider shops or in the city. Is always wise to have the internet at hand for information.
Budget – I would say Jordan is moderate expensive, depends what you want. For us, this trip was not about budget but having a good time and feeling comfortable. Decent hotels charge between 120 – 200 euros a night. Main spendings we had, for two people:
- Accommodation (5 nights) ~ 650 euros. All hotels had breakfast included.
- Food and drinks ~ 270 euro
- Entry tickets ~ 300 euro
- Travel cost
- car rental for 5 days, two drivers and full insurance ~ 400 euro
- Flights (Ryaniar) ~ 400 euro
- Gas ~ 70 euro
You can easily spend two weeks in Jordan but if you are short on time I hope this post inspires your travel plans.
Day 1 - Amman
We arrived in Amman – Queen Alia International Airport – and picked up the rented car. Traffic can be a bit chaotic and we did not want to mess up with that, nor the parking, so we choose a hotel close to the airport, Opal Hotel. After check-in we left the car and used Uber to go to Amman and back without worries.
The Amman international airport is named after Queen Alia, second wife of previous king of Jordan – Abdullah I of Jordan. She died in 1977. The airport was finalised in 1983 and named in her honour.
We spent one afternoon and evening in Amman just walking through the city which seemed like a never-ending Bazar. Depending on how much time you have available, visit the Roman Amphitheater, climb up the Citadel for sunset, or head to the Jordan Museum.
amman earliest evidence of settlement dates back to 8th millennium bc, in a neolithic site known as ‘ain ghazal, where the world’s oldest statues of the human form were found.
If you have only one meal in Amman let it be at Hashem restaurant. Really local, tasty and affordable food. It is also one of the oldest restaurants in Amman, founded in 1956.
Day 2 - Wadi Rum
Early in the morning, we started the trip to Wadi Rum, on the Desert Highway. The trip, including short stops, took us around 5 hours. Traffic is decent but as a driver pay attention. Roundabouts seem to be everywhere, there are no marking lines on the highways and the separations between sense is sometimes missing. The landscape is impressive, many times you have the feeling you are on a different planet as there is only stone, sand, and mountain around.
wadi rum is an unesco world heritage site and was the location for filming several famous movies including “lawrence of arabia”, “star wars: the rise of skywalker”, “the martian” and many others.
Once you arrive in the desert you will be absolutely amazed because this place is so special and spectacular.
We spent the night in a Bedouin camp and the next day we took 2 hours of desert tour. All details about the desert night and day in a special post here.
Day 3 - Wadi Musa and Petra by Night
We left Wadi Rum around noon and headed towards Petra. Approximately 2 hours later, in the early afternoon, we arrived in Wadi Musa – the town adjacent to Petra. Driving around the city is a bit of an adventure because is very hilly, the streets are narrow and cars are parked everywhere.
For a good spicy coffee and a great view, I recommend Bahia Rooftop & Restaurant. They also have good food and the people are extremely nice and helpful.
While there we were the only people in the café, so the whole experience was very intimate.
We stayed in a hotel at the top of the town, The Old Village Hotel & Resort, with ~ 150 euro a night. It is an elegant hotel, a bit away from the town center, therefore, more quiet and the room are very cozy and comfortable.
The sunset over Petra is beautiful and you can enjoy it from the restaurant area.
We had dinner at the hotel, which was a very divers buffet, especially the desert area which seemed to have endless choices. Then we took the shuttle bus, offered by the hotel, to go to Petra for the night show.
Petra by Night is an amazing way to explore the old city by candlelight.
The show runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday starting at 20:30. Tickets can be bought at the Visitor Center shops and you need to have a valid daylight ticket or Jordan pass.
The tour duration is 2 hours and the ticket costs 17JD.
Day 4 - Petra
We woke up early and headed for the main attraction of this trip – amazing Petra. We spent one full day here and I dedicated a full post to that, here.
If you have more time definitely you can spend it, Petra is huge and I am sure you will discover something new at every step.
Be prepared to be absolutely exhausted after one day in Petra. We, for sure were but decided to head anyhow towards the next stop – the Dead Sea. We started on King’s Highway and continued on Jordan Valley Highway. The whole valley seems like a green line cutting through the endless rocky landscape.
Day 5 - Dead Sea
When we arrived at the Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa (one of the many hotels along the sea) it was already dark and we were done with the day. Had a quick dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was not great food and pricy.
The air in the area of the Dead Sea is different, more humid, and salty. Don’t know how to explain exactly but feels interesting. The temperature is warmer than in Petra or Wadi Rum.
After the Petra marathon, we wanted to recover and spent the day at the beach and floating in the water. It is such an interesting experience, no matter what you do to sink in the water, your body is pushed back on top. One can read a book while just laying in and on the water and the paper will not get wet.
After a swim in the sea, the skin remains very salty and oily.
Relaxed and healed by the Dead Sea experience we drove the last piece of the trip, back to Amman. We took the same hotel to be close to the airport for the next morning’s flight. Once at the hotel, we decided to have another look at Amman and enjoy one last Arabic dinner.
The next morning we flew back home. Returning the car to the airport took less than 5 minutes and without any problems.
The time we spent in Jordan was short but intense. I liked it very much and can only recommend a visit. It is a beautiful country with amazing sites to see.
Probably I will return and allocate more days. Would like to see Aqaba, seems to be a good spot to dive in the Red Sea and Wadi Mujib for some hiking tours.
Regardless of the time of the year, Jordan is a great destination with such a diversity of activities and sights to see.
