Amman, Jordan… is it worth visiting?

[Hairbrush123]

I’ve been fascinated with visiting Amman for years and I’ve finally managed to convince DH to go. We are eyeing up September. Love to see Petra, Dead Sea, Wadi Rum as well. We plan to visit for 6 nights - is this too much or too little? Thanks

I would really recommend making time for Jerash- it’s unbelievable and we enjoyed it almost more than Petra. In Petra, get off the main track pretty quickly and hike through the quieter trails. The begging etc is quite bad If you can, try to make time for the Dana reserve and Wadi Mujib too if possible. Aqaba is great for diving.

Amman has some wonderful sights such as the Citadel, amphitheatre and mosque. There is also some AMAZING eating to be done.!

Are you driving? If so a week should be ok- just. If you are taking public transport you’ll need a lot more time. Probably ten days to a couple of weeks.

Jordan is a beautiful country. Jerash is also well worth a visit too. Amman is a useful base for travelling around Jordan, which is quite easy to do, but there isn't a huge amount to see there. You could also consider staying in Madaba, rather than Amman.

@PARunnerGirl thanks! I would like to drive in Jordan but how easy is it to drive in Jordan? I would say I’m a competent driver and quite enjoy driving in the UK. I would avoid driving in Amman as I hear it’s chaotic but would love to rent a car to drive to the Dead Sea and other places!

@ByeByeTrain I will look into that, thanks!

@Hairbrush123 You will be fine driving in Jordan/ Amman then It is a bit mental at times but at those times it’s like no one is following any rules so it’s not like you’re doing wrong, as such Jerash is not far from Amman at all and so worth a visit.

I recommend “Sufra” for dinner in Amman (get a courtyard table. In Madaba the restaurant we loved (also courtyard) was something like Haret Jdoidna. If you have time to stop at the environmental project Al Numejra on your way to Petra, please do! Amazing guys doing amazing things who will feed you, talk to you about climate change in Jordan, show you around their gardens and smoke shisha with you (in our case they wouldn’t take a penny - although we secreted a note under our plate!).

Petra, as I say, do the main walk up to the monastery but then get off the main track and walk up to the high place of sacrifice. We hardly saw one other person up there.

Above is Wadi Mujib, Al numeira and Jerash. Here is the courtyard restaurant in Madaba, our Bedouin camp in Dana and walking down from the High Place of Sacrifice.

We skipped Wadi Rum because we only had five days. We are definitely going back to combine that with diving in Aqaba.

It’s a wonderful country. Enjoy!

@PARunnerGirl fantastic photos! It’s reassuring to hear about your experience with driving around Jordan - feel a bit more confident! Really good suggestions. Thanks.

Some ideas for you…

Amman - sightseeing and shopping a couple of days
Jerash Roman ruins - 1 full day (40 minutes from Amman) stop off at the local lebanese restaurant for lunch is a must!
Aqaba - (Red Sea snorkelling/diving and beach) 4 hour drive south of Amman, best to say 1-2 nights and combine with Wadi Rum and Petra.
Wadi Rum Desert - (Jeep or Camel riding trips and a night in Bedouin Campsite) 3.5 hour drive South of Amman 1 night/day is enough.
Petra - 3 hour drive south of Amman, one full day is good to see all the main sites.
Shobak Castle - (one of the Crusder Castles between Petra and Dana, a good stop off for a couple of hours.
Dana Nature reserve (Hiking): 1 night
Um Qais (Roman ruins and Sea of Galilee) - 1-2 hours north of Amman, nice day trip and there is a lovely restaurant for lunch that you should book a few days before going.
Dead Sea - 40 minutes from Amman, day trip.
Ajloun castle and forest reserve (Hiking and castle trip): 1-1.5 hours north of Amman, nice day trip.
Eastern Desert castles and Azraq reserve: around 2 hours east of Amman you might need to hire 4x4 vehicle for the desert or you can get a guide 1 night.

Driving is interesting, no lanes as such and speed bumps on what is the equivalent of a motorway.

I did a cycling holiday around Jordan in 2015 - tips from me.
Eat lots of shawarma and felafel - you’ll never get better.
Petra - it’s a huge site. Take good walking boots, a long sleeved shirt and a hat. Don’t ride the donkeys and be careful of the Bedouin - a little kid no more than 4 took my hand and tried to slip off my mum’s engagement ring.
Aqaba - is really lovely but a lot more conservative than Amman, especially in the streets. Take a headscarf just in case. There aren’t many places to drink alcohol but the yacht club has a nice restaurant which sells wine.

This all sounds amazing - have added to my holiday wish list!

@sherl0ck I love those ideas! I haven't heard of half of those places but will have to research. I am trying to base myself in Amman for the trip as I found an absolute gem of a hotel there that both me and DH love the look of.

@WhatDidISayAlan I adore Shawarma - my favourite. Aqaba interests me but will have to look further into. Thanks

@Houseplantmad you should go! I love the way people overlook it so it's not heaving with tourists. I originally wanted to visit Beirut but sadly no longer a possibility.

I would base myself in Amman first and then head south. Go all the way down to Aqaba for a couple of days (go snorkeling if diving isn’t your thing) then head up to Wadi Rum for a night under the stars, From there go to Petra and stay in a local hotel after. The following day visit little Petra and Shobak castle (or Dana nature reserve) and then head back towards Amman and stop at a Dead Sea hotel before the flight home. Or reverse it…..

DH was based out in Amman for work back in 2015 so it's been a while since I've been now, but I still have very fond memories of Jordan. As he was based there at the time we had a car for travelling around which I'd definitely recommend. Petra is amazing, as is the Dead Sea (the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar is incredible).

6 nights is doable if you're happy having very little downtime, as there's so much to see, but personally I'd extend if possible and allow for 2-3 days at the Dead Sea at the end of your holiday to relax.

Highly recommend Jordan, agree with what's already been said about visiting Jerash, earing at Sufra etc. We went in 2019, driving around was straightforward. We went into Amman for a couple if days, then hired a car and went to Jerash, then headed south. We went for 10 days which delta the right amount if time without rushing. That included Wadi Rum and Dead Sea but not aquaba/diving, we actually did 4 days in Dubai after. We hiked around Petra, started at the 'back door' the first day and went straight up to the monastery which was great and went out the main entrance. Next day did an early start through the main entrance, found it easy to avoid crowds and I'm sure it would be quieter now.