Jordan. Has anyone been?

[mummymeister]

Thinking about either a guided tour or self drive with some guiding thrown in. Has anyone been?

We went a couple of years back at May half term with the DC when they were 5 and 8. Flew into Amman and then did a guided tour with JD tours. Think we had 2 nights in Amman, 2 nights in a spa hotel at the Dead Sea and then 3 nights at a hotel in Petra. We did day trips from our base with our driver to various sights.
An amazing country, incredibly safe and would love to go back.

3 times! Guided tour with a driver is a good idea so you can see everything.

Yes, we took ds when he was 7 (10 years ago). Hired a car and drove ourselves - it seemed like a safe place but there are armed checkpoints and I dressed modestly. We spent a few days in Amman, went to a city with amazing ruins/history not far from Amman but I can't remember the name of it. Petra, the Dead Sea, the desert (St Lawrence Spring) - not in that order and then some beach time at Aqaba.

Ds particularly loved the Dead Sea and getting coated in the mineral mud and also enjoyed a donkey ride around Petra (it's a huge site) and a camel ride/desert safari.

We stayed at the Kempinski in Aqaba which was amazing value - about £90 a night and there was an impressive chocolate sculpture in the room as a welcome gift.

Thanks everyone. really helpful in deciding what to do about this trip.

We’ve been and used a guide, mainly as we were limited on time, but I think you could self drive easily enough.

Great place. Loved the Wadi Rum 4 x 4 drive and star gazing. Petra is also fantastic, the walk in was almost as good as the site itself. Roman remains are spectacular.

Lovely food too!

Not yet, but we're going on a guided group tour at the end of May😁

We want to go there, but 2 problems.

After losing a lot of money in 2020, we now book holidays that are covered by the package tour rules.

Most holidays include a night in a posh tent, but I don't want this.
Anyone know of companies that only use 4/5 * hotels, please?

Our posh tent was very comfy and great showers and the food was fab.
You can get the futuristic pods instead in Wadi Rum
I’d speak to someone like Steppes Travel, they certainly do 4/5* and provide great guides. You can tailor it to anything you want.

We went with JD tours and I told them which hotels we wanted to stay in. We stayed in the Intercontinental in Amman, the Moven pick at the dead Sea, and the Marriott in Petra

Yes! We went in 2017 with a 2 year old and 5 month old. We stayed for 3 or 4 nights in an apartment on the dead Sea and used a travel company, the name of which I can't remember. We already lived in the middle East at the tine so it wasn't too far by plane. We spent a day in Petra (4 hour drive I think), went to Jesus' baptism site, the Jordan River and swam in the Dead Sea. It was a really magical trip. I'll never forget sitting with my feet in the River Jordan, watching a group of people on the Israeli side of the river, literally a stones' throw away, getting baptised in the water. I still have chills when I think about it. Coming round the corner of a path surrounded in enormous rock to see the Treasury come into view was special too. Floating in the dead Sea was beautiful as well, as was waking up seeing Palestine in the distance each morning. A gorgeous experience.

We went in 2014 but didn't get to see much of it as it was just a day or two stop on a cruise - what we did see was beautiful though

Haven't but would love to. Hopefully, DD1 is going to do a uni year there in a couple of years so I'll definitely be visiting.

Yes, with my dad, we did self drive but through a company who did the route and hotel bookings and things. We saw Petra, Jerash, the Dead Sea, Amman, the desert forts etc.

We did this tour with Intrepid in 2019, having seen the Travel Man Christmas Special (definitely worth a watch if you can find it on demand)

www.intrepidtravel.com/uk/jordan/Jordan-family-holiday-143360

It is an astounding country and I would highly recommend.

If I recall correctly, at many of the sites (Jaresh, Mt Nebo, Petra) you must have a local guide, so the fact that we were on a guided tour made that very easy, otherwise you have to arrange one when you get there (although I’m sure it can’t be too difficult to do that).

Yeah we did. Hired a car, drove ourselves. Small country so we decided to just stay in a couple of places as bases. Aqaba for Wadi Rum and the Red Sea, just outside the Petra gates for 2 VERY full days at Petra, and Madaba for the Dead Sea, Jerash and everything else.
Must have covered over 25 miles on foot over 2 days in Petra, so anyone who isn't up to that - you can hire donkeys and guys who lead them - they go everywhere pretty much.
The Jordan Card covers visa and museums and entrance fees to most things.
Our hotel had a deal for a discounted day pass for a Dead Sea hotel.
Food brilliant. People were nice. Driving was doable but other drivers are somewhat random at best and there are potholes...and speedbumps even on the highways, where they go through towns.

The tour we're going on is with Cox & Kings, and although we are having a night at Wadi Rum we altered their standard itinerary to do this, the original tour has an afternoon visit and then moves on for 2 nights at the Dead Sea. I obviously can't comment on how good it is though as we haven't been yet, but the hotels are meant to be of a high standard.

We are going this summer. Booked it ourselves and our itinerary( well overnights!) is Jerash, Dead Sea, Aqaba, Petra, wadi rum, Dana biosphere and amman. We can’t wait, looks an amazing country!

Yes, it is amazing. We had a driver for our trip booked via a Jordanian company and went to Amman, Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum and Dead Sea. Our trip was for 6 nights but in hindsight I would have liked an extra day.

You could self drive I guess but our driver was almost like a guide too and at our request, took us to local eating places.

It was one of our most diverse trips and also one of the shortest - highly recommended.

Quick update - we are doing a mix of the two. 4 nights in Amman, a 12 day luxury guided tour, small group, older age group and then 8 nights in Aqaba on the red sea. Finding accommodation tricky to book but will get there. dont want an hotel, more of an apartment with kitchen so if anyone knows of one in aqaba please say!

Hi, we are travelling to Jordan in October with a 2yr old and 9 month old. Did your toddler enter the Dead Sea? I read a lot of reviews advising against it as he might get hurt? I thought to avoid him getting water in his eyes or mouth to just get him a snorkel mask but have since abandoned that idea. Also how did you find Petra with the young kids? Really looking forward to the trip but worried it won’t be very child friendly and I perhaps should have booked elsewhere.

Lastly, did you take any buggies with you? I got a travel buggy but not sure how useful it will be. So many questions lol, thank you.

Hi, no my kids did not go into the dead sea. It is very, very salty and probably far to salty for a child. I could feel every little cut! My husband and I took turns to have a float for a few minutes but we didn't spend a long time splashing around like you would at a beach. We did a day trip to Petra which took around 4 hours and used a driver as we were staying by the Dead Sea. I was advised against taking a buggy to Petra itself by someone who had been there, so instead we took a baby carrier and took turns wearing the baby in that. The 2 year old just walked everywhere and it was fine, though he was almost 3. It was a very special trip!

Thank you for replying so quickly! I was thinking it’s such an old thread, might not get any reply back!

yepp that’s what I gathered, so no Dead Sea for the little one. I thought he might just enjoy the floating but it’s not worth all else.

Thank you. We were thinking of carrying the baby as well and making the 2yr old walk (he turns 3 in December) but I thought whether I was being to ambitious 😂

Yes. Hired a car with three other women. Felt very safe and the people are very friendly. The desert was fabulous. Amman felt a bit challenging in the way that chaotic cities can be - enjoyed the museums but otherwise preferred to be out in the desert. Highlights included using my very rudimentary Arabic on a group of schoolgirls at one of the sites - Hello, how are you? I'm very well, thank you, I'm very pleased to meet you, kind of thing. They were thrilled to meet us and loved the formal greetings. It's definitely worth learning a few phrases. Also tried on the mule driver at Petra and he was staggered when I asked the mule's name. Petra was incredible. Spend some time exploring there on your own if you can. If I went back I'd go to Wadi Rum.
One other thing that stood out to me was in one restaurant, a group of children were put on a table separate from their parents (three couples). The waiters waited on them and there was no fuss and they were very well behaved! It's a wonderful country.

No worries! I wouldn't risk the Dead Sea no,but it's cool for grown ups. We didn't go in a group or anything, so it was kind of self paced. My toddler went on my DH's shoulders for a while, bit I have looked at those toddler carrying contraptions since and thought how useful they seem for older children. We left the carseat in the driver's car and he just waited for us until while we finished (which was the full day!).

Yeah we’re going alone as well and thinking of renting a car so we have more flexibility with the kids.

I was looking at those too but they seem so bulky! Might consider them anyway as I’m reading it’s quite some hiking in Petra. Did you to the main trial? How difficult of a hike was it would you say with the kids?

Did you bring your own car seat or did you rent from there? Another thing I’ve been trying to research. Sooo much to think of when taking children 😅!! But I’m very existed for them to enjoy some culture.