Excellent Jordan travel adventures right now? Rent a car and drive the Desert Castle Loop to visit the sites. You’ll get the chance to see Quseir Amra, a squat building with interiors covered with beautiful frescoes; Quseir Hallabat, a Roman fort that features volcanic basalt rock and a well-preserved mosaic; Quseir Al-Kharanah, a castle-like structure that has dozens of rooms, but whose original function has been lost to history; and Azraq Castle, an ancient walled fort known as the place where T.E. Lawrence sought shelter in 1917-1918. Situated just 20 kilometers northwest of Jerash, Ajloun makes a worthwhile trip for tourists who want to see some of the best natural scenery in all of Jordan. Plan to spend a day hiking around the Ajloun Forest Reserve, a 13-square-kilometer expanse of pristine, open woodlands. In the spring, the area is blanketed by wildflowers, which makes for spectacular photo opportunities. Keep your eyes peeled for the crested porcupines and striped hyenas that live in the area. Be sure to visit the Ajloun Castle on the summit of Mount Auf. It was built in the 12th century in the footprints of an even older Byzantine monastery to protect against the Crusader attacks. Its mountaintop location offers sweeping views of the Jordan Valley. Discover extra info at Day tours from Amman.
With its endless golden sands, rugged canyons and sweeping star-studded skies, Wadi Rum is an adventurer’s paradise. Ideal for hiking, camel tours and even overnight stays in desert camps, this mystical land of shifting dunes and reddened sandstone has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is home to nomadic Bedouin tribes. It has stood in for Mars in several Hollywood films and was the location of the Lawrence of Arabia film in the 1960s. Want to see it for yourself? With Culture Trip, you can hike through Wadi Rum and stay in a traditional Bedouin campsite on our immersive nine-day Jordan adventure.
It’s a testimony to the sheer wealth of immersive history that still exists at the ruined city of Jerash that this site just north of Amman pulls in almost as many visitors as the legendary rock-cut temples at Petra. Yep, this medley of towering colonnades and old forums, fascinating temples turned to Byzantine churches, and great plazas is hailed as perhaps the most amazing Roman provincial city still on the planet today. You can come and stand where merchants from the Med would once have touted their goods, or imagine the hubbub of camel caravans arriving here straight from the dunes of the great Arabian sand sea.
Finally, you’ll reach the unmistakable Treasury (also known as Al-Khazneh). Showcased in nearly every travel guide book and social media post about Petra, this attraction’s Hellenistic facade is one of the most enchanting places to visit in Jordan. Legend has it that the rock-hewn monument, which was built as the final resting place for Nabatean King Aretas IV, was the hiding place for an Egyptian pharaoh’s treasure at the time of Moses. When it comes to things to do in Petra after the Siq and the Treasury, it’s a choose-your-own adventure. Check out dozens of tombs and houses on the Street of Facades, climb steep stairs for a great view at the High Place of Sacrifice, stand in awe at the Theater and stroll down the impressive Colonnaded Street. If your feet aren’t too sore yet, make your way up the roughly 850 rock-cut steps to the legendary Monastery. The impressive structure, tucked in the hills, is well worth the journey. Discover even more details on https://alextravel.world/.
Knafeh, like the stone and sand of the city of Amman itself, has a deliciously rich history (and taste). Delirious with calories, this butter-soaked streetside snack presses cheese between syrup-soaked angel hair and then sprinkles it with rosewater and pistachios. Can I let you in on a secret? Those serene photos of people floating, reading newspapers in the Dead Sea don’t tell the whole story! Swimming in the Dead Sea is great fun but it’s anything but serene. The salt levels threaten to flip you over at a moment’s notice like a drunken weevil in an oil slick. But it is good fun. Saltier than a salty sea dog, the Dead Sea is also the lowest point of earth. It reaches between Jordan and Israel and it just so happens to be achingly beautiful.