Country guides
Middle East
Things to do in Jordan
The quality of sightseeing opportunities in Jordan will take visitors by surprise if they haven't done their homework, as there is far more to see than the astonishingly beautiful desert landscapes. Jordan is also on friendly terms with its neighbours and is the safest destination to visit in the Middle East.
Travellers can explore fascinating desert cities, castles and fortresses, many of which can easily be accessed from the capital of Amman or from the lively city of Aqaba. Visitors can opt to take these excursions by local taxi, hired car, 4x4 or atop a camel (as native Jordanians have done for centuries).
Not merely a land of desert and camels, there are great opportunities for visitors to get their feet wet in either the Dead Sea or the Red Sea. While the Red Sea (situated at the very southernmost tip of Jordan) offers up a fantastic chance to swim and scuba in crystal clear waters that harbour some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world, the Dead Sea experience is something totally different. The lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea allows swimmers to float weightlessly in its extremely salty waters.
Jerash
Situated about 31 miles (50km) north of Amman is one of the top attractions in Jordan: the ancient city of Jerash. Considered to be one of the best-preserved Roman sites in the wor…
Jerash
Situated about 31 miles (50km) north of Amman is one of the top attractions in Jordan: the ancient city of Jerash. Considered to be one of the best-preserved Roman sites in the world, its exceptional preservation is due to it being buried in sand for centuries, and the magnificent baths, theatres, temples, arches, columns and stone chariot-rutted streets have long attracted scholars and tourists from across the world to admire the most complete city in the Roman Decapolis. Excavations dating to the Neolithic Age have indicated that Jerash was continuously occupied for more than 6,500 years. Today visitors can marvel as the ancient amphitheatre comes to life at the annual Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts, where artists from around the globe sing, dance, act, and play music on stage in a celebration of Jordanian and international culture.
Desert Castle Loop
Stretching to the east of Amman towards Saudi Arabia and Iraq is a vast desert plain where a cluster of historic castle, fort, bath, and palace ruins has been preserved. Collective…
Desert Castle Loop
Stretching to the east of Amman towards Saudi Arabia and Iraq is a vast desert plain where a cluster of historic castle, fort, bath, and palace ruins has been preserved. Collectively known as the Desert Castles, their purpose is largely unknown, but most are thought to have been built as recreational retreats by the Umayyad caliphs during the early Islamic Period (7th to 8th centuries AD). Qasr Mushatta is the biggest and most elaborate of the castles, and is a fine example of Umayyad architecture despite never being completed. The best preserved and most enchanting is the luxurious bathhouse of Qusayr Amra, with its domed ceiling, colourful interior frescoes, and mosaics. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other desert castles include the black rock fortress at Azraq, which was the desert headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia during the Great Arab Revolt in 1917, the mysterious Qasr al-Kharrana, and Qasr al-Hallabat's crumbling remains.
The Dead Sea
Situated about 28 miles (45km) from Amman, lies the famous attraction of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth at 1,335 feet (407m) below sea level. Devoid of plant or animal lif…
The Dead Sea
Situated about 28 miles (45km) from Amman, lies the famous attraction of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth at 1,335 feet (407m) below sea level. Devoid of plant or animal life due to the high salt concentration (four times saltier than normal), it is the incredible mineral rich water that has made it an internationally sought-after destination since ancient times, popular for its curative properties as well as for the experience of floating effortlessly on its surface. Most holidaymakers go to the main resort area on the northern shore at Sweimeh, where they will find showers, restaurants, a beach, and the opportunity to smother themselves in the mineral-rich black mud. Accommodation is available at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel, where various medical treatments are also on offer.
Mount Nebo
The most sacred site in Jordan, Mount Nebo is believed to be the burial site of Moses who climbed the hill in order to survey the Promised Land that he would never enter. Situated …
Mount Nebo
The most sacred site in Jordan, Mount Nebo is believed to be the burial site of Moses who climbed the hill in order to survey the Promised Land that he would never enter. Situated on the edge of a plateau about six miles (10km) from Madaba, Mount Nebo affords spectacular views towards Jerusalem, whose spires are visible on a clear day, and across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. A modern day shrine sits on the ruins of a 6th-century Byzantine monastery, and affords protection to the original floor mosaics, while in the grounds stands the symbolic Serpentine Cross.
Wadi Rum
Lying 42 miles (68km) north of Aqaba, Wadi Rum is acclaimed as one of the most stunningly beautiful desert landscapes in the world and is a major tourist destination in Jordan. Tow…
Wadi Rum
Lying 42 miles (68km) north of Aqaba, Wadi Rum is acclaimed as one of the most stunningly beautiful desert landscapes in the world and is a major tourist destination in Jordan. Towering mountains of weathered sandstone rise from the pink desert sands, where the vast emptiness and silence takes the breath away. There are many ways to explore the vast desert interior, where the likes of Lawrence of Arabia once rode. Serious mountaineers and climbers relish the challenge of its high peaks, particularly the highest in the area, Jabal Rum, and the remarkable Rock Bridge, while hikers can enjoy the grandeur of the interior by walking out into the wilderness and camping alone under the stars. Camel trips and 4x4 vehicle tours can also be arranged. Wadi Rum is home to several nomadic Bedouin families who are famous for their hospitality, and visitors are often invited to share mint tea with them inside their goat-hair tents or beside the fire under the starry sky.
Website www.wadirum.jo
Madaba
Madaba is most famous for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics from the 5th to 7th centuries, which are scattered throughout the town's homes and churches. Located just 19…
Madaba
Madaba is most famous for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics from the 5th to 7th centuries, which are scattered throughout the town's homes and churches. Located just 19 miles (30km) south of Amman, Madaba is also home to the famous 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, in which Jerusalem and its surrounding regions are depicted. One of the town's most beautiful mosaics covers the floor of the Byzantine Church of the Apostles, and the Archaeological Park features an impressive collection of mosaic collages, where a series of ramps has been built over excavated mosaics to allow people to view them from above. The Greek Orthodox Church of St George is home to Madaba's main attraction and most famous mosaic: the 6th-century Madaba Map. Millions of pieces of coloured stone embedded on the church floor create a vivid picture of Jerusalem and its holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dead Sea, Jericho, and the Jordan River. It is the earliest surviving original map of the region and was laid around 560 AD.
Amman
Amman is one of the oldest, continuously inhabited cities in the world, and is today a thriving commercial and administrative centre, where travellers will find modern facilities, …
Amman
Amman is one of the oldest, continuously inhabited cities in the world, and is today a thriving commercial and administrative centre, where travellers will find modern facilities, historical attractions and a longstanding tradition of hospitality. Faded minarets, pavement markets, Arabian sweet shops, and the crumbling remains of ancient civilisations contrast wonderfully with the contemporary edifices, fashionable boutiques and international restaurants, creating a spellbinding blend of old and new. The city is also an excellent base for visitors, as it's no more than five hours drive from anywhere in the country.
Petra
Carved into the rock and protected by rugged mountains on all sides is Jordan's most famous attraction, the ancient city of Petra. One of the world's most spectacular ruins, it is …
Petra
Carved into the rock and protected by rugged mountains on all sides is Jordan's most famous attraction, the ancient city of Petra. One of the world's most spectacular ruins, it is set within a canyon near the town of Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses), which was once the name of the valley and not just the small tourist town along the sides of the valley leading down to Petra. The town's existence is primarily to service the tourist industry as the gateway to Petra. More than 2,000 years ago, a nomadic tribe from Arabia settled in the area and these Nabateans established Petra as their capital. It became a powerful fortress city that controlled the passage of traders, and grew prosperous from the caravans crossing their land carrying spices and riches from India and Arabia. An astonishing city of monumental tombs, temples and decorative buildings carved from the solid rock was created from this wealth, which still stands as a testament to the remarkable creativity and engineering prowess of the Nabateans. Today's Petra is a staggering landscape of rock-hewn monuments, amphitheatres, palaces, arched gateways, water channels, and detailed carvings spread over a vast area. Dramatic tombs and temples unfold with each step taken further into the winding canyon.