7 Places not to miss in Jordan, what to see and know

Jordan, a small country of the Middle East, has so much more experiences and emotions to offer than most of the people expect. Primarily for a western visitor, a tour in this land can be an unforgettable experience. I visited Jordan with my girlfriend Loretta (if you wanna know more about traveling as an unmarried couple in Jordan, read here), in an 8 days tour, in September 2021. The country had just reopened its borders after the most difficult phase of Covid-19 pandemic and, in the meanwhile, european countries made Jordan available for tourism, even if many itchy precautions had to be taken. By the way, this context probably made our experience even more special. Jordan people , longing to make incoming tourism start again was extremely welcoming and the main attractions weren't too much crowded. But let's get to it and let me show you the places you can't afford to lose, visiting Jordan.

You'll probably land in the capital and you could immeditely dip yourself in Jordan's atmosphere, visiting the city center with its ancient roman ruins like the Citadel and the Theatre or wandering in the colours, noises, smells and flavours of the market. Start to get used to the local food. Amman is full of restaurants, even really cheap ones, in which you can taste the Hummus, the Baba Ganoush (an eggplant cream), the falafel or the Manaquish, a pizza-like dish flavoured with delicious local spices. One or two days in the capital, based on how much you want to walk, are a must.

Petra, one of the modern world seven wonders, deserves two or three days. The mountains in whitch it's located offer to the most adventurous ones many trekking paths that take, besides the Treasure and the Monastery, main historical attractions of the UNESCO heritage site, to high panoramic views, to meet the bedouins who still live there and who have many stories to tell (I'll tell you a tender anecdote in this article) and to many other less flashy but very interesting historical and archaeological places. Depending on the period and the day, you could find yourself visiting the night version of the Treasure, walking through a candlelight path. It is mostly an attraction made for tourists, yet the atmosphere is worth the visit.

The Wadi Rum desert is just magical and deserves, at least, a full day and a night spent in one of the many camps run by bedouins such as the Jamal Rum Camp, a place run by incredibly welcoming people that will make you live the bedouin experience at its fullest. You can have a jeep tour discovering the main attractions of the region or a camel ride before going back to the camp to share tea, coffee, thoughts and experiences with the locals below a sky full of stars that unveils the beautiful Milky Way. Of course, you can't miss the typical bedouins' meal, the Zarb, a dish made of vegetables and meat prepared with the typical procedure of the cooking in the sand, a procedure in which you'll actively attend!

The main seaside city of Jordan deserves a visit mostly if you want to chill for a couple of days and have a swim or for the diving experience, dipping in the Red Sea waters, discovering suggestive wrecks and to be surrounded by colourful sea species.

A night at the Dead Sea is a must. It is such a unique place that not visiting it would be blasphemy. For starters, it's the lowest point of Earth, located 400 meters BELOW the sea level. Furthermore, its waters are the saltiest in the world. So what? Well, in salty waters, bodies tend to float much more. You'll feel like fluctuating.

Overlooking the Dead Sea, the Wadi Mujib gorges will let you live an adventure made of climbs, swims and dives. By the way, it is not a difficult experience and it's more like a natural amusements park. If you spend the night at the Mujib Chalet, even if not the cheapest option (but cuddling yourself a little is never a bad thing), you'll be a step far from Wadi Mujib and literally on the Dead Sea, with a breathtaking view. This will allow you to make both of these experiences in just one day and not rushing!

Jerash is located north of Amman ad it's a very important archaelogical site of the roman age. In Jerash, you can dive in the imperial architecture, between columns, theatres, ancient houses, the temple and the hippodrome. If you don't dislike a bit of history and culture or if you're passionate about them, your itinerary can't miss Jerash!

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