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Middle EastHistoryAdventureCultureDesert

Jordan

Petra at dawn, Wadi Rum's desert camps, the Dead Sea, and the most hospitable people you'll meet anywhere.

Middle East
🌹 Petra🏜️ Wadi Rum🌊 Dead Sea🧆 Food Culture

Backpacking Jordan

Jordan is the Middle East made accessible — extraordinarily safe, incredibly welcoming, and home to Petra, which genuinely lives up to the hype and then some. Wadi Rum at night under a desert sky is one of travel's defining experiences.

£30–55/day avg daily budget
Key Info
Dinar (JOD)Arabic (English widely spoken)Type B/C/D/F/G/JDrive Right
10% at restaurants appreciated
Weather
Best: Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Spring & AutumnIdeal temperatures for Petra and Wadi Rum desert camping
Very hot June–August. Spring and autumn perfect temperatures. Wadi Rum is cold at night year-round.
Health
⚠️Use bottled water — Bottled recommended — tap technically safe but not advisable
Hepatitis Arecommended
Typhoidrecommended
Transport
JETT busesshared taxiscar rental
✈️ Amman Queen Alia (AMM) / Aqaba (AQJ)
No metro — buses between cities, car rental for the desert highway
Emergency
👮 Police911
🚑 Ambulance911
🔥 Fire911
The Highlights

8 Things to Do in Jordan

01
Enter Petra through the Siq at dawn before the crowds — it's life-changing
02
Sleep in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum and stargaze from the silence
03
Float in the Dead Sea — you genuinely cannot sink
04
Hike the Jordan Trail or sections of it through Wadi Mujib
05
Eat mansaf (lamb in jameed sauce) — Jordan's national dish — at a local restaurant
06
Explore Jerash's remarkably well-preserved Roman ruins
07
Take a sunset felucca boat on the Wadi Rum dunes
08
Visit the Roman amphitheatre in downtown Amman
Where to Go

Breaking Down Jordan

Each region has a completely different character. Here is what to expect.

🏺Petra

One of the Seven Wonders of the World — the Nabataean rose-red city carved into sandstone cliffs. The Siq gorge entrance builds anticipation perfectly. Go further than most tourists: the Monastery (800 steps above the Treasury) is larger and far less crowded.

🏜️Wadi Rum

Lawrence of Arabia's desert — sandstone mountains and red sand dunes that look like Mars. Stay in a Bedouin camp with jeep tours and camel treks run by local Bedouin families. One of the finest stargazing skies on earth.

🌊Dead Sea and Aqaba

The Dead Sea's salt concentration makes floating mandatory. Aqaba gives access to Red Sea snorkelling — coral begins metres from the shore, some of the healthiest reef in the region.

🕌Amman and Jerash

Amman is more liveable than most Middle Eastern capitals — Rainbow Street for cafes, the Roman Theatre downtown, and one of the world's best hummus scenes. Jerash (45 min away) is the finest preserved Roman city outside Italy.

Money Breakdown

What to Budget For

Daily Total

Jordan is mid-range for the Middle East.

Watch Out For

The Jordan Pass (£80) covers the visa fee plus entry to Petra and 40 plus attractions — excellent value.

Eating Out

Local food (mansaf lamb dish, falafel, shawarma) is cheap.

Eating Out

Wadi Rum Bedouin camp £30-60 per person including dinner.

Getting Around

Taxi from Petra to Wadi Rum: agree price beforehand..

Travel Responsibly

Eco and Community Tips

Petra's sandstone is sensitive to touch — the widespread practice of touching carved walls for photographs is causing measurable erosion. Wadi Rum community-operated camps distribute income to local Bedouin families — choose community-run operations over tour company-managed camps. Jordan's water scarcity is one of the world's most severe — be conscious of water use.

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