Ultimate Experiences on a Jordan Road Trip

A road trip through Jordan is one of the ultimate ways to experience this beautiful country. Jordan is rich with cultural, historical, and religious experiences. To me, it’s impossible to come to Jordan and not be wowed. Jordan has to be one of the most unique trips I’ve taken–and going via road trip was extraordinarily rewarding. Because of the geography of the country and the easy-to-drive-on King’s Highway, it’s relatively easy to see quite a lot of the country on your road trip. We managed to fit in all the sights below in a matter of 7 day / 6 night road trip through Jordan. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, but check out our Final Tips section for more information.

Amman

Amman is likely to be the start of your Jordan road trip. You’ll likely fly in and out, so this is a great place either to begin your sightseeing and get over your jet lag. While you’ll might be anxious to see some amazing sights elsewhere in Jordan on your road trip, Amman deserves a full day or two to get acquainted. At 850 meters above sea level, Amman Citadel is a must-see. It offers sweeping views of the city. It is one of the most continuously inhabited places in the world with ruins of empires and civilization long since passed.

And while we’re exploring amazing ruins of past civilizations, a visit to the Roman Theater. You probably already got a great shot of it from the citadel. Now spend some time wandering the 6,000 seat space, climbing up the steps. Plus, if you’re in the mood for more Roman ruins, you can visit the nearby odeon and nymphaeum.

Consider visiting one of Amman’s interesting museums or galleries as well. The Royal Automobile Museum contains the fascinating and varied vehicle collections of King Abdullah I, King Talal and King Hussein of Jordan. From old cars to a rover from the movie, The Martian, it’s pretty fun even if you aren’t a car enthusiast. The Jordan Museum downtown provides a primer on Jordanian history and culture, a wonderful introduction to the country. And the Jordanian National Gallery of Fine Arts contains an impressive arrive of works for art-lovers.

Petra

Petra is the crowning glory of any road trip through Jordan. You can’t help but be enthralled visiting this marvelous ancient desert city. I remember first walking through the narrow passages from the ticket entrance. The sunlight filters in from above, making the rocks glow. We passed a few tombs and other hints of what awaited us in the ancient city. And then boom, you see it for the first. The famous Treasury.

The city of Petra began as a trading post. An early attack in 312 BC by the Greek Empire was one of the first time the city appeared in historical records. While the Nabateans inhabiting Petra repelled them, they were attacked again almost 200 years later by the Romans. And if you know anything about what you’ll see in Petra, you already know that the Romans took over the city. Ruins of their rule are left throughout Petra.

I highly recommend visiting Petra for at least a full day on your Jordan road trip. If you start in the morning (which we recommend you do), you can see the Treasury before it becomes a zoo of activity. Then you can make your way along the path toward the nymphaeum and the Great Temple on Colonnaded Street. I recommend going from the Great Temple toward the Ad-Deir Monastery, another picture perfect location. There you can grab a refreshing drink (you’ll need it) and snack. Take a break here and admire the treasury. And then maybe climb up the rocks and path toward the aptly named End of the World Coffee for the breathtaking views of the desert beyond.

After you’ve had a breather, make your way back to Colonnaded Street. This time, if you’re up for it, make the long hike up to the High Place of Sacrifice. I can still remember the wind blowing over me. It was just me and my friend up there. For most of the trek, we didn’t see a soul. It felt strange and magical being so alone in this enchanting city.

Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan or the Baptism Site of Jesus

If you’re religious (or even if you’re not), Bethany Beyond the Jordan makes a fascinating stop on a road trip through Jordan. The total visit doesn’t take too much longer than an hour. You’ll see a few gorgeous chapels and the spot where Jesus is said to have been baptized. One of my favorite parts was the deadpan way our tour guide (you’re required to join their group tour) delivered everything in such a deadpan, monotone voice. But hey, it was interesting! The Jordanian side of the river wasn’t overly toursity or developed. In fact, it felt like a relatively simple monument to a site of religious and historical important. In contrast, you can see the Israeli side where large religious groups are wading in the water getting baptized. The infrastructure appeared quite a bit different over there, and that alone was quite interesting to observe.

Dead Sea

After our visit to the Baptism Site of Jesus, we headed toward the Dead Sea. The so-called Dead Sea is actually a salt lake located over 430 meters below sea level, making it the lowest elevation body of water on the Earth’s surface. Plus, it’s also the deepest salinated lake in the world (and one of the saltiest).

And while that’s all pretty cool, the experience of floating on that hypersalinated water is fascinating enough! If you haven’t swam in a hypersalinated lake like this before (I hadn’t), it’s pretty weird feeling it practically push you out of the water. I’ve never floated so easily like this.

One problem though is that if you have any scrapes or scratches, you’re going to feel them. Surely you’ve heard the phrase, “rubbing salt in your wounds.” Yeah. It ain’t fun.

So after a good float, I immediately washed off with a fresh water shower nearby at our resort’s beach. Then did what the other tourists were doing and smeared Dead Sea mud all over myself to fresh up my skin (or something like that). Still salty. Still stingy.

Anyway, the Dead Sea is full of resorts with pools and spas and restaurants. You’re meant to relax here, and it’s easy to find a place to do it. I spent only one night at a Dead sea resort, but wish I spent two. It makes a nice break when you’re doing a road trip through Jordan, especially if you’re doing some intense hikes and outdoor activities.

Karak Castle

On our road trip through Jordan, we visited the city of Karak to visit the Karak (sometimes spelled Kerak) Castle. Nearly a thousand years old, the castle started as a fortress for Crusaders to control trade routes through the area. It was later taken by Sa’d Al-Din. The Crusaders’ 40+ years running the castle ended with Sa’d Al-Din leading a siege against it. Elements of both the Crusaders’ and Muslims’ armies architecture and faith have left their mark on the castle, which you can see even today.

From the outside, the castle looks like it’s mostly ruined walls and rebuilt towers like you see above. But when you enter, you get a much better scope of the fortification. I highly recommend you hire one of the local guides. They’ll point out all the features and historical notes that you would otherwise miss in this unexpectedly large castle. You’ll see where drinks were brewed, horses stabled, prayers prayed, and prisoners imprisoned. You know, all that fun stuff. You get the picture.

Then when you’re down with getting the lowdown from your guide, take a chance to explore the castle on your own. You’ll be surprised at how many underground passages and chambers you can delve into. At times, the place feels foreboding and lonely; at other times haunting, as if you can imagine the sounds of men yelling at the battlements or horses neighing from the stonework stables. It’s an impressive castle that you can easily spend a couple of hours visiting. Definitely a great stop on your Jordan road trip adventure.

Shobak Castle

While we’re on the subject of castles to visit on your Jordan road trip, Shobak must be mentioned as well. Shobak was built in 1115. This was another Crusader fortification that was later taken by famous sultan, Saladin, after a two-year-long siege. The stories of that siege are gruesome if you want to do some more research on your own. But while this castle shares a similar time period as Karak, much of it has been left unexcavated. There is little that remains from the Crusaders as well. However, what you can visit is still worth about an hour-long stop. Surrounded by harsh desert, the views alone can be humbling. But if you only had time to choose one castle, I’d probably go with Karak above.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum remains one of my favorite stops on our Jordan Road Trip. I mean, of course, Petras earns first prize. But visiting Wadi Rum provides a unique, unmatchable experience.

First thing to note, the red sands and rock formation give it a distinctly Martian appearance. So Martin-y, that the film, The Martian, was filmed there. I’m not a big desert guy. I usually prefer verdant, stream-filled mountains (think Norway, Romania, or Bulgaria). But something about Wadi Rum enchanted me.

To me, no Jordan road trip is complete without an overnight stay in the Wadi Rum desert. You have ample options of lodging from affordable basic camping sights to luxury glamping and tents that might as well be hotel rooms. We enjoyed an evening of traditional Bedouin food served with the rest of our “community” for the night. About twenty other people staying at our camp joined in the evening’s festivities, which included hookah smoking, dancing, and plenty of eating. You’re not required to be a part of any of these group experiences, but we certainly enjoyed them.

Afterward, we enjoyed a view of the stars like none I’d ever seen. For about ten minutes .Then the clouds rolled in and ruined it. But I truly hope you have better luck, because with minimal light pollution, the night sky over Wadi Rum puts on a hell of a show!

The next morning, we took a 2-hour ride around the desert in the back of a pickup. Sounds ridiculous, but we loved it. The driver took us on some pretty well-worn tourist paths through the desert. But those routes remain popular for a reason. You’ll enjoy magnificent views, driving up and down sand dunes like you’re on a roller coaster (eerily prescient to our experiences in Huacachina on our Peru trip), and if you’re lucky, your driver might let you take the truck for a spin.

Aqaba

Aqaba served as our last overnight stop on our Jordan road trip. The town itself hosts some good restaurants and bars. We found our first affordable and easy-to-find beer at an Irish pub there. But the real attraction here is the Red Sea.

If you’re the type that likes snorkeling or SCUBA diving, you’ll find Aqaba a fantastic launching point for gorgeous sites like Seven Sisters Coral or sunken ships like the Cedar Pride. I highly recommend making time to get out on the water. The Red Sea contains some of the most beautiful snorkeling sites I’ve seen, and my only regret is that I had so little time to explore them.

If you’re a diver or snorkeler, Aqaba might be worth an extra day or two. We only stayed one night. My bad. I would’ve spent an extra day just to do more diving.

Outside of the Red Sea, you can also visit Malmuk castle. The famous uprising of 1916 took place here. It’s also worth a visit for the historical importance alone. But you won’t need to spend much to take it all in. So if you find you need more history, visit the nearby Aqaba Archaeological Museum. You can find artifacts dating from nearly 6000 years ago. However, at the time of writing this, they were temporarily closed, so check to make sure they’re back open!

Mount Nebo

On our way back to the airport outside Amman, we visited Mount Nebo for a couple hours. This provided the final stop of our Jordan road trip. Before Moses died, he supposedly saw the Promised Land from Mount Nebo. On a good day, you can see across the Dead Sea into Israel. On a bad day, you can see a bunch of fog like we did!

That being said, Mount Nebo’s landscape looks different than the deserts we’d spent most of our time in. I’m glad to have visited despite the poor visibility. We still explored the Moses Memorial Church. You can see 1500 year old remnants of previous chapels at this sight. Seeing mosaics from that long ago certainly made the drive worthwhile. Layers of history present themselves in the church. I loved seeing how this site evolved over time. And after a couple hours here (and a hearty lunch), we ended our Jordan road trip with a drive back to Queen Alia Airport for a flight to continue our trip in Istanbul.

Final Tips

• Driving can be at times chaotic in Amman. While it will be relatively smooth once you get out of the city, it’s always nice to try timing your drive out of Amman outside of normal rush hour periods, particularly 7 – 9 am or 2 – 5 pm.
• If you’re looking for some more time to relax instead of hopping around every night, consider spending an extra night in the Dead Sea or Aqaba. The Dead Sea offers plenty of opportunities for massages, pool time, and other resort amenities depending on where you stay. Likewise, Aqaba has a plethora of water-related activities. If you like snorkeling or SCUBA diving, you owe it to yourself to spend some extra time here.
• Alcohol can be difficult to find since Jordan is a Muslim country. Aqaba and the Dead Sea resorts seemed to be the best places to go if you’re looking for a drink.
• Jordan is not a typical in-your-face vendor/sales culture, in my experience. If you’ve been to other Middle Eastern destinations, perhaps you’ve experienced the very hard sell some touts will put on. However, Petra is an exception. Just be prepared to say ‘no’ and get guilt-tripped at times.
• Getting the Jordan Pass ahead of time is a great way to save money and time on entrance tickets. It includes just about every attraction we saw plus some others!