We were incredibly excited about our week long road trip through Jordan. We started in Amman and spent the week laughing (loudly), singing (badly), and eating (lots) on our 2,000 km epic journey through Jordan. After visiting all the major sites in Jordan (there are lots) we’ve put together this ultimate Jordan itinerary to help you plan your trip throughout this beautiful and often overlooked country.
Amman
After crossing the border we headed straight to Amman. The journey to Amman was an excellent introduction to driving in Jordan. Excellent in the sense that we spent 30 minutes in a taxi with no seat belts, a mobile phone dependent driver and in the path of oncoming traffic! Which is apparently not unusual in a city of crazy drivers but the hair raising ride definitely added a few grey hairs to my collection!
Big city life was a bit of a shock to the system after our laid back week in Jerusalem and so, after picking up our car and checking out a little of Amman, we retreated to our hotel and spent the evening chilling out by the pool!
Jerash
We headed north to our first stop, the incredible Roman ruins of Jerash. The huge site is so well preserved it’s easy to visualise how impressive this Roman city once was and I had a great time doing some imaginary shopping on the main street!
Hanging out on the Cardo:
Petra
It was finally time for Petra! I’d wanted to visit Petra for so long I could barely sleep with the excitement. Petra was incredible, it was everything it promised to be and more! From the moment we entered the narrow gorge of the Siq we were dazzled by the stunning colours and the vastness of the Lost City.
We turned the corner to the Treasury and were blown away by the tomb carved in the rock face, its familiarity unsurprising given its poster child status of the famous ruins.
The husband runs a tight sightseeing ship and a 7 mile uphill hike at 6am was rewarded with some early morning quality time at the Monastery. Petra’s largest ruins were worth every step and the views from the top of Petra were spectacular. Just don’t look down!
Petra By Night
I’m sure I’ve mentioned my love of all things fairy lights so it’s no surprise that the 1,800 candles lighting up Petra is one of my favourite Jordan memories. Walking through the Siq was incredible and the candle lit Treasury was a vision. It was a magical moment!
Wadi Rum
A trip to Jordan wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the desert and it’s hard not to come over all Lawrence of Arabia in the majestic setting of Wadi Rum. We danced on sand dunes, echoed through the gorges and chilled out in the back of a pick up truck as we bounced over the sand!
Cruising in my pick up truck!
Is there anybody out there?! Siq Khazali: 
Dead Sea
The novelty of covering ones self in mud and floating in the sea should not be underestimated! We spent an amazing few days in a beautiful Dead Sea resort chilling out and enjoying the sun, sand and mud!
Mud monsters!
Quesir Amra
We couldn’t sit still for long and decided to hit the road and check out some amazing World Heritage Sites. Petra and Wadi Rum had already been ticked off the list leaving Quesir Amra and Um er-Rasas for a full house in Jordan. It had to be done!
We headed east to the desert castle of Quesir Amra which houses some incredible 8th Century murals. Sections of the murals are being restored due to flood damage and it was amazing to watch the restoration project in action as the team painstakingly worked on tiny, tiny sections.
The murals:
Umm er-Rasas
Umm er-Rasas was next our list. The husband set the alarm for 6am (notice the early morning theme!) and we hit the road to check out the magnificently preserved mosaic church floor which was built in 765. And did I mention Umm er-Rasas is an UNESCO World Heritage Site? Check!
Mosaics:
Umm Qais
After coming across some pictures of Umm Qais and the ruins of the Decapolis city of Gadara we knew we had to check it out before leaving Jordan. Umm Qais is situated where the borders of Jordan, Israel and Syria meet and we made the long drive to the border town perched on a hill-top. The beauty of the ruins was matched only by the beauty of the views over Golan Heights, Syria and the Sea of Galilee and it was one of the highlights of our trip.
Lunch with a view!
The Food
During our week in Jordan we enjoyed some very tasty Middle Eastern treats. The highlight was an incredible meal in a Bedouin tent overlooking Petra while being serenaded by an oud playing local!
Dinner with a view:
Makloubeh (upside down rice dish):
We had an incredible time in Jordan and loved every second of our road trip through the country. Jordan is full to the brim of world class sights and the excitement of crossing four UNESCO World Heritage sites of the list was immense! With our two weeks of Middle East fun coming to an end we headed to Amman for our flight home already dreaming of our next trip!
Enjoyed this as much as part 1
Thanks Laura! It was such an amazing holiday!
Great article! I’m looking at going to Jordan and Israel this winter. Are their issues with renting a car and crossing the Israeli/Jordan border? Is it better to go by bus/taxi between the two countries?
Thanks!
Hi Brian
I don’t think a rental car is possible, only a private vehicle. We left our car in Jerusalem and rented another one in Amman and did our own border crossing. There’s more on it here https://www.thewholeworldisaplayground.com/how-to-border-crossing-jerusalem-amman-king-hussein-allenby-bridge/ – since we did it someone mentioned the Jordan Pass for King Allenby so take a look at that if you’re going.
Elaine