Jordan punches well above its weight. A small country with no oil wealth and limited natural resources, it has assembled some of the most remarkable sights in the world: a city carved from rose-red sandstone, the lowest point on earth, Roman ruins that rival anything in Italy, and desert landscapes that feel like another planet. It is also, by the standards of the region, calm, stable, and welcoming.
The country divides roughly into north and south. The north is greener and more agricultural, with Amman at its center and the ruins of Jerash and Ajlun castle within easy reach. The Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea form the western border, dropping to 430 meters below sea level. To the east, the landscape opens into the vast Eastern Desert. The south is where the drama is: Petra, the Nabataean city hidden in its canyon, and Wadi Rum, the desert that Lawrence of Arabia made famous.
Jordanians are, on the whole, genuinely friendly. This is not a country where travelers get pestered at every corner. You can walk around on your own, drink tea with strangers, and get invited for lunch without an agenda attached. Arabic is the language of daily life; English is widely understood in cities and tourist areas.
The country is safe by regional standards. Jordan has absorbed enormous numbers of Palestinian and Syrian refugees and remains one of the most politically stable states in the Middle East. That said, borders and security situations in the region shift. Check before you go.
Destinations
- Amman — the capital, built on seven hills, with a lively downtown and a fine Roman theatre
- Petra — the rock-carved Nabataean city, unmissable
- Wadi Rum — extraordinary desert landscape, great for overnight camps
- Jerash — some of the best-preserved Greco-Roman ruins outside Italy
- Aqaba — Jordan's only coastal city, with good diving on the Red Sea
- Dead Sea — float in the saltiest, lowest body of water on earth
- Madaba — Byzantine mosaics, including the famous 6th-century map of the Holy Land
- Karak — impressive Crusader castle on the King's Highway
- Ajlun — Arab castle in the forested northern hills
- Irbid — Jordan's northern university city, near Umm Qais
- Umm Qais — hilltop Greco-Roman ruins with views over three countries
