Petra is the reason most people come to Jordan, and it delivers. The walk through the Siq — a narrow, winding slot canyon with walls rising 80 meters overhead — builds suspense for a kilometer before depositing you in front of the Treasury, an ornate facade cut directly into the rose-red sandstone. Behind it, the city opens up: hundreds of tombs, a colonnaded street, a theatre, a monastery reachable by 800 steps. Allow at least two days. One is never enough.
Wadi Rum is a desert on a scale that makes you feel small. The valley floor is sand the color of rust, the rock formations are enormous, and the light changes constantly. Bedouin guides take visitors on jeep trips, camel rides, or multi-day hikes through the wilderness. Spend the night in a desert camp — sleeping out under the stars here is one of the best things you can do in Jordan.
The Dead Sea requires almost no effort and delivers a singular experience. The water is so dense with minerals that you cannot sink. You just bob, reading a newspaper if you like, staring at the haze over the hills of the West Bank on the far shore. The mud is supposed to do wonders for skin; the water in the eyes is genuinely agonizing. Rinse thoroughly.
Jerash is one of the great surprises of the Middle East. The Roman city of Gerasa, discovered in the 1920s under drifted sand, is remarkably intact: a long colonnaded street, a perfectly proportioned oval forum, temples, baths, and two theatres. It is less than an hour from Amman. Go in the morning before the tour groups arrive.
The King's Highway is the old trading route that runs along Jordan's backbone, connecting Madaba, Karak, Shobak, and on to Petra. It passes through biblical country — the plateau above the Jordan Valley, with views west toward the Dead Sea — and takes you through small towns, Crusader castles, and canyon landscapes that the Desert Highway misses entirely. Rent a car and take your time.
Amman's Citadel and Roman Theatre make a good half-day in the capital. The Citadel hill has been occupied for several thousand years and the ruins up top are eclectic: Roman temple, Byzantine church, Umayyad palace. The Roman theatre below seats 6,000 and is still used for performances. Downtown Amman around Rainbow Street and the old city is worth an afternoon of wandering.