Jordan is relatively new to tourism. Its conventional image overseas consists primarily of camels and deserts, although this is a country with mountains, beaches, castles and historic churches, as well as a vibrant culture. Read our recommendations for the finest things to do in Jordan and start planning your trip.
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1. Red Sea Diving and Snorkelling
The enormous eastern deserts of Jordan are largely rocky plains of limestone or basalt, but much of the southern desert is sand, foreshadowing the dunes and immense emptinesses of the Arabian interior. In the deep south, packed onto Jordan’s only length of coastline, Aqaba provides a nice urban juxtaposition to the stunning marine flora and fauna that thrive in the warm Red Sea waters close offshore.
Snorkeling in the Red Sea is one of the most popular pastimes in Jordan. You don’t have to be diving to get up near and personal with a turtle: coral reefs and colorful fish waiting just below the surface of the world’s warmest and cleanest waters.
2. Wadi Rum
The desert scenery of Wadi Rum (rhymes with “dumb”, not “doom”) is one of the top things to do in Jordan. The wadi is one of a series of parallel faults that create valleys in the sandy desert south of the Shara Mountains.
They are almost precisely north-south orientated, sculpted and distinguished by massive granite, basalt, and sandstone mountains that rise up to 800 meters vertically from the desert floor.
3. The Baptismal Site
The Baptism Site is a pilgrimage site along the Jordan River at the location of Jesus’ baptism, which is honored by hundreds of ancient churches and hermitages. Archaeologists have discovered a plethora of sites (21 at last count) along Wadi Kharrar, a small side valley of reeds and flowing water that runs 2 kilometers from its source to the River Jordan.
These findings, which included eleven Byzantine churches, five baptismal pools from the Roman and Byzantine periods, monk and hermit caves, and pilgrim lodges, quickly convinced Jordanian and international opinion of the site’s authenticity.
4. Ancient Amman
Consistently ignored and underrated by Middle Eastern tourists, Jordan’s capital Amman stands in stark contrast to its noisy neighbors, with none of Damascus’ enormous history or Jerusalem’s tension and a fraction of Cairo’s monuments. It’s a friendly city with unexpected appeal, steeped in a new sense of dynamism.
Investment is flowing in, new buildings are being constructed, neighborhoods are being revitalized, and the city is bustling with cafés, galleries, and trade. If you’re hoping for medieval mosques, dreary spice bazaars, and faded romance, look elsewhere. If you want to understand how a youthful, buzzing Arab capital is making its way throughout the world, Amman is the place to go.
5. Azraq Wetlands
Boardwalks lead across reed beds in the Azraq oasis, located in the deserts east of Amman, and are ideal for nature hikes and bird viewing expeditions. Before the oasis dried up, this entire area of marshes and lakes in the heart of Azraq’s qa, or depression, was a thriving community.
The water you see rushing into the ponds between the reeds is from Amman, and it is a small amount that the government is pumping back into the wetlands as an eco-friendly gesture. A mud-brick hide overlooking a water hole toward the end of thetrail allows you to see the birdlife and, if you’re lucky, the water buffalo that roam the reed beds.
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