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Places to discover

Best places to visit in Jordan

The Hashemite Kingdom is a fascinating medley of landscapes and historic sites, blended with an exotic, oriental culture. This small country has been populated since biblical times, so boasts a wealth of architectural remains. It's an eclectic mix, from the Greco-Roman period with its legendary commercial centres, incredible churches dating back to Byzantine times, to the breath-taking Umayyad Dynasty castles that dominate the country's eastern desert.

Amman , the capital, is a sprawling city that has expanded over recent decades, due to the arrival of tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees. Today, it's home to a lively, colourful city centre and a market filled with the scent of spices and oriental oils. The upper part of town is fun and modern: packed with bars and restaurants frequented by a younger, wealthier crowd.

But tourists tend not to hang around. Most head straight to Jerash , one of the best preserved and most impressive economic centres dating from the Greco-Roman era. If you then travel south along the King's Highway, you'll come across the fabulous mosaics at Madaba .

You can follow this by visiting the legendary Petra , a city carved into the desert rocks. Abandoned and forgotten for many centuries, it was rediscovered intact in 1812! Visit the tombs of the Nabathean kings, each one as impressive as the other, and hike up the mountain to the famous Khazneh 'treasure of the pharaoh' Temple and the Deir Monastery beyond.

And don't miss out a tour of the desert mountains at Wadi Rum , which can be done by camel, four-wheel drive or on horseback. Take a once in a lifetime trip to the heart of the desert and plunge yourself into Bedouin life.

To the south there's Aqaba ​​a Red Sea resort, famous for its stunning marine life.  And once you reach the Dead Sea, enjoy floating on its salty waters and benefit from its well-equipped beaches. Finally, go east and tour the castles constructed by the Umayyad Dynasty - magnificent relics that tower above a desolate desert landscape.

Petra, THE destination that all travelers either remember or plan to visit!
An ochre-colored desert, the Wadi Rum
The archaeological site of Umm Qais is located approximately thirty kilometres from Irbid. Called Gadara in antiquity, the city belonged to the Greco-Roman Decapolis, a group of ten developed trading cities on both sides of the Jordan River.
A little more than 50 km from Amman, you have to go north to get to Jerash. It's one of the most attractive tourist sites in Jordan, after the incomparable Petra and Wadi Rum.
Dana is the largest nature reserve in Jordan (300 square kilometres) next to the eponymous village, on the King's Highway. It starts from the top of the Qadisiya plateau at an altitude of 1500 metres and descends to Wadi Rum desert.
East of Jordan, a unique, rich heritage.
Umm Ar-Rasas is a small village around thirty kilometres from Madaba which was important in the Byzantine era. It's here that mosaics of the 8th century have been discovered, encouraging UNESCO to classify it as a World Heritage Site.
The Red Sea is one of the best diving spots in the world. 
The favorite seaside resort of Russian oligarchs and salt water bathing fans: the Dead Sea.
Ajloun is a little town around 20km from Jerash that's known for its classified nature reserve and nearby Medieval castle of Qala’at ar-Rabad, built during the 12th Century by Arabs from the Ayyubid Dynasty.
Aqaba is the only seaside town in the Hashemite Kingdom. 
Wadi al-Mujib Valley, also given the dramatic name of 'The Grand Canyon of the Middle East' covers over 70 kilometres of the Wadi Rum desert by the Dead Sea. The nature reserve of the same name is a good place to do a trek between Madaba and Kerak.
Pella is an exceptional site, here there are the ruins of a Greco-Roman Decapolis, one of ten trading cities situated on either side of Jordan, such as Umm Qais nearby. These sites are located near to Irbid in the north of the country.
In the footsteps of Moses: Mount Nebo!
The incredible map of Palestine in Madaba.
The departure point for a journey to Jordan: Amman.
With its citadel and its castle, Kerak is an ideal place to stop off, half way along the road between Amman and Petra.
The town of Azraq is around 100km east of Amman. Surrounded by arid lands, it was built beside a lush, green oasis.
Salt is a town with a population of around 100,000, roughly 35km from Amman. It's managed to preserve its historical charm, unlike so many of Jordan's concrete jungles. It's home to several historical vestiges.
The village adjacent to Petra: Wadi Musa.
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