{"id":21624,"date":"2017-08-23T17:51:12","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T07:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=21624&preview=true&preview_id=21624"},"modified":"2025-03-27T01:16:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T14:16:52","slug":"jordan-travel-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/jordan-travel-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"8 things to do in Jordan that aren’t Petra or the Dead Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"

Living out your Indiana Jones fantasies at the \u2018lost\u2019 city of Petra, bobbing about in the ultra-buoyant Dead Sea, taking a jeep tour around the dramatic desertscape of Wadi Rum…that\u2019s your trip to Jordan<\/a> sorted, right? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure, these top attractions are <\/em>amazing, but they\u2019re just a few of the many awesome travel experiences on offer in this adventure-packed corner of the Middle East. Here\u2019s eight you might not have thought about, but are definitely worth adding to your itinerary:<\/p>\n

Scuba diving in the Red Sea<\/h2>\n

Egypt might be better known for Red Sea diving, but there are also plenty of opportunities to dive in Aqaba, Jordan\u2019s only seaside city. Ranging from shallow coral gardens to deep canyons, pinnacles to shipwrecks, there are over 20 dive sites to choose from, with the same warm water, excellent visibility and bountiful marine life that put places like Sharm el Sheik and Dahab (just across the Gulf of Aqaba) on Egypt\u2019s diving map.<\/p>\n

Exploring Crusader Castles<\/h2>\n
\"Ancient<\/a>

Channel your inner King Richard at one of Jordan’s Crusader Castles. Image c\/o Sarah Reid.<\/p><\/div>\n

Castles in Jordan? Yep \u2013 picturesquely perched on rocky knolls across the country are more than half a dozen medieval fortifications either built or occupied by the Crusaders during their two-century attempt to recover the Holy Land from Islamic rule. Castles that remain in the best shape (and open to visitors) include the enormous Karak Castle in Jordan\u2019s central-west, Shoback Castle (also known as Montreal Castle) about 100km south of Karak, and Ajloun Castle in the country\u2019s northwest, which presides over the surprisingly lush Jordan Valley.<\/p>\n

Hiking the Jordan Trail<\/h2>\n

Opened earlier this year, the Jordan Trail is a spectacular 650km hiking path that runs from the village of Umm Qais at Jordan\u2019s northern tip, to the resort city of Aqaba at the nation\u2019s tail. You can opt to hike a manageable section (solo or with a local operator), or set aside around a month to tackle its entire length, which weaves though ancient ruins (including Petra<\/strong>), remote communities, and some truly breathtaking landscapes.<\/p>\n

Getting back to nature<\/h2>\n
\"Nature<\/a>

The Dana Biosphere Reserve is full of colour. Image c\/o Sarah Reid.<\/p><\/div>\n

You might be surprised to find that Jordan isn\u2019t all sandy deserts and rocky ranges. In fact, it\u2019s home to seven pretty spectacular nature reserves. In Mujib Biosphsere Reserve, you can hike through Wadi Mujib, a stunning canyon through which a river enters the Dead Sea at 420m below sea level, while Dana Biophere Reserve, Jordan\u2019s largest reserve, encompasses all four of the country\u2019s different bio-geographical zones. Keep your eyes peeled for Sinai agamas, lizards which glow a brilliant blue to attract females during the summer mating season.<\/p>\n

Seeking out Roman \u2013 and even Greek \u2013 ruins<\/h2>\n

About an hour\u2019s drive north of Amman, the sprawling ruins of Jerash comprise the largest Roman site in the Middle East, which is well worth at least half a day of your time. It\u2019s just one of many ancient Roman ruins scattered around the country, including Amman\u2019s Roman Theatre and Citadel. In Umm Qais, you can also tour the ruins of the Greek Decapolis city of Gadara, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee in modern-day Israel next door. On a clear day, you can even see the mountains of Lebanon beyond.<\/p>\n

Overnighting in a Bedouin camp<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Bed down like a Bedouin in Wadi Rum. Image c\/o Sarah Reid.<\/p><\/div>\n

When you first clap eyes on Wadi Rum, it\u2019s easy to see why scenes from The Martian <\/em>were filmed here. Many travellers opt for a day trip to this otherworldly place from the nearby city of Aqaba, but staying overnight in a traditional-style tented Bedouin camp (several dozen of which are scattered through the protected area) is much more fun. Bedouin-style camping is also possible near Petra, and you can expect to camp alongside traditional Bedouin families along the Jordan Trail. Doing a homestay with a regular Jordanian family is another way to get a taste of local life and culture.<\/p>\n

SPEND THE NIGHT IN A BEDOUIN DESERT CAMP ON AN INTREPID TRIP TO JORDAN<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Marvelling at the mosaics of Madaba<\/h2>\n

A popular base for travellers, the market town of Madaba, which is closer to Amman<\/a>\u2019s airport than the capital itself, boasts some of Jordan\u2019s best-preserved Byzantine mosaics. Its crowning glory is the mosaic map in St George\u2019s Church, which represents the oldest map of Palestine in existence. Crafted in the 1st century BC, the map \u2013 which once contained more than two million tiles \u2013 lay forgotten for centuries until builders uncovered the masterpiece during construction of the 19th-century church that sits atop it.<\/p>\n

Eating (and drinking!) your way around Amman<\/h2>\n
\"Delicious<\/a>

A typical Jordanian feast. Image c\/o Sarah Reid.<\/p><\/div>\n

Many travellers opt to skip Jordan\u2019s capital, but it\u2019s well worth spending a day or two exploring the buzzing \u2018White City\u2019, especially if you love your food. Downtown, one falafel wrap from Hashem is never enough (especially when they\u2019re so cheap!). Nearby in trendy Rainbow Street, you\u2019ll find some of the city\u2019s hippest cafes, restaurants, and bars. You heard that right: while it\u2019s generally frowned upon for Muslims to imbibe, you won\u2019t have trouble finding alcohol in Amman. Jordan even has its very own microbrewery, Carakale, which makes a mean pale ale.<\/p>\n

Intrigued? Explore the many sides of Jordan on an Intrepid small group trip.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature image c\/o Shutterstock.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea…Jordan’s biggest attractions are well worth a visit. But what else should you do while you’re there? Here’s 8 awesome experiences you can have in Jordan. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15946,"featured_media":21631,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1313],"tags":[5,1183,260,55,56,473],"class_list":["post-21624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-active","tag-active-adventures","tag-food-adventures","tag-jordan","tag-middle-east","tag-walking","ipf_theme-active-adventures","ipf_theme-food","ipf_region-jordan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nInteresting things to do in Jordan beyond Petra I Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea...Jordan's biggest attractions are well worth a visit. 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