Highlights of Jordan

Arrival in Amman

Arrive at any time into Amman. The city is large and decentralized, with hotels spread across many neighborhoods rather than a single tourist core. Getting around requires a taxi. Drop your bags and use the afternoon to get oriented before the trip begins in earnest tomorrow.

Roman Ruins and the Dead Sea

A full-day trip north from Amman begins with a one-hour drive to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities in the Middle East. Plan for a few hours to walk the colonnaded streets, plazas, and theatres. From there, it's a longer, two-hour overland leg to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth.

The water’s extreme salinity makes for a strange, buoyant swim. The mineral-rich mud is considered therapeutic. There are facilities with showers to rinse off the salt and mud before the drive back to Amman.

DIY Reality Check: While the journey from Amman to Jerash can be done by public minibus, there is no direct public transport link from the Roman ruins to the Dead Sea. A DIY traveler using buses would have to backtrack to Amman and then transfer, a multi-leg trip that can take nearly three hours, making it impossible to visit both sites in a single day. The only viable independent option is to source, vet, and hire a private driver for the entire day, negotiating a rate that includes over four hours of driving plus significant waiting time at two separate locations. A trip with pre-arranged transport eliminates this entire chain of logistical coordination.

The King's Highway to Petra

The drive south from Amman to Wadi Musa, the gateway town to Petra, is a full day on the road with significant stops. The route follows the historic King's Highway, a 240km journey that takes three to four hours of driving time alone. The first stop is Mt. Nebo, with its panoramic views over the Jordan Valley.

Next is Madaba, known for its collection of intricate Byzantine mosaics, including a famous 6th-century map of the Holy Land. The final stop is Karak to explore a massive Crusader-era castle before the final push to Wadi Musa, arriving in the early evening.