Jordan

Jordan packs outsized wonders into a compact desert kingdom: the rose-red rock-cut city of Petra, the cathedral-like sandstone canyons and red dunes of Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea, whose hypersaline water lets bathers float and whose shore, at about 430 m below sea level, is the lowest point on the face of the Earth.

Between these icons run dramatic river gorges, desert castles, and the Jordan Trail, a 675-km path the length of the country, making Jordan one of the Middle East's most rewarding and welcoming outdoor destinations.

Explore Petra on foot beyond the Treasury to the Monastery and high places, hike and 4x4 the desert canyons and dunes of Wadi Rum, canyoneer the water-carved gorge of Wadi Mujib, float in the Dead Sea, and walk sections of the long-distance Jordan Trail. Diving the Red Sea at Aqaba adds underwater color.

Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are ideal, with warm days and cool nights perfect for Petra, Wadi Rum, and hiking. Summer is very hot, though the desert nights cool sharply; winter can be cold with occasional snow in the highlands.

Despite its aridity, Jordan shelters desert wildlife — the reintroduced Arabian oryx, ibex, sand cats, and caracals — and its reserves like Dana and Mujib protect a surprising range of species along the rift, while the Red Sea at Aqaba teems with corals and reef fish.

Jordan sits along the great Rift Valley, whose tectonic rifting created the Jordan River, the Dead Sea depression, and the dramatic escarpments and gorges that drop from the highlands toward the rift. Wind and water have sculpted the sandstone of Petra and Wadi Rum into surreal forms.

Jordan has been a crossroads of civilizations for millennia — the Nabataeans who carved Petra, Romans, Byzantines, and the early Islamic caliphates that left desert castles. The modern kingdom was established in 1946 and is known for its stability and hospitality.

Bedouin culture remains central, especially in Wadi Rum, where desert camps, hospitality, and traditional knowledge of the land endure. Jordanian warmth, mansaf feasts, and a layered heritage of Nabataean, Roman, and Islamic sites shape the visitor experience.

Buy the Jordan Pass to cover Petra and many sites, and explore Petra over two days, starting early. Sleep in a Wadi Rum camp for the stars, float (don't swim) in the Dead Sea and rinse off after, travel in spring or autumn, and use Bedouin guides for the desert.