See the highlights of Jordan in just 2 days! Jordan Travel Blog

Jordan is the home of the last world wonder that I had to visit based off the original list I started with. In 2007, the list of the 7 world wonders was modified where The Pyramids of Giza were removed and Christ the Redeemer added in.

I was first introduced to Petra through the movie, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. I must admit, I had an incorrect perception of the Red Rose City, the name it gets from the color of the rock. I thought the entire city was located inside the mountain, with the main entrance being the most popular door of the entire city, The Treasury.

Wow, was I wrong! Petra, the capital of the Nabataean Empire, is an ancient city that grew rich from frankincense, myrrh and spices back in the 1st century BC.

The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra’s trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub. Petra was later taken by the Roman Empire but continued to thrive until the Galilee earthquake of 363. It destroyed many structures, leading to the downfall of the city and eventually was abandoned.

You can find more historical information here

The city structures are carved on the outside of the rock, making it magnificent to see as you walk through its paths. The city has tombs, temples, a theater and churches. You could image the hustle and bustle of its day to day as you walk through it.

In my opinion, the most spectacular part (or what I dreamed of seeing) was The Treasury from the Siq, the main trail.

The Siq, the main trail to the Red Rose city.

From there, you enter the Street of Facades, it’s the name given to the row of Nabataean tombs carved in the southern cliff face that lies past The Treasury and adjacent to the outer Siq. Continue walking and you’ll find the “High Place of Sacrifice” a place of worship on a mountain plateau. Climb up the steps for a beautiful view of the city. Then you’ll find the Theater and the Royal Tombs. If you continue walking you’ll find The Nymphaeum, the Church, the Colonnaded Street, The Great Temple, Qasr al-Bint, the Lion Triclinium and finally at the end of the trail, the Monastery.

Just to give you a perspective on the size of the city and length of the trail, we were continuously walking for 4 hours and only got to The Royal Tombs. Yes, that’s 4 hours of walking from the entrance (the visitor center), to the Royal Tombs and back. The Siq alone is a mile long.

There is sooooo much to see that I would recommend spending 2 full days and 1 night just in Petra. BUT, if you only have a few hours (like we did) this trail is enough and you get to see the highlights and check Petra off your bucket list! There are multiple hiking trails you can visit also.

You can find maps and detailed trail information here.

Since we were only spending 2 days and 1 night in Jordan, we jam packed our days. After Petra, we went to Wadi Rum and took an almost 2 hour tour of the desert. I have mixed feelings of the tour. We did see interesting rock formations, canyons, sand dunes, rock bridges, an amazing sunset, and not to mention amazing picture taking opportunities, although, our campsite was so amazing too, I would have liked to spend more time there relaxing.

Our campsite, wow, what a treat! It’s luxury in the middle of the desert. We were exhausted from a full day of walking and being out in the sun. So our air-conditioned tent, with a fully running bathroom and super comfortable bed was well welcomed. In addition to the yummy food, hookah (shisha) by the campfire and wine (that we snuck in) plus the star filled sky, it made for an experience that I wish every person could experience.

After our amazing stay in Wadi Rum, we drove 4 hours north to The Dead Sea. It’s called “The Dead Sea” because the level of salt is so high no organisms, like fish or aquatic plants, can live it in. To give you a perspective of its salinity, add 8 tablespoons of salt to ocean water and taste it, or pour it on your face. Ouch, that’s how we felt when we (against everyone’s recommendations) dipped our heads in when we went for a swim. Floating is what you do there. Float, float and float some more, than put mud all over yourself, then float some more. We were there about an hour, then rinsed off and headed to the pool.

After spending about 2.5 hours in The Dead Sea (1 in the sea, 1.5 in the pool) , we drove 1 hour to Amman, the capital city of Jordan, had a local lunch, washed off at the hotel and headed to the airport that night.

This is how our itinerary went:
Sun, 5/13: Arrive Amman at 10:30am
Mon, 5/14: Visit Petra and Wadi Rum
Tue, 5/15: Visit the Dead Sea - Depart Amman at at 10:10pm
2 nights in Jordan – 1 in Amman, 1 in Dessert

If you’re wondering how easily this can be done, how much it costs and who I used, I can send you my full itinerary. Just email me for the details.

My itinerary includes:

Tour company used
Tour guide recommendation
Travel visa requirements – who needs what and where to get it
Name of luxury camp and how to reserve it
Hotel, restaurant and Turkish Baths recommendation in Amman
Currency tips
Best time of year to visit
What to pack and wear
Other places to visit in Jordan (if you have more time)
Unlimited amount of questions you can ask me for your travel

If you loved this post, you will also love reading about Egypt, click here.

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