Snapshot
Jessica went on this amazing small-group guided tour with Intrepid Travel in October 2023.
This itinerary starts and ends in Amman, the vibrant capital city of Jordan, and visits Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Petra, Jerash, Madaba, and the Dead Sea over 8 days.
Highlights
Jeep tour and overnight stay at a Bedouin desert camp in Wadi Rum (plus the most incredible star-gazing)
Taste the most incredible local dishes with your expert guide
Experience the unique sensation of floating in the super-salty waters of the Dead Sea, then cover yourself in the mineral-rich mud for a spa treatment like no other
Be welcomed into the home of locals in Petra, where you’ll chat with your friendly family hosts over a traditional home-cooked meal
Visit a beach club in the seaside town of Aqaba, on the shores of the Red Sea - which is also also a spectacular spot for snorkelling
Spend a full day exploring the incredible ancient city of Petra on foot
“This was my first time on a guided tour, and it was really a life-changing experience. I am an introvert, but I decided to venture to Jordan on my own, since none of my family or friends wanted to come with me - never let that stop you!
I flew to a city I had never heard of before, and joined a group of 12 other travellers from around the world that I had never met, and I even roomed with a stranger all week (…a stranger who quickly became a lovely friend). We were all there for the same reason: to explore a fascinating but foreign - and slightly intimidating - place for the first time.
Led by our Jordanian tour guide Mohammad, we came together and had the most amazing week discovering the unique beauty of Jordan. The sites that we visited were honestly hard to describe in their beauty, and must be experienced first-hand; the people are so kind and friendly; and, I still crave the food we ate to this day…
I cannot recommend this beautiful little country, or this tour, highly enough! If you have specific questions about my experience or the tour, please reach out - I love discussing all things Jordan.”
-Jessica
Arrive in Amman
I flew into Amman, the capital city of Jordan, with Royal Jordanian airline on a direct flight from Chicago. It was quite a nice flying experience, with good food and comfy seats - no complaints!
You can get a visa on arrival, but make sure you have JOD, the local Jordanian currency, to pay for it.
The Intrepid tour included an arrival pick-up, so I was greeted by a friendly driver who carried my bag and whisked me off to the hotel. After checking in and getting refreshed, I met the rest of the group and local leader for a welcome drink at the hotel bar, followed by an Orientation chat to go through the week’s itinerary.
For our first night in the city, we were excited to go downtown and check out one of the top-recommended restaurants, “Hashem".
This place is popular with all of the locals, and is so good that even the Royal Family of Jordan dine here from time to time - they rent out the whole restaurant for the occasion, of course. Mohammad (our local leader) ordered a delicious spread of different dishes for us to try, and while the atmosphere is very basic and simple, the food did not disappoint.
After dinner, we walked around the bustling streets of downtown Amman, which is quite a feast for the senses! It’s a cool place to see, and I never felt unsafe at all, although it was a bit of a culture shock - I wasn’t accustomed to seeing the majority of women walking around being fully covered up, wearing hijabs and head-to-toe robes. (Side note: my last trip before this was to the beaches of southern Spain, where a tiny bikini is basically the go-to wardrobe).
Although it may seem a bit intimidating at first, the people are honestly so friendly and warm, especially to tourists - they were quite curious about us, but not in a rude way.
To give you an idea of how friendly the locals are, we were waiting in line for ice cream our first night when we struck up a conversation with the Jordanian couple behind us, who were asking us where we were from. The husband knew some English and was excited to use a bit of it; the wife didn’t speak any English, but her big smile said it all; she was also holding an adorable chubby baby boy. When we commented on how cute he was, she promptly handed him around to us to hold!
“I will never forget the moment that I first arrived at the Treasury of Petra.
The entrance to Petra is quite long and winding; you walk through dry open plains for a while, before entering a wide cavern that is lined on each side by towering red sandstone rock. You will see very little for the first while (about 20 minutes) of walking, just a few sculptures and facades carved into the rock walls. This is undoubtably why it remained ‘undiscovered’ for centuries… For a while you wonder, is this it?
The cavern passageways eventually start getting a bit more narrow, but the rock faces still tower above you as you continue along the path. Suddenly the rocks seem to part, and you’re drawn forward by the light - towards the most amazing sight of these ancient columns carved into the sky-high red stone wall. You are left speechless for a moment.
This was a ‘Bucket List’ experience I’ll remember forever.”
-Jessica
