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Jordan is a country like no other, with loads of history (meaning temples and ruins everywhere), religious locations, incredible landscapes such as desert, mountains, the red and dead sea, delicious food, friendly people and animals.

There are so many reasons to visit this country, that I could be bragging about it on just one blog post. So instead, I’m going to guide you around the TOP places to visit in Jordan, from the most popular to the least popular.

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If you’re familiar with the way that I travel, you know that I love exploring less popular places on every country I visit, so don’t take the locations mentioned on this post as the only ones you should include in your itinerary, as there are some that in my opinion, are extremely underrated and definitely deserve to be part of your trip. Read about them on my blog post about 16 Hidden gems in Jordan that you have to visit.

If you’re one to watch videos instead of reading, you can watch my YouTube video below. Just bear in mind that I did not include Wadi Mujib since it was closed when we visited.

I have included a map with all of these locations at the end of the post, so don’t forget to scroll all the way down if you’re interested.

Petra

Petra is one of the top places to visit in Jordan, for obvious reasons. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a city carved by the Nabataeans
View towards the Treasury, one of the (if not the) most popular places in Petra.

Petra is one of the top places to visit in Jordan, for obvious reasons. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a city carved by the Nabataeans directly onto the walls of a beautiful canyon and cliffs. Petra is now one of the 7 Wonders of the World (since 2007) but it was forgotten for centuries, until a Swiss explorer found it in 1812.

It’s a huge site, with loads to see, and loads to impress you. From the most popular temples (the Treasury and Monastery) to the stunning Siq canyon, a theatre, beautiful Tricliniums, loads of tombs, and more – not to mention the beautiful views all around!

They also do a quite popular night show on designated days, called Petra by Night, which is great to experience at least once in your life. Yes, it’s pricey for what you get, but at least you get to sit in front of the Treasury at night, surrounded by candles, while you hear a simple melody. And there’s something magic about it.

Even if you’re not one to explore touristic places, Petra is definitely a top place to vist in Jordan that you don’t want to miss.

Dead Sea

Floating in the Dead Sea is one of the Top Things to do in Jordan
Floating in the Dead Sea while holding a journal I took from the Airport – exactly for this photo! Eheheh

Dead Sea is certainly one of the top places to visit in Jordan and a special place on our planet for different reasons – mostly for being the lowest place on earth and for its high salt density, not allowing you to sink, which then, turns it into a perfect place for a “I am casually floating and reading a journal in the sea” picture 🙈.

This is a bucket list experience especially because unfortunately, there is a chance that the Dead Sea might disappear one day.

If you have the time and budget, you can also enjoy a relaxing day (or more if you fancy) at one of the fanciest hotels and spas in the whole country.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is one of the top places to visit in Jordan
Photo taken at Lawrence’s Spring, Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is the most popular desert area in Jordan and you won’t regret spending part of your trip here. From interesting rock formations to canyons and viewpoints, you can choose from a variety of activities such as jeep tour, camel ride and even hot air balloon flight.

You will be able to visit the majority of attractions in one day with a Jeep Tour and sleeping in a Bedouin Camp is highly recommended. We stayed at Wadi Rum Quiet Village Camp because of their great score on Booking.com and I have to say, I am not disappointed with our choice!

Just bear in mind that temperatures in the desert drop considerably overnight and during winter, Wadi Rum can be extremely windy and cold, so be prepared if you’re visiting.

Amman

Temple of Hercules in Amman Citadel is a very popular structure in Amman, the capital of Jordan. Amman is one of the top places to visit in Jordan
The popular Temple of Hercules in Amman Citadel

Amman is the capital of Jordan and so, it’s probably the busiest place in the whole country. Expect a lot of traffic (you can get stuck for over an hour during peak times), expensive accommodation and busy streets, but also beautiful architecture and stunning views from the Citadel and Roman Theatre.

Amman was my least favourite place in Jordan mostly because of being packed, quite stressful to drive around and extremely expensive, but also because I am a lover of nature and places that are less crowded, so I guess that makes sense.

Jerash

South Theatre in Jerash, one of the top places to visit in Jordan
South Theatre in Jerash

On the other hand, Jerash was one of my favourite places in Jordan – and it’s quite touristy, believe me! This place is also called the “Pompeii of the East” for being one of the most well-preserved Greco‑Roman cities outside Italy. The site is pretty big and has different temples, theatres, gates, public baths, fountains, the main street Cardio Maximus and more. You can’t miss this place!

And don’t be fooled: even though this is only one location, you can spend quite a lot of time just roaming around the streets of what was once a busy and stunning city.

Aqaba

Ship wreck in the Read Sea. Diving is one of the most popular activities in Aqaba, a top place to visit in Jordan.
Ship wreck in the Read Sea

Aqaba is mostly popular for the Read Sea, and it’s diving opportunities: where you can find ship and tank wrecks, beautiful coral reefs and a diverse sea life such as turtles, rays and other fish.

If you’re not into diving however, Aqaba has other attractions such as beautiful mosques, great resorts and palm tree beaches.

Wadi Mujib

Wadi Mujib, one of the top places to visit in Jordan for nature lovers

Wadi Mujib is one of the top places to visit in Jordan for adventurous travellers. If you love the outdoors, this will be the place for you, as you explore the canyon through a hike where you will get a bit wet, but the breathless views will make it worth it.

Unfortunately, it’s not accessible all year round and when we visited in February, access was closed.

Don't know what to wear in Jordan?

Madaba

Madaba, one of the top places to visit in Jordan

Madaba is not as popular as other locations such as Jerash and Amman, especially because it has a lot less to see. Prices are much lower here, so it’s a perfect place to find accommodation if you’re on a budget.

The most popular attractions are it’s prominent Mosque and the the Greek Orthodox Church where you can find the famous Mosaic Map.

Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo is a top religious site to visit in Jordan, where moses saw the promised land before his death
View that Moses had towards the Promised Land, from the memorial site

Mount Nebo is one of the most popular religious sites in Jordan.

This is told to be the place where Moses from the Bible saw the Promised Land and died without entering on it. You will have a stunning view onsite towards what was the Promised Land, as well as the Memorial Church of Moses where you can find some beautiful mosaics that have been well-preserved over the years.

The Baptism Site of Jesus Christ

The Baptism Site of Jesus Christ is a top place amongst Christians to visit Jordan
Here was the exact site where Jesus Christ was baptised

And to finish the list, we have another religious attraction, that will be a point of interest for anyone interested in biblical history, especially Christians. As the name indicates, here was the place where Jesus Christ was baptised by John the Baptist.

The site is fairly big, and they are now building different churches in the area but unfortunately, you cannot get near most of them and you won’t be entering any.

And this was the end of our list about the TOP 10 Places to visit in Jordan! Once more, make sure you check my blog post on hidden gems that are worth visiting in Jordan so that you can include all of these spots on your itinerary.

As mentioned, you can find the map below with all of these locations to help on your planning:

Tips to use the map above

  • You will find different layers on this map, showing you all points of interest by categories. To see these, click on the tab icon (top left). All layers will be enabled by default. By clicking on the check marks, you can disable/hide a specific label to better understand the info you’re looking for.
  • To view more detailed information on any point of interest, click on it’s icon over the map.
  • You can save this by clicking on the star on the top of the map (right next to the title). This will be added to your Google Maps, and you will be able to access it from any device (Google Maps – Your Places – Maps)

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Born and raised in Portugal, I discovered my passion for travel when I was living in Poland back in 2013, after a month of backpacking and staying at strangers’ houses through Couchsurfing. Currently based in London, I am now on a mission to explore the unexplored, and showcase places that deserve a lot more recognition.

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