We all know Jordan is famous for one of the seven wonders – Petra, right? But do you know that it also has breathtaking landscapes in the desert of Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea where even non-swimmers like us could float on its mineral-rich water without any effort? All these attractions made me super excited to plan this trip, but the only caveat was to fit it all within the limited time that we had.
Amman was supposed to be a layover airport for our trip to Egypt. When I was looking for visa requirements in Jordan, I found out that Indians can get an on-arrival visa. That motivated me to visit Jordan on the same trip itself, dividing the days between both countries.
On this trip, we also tried something new which we had never done before. We hired a tour company and let them arrange everything for us. Of course, I wanted to personalize our itinerary so I was looking for a company that can accommodate our requests. I am so glad I found Jordan Select Tours. This company has great reviews on TripAdvisor. They normally have day tours, but we got a private car with a dedicated driver for all four days.
Best Time to Visit: Spring (March – May) or Fall (September – November)
Days 1 & 2
We arrived at the Amman airport in the evening and after the immigration, we headed straight to the Dead Sea and stayed there for a night. It’s just an hour’s ride.
A fun fact about the dead sea is it is the lowest point on the earth!! Cool right?
The next morning, we got up early and headed to the beach. It was scary at first to let go and just float on the Dead Sea water but then it was so much fun that I didn’t want to come out.
Make sure that you don’t have any cuts on your body as it really burns in the water.
When you visit the Dead Sea it’s a ritual to go in the waters and then come out and apply the clay, let it dry, and wash it off again in the Dead Sea water. We did exactly the same and trust me, our skin felt so soft just like a newborn baby.
After all the fun in the sun, we proceeded to Wadi Rum. The drive from the Dead Sea to Wadi Rum takes about 4 hours. On our way there we made a quick stop at the canyon.
Wadi Rum desert has so many unique landscapes and has been featured in popular movies like Star Wars, The Martian, and Dunes to name a few.
In the desert, we had booked a 4×4 vehicle expedition. The ride in the desert was a thrilling three hours filled with lots of pictures, and otherworldly landscapes. To top it all our driver made us a nice cup of Nabatean tea in the middle of the desert. We witnessed the most spectacular sunset in the heart of the desert.
Our driver dropped us at our already pre-booked hotel “Bubble Luxotel”. Staying in this unique hotel was a dream come true. We were grinning like little kids, looking at the bubble where we were going to spend one whole night under the starry sky. It was a fantastic experience.
The hotel served a scrumptious buffet dinner. We spent the evening watching stars from the hot tub and sleeping in the bubble was a totally unique experience.
Days 3 & 4
On Day 3 we began our journey to the most awaited destination Petra. As much as we were excited to see this monument, we didn’t pray to the rain gods, and it was raining like cats and dogs this day. You know the strange thing is, it only rains 7-8 days a year in Petra and today was the day when the rain decided to show up.
We were hoping throughout the ride for the rain to stop but nope it was pouring constantly. Luckily, the gates for Petra were still open. Normally when it rains like that, officials close the gate and don’t allow visitors to enter because of the flash flood. We purchased a poncho and made it through the entrance. It was not exactly what we imagined but we were going to finally see Petra.
We made our way through The Siq, saw the famous Treasury, and moved on to the next attractions. We were about to start a hike for the Monastery, but the guard stopped us. He asked us to go to the back of the park to get on a shuttle. The Siq was closed because of a flash flood, and we could not walk through it anymore. It was so disappointing as we didn’t get to spend much time at the Treasury, didn’t get to hike Monastery, and worst of all didn’t get good pictures because of the stupid rain.
We got on the shuttle and checked into the hotel. The rain didn’t stop, and the next day’s forecast also was not looking good. We took some rest and had a nice dinner at “My Mom’s Recipe” restaurant. We also had a few drinks in the oldest bar in the world “The Cave Bar.”
On day 4 we got up early, it was not raining, and the gate was supposed to open at 6:00 AM so we really didn’t want to miss the opportunity to revisit the Treasury. We got ready and arrived at the gate at 6:00 AM but the guard didn’t let us in.
We waited at the gate for 2 long hours and finally, we got in. This time with no rain, we were inside the Siq, almost alone, and were the first ones to arrive at the Treasury. We took some nice pictures, spent some time marveling at the Treasury, and then also did the hike to the Monastery.
We really had to rush as we needed to drive back to Amman for our flight to Cairo, but we are so glad that we finally ticked all the attractions that we wanted to visit in such a short but sweet time. Although visiting Petra through the rain was upsetting. But, the sandstones of the Treasury and Monastery had a different glow because of the rain, and the pictures came out pretty stunning.
The hike from the Visitor Center to the Treasury takes about 30 minutes
The hike from the Treasury to the Monastery takes about 2 hours. (We finished the last hike in 90 minutes but we almost ran to finish it)
This trip is one of the most memorable trips for us. Experiences like this teach us to be patient, be open-minded about unwanted circumstances. Always do our best with what we have. I truly feel travel is the greatest life teacher so keep traveling friends!! Feel free to post any questions or comments.