Jordan has been high on my travel list for some time now, so there was a fair bit of excitement when the country dropped its travel restrictions. For those who are a little on the nervous side about travelling to the Middle East, Jordan is a perfect place to start. Jordan takes tourism very seriously and it is a country where visitors are warmly invited in and treated as important guests. Together with low crime rates and English being spoken everywhere, it is a safe and easy country for foreigners to explore. Even with are excitement, Jordan exceeded our expectations and it was a very memorable family trip exploring the rich history of Jordan with the kids.
Having a family with a low tolerance for too much culture, I need to take this into account when planning trips. We need to favour what they see as fun – anything involving water. And keep what they see as boring – anything resembling a museum – to a minimum. Like Turkiye, this is where Jordan ticks a lot of boxes for those of us travelling with kids. Most sites are in the great outdoors where kids can learn about history while exploring. Coupled with the locals high tolerance for kids being kids, it is a winning location for travelling families.
On the logistical side, Jordan is easy to get around. The Desert Highway from Amman to Aqaba is almost a straight line through Jordan. Most sites are accessible off this highway, keeping it simple for the self-drive road trippers. Personally, we prefer to hire a driver and keep arguments about directions for when we are not exploring a new country. We also like spur of the moment detours and no one knows the good ones quite like a local.
Jordanian culture of marriage
As a mother of two boys, a favourite piece of Jordanian culture our driver, Essam, shared with us is the process of getting to marriage. The Jordanians have it nailed. If your son decides he likes a young woman, he tells his Mum. Yep, already winning for me. Mum then calls the mother of the young woman and they arrange a catch up. While the Mums get acquainted, the young couple gets to spend time together. This may happen more than once. If both Mum’s are happy with taking the next step (and eachother), a visit is arranged for the whole family to gather. This process of the families getting to know each other is a step those of us raised in a western culture often skip. We don’t realise how important it is for our respective families to have common ground. And for the young couple to get a preview what is down he track in 30 years!
Another bit of Jordanian culture related to marriage is where the young couple will live. While driving through towns we noticed wires poking up on roofs, making buildings look unfinished. This easily identifies homes with sons. It is tradition for the son’s family to build an apartment on top of their home for the young couple to move into.
Are you ready to book that trip to Jordan? Head over to the Thatch App and download our itinerary to help you streamline your travel plans.
What’s included?
- Travel essentials for getting in and around Jordan
- Must see historic sites and museums
- Fun outdoor activities
- Travel tips
- Places to eat
- Hotel recommendations
- Best time to go
- Itinerary add-ons.
Jordan’s most popular tourist destinations
The Dead Sea
Also known as the Arabic Lake, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth at 400m below sea level. No one goes to Jordan without testing out if they float. Of course, as soon as we got in the water, we did the expected “haha its true you do actually float”. Experiencing something first hand always beats seeing it on the Discovery channel. We had so much fun bobbing around and covering each other in mud.
This body of water can only be visited by travelling to either Jordan or Israel. The salt farms in both countries and the damming of rivers is causing it to shrink by a metre every year. So, don’t leave your visit too late. It is definitely a fun experience to be had for the whole family.
10 Medicinal benefits of the Dead Sea salt may include:
- Enhancing your skins hydration.
- A natural and gentle exfoliator.
- Calming eczema and giving your skin a mineral boost against chronic skin conditions.
- Easing muscle cramps and aches.
- Removing skin blemishes.
- Ridding your scalp of dandruff. I would think twice before dunking your head under water though. The high salinity of the dead sea is excruciating when it gets in your eyes.
- Reducing the appearance of wrinkles
- Improving bad breath. Yes, of course we stuck our tongues in and yes, it was VERY salty so I cannot imagine gargling a mouthful.
- Detoxing your body, inside and out. Hmmm, maybe just stick to the out.
- Giving your hair the “I’ve been on the beach all day” look.
Petra – The Rose City
Petra is known as “The Rose City” due to the colour of the rock it is carved into. When you visit, it is clear why it is one of the new seven wonders of the world. To know the Nabateans carved these homes and tombs into the surrounding rock over two centuries ago is incredible.
While it is the Treasury that most tourists go to visit, Petra has a number of outstanding features. One of these is that Petra has the only theatre in the world carved into rock. And it is not just the manmade aspects that make it such a fascinating place to visit. Petra, is also home to incredible natural features. A personal favourite of ours is the section of natural rock known as The Siq. This section is about 1km but is the easiest section to walk as it cool with plenty of shade.
You could easily spend 2-3 days exploring Petra. But with kids a morning is more than enough. By midday Finley was threatening to leave home if I made him go into another tomb. The walk up to the Monastery may have pushed them over the edge. But we did have a little fun at the expense of our fellow tourists when we stopped for a fresh juice on the way down. As people walked passed we gave them words of encouragement. Telling them they had done well and were now halfway. Meanwhile, it was only another 10 minutes to the top. What ever it takes to stop the whinging kids, right!
Fun facts
- The Nabateans built their tombs from the top and worked down.
- The water system designed by the Nabateans was piped through the whole city. It also fed a public fountain where you can find a 450 year old wild pistachio tree still standing.
- Despite being in the middle of the desert, Petra was an important trade hub. So important the Romans built a road to it. Sections of this road remains today and you can walk on it as you pass through The Siq.
- There many historical carvings throughout The Siq you will need to look for if you do not have a guide to point them out. Our favourite was the guide and his camels.
- Scenes from Indiana Jones and the last Crusade were filmed in Petra.
Travelling to Jordan with kids and planning a visit to Petra? Head over to Thatch and download our Petra Half Day Guide with kids.
What’s included?
- Best route
- What to look out for
- What to avoid
- Best places to rest
- Tips on how to keep the whinging to a minimum.
More to explore in Jordan with kids
A popular destination for religious travellers
Like the people of Turkiye, Jordanians are caretakers of many important religious sites for both Christianity and Islam. People travel from all over the world to visit these sites and follow in the footsteps of historical religious leaders such as Moses, Jesus and John The Baptist. It is also home to the oldest christian communities in the world. Not being very clued up on religion, travelling through Jordan was a great education on religious history for our whole family.
Mosaics
Jordan is famous for the mosaics found in most historical sites. A form of historical documentation, this craft is still handed down through families. We were fortunate to get a tour from the owner of a local handcraft centre. The centre supports hundreds of families, many of whom live with handicaps. Here we saw firsthand the time and skill needed to create these works of art. This craft certainly requires a lot of patience. It was only fitting that we left with a mosaic of our own and I could not resist a handmade replica of the Tree of Life. Unfortunately, I did not leave with a camel hair carpet much to Hubby’s relief. But I figure this leaves me with an excuse to go back for another visit!
Castles and ancient cities
Ancient castles and abandoned cities can be found in towns and in the desert. Showcasing some of the people who once occupied these spaces such as the Nabateans, Ottomans and yes, even the Romans were once here. A huge advantage for us travellers with kids is that these spaces are so much fun to explore. We are so used to being told off when exploring historical sites and castles in Europe. It was refreshing that the boys were able to run wild when visiting these ancient outdoor sites. They boy were able to burn off a lot of the excess energy saved up in the car in these cool and sheltered ruins.
Nature Reserves and deserts
Jordan is the only Arab state without oil. Instead Jordan is rich in nature and more than happy to share this resource with visitors. Jordan’s natural phenomena include hot springs, their very own grand canyon, wildlife and of course lots of desert. If it is adventure you want, these are the places where you can find it. From balloon rides in Wadi Rum to canyoning in Mujib Nature Reserve. If you prefer not to be the energy source, there is always a horse or camel nearby to get you there. Did you know that in Jordan the camels only have one hump. Our previous camel riding adventure included a two humped camel in Asia.
Water poor but mineral rich
Thanks in part to its mineral rich soil, Jordan is able to grow all its own food. They only import tropical fruits and are key exporters of olive oil. It was surprising for us to come across green olive groves in what appears to be the middle of nowhere. Thanks to good relationships with their neighbours, Jordan is able to import water. They also have a local solution in the form of an underground lake in Wadi Rum. This lake is predicted to have water reserves for approximately 60 years. Water is piped from the desert twice a week so you will often see homes with large water tanks on the roof.
Bedouins
The Bedouins, or desert dwellers, have lived in the Jordanian deserts of for centuries. We visited with a Bedouin tribe in the famous desert of Wadi Rum. Here tour guide patiently introduced us to some of the Bedouin ways. Such as the importance of coffee in pretty much ALL aspects of Bedouin life. And how to politely say you have had enough by jiggling your wrist when returning the cup. We learned how they found hidden water holes and had plenty of opportunity for the kids to run free. This is not our first desert rodeo but it is certainly a favourite and should definitely be on your list when visiting Jordan.
Find out about our other desert adventures we recommend you add to your bucket-list here.
The Red Sea
When you have enough desert sand it is time to head to the beach. Aqaba is a bustling resort town where divers can get their fins on and explore the local reefs. The local government has sunk a military plane and tanks about 15-20m deep. This is shallow enough for most junior and beginner divers and a great opportunity to explore some wrecks. Most hotels are equipped for a variety of watersports if diving is not your thing.
The food
Similar to Turkish food, eating in Jordan is a fun experience of flavours. Meal times come with a number of dishes where you mix your meat and/or veg with rice or dunk your bread or meat into one of the many dips. Jordanians are famous for their desert barbeque, called a Zarb, and this is a must do experience. For the coeliacs out there, they even have a gluten free bread, referred to as “Arab bread” and is similar to a pita.
In conclusion
Despite bordering some of the most conflict riddled countries, Jordan has a good relationship with its five neighbours Saudi-Arabia, Israel, Syria and Iraq and Egypt, across the Red Sea. This makes it an ideal base to explore more of the region.
With so much history, a variety of landscapes and historical sites to explore and the added bonus of good and accessible roads, Jordan should be on everyone’s bucket-list. There is something for everyone in Jordan, even the kids.
11 must do’s in Jordan with kids:
- Float in the Dead Sea and cover yourself in mud.
- Explore the tombs of Petra.
- Visit one of the archaeological museums.
- See how mosaics are made.
- Dive into Jordans history while exploring one of the abandoned castles.
- Ride on a camel in the desert.
- Adventure into the desert in the back of a 4×4 with a Bedouin guide.
- See how many movie locations you can visit while in Jordan.
- Enjoy a balloon ride at sunrise.
- Eat a tradition Bedouin barbecue (zarb) cooked in the ground.
- Go diving or snorkelling in the Red Sea.
There is no time to waste, then, is there?
T. E. Lawrence
