The 10 most beautiful places in Jordan

If you’re going on a trip to the Jordan, you’ll need this list to make sure that you’re visiting the 10 most beautiful places in Jordan. I’m telling you all about the top sights, the most photogenic places, the best Instagram spots and the best views in Jordan. This country in the Middle East on the crossroad of Europe, Asia and Africa has so much to offer and has some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited.

1 Petra

Without a doubt the most beautiful place in Jordan and actually one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. It’s not without reason that it’s one of the modern seven wonders of the world.
Petra is an ancient city, carved out of rock by the Nabateans in 300 B.C. You enter the ‘rose city’ (named so because of the red colour of the rocks) by walking down a canyon. Slowly you start seeing the famous temple in between the gap of the canyon. It’s breathtaking. The temple, called The Treasury, is the most famous and most photographed spot of Petra, and also that of Jordan. But Petra has more to offer. It’s worth walking a bit further to see more tombs, a theater and to have lunch at The Basin. A buffet-style restaurant in the middle of Petra.

2 Wadi Rum

In the Southern part of Jordan you’ll find Wadi Rum. This valley is one of the most beautiful places in Jordan. It covers an area of 720km² and has often served as a background for movies. This desert landscape is particularly nice for adventure seekers. Here you can hire a camel and follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, climb the highest peaks of the desert, or take a safari trip across the rolling sand dunes of Wadi Rum in a 4×4 vehicle.

3 The Dead Sea

A visit to the Dead Sea is one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ things that you should do. I already went to the Dead Sea multiple times (the first time was on the Israeli side). It’s a unique sea which lies 400m (1,312 ft.) below sea level. It’s the lowest point on the face of the earth. The dead sea is incredibly high in salt and minerals and is said to do wonders for the skin. So grab a bit of dead sea mud when you’re there and cover your body with it. Once it has dried, you can wash it off by bathing in the Dead Sea. Because the water is so high in salt, you’ll float naturally.

Looking for a good hotel near the Dead Sea in Jordan? I absolutely recommend The Crowne Plaza Dead Sea Resort.

4 Jerash

Jerash, formerly known as Gerasa, is one of the best-preserved ancient Greek-Roman cities. You can find the city of Jerash a short drive North of Amman. You can find the plaza where people used to meet up, two temples, two theaters, a long colonnaded street, a hippodrome, a market and much more in Jerash. Many of them are well-maintained or beautifully restorated.

5 Citadel, Amman

The Citadel is an archeological site in Amman, the capital city of Jordan. The Citadel, which has remnants of a temple dedicated to Hercules, is located on top of a hill. From the Citadel you’ve got a beautiful view over Jordan. You can look over this ‘white city’ with 4 million inhabitants and see all the houses, some great street-art and one of the biggest flags in the world. Besides the former temple there’s also a ruined palace with a restored domed entrance chamber.

Staying in Amman? I recommend the Coral Tower Hotel.

6 Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo is where Moses is said to have seen the holy land and where he’s supposedly buried. From the mountain you’ve got beautiful views over Jordan and on clear days you can even see Israel. On top of the mountain is a church that has recently been build to cover one of the most beautiful mosaics in the world. The Mosaic of Mount Nebo was so well preserved because another mosaic was on top of it.

7 Madaba

Close to Mount Nebo you can find the small city of Madaba. Madaba is nicknamed ‘The City of Mosaics’. I recommend visiting the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George as it has a beautiful mosaic on the floor. The mosaic is made in the sixth century and shows a map with Jersualem, the Dead Sea and other important sights in the Middle East.

Hungry after visiting all these beautiful sites? I recommend having lunch at Haret Jdoudna, right around the corner

8 Aqaba

Aqaba is a city in the south of Jordan, that lies at the Red Sea. It’s mostly famous for being a great diving spot. After taking up all these beautiful sights in Jordan, you deserve a break at Aqaba. Lay down at the sandy beach, go snorkeling in the blue waters or go for a dive to discover the underwater life of the Red Sea.

9 Roman Theatre, Amman

Did you know that long before the city in the United States, Amman was called Philadelphia? About 2,000 years ago, this Roman Theatre was build. You can see it from the Citadel hill, but it’s also open to the public. There was room for 6,000 spectators, so it’s quite impressive to stand on the former stage and look around.

10 Quseir Amra

There are several ancient castles that can be found in Jordan, mostly in the dessert in the East of the country. Quseir Amra might be the most well-known of them. Build sometime in the 700’s, it’s considered one of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture. Although only a small part of the original castle still stands today, there are some frescoes on the ceilings that you can still admire.

Besides these 10 most beautiful places, there’s so much more that Jordan has to offer. I was really impressed by the beauty of this country and absolutely recommend a trip to Jordan!

You might also like my travel blog on Egypt.