About Us

The Jordan Guide is an independent travel resource built on first-hand experience across Jordan. Between us we have made more than fifteen trips to the country, covering Petra across multiple visits in different seasons, overnight camps in Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea shoreline, Amman's food scene from Rainbow Street to the Abdali district, and the Roman ruins at Jerash. We write the guide we wished existed before our first visit - one that covers the Jordan Pass value calculation honestly, explains solo travel logistics practically, and distinguishes between what is genuinely worth your time and what is not.

Who writes this site

Petra and archaeological sites writer - a classical archaeologist and travel writer who has visited Petra seven times and knows the site beyond the Treasury. She has walked the full trail to the Monastery (Ad Deir), arrived at the Treasury at sunrise before the main tour groups, and hiked the route through the Siq at the end of the day when it empties. Her coverage of Jerash, Madaba, and the King's Highway is based on driving and walking those routes rather than day-trip itineraries from Amman.
Wadi Rum and desert logistics researcher - a contributor who has spent over ten nights across different Wadi Rum camps, ranging from budget Bedouin tents to the higher-end transparent bubble camps with views of the Jebel Qattar formations. He covers the practical logistics of getting to Wadi Rum from Aqaba and Petra, the difference between the protected area fee and the jeep tour costs, and the seasonal temperature variations that make October and March the most comfortable months in the desert.
Amman and northern Jordan cultural editor - a travel writer who has returned to Amman six times and covers the city beyond its airport transit function. She documents the food scene around Rainbow Street and Jabal Amman, the Abdali Boulevard development for comparison, and the practical differences between staying in the older western hills versus the newer eastern districts. Her coverage of the Citadel, the Roman Theatre, and the Jordan Museum is based on multiple visits with updated admission prices.

Petra: beyond the Treasury

The Treasury (Al Khazneh) is the image that sells Jordan to the world, but it represents a small fraction of Petra's actual scale. The Nabataean city carved into rose-red sandstone covers more than 260 square kilometres, and the majority of visitors who arrive on a single-day tour see perhaps ten percent of it. The Monastery (Ad Deir) requires a forty-five-minute uphill walk from the main trail and is larger than the Treasury - on most mornings, it has a fraction of the crowds. The High Place of Sacrifice trail offers a different perspective on the site's topography, and the Petra by Night experience, run on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, uses candlelight rather than electric lighting in a way that genuinely changes how the space feels. The Jordan Pass, which combines the visa fee with multi-day Petra entry, pays for itself if you stay more than one day.

Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea

Wadi Rum's landscape - red and ochre sandstone mountains rising from flat sand plains - is unlike anywhere else in the Middle East. The protected area fee covers entry; jeep tours, camel rides, and overnight camps are additional costs that vary significantly between operators. We cover the price ranges honestly rather than quoting single figures that may be negotiated up or down. The Dead Sea, at roughly 430 metres below sea level, is the lowest point on Earth's surface, and the floating experience is as physically strange as advertised - the water's density means you cannot sink voluntarily. The public beaches on the Jordanian side are considerably cheaper than the resort hotels that line most of the shoreline, and entry costs are verified against the current resort pricing before each update cycle.

Our editorial standards

We visit in person. Our coverage of Petra is based on walking the site across multiple days, not summarising other visitors' accounts. We verify against official sources: destination and attraction information is checked against the Jordan Tourism Board, weather and seasonal conditions against the Jordan Meteorological Department, and visa and entry requirements against the Ministry of Interior. We update when conditions change: Jordan Pass pricing, Petra entry fees, and visa requirements are reviewed each quarter, and individual pages carry the date of their last substantive revision.

How we keep the lights on

Some links on this site are affiliate links - if you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This keeps the site free and independent. We only link to services we would use ourselves, and affiliate relationships have no influence over which tours, camps, or hotels we recommend.

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