Country guide
Jordan is 89,342 km2 and held 11,484,805 people in 2023, and for a visitor the country is arranged along one line. It runs south from Amman, the most populous c...
Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Jordan is 89,342 km2 and held 11,484,805 people in 2023, and for a visitor the country is arranged along one line. It runs south from Amman, the most populous city in the Levant, through the Jordan Rift Valley and past the Dead Sea to Petra, then ends at the short stretch of Red Sea coast in the far south-west. Petra, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, is the reason most people come, and it is a long drive from the capital rather than an excursion from it. East of that line the country is semi-arid and thinly settled.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
40 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Bab al-Siq Triclinium
Bab al-Siq Triclinium is a named Nabataean rock-cut dining chamber in Petra, set in the Bab al-Siq approach before the route narrows into the Siq.
The Unfinished Tomb is a rock-cut monument within the Petra archaeological park in southern Jordan. It demonstrates Nabataean craftsmanship interrupted mid-process, with visible chisel marks and partially carved facades revealing ancient construction techniques.
Renaissance Tomb is a named monument within Petra's archaeological park in southern Jordan. It belongs to the city's collection of rock-cut tombs and facades, where sandstone cliffs were shaped into funerary architecture.
Lion Triclinium
The Lion Triclinium is a rock-cut monument within the Petra archaeological park in southern Jordan. It takes its name from two eroded lion sculptures that flank its entrance.
Blue Chapel
The Blue Chapel is a named monument within the Petra archaeological park in Jordan. It derives its name from the blue-toned Egyptian granite columns that distinguish it from other structures in the ancient Nabataean city.
Urn Tomb
Urn Tomb is one of Petra's major rock-cut funerary monuments. Its name comes from the urn that crowns the facade, while its elevated position gives it a commanding relationship with the valley below.
Snake Monument is a named feature within Petra's archaeological park in southern Jordan. Its name gives the stop a distinctive identity among the ancient city's carved facades, tombs, trails and natural sandstone formations.
Ba'ja is an archaeological site located near Petra in southern Jordan. The local name is بعجة. It represents a prehistoric settlement that predates the famous Nabataean city, offering evidence of early human occupation in the region.
Mughar an-Nasara
Moghar Annassara, known as the Christian Tombs, forms part of the extensive burial architecture within the Petra archaeological park in southern Jordan. These rock-cut tombs reflect the later Christian presence at Petra after the city's Nabataean and Roman periods.
جبل النبي هارون
Mount Hor, also called Jabal al-Nabi Harun, is a prominent mountain in the Petra visitor area of southern Jordan. Its name connects the summit with Aaron, the brother of Moses, and gives the landscape religious meaning for several traditions.
Corinthian Tomb
The Corinthian Tomb is a rock-cut facade within the Petra archaeological park in southern Jordan. It forms part of the Street of Facades, a dense cluster of Nabataean tombs carved into the sandstone cliffs east of the Treasury.
جبل المذبح
Jebel al-Madhbah is a mountain in or beside Petra’s archaeological landscape in southern Jordan. Its Arabic name means “altar mountain,” and the rugged sandstone summit gives the site a strong connection with Petra’s elevated terrain and religious associations.
Palace Tomb
The Palace Tomb stands among the Royal Tombs in Petra's archaeological park, a Nabataean rock-cut facade distinguished by its three-story architectural composition. Its upper level resembles a palace structure, giving the monument its modern name.
Umm al Biyara
Jabal Um el Biyar is a named summit in the mountainous landscape around Petra and Wadi Musa. It is part of the rugged high terrain surrounding the ancient Nabataean city, offering a quieter alternative to Petra’s celebrated valley monuments.
Silk Tomb
The Silk Tomb is a rock-cut facade within the Petra archaeological park in southern Jordan. It earns its name from the richly colored, banded sandstone surface that resembles flowing silk fabric.
Seven to ten days allows Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea to form a workable north-to-south route. Give Petra at least two nights in Wadi Musa if the visit should extend beyond the Treasury approach, and treat Wadi Rum as a separate stay.
Jordan’s Ministry of Interior e-services should be checked for the passport, entry point and intended stay. Visa-on-arrival assumptions are risky because eligibility can depend on nationality and border crossing; confirm the rule before purchasing a land or air connection.
Queen Alia Airport serves the main arrival flow. Scheduled coaches link several visitor centres, but a rental car, licensed driver or organised transfer provides more control for Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea; Amman itself relies on road transport.
Spring and autumn reduce the temperature extremes between Amman, Petra and Wadi Rum. Winter nights in the highlands and desert can be cold, while summer exposure is severe at archaeological sites, so choose dates around the longest outdoor day.
Jordanian dinar is the recorded currency. Carry dinars for small purchases and road stops, verify whether Petra or tour products are prepaid, and use banks or authorised exchange counters rather than relying on an informal quoted conversion.
Save 911 for emergencies; Jordan’s recorded sockets include Types C, F and G at 230 V. Tap-water guidance is Not recorded, so obtain current advice from the accommodation or local authority, particularly when moving between Amman, Wadi Musa and desert camps.
