EN: Jordan was on my bucket list for a long time, mostly because I wanted to visit Petra, but it always felt like a far away dream, until I realised how cheap the flight tickets from Bucharest are. It was quite a spontaneous decision and I had just a few days to plan everything. By planning I mean preparing the documentation and the backpack, because when I arrived in Amman I had no itinerary planned, and all I had reserved was a night of accommodation (yep, this is how I travel!).
I flew to Amman, with Ryanair. The return ticket cost 30 euros (YESSS!!) and if I had booked it a few days in advance it could have been 20 euros!
RO: Imi doream de foarte mult timp sa vizitez Iordania, in principal pentru ca voiam sa merg la Petra insa, nu stiu de ce, imi parea un vis indepartat. Asta pana am realizat cat de ieftine sunt biletele de avion din Bucuresti. A fost o decizie destul de spontana si am avut doar cateva zile sa ma organizez. Prin organizare, ma refer la a pregati toate documentele si ghiozdanul, pentru ca eu cand am ajuns in Amman nu aveam itinerarul stabilit si tot ce rezervasem era o noapte de cazare (da, cam asa calatoresc eu!)
Am zburat in Amman, cu Ryanair. Biletul dus-intors a costat 30 euro (DAA, doar atat) si daca il cumparam putin mai devreme, putea sa coste chiar 20 euro!
Traveling to Jordan during the pandemic
EN:
I visited Jordan in October 2021, so there were some specific conditions to entry Jordan that you might be interested in.
When I went, as a vaccinated tourist from Romania (with the complete scheme), I still needed a PCR test, taken in the last 72 hours before the flight, and I had to get a QR code after completing a declaration. I also had a medical insurance (they didn’t check my insurance but I heard other peoople had issues because they didn’t have it). If you are from Romania and you are not vaccinated, you can still travel to Jordan, but have to take another test on arrival and the conditions differ a bit. Just read everythng here.
If you are not from Romania, different conditions may apply, so just check before.
RO:
Am fost in Iordania in Octombrie 2021, deci a trebuit sa respect anumite conditii pentru a intra in tara, fiind pe perioada pandemiei.
Cand am fost eu, ca turist vaccinat (cu schema completa), cu domiciliu in Romania, tot am avut nevoie de un test PCR efectuat cu maximum 72 ore inainte de zbor. De asemenea, a trebuit sa obtin un cod QR prin completarea unei declaratii. Mi-am facut si o asigurare de calatorie (pe care nu au verificat-o, dar am inteles ca alte persoane au intampinat probleme pentru ca nu aveau). Daca esti din Romania si nu esti vaccinat, poti calatori in Iordania, insa trebuie sa mai faci un test la sosirea in aeroport si mai sunt alte cateva conditii. Poti citi totul pe site-ul MAE.
Daca nu esti din Romania, e foarte posibil ca conditiile sa difere, deci mai bine citesti aici.
Jordan Pass
EN:
Jordan pass is a package that includes the visa and entrance to the most famous attractions, thus saving money and time! This is in no way sponsored. I’m suggesting this because it is definitely a must. Just do the math. The cost of visa on arrival to Jordan is 40 JOD and a one day entry ticket to Petra is 50 JOD, so, by purchasing the basic Jordan Pass which is 70 JOD, you already save 20 JOD. But it includes more than that! You can read more and buy it online from here. There are 3 different passes, differing by the number of days you plan to spend at Petra.
RO:
Jordan pass este un pachet care include visa si intrarile la cele mai populare obiective turistice, astfel economisesti bani si timp! Nu sunt sponsorizata in vreun fel de ei, dar chiar va sugerez sa achizitionati Jordan Pass. Ideea e ca visa on arrival costa 40JOD, iar intrarea pe o zi la Petra este 50JOD. Avand in vedere ca Jordan Pass basic e 70JOD, deja economisesti 20JOD. Plus ca include mai mult decat intrarea la Petra. Poti sa citesti mai multe si sa il achizitionezi online de aici. Sunt 3 variante diferite, in functie de cate zile vrei sa petreci la Petra.
How many days to spend in Jordan
EN:
The whole trip lasted for 7 days. It may seem like lot, as I also thought it would be, but I think I could have used another 2 or 3 days since I still felt in a hurry. Yes, Jordan is amazing! No, 4 days is not enough to visit Jordan, as most of the people say! Yes, you could visit Petra and Amman, maybe also Wadi Rum in 4 days, but Jordan is more than that! And also, for example, I spent 2 days only at Petra, and in Wadi Rum 1 day was not enough… so, after spending 7 days, I still want to return!
RO:
Toata excursia a durat 7 zile. Poate ti se par multe, asa cum am crezut si eu initial, insa cred ca mi-ar mai fi trebuit 2 sau 3 zile. Da, Iordania este extraordinara! Nu, 4 zile nu sunt suficiente pentru a vizita Iordania, asa cum mi s-a spus! Da, poate ca reusesti sa vizitezi Petra si Amman, poate si Wadi Rum, foarte pe graba, in 4 zile, insa Iordania e mai mult decat Petra! De exemplu, eu am petrecut 2 zile la Petra, iar in Wadi Rum o zi nu a fost suficient… deci, 7 zile nu au fost de ajuns, vreau sa ma intorc!
Accomodation
EN:
As I said, I traveled around Jordan, so I changed a few accommodations. My bases were Amman, Wadi Musa (Petra) and Wadi Rum. During this trip I didn’t travel alone (I traveled with a girl I met on Facebook – that’s another story!) but as I am used to the solo traveling lifestyle, I still wanted to stay in hostels. So, apart from the camp in Wadi Rum where I had a bedouin tent for myself, the rest of the nights I stayed in different hostels. I stayed at 2 hostels in Amman: Nomads Hotel and The Cabin – both of them amazing (but my favorite was The Cabin!). In Wadi Musa I stayed at Petra Cabin Hostel – this is the place where I had the best and cheapest dinner in Jordan! In Wadi Rum I stayed here – an amazing camp in the middle of the desert with the kindest and friendliest host.
For accommodation I always use Booking.com, and trust me when I say I do my research and this is the place with the best prices.
RO:
Asa cum am spus, am calatorit in mai multe locatii din tara, deci am schimbat cateva cazari. Bazele au fost Amman, Wadi Musa (Petra) si Wadi Rum. Pe perioada calatoriei, nu am fost singura (am calatorit cu o fata pe care am cunoscut-o pe Facebook – dar asta e o alta poveste:))!), insa fiind obisnuita cu stilul de solo traveler, tot mi-am dorit sa stam in hosteluri. Deci, in afara de cortul de beduin pe care l-am avut doar pentru mine, in desert, in celelalte nopti am dormit in hosteluri. In Amman am stat la 2 hosteluri: Nomads Hotel si The Cabin – le recomand pe ambele (preferatul meu a fost The Cabin!). In Wadi Musa am stat la Petra Cabin Hostel – locul unde am avut parte de cea mai misto cina, la un pret super bun! Campingul din Wadi Rum il gasiti aici – totul a fost minunat, iar gazda – Ahmed, un baiat de 24 ani- a fost super friendly si dragut cu noi.
Pentru cazari, intotdeauna folosesc Booking.com, pentru ca intotdeauna au cele mai bune preturi – si trust me, chiar ma documentez!
What I visited in 7 days
Amman
EN:
I spent 4 nights in Amman. 3 nights in the beginning of my trip, and the last one before heading home. I think, for the city itself, 2 days are enough to explore and enjoy what it has to offer, but I spent more time here because it’s a good base to visit the surroundings (Jerash, As-Salt, Dead Sea, Madaba etc).
For me, the highlight of visiting Amman was THE FOOD. After returning from Jordan I have to say I am a huge fan of oriental spices, turkish coffee and black tea. The most amazing things I tasted were Fattet(hummus with fried bread and almonds) at Hashem Downtown and the Knafeh(delicious cheese dessert) from Habbibah Sweets (thank me later!)
Apart from walking a lot around the city and eating a lot, I didn’t do much in Amman. I explored the downtown area and the rainbow street, I also wanted to visit the Citadel but I was closed when I arrived in the evening. At least I enjoyed an amazing sunset from above. Don’t get me wrong, if it seems like I didn’t do much in Amman, it doesn’t mean I didn’t like it! I loved it! I’ll take you on a journey with me in Amman through the pictures below.
RO:
Am petrecut 4 nopti in Amman. 3 nopti la inceputul calatoriei si una la final, inainte de plecare. Cred ca 2 zile ar fi suficiente pentru a vizita Amman, insa eu am stat mai mult, deoarece este o baza buna pentru a vizita locatiile din jur (Jerash, As-Salt, Madaba, Dead Sea etc.).
Pentru mine, highlight-ul vizitei in Amman a fost MANCAREA. M-am intors acasa mare fana a condimentelor arabesti, a ceaiului negru si a cafelei turcesti. Cele mai bune preparate pe care le-am incercat au fost Fattet(hummus cu lipie prajita si migdale) de la Hashem Downtown si Knafeh(un desert delicios cu branza) de la Habbibah Sweets (thank me later!).
In afara de plimbarile in sus si in jos in downtown si pe rainbow street, nu am facut mare lucru in Amman. Am vrut sa vizitam intr-o seara Amman citadel, insa se inchisese mai devreme. Totusi, am admirat un apus superb de la inaltime. Dar nu ma intelege gresit, daca nu pare ca am facut multe lucruri in Amman, nu inseamna ca nu mi-a placut! I loved it! Te iau cu mine intr-o calatorie in Amman prin pozele care urmeaza.
Jerash
EN:
Jerash is perfect for a day trip, being located only 50km from Amman. The ancient city of Jerash is considered the most well preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy. It was really impressive and we spent 4 hours admiring all the sites.
RO:
Jerash este perfect pentru un daytrip , aflandu-se la numai 50km de Amman. Se considera ca aici se gasesc cele mai bine conservate ruine Romane dupa cele din Italia. A fost foarte impresionant. 4 ore ne-am plimbat, admirand toate siturile.
Madaba, Mount Nebo and Dead Sea
EN:
I visited all of these on a day trip from Amman, being very close to the capital, and to each other.
Madaba is an ancient town, very popular because of its mosic map of the Holy Land in the Church of St. George, dating fom the 6th century. It is the earliest map of Jerusalem.
Mount Nebo was one of my favorite places in Jordan, not only because of its religious significance (it is written in the Bible that here is the place where Moses lived his final days and saw the Promised Land), but also because of the views and the calmness of the place. It felt so good to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Who hasn’t heard of the Dead Sea? This is one of the most popular and touristic places in Jordan, and it should be so. That’s because in theory is an impressive place. It’s basically a salt lake bordering Jordan and Israel. It is 430 meters below sea level, thus being the lowest place on Earth! Unfortunatelly for me, I didn’t enjoy visiting the Dead Sea, because I went to the closest part to Amman, which is the place where locals go, and it was so dirty, I haven’t even taken pictures. But I’m sure you can enjoy it if you do your research and go to a clean place.
RO:
Am vizitat toate aceste locatii in aceeasi zi, ca un daytrip din Amman, intrucat sunt foarte aproape de capitala, dar si una de alta.
Madaba este un oras antic foarte popular datorita hartii de mozaic care se afla in Biserica St George, care dateaza din secolul al 6lea. Este cea mai veche harta a Ierusalimului.
Mount Nebo este unul dintre locurile mele favorite din aceasta excursie, nu numai pentru importanta religioasa (in Biblie scrie ca aici este locul unde Moise si-a petrecut ultimele zile din viata si unde a vazut Pamantul Fagaduintei), dar si pentru frumusetea si linistea locului. A fost bine sa ma deconectez putin de freamatul capitalei.
Cine nu a auzit de Marea Moarta? E unul dintre cele mai populare locuri in Iordania, si nu e de mirare. Asta pentru ca, in teorie, este un loc impresionant. Este practi un lac de sare, care separa Iordania si Israelul. Se afla la 430 metri sub nivelul marii, fiind locul cu cea mai joasa altitudine de pe pamant. Din pacate, eu nu m-am putut bucura de intalnirea cu Marea Moarta, deoarece am fost in zona cea mai apropiata de Amman, unde merg localnicii, si era extrem de murdar. Nici macar nu am facut poze. Sunt sigura ca daca faci un research amanuntit, poti gasi un loc frumos si curat.
Petra
EN:
Oh, Petra! It’s difficult to write about Petra and Wadi Rum without being nostalgic. You all know Petra is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. You’ve seen it in pictures, movies, everywhere on social media. So did I, that’s why I didn’t think I would be so surprised when seeing it in real life. But the city is soo big, and so impressive! I spent 2 days exploring it, and I think 3 days would really be enough. My favorite places were the canyon (Al Siq), the Treasury and the Monastery. There are many trails you can take while there, but I’d suggest to not skip the Monastery one! I know that 900 steps may sound like too much, but this is once in a lifetime experience, and it’s worth it! Another hike I enjoyed was to admire the Treasury from above. This one is also a bit challenging, but the view was amazing! (And the pictures <3)
RO:
Oh, Petra! Este dificil sa scriu despre Petra si Wadi Rum fara sa fiu nostalgica. Cu totii stiti ca Petra este una dintre cele 7 New Wonders of the World. Ati vazut-o in poze, filme, peste tot pe social media. La fel si eu, de aceea nu credeam ca o sa ma surprinda atat de tare. Insa orasul este imens si impresionant! 2 zile am petrecut aici, insa cred ca 3 ar fi fost si mai ok. Locurile mele preferate sunt canionul (Al Siq), The Treasury si The Monastery. Sunt multe trasee pe care le poti urma, insa iti sugerez sa nu il ratezi pe cel catre Manastire. Stiu ca poate 900 scari nu suna grozav, insa e o experienta unica si merita! Un alt traseu care mi-a placut mult, a fost cel in care poti admira Treasury de sus. Si asta e greut, insa privelistea e pe masura! (Si fotografiile <3)
Wadi Rum
EN:
After leaving Petra I had this idea that nothing can surprise me anymore. But if you ask me now, I couldn’t tell you what I liked more between Petra and the desert of Wadi Rum… Walking barefoot in the red sand, climbing rocks in the middle of the desert, witnessing one of the most amazing sunsets in my life, admiring the beautiful stars at night, drinking delicious tea, eating amazing food and telling stories by the fire… These were all experiences I will never forget. For me, one night was not enough. I might not return to Petra, but in the desert I will definitely return.
RO:
Dupa ce am parasit Petra, eram sigura ca nimic nu ma mai poate surprinde. Dar daca ma intrebi acum, nu stiu sa iti zic ce mi-a placut mai mult dintre Petra si desertul Wadi Rum… Plimbarea desculta prin nisipul rosu, cataratul pe stanci in mijlocul desertului, unul dintre cele mai frumoase apusuri din viata mea, stelele, ceaiul aromat, mancarea delicioasa, povestile de langa foc… Astea sunt experiente pe care nu le voi uita niciodata. Pentru mine, o noapte aici nu a fost suficienta. Poate nu o sa ma intorc la Petra, dar in desert vreau din tot sufletul sa revin.
Budget for one week
EN:
* prices are approximate, because I converted from JOD to EUR; ** I saved some money because I had transportation from and to airport, and for the day we went to Madaba)
RO:
* preturile sunt aproximative, deoarece am convertit JOD in EUR; ** Am economisit cativa bani, deoarece am avut transport de la si catre aeroport, si pentru ziua in care am fost in Madaba)
Flight tickets: 30 EUR
Jordan Pass: 93 EUR
Health insurance: 5 EUR
PCR test: 40 EUR
SIM card: 18 EUR
Accomodation:
4 nights in Amman (bed in 4/6 beds dorm) – around 10EUR/night: 40 EUR
2 nights in Wadi Musa – 16 EUR + 1 buffet dinner: 9 EUR
Acommodation+Breakfast+Dinner+4hours Jeep tour in Wadi Rum: 50 EUR
Taxi from Amman to Jerash: 20 EUR
Bus from Amman to Petra: 13 EUR
Bus from Petra to Wadi Rum: 13 EUR
Bus from Wadi Rum to Amman: 26 EUR
For Food I don’t know exactly how much I spent but I would say about 10 EUR/day = 70EUR
Walking tour: 10EUR
Souvenirs: 20EUR
Total: 473 EUR (let’s say 500)
That’s all for now about Jordan, but in the future I plan to post more detailed articles about Petra and Wadi Rum.
I have to say that this trip is in my top 3, and is one of the few destinations where I want to return! I hope you book that ticket and go explore this amazing country!
Have you been to Jordan yet? Do you plan to go? Leave me a comment <3
PS: If you want to learn how to travel more for less, you must read my Ebook! It’s the complete guide for every beginner who wants to travel the world, but doesn’t know how to start!
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