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Aside from Petra (which is a MUST if you are in Jordan) nice day-trips from Amman include
- Jerash (+Ajlouan)
- Jordan valley ("Baptism site")
- Dead Sea (IMO overrated, but float away )
- Amman's own Roman Theatre & The Citadel
Day-trips are my "speciality" as one day off is the most I can shoe-horn in my business trips
As for Petra - it can be "done" in a day, but if you can stay overnight, so much better. I left Amman 6:30 am, so arrived around 10 am with one coffee break en route, well ahead the groups and the midday heat. I took a car with a driver from the Marriott at ca. 85 JD, obviously not the cheapest option. It costs the same if there are several people sharing the car, so team up, if you can.
I plan to go back to Jordan on my own time this fall with the missus and give Petra a better/longer look, staying at least one night there.
If you are feeling adventurous, Syria is just an hour drive away from Amman, Damascus is 3 hours (incl 1 hour border crossing) Damascus has SO much more to offer in way of experience then Amman has. But be warned - once you're in Syria, you'll want to explore it more and more...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WilcoRoger
If you are feeling adventurous, Syria is just an hour drive away from Amman, Damascus is 3 hours (incl 1 hour border crossing) Damascus has SO much more to offer in way of experience then Amman has. But be warned - once you're in Syria, you'll want to explore it more and more...
Agreed. I just got back from my second trip to Damascus (the first time, I drove from Amman; this time, from Beirut), and, although it's run-down, it's really a remarkable city. I just wish that I had more time for the other sites in the country; next year hopefully.
Just a reminder, that with a Western passport, one needs a Syria visa in advance, and one can generally only get in one's country of residence. There have been reports of exceptions -- and the borders with both Jordan and Lebanon are chaotic places, where a bit of baksheesh can get you a long way -- but I wouldn't count on these.
If you can plan this, I would invest two days in Damascus as a side trip, as opposed to anywhere in Jordan besides Petra.
i vote for amman. the sites are incredible. jarosh spelling ? was an incredible city to see i think it dated from first century ? can't recall all those amazing trivia facts. you can still see the butchers marbled counters with cut marks in it. the rocks are carved and hollowed out to be like fish tanks ,where the fish were kept prior to being sold. there was a cooling air conditioning system developed for the city. amazing to see. Petra is also incredible to see. the treasury building awesome. indiana jones film has soom footage of it in it.
cairo has the museum which is great and pyramids. awesome sites,
Coming from PVG -- no idea about where else to go in the region.
Israel is just a short bus drive (3-4) hours from AMM to Nazareth/Haifa/TLV (or one hour's flight to TLV).
And, Israel has a lot to offer, no matter what your time constraints.
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Also looking at a Jordan trip, probably 3-4 days long.
I would ask some advice on transportation:
1. Is it feasible or recommended to rent a car and drive myself? I don't like using taxis and would rather drive myself. Are traffic patterns in Amman and in Jordan reasonable for a non-native to handle?
2. Is it easy to park at Petra, or do you need to park far away and come in by bus or other transportation? I realize you are not going to pull up and park in front of the treasury, but how far away do you park?
3. Do downtown Amman hotels have parking garages for their guests (may be a silly question)?
1. Driving is fairly easy in Jordan, even in Amman. Not as aggressive and disorderly as in many other places. Just pay particular attention to the road though. A good map of Amman is essential (but not easy to find).
2. It's quite a walk from the entrance to the Petra site down to the "treasury". 2-3 km OW perhaps? At least it's downhill, but you do have to walk back uphill (or hire a bedouin to ride on a camel,donkey, cart, etc.) Don't remember what parking was like at the entrance as we stayed/parked at the Movenpick which is right by the entrance. I do think there was street and lot parking however.
3. There's street parking around the Hyatt. You just have to look for it. I think there was garage parking too. Expect your car to be inspected for explosive devices (even in supermarkets).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YVR Cockroach
1. Driving is fairly easy in Jordan, even in Amman. Not as aggressive and disorderly as in many other places. Just pay particular attention to the road though. A good map of Amman is essential (but not easy to find).
We did several days of driving in Jordan that was a complete breeze and joy. But I have to say that on the last day of our trip when we finally pulled into Amman (heading to the Le Meridien), I got a bit flustered with the driving!
I found drivers to be pretty nice (even if annoyed with me) when trying to navigate around roundabouts in Amman (the big Hertz sticker on the back sets a clear tone). As mentioned, a good map will definitely be an asset.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by etch5895
1. Is it feasible or recommended to rent a car and drive myself? I don't like using taxis and would rather drive myself. Are traffic patterns in Amman and in Jordan reasonable for a non-native to handle?
Been there, done that. Rented from Avis; it was expensive but in general Jordan is expensive because of the currency. Jordanians drive hard. If there's space they take it. It's not unlike many other places in the world mind you. As a Canadian I found driving in Amman challenging and sometimes stressful but far from impossible.
The hardest thing to do in Amman (and Jordan in general) is navigate. Maps are virtually non-existent and even stopping to ask for directions will yield variable results. If you have a good sense of direction you'll generally be OK. It's best though to have a passenger up front who's good at navigating.
I would suggest though that if you're touring Amman for the day (and you really only need 1 day for Amman) then hire a taxi for the day. After that, as you roam around Jordan rent your car and do your own driving.
Quote:
Originally Posted by etch5895
2. Is it easy to park at Petra, or do you need to park far away and come in by bus or other transportation? I realize you are not going to pull up and park in front of the treasury, but how far away do you park?
The Movenpick hotel (very nice) and the Crowne Plaza are the 2 hotels closest to the park. Basically you can't get any closer. Walking down the siq (a canyon sort of, more like a chasm / gorge really) is easy. It's about 2km from the park entrance to the Treasury. I really enjoyed the walk. The Bedouins will ride you to the Treasury in a cart but I recommend the walk. It's mostly flat and you can truly take it all in as you're walking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by etch5895
3. Do downtown Amman hotels have parking garages for their guests (may be a silly question)?
Depends on the hotel. Four Seasons, Sheraton - check. A more local brand of hotel though? YMMV. The bigger the hotel, the better your parking choices. Of course, you get what you pay for. Truly though - you don't need a rental car in Amman. Hiring a taxi for a day is more efficient.
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Thanks for the replies to my specific questions. I'm looking at starting in Amman, driving down to Petra and staying overnight, then driving up to the Dead Sea and staying overnight, and then spending the last day in and around Amman. Most of my driving should be on highways to/from Petra and the Dead Sea.
Looks like you're following a very similar route/itinerary to what my partner and I did (except we didn't stay at the Dead Sea) in early 2007. I would recommend going to Jerash even for the day. It should be easy to go from Dead Sea through Amman to Jerash and back to Amman in a day.
Are you flying into AMM, and if so, at what time? If it's in the very late afternoon/evening, I wouldn't bother heading into Amman but stay at the Alia near the airport overnight. It'll save you a lot of grief driving into Amman at night (and navigating) and getting out again the next day (Amman is on the other side of AMM from Petra). The roads (including the major highway) aren't well lit so just getting used to the roads and seeing road hazards can be more difficult. Bear in mind the rental cars are stored off airport and you're driven to dark, unlit parking lots.
Amman is a fairly new city structurally so there isn't much of an ancient charm except at the Roman ruins in town (which one can easily cover in 1/2 hr).
Alia is bookable reasonably cheap on hotelclub.net (or whatever it's called). If you have to eat dinner there, go to the first class restaurant. The 5 or 6 dish mezze is usually enough to feed two.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YVR Cockroach
Looks like you're following a very similar route/itinerary to what my partner and I did (except we didn't stay at the Dead Sea) in early 2007. I would recommend going to Jerash even for the day. It should be easy to go from Dead Sea through Amman to Jerash and back to Amman in a day.
Are you flying into AMM, and if so, at what time? If it's in the very late afternoon/evening, I wouldn't bother heading into Amman but stay at the Alia near the airport overnight. It'll save you a lot of grief driving into Amman at night (and navigating) and getting out again the next day (Amman is on the other side of AMM from Petra). The roads (including the major highway) aren't well lit so just getting used to the roads and seeing road hazards can be more difficult. Bear in mind the rental cars are stored off airport and you're driven to dark, unlit parking lots.
Amman is a fairly new city structurally so there isn't much of an ancient charm except at the Roman ruins in town (which one can easily cover in 1/2 hr).
Alia is bookable reasonably cheap on hotelclub.net (or whatever it's called). If you have to eat dinner there, go to the first class restaurant. The 5 or 6 dish mezze is usually enough to feed two.
I am planning a RTW, and would probably be getting in on the MUC-AMM RJ flight that arrives in the evening (2000 timeframe). Right now, it looks like I would be departing on the RJ midnight flight to BKK/HKG several days later. The first night is probably the only night I would need to book a room in Amman proper.
I am planning a RTW, and would probably be getting in on the MUC-AMM RJ flight that arrives in the evening (2000 timeframe). Right now, it looks like I would be departing on the RJ midnight flight to BKK/HKG several days later. The first night is probably the only night I would need to book a room in Amman proper.
If you are arriving that late, I would stay at the Alia. It isn't the nicest hotel but will save you the drive into and out of Amman (I wouldn't want to do this at night unless I knew the way) - it's 30km away. You might be able to get a good rate from RJ since it is somehow affiliated with them.
Looks like it's a Golden Tulip now. My partner and I stayed there 2 nts (late arrival into AMM on arrival and early departure at the end of the trip) and didn't find it as bad as Tripadvisor reviews say, other than the breakfast (decent first stay, awful the next).
If you want to stay in Amman in the beginning, I would reverse your route and go up to Amman (and Jerash?) first, then head down to the Dead Sea, on to Petra and back to AMM when you leave.
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For all those wondering if Jordan is worth it, it is. As others have stated the following are worthy of a day each.
1. Petra
2. Wadi Rum
3. Jerash
4. Dead Sea and mount nebo
5. Jesus baptism site 1/2 day
Amman, sure it isn't a thriving western city. However it has the citadel and colesium to see as well.
BTW a great store to pick up some "Jordan" gifts is a shop in Amman directly to the left of the coliseum. Walk up the stairs and there are 5-6 shops there on your right. There is a shop in the middle and the owner is a guy named Ibrahim. He speaks 5-6 languages and perfect English. I bought silver necklaces there with a women's name in arabic. Very unique pretty gift that all the ladies enjoy.
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Israel ?
