A Weekend in Jordan to Remember

Of all the places we’ve been, a weekend in Jordan captures the most memorable weekend we’ve ever had traveling. By basing ourselves in Aqaba, Jordan, we enjoyed a day in Petra and a day in Wadi Rum, and we ate dinner at not only the cheapest place in town, but it was the best local food we’ve ever had, anywhere. Honestly, this weekend still ranks high in my memory even a year later.

I admit, I’m writing this blog a year after having been there. But so many people have asked us about the trip, I pulled my notes out and decided to memorialize it here so that others can enjoy a great time in Jordan, too. And, to be more transparent, we actually visited Aqaba twice as port stops on two different cruises (one week apart.) So I say we were there a weekend, but it was actually two individual days.

Arriving by Cruise Boat, or Not

I suspect, though, that most people are not doing two one-day cruise stops when they visit Jordan. So whether you’re in port for one day and you need to pick either Petra or Wadi Rum, or you’re in town for a weekend and can do both, this post will help you figure out what to do in Aqaba, what to do in Petra, what to do in Wadi Rum, and how to enjoy Jordan for a weekend.

Our first day in Jordan, we arrived to the Aqaba port. It’s a rinky dink port not far from town, but you can’t walk it. You have to take the cruise ship’s shuttle into town. Our tour guide did come to the port to pick us up. I suspect most people are not arriving to Aqaba via the port due to the middle east terminal, and most will be arriving to Aqaba via plane or bus.

Visiting Petra (from a Cruise) With a Guide

Once the tour guide picked us up, we stopped at its office in Aqaba to pay our tour fee. From there, we drove to Petra. Some details:

• We used this tour guide because they picked us up at the cruise port.
• They picked us up from the boat, and we paid $145 per person.
• Similar tours with Get Your Guide that pick up in town are $125.
• The tour included the 2-hour ride to Petra, entry fee into Petra, the well-spoken, English-speaking guide, and the return to the cruise boat.
• If you are not coming from a cruise ship, you can pick up the tour at the tour-guide office. Price will be slightly less.
• You pass Wadi Rum on the way to Petra.

Although you can do Petra without a guide, you shouldn’t. Our guide took us up into the caves, which you can’t do unless you are escorted. From the famous Treasury to the Stadium, we were overwhelmed with the history and the sites.

To note: the walk through the slot canyon, or The Siq, and in and out of the ruins is a bit treacherous. Wear good walking shoes, print bottled water, and take your time.

Don’t Miss Wadi Rum

You can do Petra and Wadi Rum in one day, but both sites are so spectacular, if you can do them over two days, plan that.

Because we had been in Aqaba previously, we understood the lay of the land and decided to do Wadi Rum on our own. Tours for Wadi Rum through Get Your Guide run about $30-45 per person. Instead, we grabbed a cab from Aqaba. The cab driver’s “brother” ran tours at Wadi Rum, and he’d give us a private tour for $40 for both of us combined.

When we arrived at the Wadi Rum park, about a 1-hour drive from Aqaba, we could see that the park-run tours were about $100 a person.

Lined up in the parking lot were the tour vehicles. They were all the same; white Toyota pickups with bench seating in the back and rails to hold on to. They varied in their decorations of scarves and local ornaments. Our “brother” who also apparently worked for the park, met us, threw us in the back of the truck, and we were off after a quick cash payment.

Zooming through Star War Sets

Off we zoomed in the back of the truck. At first I wasn’t that impressed by the Mars-red dirt and its dunes. I’d seen and swooned similar in the southwest of the USA around Sedona and Monument Valley.

But then our driver stopped at the bottom of a dune, and we got to climb it barefoot. Through the soft, squishy sand we climbed for our first stunning view. Immediately, I’d arrived on a Star Wars set and I was ready to don my Jedi mask!

We continued in the back of the truck, smiles on our faces, zooming through canyons and on cliff edges. We stopped by Omar Shariff’s famous watering hole in Lawrence of Arabia. But my favorite stop in the entire 90-minute tour was at a tea house.

In the middle of the red desert sat a large tent about 500 square feet. Inside, we found a warm fire burning and tea brewing. Rugs carpeted the floor and a few vendors sold scarves and knick knacks. We chatted with the barista, a local woman with a Chesiree grin, who couldn’t believe we didn’t want a third serving of tea.

Soon, we zoomed through more hoodoos, stopping at Kodak-moment spots for photo captures by our well-rehearsed guide.

Amazing Local Food We’ll Never Forget

When we returned to the visitor’s center, our other brother took us back to Aqaba. He recommended his favorite place to eat. Skeptical, because taxi drivers never take you to the local cheap diner, we took him up on his suggestion.

We ended up at a family-run, locals-only place. Boys came in with their buddies from school for afternoon snacks, and men dropped in for their afternoon Jordanian tea. We broadcasted ourselves into the scene despite our best efforts to blend in, and ordered by pointing to the other food on other tables. As vegans, sometimes eating can be a surprise we don’t want.

But what arrived was the most delicious hummus concoctions we’ve ever eaten. A tangy, freshly made yogurt (not vegan) came along as a meal to the crunchy yet soft-in-the-middle falafel. I know this isn’t a gourmet meal, but it was the best hummus-based meal we’ve ever had, and we still think about it years later!

This magical place, Al Mohandes Cafeteria is at 41 At-Tabari St. The GPS coordinates are 29°31’48.2″N 35°00’18.4″E. They also have meat for the non-vegan readers!

Even though our visit to Aqaba spread over two days and two different visits, we loved our time there and hope to return to see the Dead Sea Scrolls next time.