In 2018, with the kids aged 4 and 1, we were looking for a family holiday with enough excitement and adventure to keep everyone, young and old(er), happy.
For a few years before this, basically since becoming parents, we had tended to take slower paced holidays, exploring parts of the UK and Europe that we hadn’t gotten around to in our pre-kids travels.
We had some fantastic trips, but it was time to look a little further afield for a proper family adventure!
Why Jordan?
We had wanted to visit Jordan for a while. I’m not a big fan of the phrase ‘bucket list’ as it suggests going through life ticking off experiences as if someone is keeping score.
Having said that, if you are someone that has a bucket list, then visiting the Lost City of Petra is probably on there! Add to that the chance to sleep in a Bedouin tent at Wadi Rum, floating in the Dead Sea, seeing the marine life of the Red Sea and all of that delicious Middle Eastern food and you have a recipe for the perfect family adventure holiday.
We planned our trip for the October half term, leaving us with 8 nights / 7 days to explore as much of the country as we could whilst also leaving time to relax and enjoy some quality family time.
There is always a temptation to squeeze in one more stop or activity, but with the kids being so young we wanted to slow the pace down and make sure that they were enjoying themselves but not getting over tired. After all, happy kids = happy parents!
Itinerary
This was our itinerary for Jordan:
- Day 1 – Arrive at Queen Alia International at 23.30, straight to a hotel in Madaba.
- Day 2 – Sleep in! Explore Madaba then drive to Wadi Musa (for Petra).
- Day 3 – Up early for a full day exploring Petra. Another night at Wadi Musa.
- Day 4 – Drive to Tala Bay, Aqaba. Afternoon relaxing at the hotel pool.
- Day 5 – Neptune ‘Submarine’ boat trip in Red Sea followed by beach & pool time.
- Day 6 – Drive to Wadi Rum. Half day jeep tour & night in a Bedouin tent.
- Day 7 – Leave the desert and drive to the Dead Sea. Afternoon relaxing in the pool.
- Day 8 – Float in the Dead Sea, followed by more pool time.
- Day 9 – Early drive to airport for flight home.
As you can see, we tried to alternate the busiest days at Petra and Wadi Rum with more relaxing days by the beach and the pool. Looking back on our trip, there is probably only one change I would make to that itinerary, but we will get to that later.
As well as mixing up the activities we also tried to alternate between basic and more luxurious accommodations.
For days where we were likely to be out exploring all day, such as at Petra, we didn’t feel the need for a particularly fancy hotel, but at Aqaba and the Dead Sea we wanted somewhere with a good pool where we could take some time to relax in comfort.
To get around all of these places we hired a car, which we picked up from the airport when we arrived. It really was the only way we could get around the different places we wanted to visit in the time we had available, especially when you factor in 2 small children! I have written a separate post on driving in Jordan here.
Arriving in Jordan
Landing at Queen Alia International (Amman) at half eleven at night with two extremely sleepy children, we headed straight to the Europcar desk to pick up our rental car. Thankfully it didn’t take long before we got the keys and could start off on our adventure!
Madaba
Our first night was in Madaba, which is just south of Amman and an easy 30 minute drive from the airport. We were staying at the Saint John Hotel.
Our room was big and clean, but it wasn’t going to win any awards for style. It did however have 2 beds plus a travel cot as requested and that was all we needed at 1am!
We awoke the next morning feeling relatively refreshed, and headed up to the roof terrace for breakfast.
The views from the terrace over the city were impressive and we found some nice comfy seats to sit outside and soak it all in.
Breakfast was basic, but pretty typical for this part of the world, consisting of a small buffet of flatbreads, hummus, boiled egg, salads, cheese, toast, jams etc as well as teas, coffee and juice.
As we were staying at the Saint John Hotel, we decided our first stop should be the church next door after which the hotel is named.
Our initial plan was to take the stairs up to the top of the bell tower for another view over the town (which admittedly was likely to be very similar to that we had just enjoyed over breakfast!). However… kids.
They weren’t enjoying the dark, narrow, windy stairs and being our first morning of holiday we weren’t in the mood to argue.
Instead we looked around the main part of the church and found some stairs leading down to a network of tunnels. This turned out to be quite exciting for a 4 year old, so we spent some time exploring the tunnels, squeezing through narrow gaps and ducking under low ceilings.
Having exhausted all the tunnels had to offer, we resurfaced and left the Church of St John the Baptist and headed up the road to St Georges Church.
The main highlight here, which we thought was impressive but left the kids thoroughly uninspired, is the Madaba Mosaic Map.
As you can probably guess, this is a map formed of mosaic tiles. The map covers the floor of the church and depicts Jerusalem and the holy lands.
With the kids getting hungry and probably still a little tired from the late night, we decided to call a halt to the sightseeing and found a nice little cafe opposite the church to have lunch.
The kids had pizza (a staple choice in our household) and we adults enjoyed a delicious meze of hot and cold dishes including bread and dips, sausages, little cheese parcels, halloumi and falafel. This was our first proper taste of Jordanian cuisine (the meze, not the pizza) and it didn’t disappoint!
After lunch it was time to get in the car and head to our next stop, Wadi Musa for Petra.
There are a couple of options for the drive south, you can take the longer but more scenic route via the Kings Highway, or the quicker but rather boring route on the Desert Highway.
We chose the Desert Highway as that was still a 3 hour drive and we didn’t want to subject the kids to longer in the car than we had to.
Wadi Musa (for Petra)
We were staying at the Peace Way Hotel, which was fairly modern and well maintained.
We had a triple room, which was clean and comfortable with plenty of space for the kids to play around in whilst we sorted ourselves out ready for the next day’s trip to Petra!
After another simple breakfast we gathered together our gear for the day.
We were taking a medium sized rucksack filled with water, snacks (always carry lots of snacks!), hats, sunglasses and cameras. To carry our youngest we had a backpack style carrier, which we bought especially for this trip.
Once all that was loaded in the car, we drove the 5 minutes to the free car park directly opposite the entrance of Petra.
Petra
Heading to the entrance we were glad we purchased the Jordan Pass, which includes the tickets for Petra, meaning we were able to walk straight past the ticket office queues, which were already pretty long.
Once past the ticket office and small selection of souvenir shops, it was a long downhill path towards the Siq. You need to remember this long downhill walk as you will be walking back up it at the end of the day much more tired than you went in!
As we entered the Siq, the long narrow canyon entranceway to Petra, we really felt the atmosphere of this ancient site.
The walls of the canyon rise high either side and you can sense the history of all those that have walked this path before you.
We were soon brought back to reality though by the sound of a horse and cart rushing towards us. You need to get out of the way as I’m not sure they will slow down!
As we wound our way through the narrow canyon, the anticipation was building for our first sight of the Treasury, the picture postcard moment of the whole trip!
When we glimpsed that huge facade appearing between the canyon walls it really was as impressive as everyone tells you.
The sight is so familiar, you have seen it in guidebooks and postcards a hundred times, but the real thing is genuinely awesome.
We didn’t see everything there is to see in Petra, in fact we barely scratched the surface.
We stuck to ground level all the way without taking any of the paths up to the higher points. This is something we decided on in advance as we were never going to have the time or energy to see everything in a day at a child’s pace.
However, around every turn there was something new and exciting to see. There were ruins to walk through, caves to hide in and camels, donkeys and goats everywhere!
I genuinely don’t think we could have seen any more.
Sure, we could have seen different things, such as the Monastery or Royal Tombs, but the extra time to get up there would have meant less time for the children to explore the caves and amphitheatre. Plus everyone would probably have got very tired and very grumpy.
Anyway, we now have a reason to come back and explore some more!
One very important tip when visiting Petra…
There is a hotel opposite the main entrance, the Mövenpick, which does amazing ice cream! It was the perfect way to cool down and provided a great incentive to keep going on the long uphill path out of Petra!
Wadi Musa
We arrived back at our hotel after our day at Petra feeling a little tired and more than a little hungry!
After a short break in the room we headed out to find some dinner, aiming for a place just around the corner with a roof terrace.
The restaurant was attached to the Tetra Tree Hotel and offered a buffet style dinner of international and local dishes along with kebabs cooked to order.
The food was good, but the highlight was definitely the view at sunset. What a great way to end the day!
Aqaba
The following morning was a 2 hour drive down to our next stop, the Mövenpick Resort and Spa, Tala Bay.
Whilst not the longest drive of the trip, it was apparently too much for our eldest.
With about 10 minutes left of the drive we heard the dreaded sound of a child being sick all over the inside of the car!
I don’t think you need to hear the details but I was so grateful to the cleaner at the hotel who helped me to clean up! He definitely went above and beyond.
With the car (and child) cleaned up, we headed down to the pool side bar. It was time for some relaxation.
We had a long lazy lunch by the pool and then decided to check out the beach.
There is a decent stretch of private beach at Mövenpick, but it was a little rocky to get into the sea and that put the children off swimming. So after building a few sand castles we moved back to the pool area.
This is where the Mövenpick really shone.
There were several different pools, connected with little water chutes and a lazy river which the kids loved. There was also a shallow pool connected to the kids club which was ideal for the little one.
So we pulled out the rubber rings and arm-bands and had a fun family afternoon splashing around.
There were a few different options for dinner and we opted for the main restaurant which had buffet as well as a la carte options.
Whilst it wasn’t overly expensive, we didn’t get the best value out of our meal as the kids were getting tired by this point so we just ate and ran.
The next day we decided a better option for us was to eat a little earlier at the poolside bar, which offered a good selection of snacks and light meals.
Our room at the Mövenpick was a family room, with a double and 2 singles in a separate area. It was a good size and suited us well, although we did have to sneak past the sleeping kids to get to the bathroom. We also had a nice little balcony with a sea view, great for a bit of peace and quiet once the kids were asleep.
The following day we were booked on the 9am sailing of the Neptune Submarine, which departed from just around the corner at Tala Bay Marina.
Now this isn’t a real submarine of course, but a boat where the majority of the hull is made of glass, so you have almost 360 degree views under the Red Sea.
We set off shortly after 9am with just one other family aboard, sitting up on deck and enjoying the morning sun. The ride out was smooth and before long the captain opened up the hatch and we filed below deck for the main event.
The effect of the glass hull was really quite impressive, it felt like you were in a giant aquarium. The kids had been given a checklist of different fish to tick off, which helped keep their attention. They managed to spot most of the fish listed and we even managed to spot a turtle swimming past, which is always a fascinating sight.
The trip lasted an hour and a half and visited a number of dive sites, including a sunken tank as well as more natural corals. It was an amazing experience and as someone who enjoys diving, a great way to introduce the family to the underwater world.
We spent the rest of our time in Aqaba making the most of the amazing pools at the hotel and enjoying some quality family time together.
Wadi Rum
The next stop after Aqaba was our overnight adventure to Wadi Rum where we had booked a half day 4×4 tour and overnight in the desert with Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp.
We were instructed to meet our guide at the village rest house car park. We arrived a little early which gave us time to pick up a few supplies from the small shop.
The tour included all meals, but knowing our kids, we wanted to have plenty of snacks on offer in case they turned their noses up at the food! This turned out to be a very good decision, so I would recommend stocking up before heading out into the desert if you also have fussy eaters.
One thing we were a little concerned about when booking the trip was being on the back of a truck with no shade in the middle of a desert. Luckily(?) we picked a rare cloudy day to visit Wadi Rum so it wasn’t an issue!
The tour was about 3 hours in total and we visited a number of sites including Lawrence of Arabia’s house, several different rock formations and some rather large sand dunes.
I think the sand dunes were the kids favourite. We all took off our shoes and climbed to the top where the views across the desert were amazing! Once we had got our breath back, it was time to run back down the dune to our truck.
Pulling into the camp itself we were shown to our home for the night. It was a simple Bedouin tent containing nothing but 4 single beds. Very basic, but also clean and comfy. There were about 10 tents in total as well as a communal toilet and shower block and a large tent for eating and socialising in.
Just behind the camp there were some large rocks to explore which we knew from reviews offered great views at sunset.
Sadly, the cloudy day had turned into a rainy evening although sunset was still amazing. We were told that this was the first rain for around 7 months in this part of the country, so our hosts were much happier than us with the precious rainfall.
Dinner that night was something of a treat.
After the sunset, we were ushered outside (the rain had stopped by this point) for the ceremonial uncovering of the zarb.
The zarb is a mix of meat and vegetables layered on a rack and cooked in an earth oven beneath the sand. When the sand was scraped away and the lid opened, the air was filled with the most amazing aromas which left all of us ready to feast.
The food itself lived up to the theatre of the unearthing of the zarb and was my favourite meal of the trip.
The kids however were not so keen and only wanted bread and hummus. Lucky we picked up all those snacks earlier in the day.
We had been hoping for the chance to practice our star photography whilst at Wadi Rum, after all it doesn’t get much darker than the middle of the desert. Unfortunately the cloud cover never lifted so we missed out on this occasion, fingers crossed for next time!
After a good night’s sleep and another traditional Jordanian breakfast, we climbed back aboard the pickup and were driven out of the desert and back to our car.
Our next and final stop was the Dead Sea.
Dead Sea
The drive from Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea was the longest of our trip and was supposed to take 4 hours. However, due to heavy rain overnight and a landslide on the road we planned to take, we had to go the long way around past Amman, so it was more like 5 hours.
This meant we arrived at our hotel, the Crowne Plaza Dead Sea Resort, a little tired and in need of some food!
The staff at the Crowne Plaza were very welcoming and found us a quiet spot in the lounge area where we could order some snacks. We would have preferred to have sat at the poolside restaurant, but were told this was temporarily closed (it remained closed the 2 days we were there).
We had booked a King suite with sea views which had a large terrace with table, chairs and sun loungers and it felt very luxurious. It was such a massive contrast to the simple Bedouin tent we had woken up in that morning!
After settling in to our slightly extravagant suite, we headed down to the pool to enjoy the last hour or so before it closed.
As always the kids loved splashing around and it was a nice end to the day after so much driving, but we couldn’t help thinking the pool was lacking something. It just didn’t have the wow factor that we experienced at the Aqaba Mövenpick.
We went for an early dinner that evening, which limited our options as to which restaurants were open. We ended up in a cross between a poolside cocktail bar and a Mexican restaurant. The food was actually really tasty and the surroundings were informal which is always good when dining with kids! Plus they had cocktails.
The next day was our last full day in Jordan and after breakfast it was time to check out the Dead Sea!
We had been to the Dead Sea in Israel before as a couple so we knew this one was more for us than the kids as they were really too young to go in. The extreme salinity can be too harsh on the little ones skin and is likely to be painful if they have any cuts or grazes, which kids often do!
We took it in turns to cover ourselves in the famous Dead Sea mud. This was something the kids could get involved in. After all, what 4 year old doesn’t enjoy getting covered in mud?
Once we had given the mud time to work its magic it was into the Dead Sea for the unique floating experience. It was difficult to make a gracious entry as it was a mixture of thick oozy mud and large stones under foot, but once in you can lay back and relax.
Once we both had a chance to enjoy the Dead Sea experience, it was time for another trip to the pool, lunch, ice cream, more pool, dinner and an early night ready for our flight the next day.
You may recall back in the itinerary I mentioned one change I would make looking back on our trip?
With hindsight, the Dead Sea with young children wasn’t really worth the 2 nights we spent there.
Our Suite at the Crowne Plaza was amazing, but the pool and restaurant choices left us a little disappointed. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, but if I were putting together an itinerary today, I wouldn’t include this stop.
Verdict
So would we recommend Jordan for a family adventure holiday?
Absolutely yes!
Jordan has culture, history, awe inspiring sights, beaches, desert, marine life, friendly people and fantastic food.
It is safe, beautiful, easy to get around and relatively cheap.
Jordan really was the ideal place for our first family adventure holiday!