If you are considering a trip to Jordan with kids then you are probably already thinking about exploring the Lost City of Petra, floating in the Dead Sea, camping under the stars in Wadi Rum and enjoying the beaches and underwater sights in Aqaba.
You may also be a little concerned. After all Jordan does have some rather troubled neighbours as it shares borders with Syria and Iraq.
Wondering whether your kids will even enjoy places like Petra or Wadi Rum, should you just wait until they are older? Is it safe to drive in Jordan? What about the food, will my fussy toddler eat anything?
These are all questions we asked ourselves when planning our own family adventure to Jordan in October 2018 when the kids were aged 4 and 1.
Let me share what we discovered and why we think that Jordan is perfect for a family adventure!
Safety
First of all, let’s deal with the neighbours. Yes you need to avoid the border regions in the far North and there has been a refugee crisis in that region, but there is very little impact on the rest of the country, particularly for tourists.
Jordan continues to be one of the safest countries in the Middle East and has some of the friendliest and welcoming people we have met on our travels.
Your main safety concerns are going to be the more generic kind, things like road safety, sun protection etc rather than anything country specific.
Driving in Jordan is reasonably safe. It might take a short while to get into the rhythm of local driving style, but once you do it is the perfect way to get around. For some tips on renting a car and driving in Jordan see my separate post on the topic.
Jordan is largely desert, so of course it is hot and sunny.
We were worried that walking around Petra would be too hot for the kids, but there are actually lots of shady spots and caves where you can get out of the sun. There are also small cafes where you can grab a drink or snack in the shade.
Wadi Rum is a different matter. If you are taking a tour into Wadi Rum you are likely to be on the back of a pickup and may not have any shade during the drive. Be prepared to cover up with long loose clothing and a hat (that wont fall off!). When we were in the desert it was actually the first day of rain they had for months, so we were wrapped up in hoodies. No chance of sunburn for us!
Activities with kids
Petra
Number 1 on your list of things to see in Jordan is likely to be Petra, but is it suitable for kids? Well in our opinion absolutely yes.
Petra is a huge site and you could easily spend a few days exploring every square inch of the place. But you really don’t have to. We spent around 5-6 hours wandering through the complex at a kid friendly pace, never really leaving the valley floor and we still managed to see so much and really soak in the atmosphere of the place.
Wadi Rum
Another great activity that the kids enjoyed was a trip into the desert at Wadi Rum and spending the night sleeping in a Bedouin tent.
Sitting in the back of a pickup and driving through the vastness of the desert was something they had never experienced before. Add to that the chance to run up and down giant sand dunes, climb some massive rocks and spend the night in a tent and what kid wouldn’t be happy!
Red Sea
In Aqaba and Tala Bay, there is plenty of snorkelling or even diving for older kids, but with ours being so young we opted for a glass bottom boat trip to see some of the Red Sea marine life.
We went with Neptune Submarine Boat tour, which has almost the entire hull of the boat made out of glass, so when you go below deck it is like entering a giant aquarium!
Aqaba was also a good place to relax between some of the more active stops and have some family fun in the pool.
Dead Sea
I have mixed feelings about the Dead Sea.
When we were in Jordan, our kids were too young to get involved and I think it’s only really going to be enjoyable for older kids, say 8 plus. The saltiness of the water can be too much for childrens’ sensitive skin and keeping your balance in the super buoyant water would prove tricky.
So if your kids are under 8 then I would be tempted to save this one for another day. That said, if your kids are of the right age then they would surely love the chance to turn themselves into ‘mud monsters’ before going for a float!
Churches
Our first night in Jordan was in Madaba, which is a small city just south of Amman and therefore perfect when your flight doesn’t land until midnight.
It also happens to have some very interesting churches, such as Saint John’s and Saint George’s, which probably isn’t what you expect to find in a majority Muslim country.
St John’s has great views over the city, but more fun for the kids were the tunnels and caves underneath! St George’s has a mosaic map of Madaba, this was less of a hit for our kids but we found it interesting!
Dana Biosphere
One place we didn’t visit but heard great things about is Dana Biosphere Reserve.
The scenery there looks amazing and there are hiking trails that should be perfectly doable with kids. Definitely one to visit when we return to Jordan!
Jordan Pass
The Jordan Pass is a great way to save you time and money if you plan on staying in Jordan for more than 3 nights.
Top Tip! Kids under 12 are free at most sights, including Petra, so we didn’t bother with the Jordan Pass for the kids and just bought their visa on arrival at the airport.
The basic pass cost us 70JD per adult in 2018 and includes your tourist visa (normally 40JD) as long as you stay more than 3 nights in Jordan. It also includes entry to around 40 of the major sights and attractions in Jordan, such as Petra, Wadi Rum and Jerash. The Petra entrance fee alone is 50JD, so even if you just used the Jordan Pass to cover this and your visa you have saved some money.
We were able to download the Jordan Pass onto our phones, so we could skip the ticket queue at Petra and head straight in.
What to take
The main advice I would give to anyone visiting Jordan with younger kids is to leave the stroller at home and make sure you have a decent baby carrier!
We took a small front carrier, which we used most of the time, but also one of the framed back carriers. We only used the back carrier in Petra, but it made the 6 hours of walking much more enjoyable!
You will want some light, comfortable clothing and some decent walking shoes if you are heading to Petra or Wadi Rum, but otherwise just be mindful of the local culture when deciding what clothes to take. As in many places, the locals will appreciate modest dress, particularly away from the tourist beaches in the South.
Whenever we rent a car we always take the kids car seats. You can take them for free on flights and not only are you saving the cost of renting but more importantly you are guaranteeing you have the right size seat and that it is safe. I also recommend investing in a heavy duty bag for these to prevent damage and seat pads etc getting lost.
Food
Some of the best food we ate in Jordan was cooked by our Bedouin hosts in Wadi Rum, using a Zarb (an underground oven). The results of slow cooking the chicken and vegetables in a sealed oven was the most tender and juicy meal, with subtle hints of herbs and all served with plenty of flatbreads, dips and salads.
Did the kids like it? No! But then they were going through a particularly fussy stage at the time. Even still, they ate a decent amount of flatbread and hummus as well as all the crackers we brought with us, so they were never going to starve.
Most places we visited in Jordan had simple western dishes for the kids when they wanted it, although as is usually the case, the local dishes we ate were infinitely better quality.
Convincing the kids that flatbread and hummus is a perfectly acceptable breakfast was challenging at times, although we were generally able to get some form of egg and bread on the side as well.
Itinerary
When we visited Jordan, we had 8 nights / 7 full days and the main things we wanted to fit in were Petra and a night in the desert at Wadi Rum, but we also wanted to leave time to relax and enjoy some family time at the beach or by the pool.
So this is what we came up with:
- Day 1 – BA flight landed at Queen Alia International at 23.30, pick up rental car, drive to Saint John Hotel in Madaba (30 min drive).
- Day 2 – Sleep in! Explore Madaba, lunch in Madaba. Drive to Peace Way Hotel, Petra (3 hours).
- Day 3 – Full day exploring Petra, another night at Peace Way Hotel.
- Day 4 – Drive to Movenpick Resort & Spa, Aqaba (2 hours). Lunch at the hotel. Pool time.
- Day 5 – Neptune ‘Submarine boat’ trip. Beach & pool time.
- Day 6 – Drive to Wadi Rum (1 hour 30). Half day jeep tour & night at Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp.
- Day 7 – Drive to Crowne Plaza, Dead Sea (4 hours 30). Pool time.
- Day 8 – Float in Dead Sea, pool time.
- Day 9 – Early drive to airport (1 hour), flight departing 9.15am.
Verdict
So there you have it. Jordan is beautiful, it is safe, it is packed full of culture, the people are friendly and the food is delicious. It really is the perfect destination for a family adventure!
Read more about our our own family adventure to Jordan.