I had a plan in Jordan, but that changed the moment I arrived in Amman, the capital city of Jordan, and it changed the way I travel forever. After a great trip in Egypt, I took a flight from Cairo to Amman. My plan was to stay in Amman for a few days, go down to Petra, Wadi Rum, and go up north to Wadi Mujib, and end my trip in Jerash. The problem was that I had no idea how to do any of that. I did not do any research on transportation prior to coming to Jordan, and that was enough of a reason for me to seek out others who know.
That plan was scrapped the moment I opened the hostel door and met Moni, a fellow solo traveler from Lebanon who had just started her trip in Jordan. She seemed to know her way around, so I decided to stick with her and see how it goes. Our first trip started just 2 hours away from Amman in a little city called Jerash. Joining us were a Brazilian guy (who was so fond of taking selfies all the time) and an Irish guy. And then our adventure in Jordan began...
Getting from the Airport to Amman City Center
It was in the afternoon that I arrived in Amman. From the airport, I walked out of the terminal expecting annoying taxi drivers to swarm me like in Egypt, but that was not the case. The process of me going to the kiosk to get a minibus to go to the city was met with no annoyance whatsoever. I arrived at the Tarbabour bus station (Mujammah al shimal, ู ุฌู ุน ุงูุดู ุงู) where I got myself a taxi to downtown Amman. The taxi overcharged me 5 dinars for the trip. It was outrageous, but since I did not know how much it was supposed to be (supposed to be 3 dinars), I gave in and paid for it. He dropped me off in downtown, only a hundred meters away from the Sydney hostel.
A Day Trip to Jerash from Amman
We woke up at 8, prepared ourselves, and took a taxi back to the Tarbabour bus station. This was the moment I realized I had overpaid for my taxi the previous day. At the same distance, it had cost us 3 dinars.
We found the right bus to get on in no time because the bus here would only leave when it is full, and the drivers were always on the lookout for more passengers.
- Sydney Hostel (Budget)
- Nomads Hotel (Mid-Range) ๐ Top Pick
- Landmark Amman Hotel & Conference Center (High-End)
- Full-Day Tour: Umm Qais, Jerash, and Ajloun from Amman (6 hours)
- Jerash, Ajloun, Umm Qais Day Trip (5 hours)
- One Day Trip to Jerash & Ajloun Castle (5 hours)
We arrived in less than 2 hours, and during that time, the Brazilian guy entertained everyone with his selfie stick and funny attitude. I love the guy! :)
The bus dropped us off right at the gate of the archaeological site. We bought tickets for ourselves and headed in.
While walking, we found steep stairs carved inside a wall, just like the hidden stairs I had climbed in one of the temples in Myanmar. So, the curious me started climbing up.
With all kinds of climbs, there is always some kind of reward waiting for us at the end. This time, it was the view of the entire site from the top.
We were up there for several minutes, snapping photos until one of the on-site guides told us to get down since the site was still under maintenance, and things could still fall apart. We got what we wanted from the viewpoint, so we came down right away.
Moni and I led the way, while the other two guys were a little too fond of taking photos. Moni came from a background in social work, and at one point, she saw a young kid trying to sell her amulets. She passionately spoke to the kid in Arabic for several minutes until he walked away.
Since I was curious, I asked her what all that was about, and she told me that she asked the boy where his parents were, and it should be them who are out here selling stuff, not him. He should be in school getting an education, but instead, he is out here trying to make a living for his family.
"What if his parents don't have enough money to send him to school?" I asked her, and she said that there are several organizations that can arrange free education in this part of the world if the parents truly want their children to be educated. This also holds true for Southeast Asia, where I witnessed many young women being forced by their parents to sell trinkets (Sapa, Vietnam) instead of receiving a proper education.
I liked talking to people who want to improve the world, like Moni. It really gives me a new perspective on life and our role as part of the community.
We were walking a tad too fast, so we decided to sit in the shade for a while inside one of the many amphitheatres in the area.
We started diving into topics like religion, and how the underlying lessons from each religion are kind of the same. It was this kind of deep conversation that I like about her.
Travelers like these are not stuck in their daily routines to the point where they forget to care about humanity on a macro scale. I find that people like these are more likely to change the world than those who live safely in their cubicles.
The Brazilian and Irish guys finally caught up to us, and we continued heading north towards the upper part of the archaeological site.
While we were walking around the ruins, we noticed a crowd gathering around one of the pillars. One of the guides was demonstrating how the pillars were actually being moved by the wind. The guide took a spoon, turned it to the handle side, and shoved it in between the pillar and the base. The spoon started moving due to the subtle movement of the pillars caused by the wind. It was pretty amazing.
At the temple, we met two security guards who were trying to figure out if Moni was an Arab or not (she told me she heard them ask each other). They eventually found the courage to talk to her, and in the end, they asked her to marry one of the guys. It was so random!
This was Moni, being blinded by the raging sun of the afternoon, Jordan.
At around 2 PM, we were done with Jerash, so we left the site in search of a bus back. Luckily, the same bus was on its way back, and the driver recognized us, so we got on it immediately and headed back to Amman.
We were back at the hostel right around 3PM, and since we had some time left, Moni and I decided to start planning our next move. She came up with the idea to go to Petra the next day and come back to Amman later. Again, she seems to know where to book a bus, and as lazy as I was, I decided to scrap my plan, wing it, and go with her the next day.
Next up, we will go to a place where Jordan is best known for: Petra. It has always been a dream of mine to see Petra with my own eyes, and that dream will come true in the next entry. So stay tuned as we explore every corner of Petra on foot.
More Jerash Activities
If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips:
- Full-Day Tour: Umm Qais, Jerash, and Ajloun from Amman (6 hours)
- Jerash, Ajloun, Umm Qais Day Trip (5 hours)
- One Day Trip to Jerash & Ajloun Castle (5 hours)
Where to Stay in Amman?
What to Pack for Jerash, Jordan?
As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Jerash, Jordan:
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
- Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
- Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
- Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
- Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Jerash, Jordan in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
- Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
- Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.
For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Jordan
I hope you found this travel guide useful. I have a ton more written about Jordan, and if you are interested in reading more, here are a few additional travel guides about Jordan.
- Amman is a great place to start your journey in Jordan. Here's a quick guide on how to spend 3 days in Amman and its surrounding tourist attractions.
- Petra is among the most popular attractions, not just in Jordan, but in the entire world, and for good reasons. Here's how to spend 2 days in Petra.
- Petra is also a prime place for hiking. You will be able to see the Treasury from a perspective not many have seen. Hereโs a complete one-day hiking guide for Petra.
- Looking for something to inspire you to visit Jordan? Iโve got you covered. Here are 22 photos that will inspire you to visit Jordan.
- You can also watch my Jordan travel video here: Adventure in Jordan.
- To see all articles about Jordan, visit the Jordan Travel Guide page.
- Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
4 Comments
That's awesome, I'm in Amman at the moment and this information is very useful, I will try to go to Jerash tomorrow using these tips! Thanks! Are you still here out of interest?
Hey Ash,
Thank you! I hope you found it useful. No, I'm not in Amman at the moment. :)
Good luck with your journey!
Looks great... A wealth of information and yet, the volume and frequency of adverisments is a deterrant for me. It seems you can't touch the screen to try and scroll without getting redirected to view some ad or another.
I realize blogs are intended to be money makers, but everything in moderation is much more appealing.
Thank you for the heads up! Ads run independently to the blog and so if you see any ads with constant popups that cause problems, please hit the report ad icon in the right corner and that should tell our ad provider to block the particular ad for your future visits. :)