"Fun Day and Weekend Trips in Jordan!" by Macalah Pcolar
Madaba, Jordan
During your time in Amman, I definitely recommend taking a day or weekend trip to Madaba! You can get there on a 1 JD bus from 7th circle or share an Uber with friends! Madaba is about 45 minutes to an hour from Amman and is a peaceful escape from the busy city life. The town is very walkable and there are lots of small tourist shops to explore. It’s a great place to go souvenir shopping because it has all the traditional items in a relatively calm atmosphere for bartering or just looking around! There were a lot of local artisans showing us their artwork in the streets which was one of my favorite parts. We also spent a lot of time in a beautiful café/garden/bookshop that our Arabic teacher recommended called Kawon Bookstore. A group of us spent a weekend in Madaba in a cheap Airbnb but you can also explore everything easily in a day trip!
2. As-Salt, Jordan
This was one of the first day trips I took in Jordan because it’s so close to Amman! If you or any of your friends live in the neighborhood of Khalda, then it’s only about a 25 minute Uber from there. This is a great trip if you’re looking to explore more of Jordan without spending a lot of money. As-Salt is a historic city that used to be the capital of Jordan before it was relocated to Amman. You can explore most of the town in just one afternoon. When you go, make sure to stop by the Hamman Market and the Archaeological Museum! As-Salt is very steep, just like Amman, but if you’re brave enough to climb to the top of one of the hills you can get a great view of the city and get a glimpse into more of the local culture by wandering around the side streets!
3. Aqaba, Jordan
The weekend I spent in Aqaba was one of my favorites of the whole semester! This is definitely a full weekend trip as it much farther away than the others. You can get here with a short 45 minute flight or on an 8 JD bus from 7th circle. My friends and I took the bus, which is about 4 hours each way, and can be very crowded so if you have a big group make sure to buy your tickets ahead of time! The weather in Aqaba is nice year-round - we went in January and had beautiful 80-degree weather the whole time. Aqaba is located on the Red Sea, right in between Israel and Saudi Arabia. From some parts of the city you can even get a view of Egypt right across the sea! My favorite experience in Aqaba was getting to go scuba diving for the first time. It was only 50 JD for a dive, which lasted all afternoon and came with all the equipment and diving instructors. You don’t need any experience or certification to go as the instructor will walk you through everything when you get there! There is so much to do in Aqaba from exploring the city to laying on the beach, you’re sure to have a great time!
