Planning a Holiday to Jordan: The Effort Behind the Adventure (Part I)

Independent travel is rewarding, but it doesn’t come without effort. Deciding on a destination is only the beginning; the real work lies in transforming a vague idea into a practical itinerary. Our recent decision to plan a holiday to Jordan illustrates just how much research goes into preparing for a trip where you want both freedom and reassurance.

At first glance, Jordan seems familiar enough. We know the basics: Petra, the Dead Sea, the capital Amman, and its Middle Eastern location bordered by Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The national airline is Royal Jordanian, the currency is the Jordanian dinar, and Petra alone feels like reason enough to go. But as every independent traveller learns, knowing the headlines is not the same as knowing how to turn them into a feasible journey.

The process began, as it often does, online. Safety was our first concern, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website set the boundaries: only the area within 3km of the Syrian border is considered a no-go zone. Everything else is open to travellers. We also discovered that a visa is required on entry, but that the “Visit Jordan” pass not only covers this cost but also gives access to several major attractions. One layer of uncertainty resolved.

From there, the Visit Jordan website provided inspiration. It confirmed the highlights — Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash, the Dead Sea — and offered a useful map to grasp the distances. That map raised a new challenge: how to get from one place to another. Research showed that public transport in Jordan is limited; there are buses between cities, but to explore the main sights efficiently, organised tours or private drivers are more realistic options. Self-drive is possible, but not ideal given the road conditions and style of driving. Another factor to weigh.

Flights were next. SkyScanner gave us a sense of costs and timings, while Expedia provided a first glance at accommodation. A cursory search suggested that an average of about £80 per room per night is achievable, even allowing for a couple of nights in more high-end hotels — perhaps at the Dead Sea or for a final treat in Amman. That reassurance made the trip feel more within reach, offering a balance between budget-friendly stays and a touch of indulgence.

Weather, too, needed checking. We don’t want to arrive in blazing heat or chilly winter winds. November appeared perfect: daytime temperatures in the high teens to low twenties, with the possibility of light showers but generally pleasant for sightseeing. Another box ticked.

By now, two hours had passed. In that time, we had gone from vague curiosity — “Jordan might be interesting” — to a tangible plan: Jordan in November, with Petra, the Dead Sea, and Amman as our cornerstones. But the process also revealed how much there is still to decide: how many days to allocate to each place, how to move between them, and whether to splurge on guided tours or work around bus timetables.

That’s where the next stage comes in. For all the online resources, we prefer the weight of a physical guidebook in our hands when it comes to shaping an itinerary in detail. A book allows for slow reading, margin notes, and a deeper dive into context — the kind of preparation that turns a holiday into an experience rather than a checklist.

In the end, independent travel planning is as much about patience as it is about logistics. It requires curiosity, persistence, and the willingness to sift through layers of information before committing. Our two-hour research session gave us answers, raised new questions, and, most importantly, confirmed our decision: Jordan will be our November destination. The adventure has already begun, long before we set foot on the plane.