The best experience holidays in Jordan

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Days diving into the Red Sea and sunning oneself on golden sands in Aquaba steal the appeal for a Jordan holiday, but a labyrinth of Nabataean architecture in Petra, the desert dunes of Wadi Rum and Amman’s colourful cuisine is where the country truly shines. Prepare for sugar-soaked knafeh in the capital’s central souk, beguiling structural beauty in the “Rose City” and a salty soak in the Dead Sea amid the rich history and vibrant social scene of Jordan’s cities. Hike the Jordan Trail open image in gallery Spanning 675km from Umm Qais to Aqaba, the full route takes around 40 days to hike Opened in March 2017, the Jordan Trail – a 675km route stretching from Umm Qais in the north to Aqaba’s Red Sea south – runs the length of Jordan. Peruse Petra’s ancient treasures open image in gallery The Rose City is one of the new seven wonders of the world Strewn with Nabataean architecture and monumental structures, Jordan’s Rose City, Petra, carves the history of the country into its sandstone rocks.