Essential items to pack and what to wear in Jordan
I traveled to Jordan in October 2019, during the beginning of “winter.” It was in the 80s-90s during the day and 60s at night. My trip was organized through a tour with Intrepid. These are the items that were an absolute must!
Pack these items:
- Travel sized shampoo and conditioner- the hotels did not provide!
- Dry shampoo- for those early mornings when the alarm goes off before 6am
- Bug spray- the flies are outrageously annoying in the desert and near the water
- Real sneakers for desert walks, Petra hikes and castle/ruins exploring
- Medication- specifically Imodium based meds. Every. single. person. I met in the two weeks of traveling dealt with diarrhea. It was a common topic of conversation and some people even had to miss tours because of it, so best to be prepared!
- Cash – no apple pay or Uber here. Expect to pay cash for just about everything
- Hat/sunglasses- the sun is strong, especially in the desert!
- Backpack or day bag – helpful for when you’re on the go, and don’t have easy access to luggage
- Mini towel – the desert camp does not supply towels and you’ll need one for any water activities as well. I’m a fan of these.
- Earplugs if you are a light sleeper. You might end up with a roommate that snores or wake up to the early morning call to prayer like I did. Every day.
- Books – there’s a lot of travel time between cities, whether via train, plane, car or felucca, and reading material will help pass the time
What to wear:
- A scarf – if you visit mosques, to protect from the sun and in my experience it also helps with horse/donkey smell in Petra
- Shorts – completely acceptable in most places!
- Breathable pants – if you choose to wear pants, don’t wear anything too heavy. I love options like these!
- Extra socks- your socks will never be the same after a trip to Wadi Rum. Mine didn’t leave the country.
- Sneakers – you’ll want durable sneakers for desert trips and Petra especially
- Black or dark bathing suit for the Dead Sea, especially if you want to partake in the mud ritual
- Jacket or sweater is a must at night. I wore my jean jacket almost every evening
- Books – there’s a lot of travel time between cities, whether via train, plane, car or felucca, and reading material will help pass the time
Click here for the lessons learned and my entire travel adventure in Jordan!
