Jordan family holidays

Take the Family is a travel agency specialising in active, adventure and luxury holidays. Your personal travel advisor will create the perfect Jordan holiday for your family, with expert advice and dedicated support throughout.

Choose Jordan for family holidays with kids

Jordan is a unique destination that parents and kids never forget. Book a family holiday in Jordan with Take the Family and you can live the life of desert nomads, walk in the footsteps of Moses, scramble over the ruins of ancient civilisations, float in the Dead Sea and snorkel off a boat in the Red Sea. Make sure to watch Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and The Martian and crank up the excitement before you arrive.

And fascinating as it is to see sites that were mentioned in the Bible (the brook where Jesus was baptised, the fortress where Herod beheaded John the Baptist), it’s not all about the past in Jordan. Amman the capital is a modern, diverse city with plenty going on, and the desert offers ample opportunity for adrenaline-fuelled adventures. And Jordanians are some of the friendliest people you could ever hope to meet.

As a specialist family travel agency based in the UK, we can tailor-make the perfect holiday in Jordan for your family. Contact one of our travel advisors now and let's discuss your dream trip.

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The best things to do in Jordan with kids

History and Culture in Jordan

• Don’t miss Petra, a once-lost and now rediscovered (it’s still being excavated) city that was carved out of the rocks by the Nabataeans in the 6th century. Camel, horse and donkey rides can save on the legwork as you discover the enigmatic ruins, and there are trinket stalls and tea rooms to stop off en route.
• Spend a day in the wonderfully preserved Roman city of Jerash. See our feature on an October half-term family trip to Jordan including a chariot race (although at the time of writing its gladiator shows and chariot rides were not running – we can update you when you book your Jordan holiday with us).
• Explore Jordan’s capital Amman. As well as a playground, its King Hussein National Park (Al Hussein Public Park or Gardens) is home to King Hussein’s Automobile Museum and the Children’s Museum with its hands-on activities and a planetarium. Other things to do in Ammam are tour the Citadel with its Roman theatre, the Archaeological Museum, and Jordan’s Museum of Popular Traditions (Jordanian Museum of Traditional Costumes and Jewelry). Then cool off at the Amman Waves water park.

Adventure and Activities in Jordan

Wadi Rum

Venture into the otherworldly desert and mountain landscape of Wadi Rum, where TE Lawrence was once based. As well as camping overnight, you can explore the dune-scape by 4WD, look at ancient petroglyphs, ride camels and try sandboarding.

The Dead Sea

Experience the weirdness of floating on water at the Dead Sea. There are plenty of hotel resorts and beaches here, plus a water park.

Hiking

Hike amidst some of Jordan’s spectacular scenery. We can advise on trails to suit your family’s abilities. Jordan nature reserves great for hiking include Aljoun and Dana; the latter is the starting point for a six-hour hike to the wonderfully remote Feynan Ecolodge (see Green Places to Stay in Africa and the Middle East). In the Mujib Nature Reserve, canyoning and climbing is becoming ever more popular.

Watersports on the Red Sea

Try wind-surfing, waterskiing and other watersports on the Red Sea, in the thriving city of Aqaba with its modern resorts, marinas and water parks. You can also rent bikes, shop in the souk and watch the world go by from pavement cafés.

Dana Nature Reserve

Eating in Jordan

Your kids probably already love houmous, but the Jordanians will show them how the dish should be done (and how it should be presented). Lamb and chicken are also popular, with garlic and mint the most common seasonings. You’ll also come across sharwma (pitta sandwiches with lamb or chicken) and the delicious national dish mansaf – lamb cooked in yoghurt sauce and served on rice with almonds and pine kernels.

Ask us about booking you a cookery lesson at Petra Kitchen in Wadi Musa as part of your Jordan family holiday, so you can replicate some of your fantastic culinary experiences at home.

Locals drink seemingly endless cups of mint tea and variations that also feature sage or cardamon. Alcohol is not available everywhere, but the larger international hotels have bars. The tap water in Jordan isn’t drinkable.

Desert camping in Wadi Rum

When to visit Jordan for family holidays

For a small country, Jordan has an extraordinary range of climates, including snow in some areas in winter. Average daytime maximum temperatures in Amman range from 12.6°C in January to 32.5°C in August.

We book most family holidays here in spring (March–May) and autumn (Sept–Nov), when daytime temperatures aren't too extreme. We think April is the best month of all, with warm temperatures and wildflowers in bloom, making Jordan great for an Easter family holiday.

We advise you to avoid high summer (July and August), when the weather in the humid Jordan Valley is oppressive, with daytime highs well in excess of 36°C.

Winter can be surprisingly cold and the deserts can be freezing, especially at night, so if you do ask us to book your holiday for this season, bring plenty of warm clothes and a windproof and waterproof jacket.

During Ramadan, visitors shouldn’t eat, drink or smoke in public during the day.

Child playing on the ruins at Jerash

How much does a family holiday to Jordan cost?

Jordan is probably a cheaper option for family holidays than you imagine, partly because there are flights with low-cost operators (some indirect).

We can also book you hotels to suit your budget, from mid-range to luxurious. Some organised trips to Jordan (see tab) include a night or two at a desert camp, or we can include those in our bespoke itinerary for you. Again, some Jordan camps are quite basic, others are luxury glamping experiences.

If your food is not included in your Jordan family tour, you’ll find local dining very affordable; in high-end hotels, prices are much higher.

Getting around Jordan, even by private driver, is also pretty good value compared with many other destinations. With organised Jordan tours, ground transport will be included, as will some if not all of your activities.

How to get to Jordan from the UK

There are direct flights from the UK to Jordan (Amman) taking around five hours. Budget flights might be available, especially off peak, although they may be indirect. The time difference for Jordan is GMT+1/2, so jet-lag won't be an issue.

Jordan

Jordan Family Adventure Holiday

Kempinski Hotel Ishtar

Mövenpick Petra