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Dubai & Jordan?

RS Helpline is our #1 source for travel, but even RS doesn't have this area as an option. We are going to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in February and would like to visit Jordan as well. We would also like to break up the long flight from Atlanta to Dubai with a couple of nights en route. Any suggestions? (We have been to Israel & Turkey.) Thanks

Posted by
1546 posts

Some of your options may depend on which airline you are flying. There are now at least a couple of US airlines that fly directly to DXB - i.e. UA and DL. If you are intent on visiting Jordan, then you may want to see if you can route on Royal Jordanian and weave your stopover into the direct ticket. I know they fly from NY and possibly Chicago.

Couple of things to consider - Jordan will probably be cold at that time especially if you are planning on hitting the desert areas around Petra and Wadi Rum. Not sure how warm the Dead Sea is during Feb though you may already have done this when in Israel.

Most of Europe can also serve as stopover places - I would probably choose Madrid which may be warmer than the rest of Europe.

Just reread your posting - you will definitely need more than a couple of days for Jordan if you want to visit Petra - 1 day for Madaba (including Mt Nebo, Jordan River, Dead Sea), 1 day to get to Petra possibly via the King's Highway, 1 full day for Petra and 1 day getting back to Amman.

You may want to give us more info on what type of place you want to stop over in - warm/cold weather, big city, etc.

Posted by
111 posts

thanks so much for your reply. We have scrapped the idea of a stopover and are flying directly from Atlanta to Dubai. Love your suggestions about Jordan, and are looking at 4-5 days there. Although we are pretty independent travelers, we were thinking we might need a guide for Jordan. Agree or disagree? Then - any suggestions for guides/tour companies? ANY advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Posted by
97 posts

We spent ten days in Jordan a couple of years ago. We stayed at Mosaic City Hotel in Madaba for several nights and were able to book a driver through the hotel for trips around the country.

Mosaic City Hotel

The driver was not a guide, but was very knowledgeable about the sites we visited. It is possible to hire a guide at most sites if you want a tour, though we just tended to look around on our own.

Posted by
1546 posts

You can definitely do Jordan on your own if you are independent travelers and don't need guides. The latest copy of the Lonely Planet guidebook is all I would take. We did this about 6 years ago with the kids traveling all the way from Turkey through Syria, Lebanon and onwards to Israel and Cyprus. Besides the guidebook, you can get upto date information from the Thorntree forum and also possibly from TripAdvisor.