The best sport spots and adventures in Jordan – travel tips, packing lists and first-hand experience from DOMISPORTS.
Aqaba · Trekking, Climbing, Sandboarding, Horse Riding · Best time: Oct–Apr
Mars on Earth: red sand plains, rock bridges and sandstone massifs to explore on foot, on rock or from the saddle. A night at a Bedouin camp under the open sky is compulsory programme. Jeep safari + Bedouin camp overnight — from ~€50.
Tafilah · Trekking, Hiking · Best time: Oct–Apr
Jordan's largest nature reserve drops nearly a thousand metres from highland plateau to desert floor: hiking from Dana to Feynan you cross several climate zones in a single day. At the bottom waits an eco-lodge lit by candles instead of a grid. Feynan Eco Lodge — off-grid overnight in the nature reserve.
Aqaba · Scuba Diving, Snorkeling · Best time: Year-round
Jordan's short but sweet stretch of Red Sea: coral reefs and divable wrecks sit right off the coast, many reachable from the beach. The water stays warm enough all year — ideal for a course, a refresher or a winter escape. Japanese Garden Reef — Jordan's best snorkel spot, from shore.
Ajloun · Hiking, MTB · Best time: Oct–Apr
Jordan's green north: oak and pistachio woods, olive groves and village paths around Ajloun's medieval castle. On stages of the Jordan Trail you walk a Jordan hardly any visitor gets to see. Jordan Trail stage Ajloun — off the tourist paths.
Madaba · Canyoning, Hiking · Best time: Apr–Oct
Canyoning at sea level and below: on the Siq Trail you wade, swim and scramble upstream between narrow sandstone walls to the waterfall. Open only in the dry season — flash-flood risk here is real. Siq Trail (3h) — canyoning through narrow gorges.
Ma'an · Trekking, Hiking · Best time: Sep–May
Instead of squeezing through the Siq with the crowds, you hike from Little Petra over sandstone domes and ancient Nabataean steps to reach the Monastery Ad-Deir from behind — about 8 kilometers, hardly anyone around, with views over Wadi Araba. The trail is also the finale of the famous Dana-to-Petra trek on the Jordan Trail. Doable for anyone who can walk half a day. Buy your Petra ticket at the Visitor Center beforehand — there's no ticket sale at the back entrance near Little Petra.
Irbid · Hiking, Cycling · Best time: Oct–May
Kilometer zero of the Jordan Trail: from the basalt ruins of Gadara, Section 1 leads through olive groves and wadis down to Ziglab Lake — with views of the Sea of Galilee, the Golan and the Yarmouk gorge. The Jordan Bike Trail starts here too, with punchy climbs in the north. This is the green, hilly Jordan almost nobody has on their radar. This is kilometer zero: both the Jordan Trail (675 km) and the Jordan Bike Trail (730 km) start at the Gadara ruins.
Karak · Hiking, Canyoning, Swimming · Best time: Apr–Oct
A warm creek, palm trees and hanging gardens in a narrow sandstone slot — you wade through thermal-spring-fed pools for about four hours while warm water drips from the walls. Technically easy, which makes it the perfect beginner canyon. If you want more action, take the canyoning variant with rappels down the waterfalls. Entry costs just a few dinars — but after rainfall the narrow canyon is off-limits due to flash flood risk.
Madaba · Canyoning, Swimming, Hiking · Best time: Apr–Oct
One of Jordan's most technical gorges: black basalt first, then white limestone, plus two rappels down waterfalls of 7 and up to 35 meters. 6-9 hours of swimming, scrambling and rappelling — guide and full canyoning gear required. The finish line is the hot springs of Hammamat Ma'in. The tour ends right at the thermal waterfall of the Ma'in resort — rappelling with a hot shower as the finish.
Balqa · Running, Swimming · Best time: Oct–Apr
You can't really swim here — you float on the water like on an air mattress, a good 400 meters below sea level. Things get sporty at the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon in spring: 50 km finishing at the lowest point on earth, plus a half marathon and 10K. Afterwards, the salt bath is your recovery session. The Dead Sea Ultra Marathon has been running every spring for almost 30 years — finish line at 423 m below sea level.
Jabal Al Weibdeh, Amman · Skateboarding, Street skating · Best time: Mar–Nov
A 650 sqm concrete park in one of the few public parks in downtown Amman, built in three weeks in 2014 by an international crew together with local youth. Free to use; the resulting 7Hills organisation runs weekly classes and has operated a second park in the city since 2021. You don't need to bring a board — 7Hills runs a free loaner programme at the park alongside weekly skate classes.